IT-nglish
I'll take anyone out for a coffee if they can explain to me what the following means (it was an invite to a conference)*:
Deliver in a dynamic world through end-to-end virtualisation
Virtualisation is recognised as the most transformative IT technology of the next decade.
To truly impact the business, server virtualisation is not enough. IT needs the power of virtualisation from the datacentre for servers and applications all the way to the desktop.
An end-to-end application delivery solution where IT can control applications, desktops and the server infrastructure that supports them from the datacentre.
* NB I have to understand your explanation.
Labels: Language
posted by Sauntering Walker at 3:36 PM
6 Comments:
Well, to begin with, you need to understand that the Internet is like a series of tubes...
Make it a double Latte with a twist of lemon.
It means that with a computer, broadband, mobile, fax, copier and printer we can give people information just like we always have, but it costs several thousand dollars more, creates another way for technophiles to look down on the rest of us troglodytes who've are six months behind the latest technology coming out of Japan ... and there's just as much liklihood that people will read what you're saying.
In other words, IT, who controls the server controls the world - everything on your computer as well.
I bet George Orwell would be smugly smirking.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtualization
Bert: Love it -- Senator Ted Stevens rings a bell from my time in Fairbanks (many great things originate in that place).
TroyG: In my case, it's more like six years behind the latest stuff coming out of Japan.
Anon: thanks for the link.
Of course, despite these vlaiant efforts, no-one gets the banana (the coffee, that is).
First, a definition:
Server - this is a special type of computer that is fast enough for lots of people to connect to and use at the same time. Websites are installed on servers.
These days, the software you use is generally installed on your computer. At your workplace it is installed on a lot of computers and the company pays for a site license to install the same software on lots of computers.
If 'virtualization' succeeds, software will be installed on a server at a different location. Your computer will only access the software for the time you are using it, by sending your data across the internet and sending the results back to you. It may be installed at the server belonging to your workplace, or on the server belonging to the company who sells the software.
In other words, you will use only be able to use 'Microsoft Word' or 'Microsoft Works' on the internet, it won't be installed on your computer, and you will only pay for the software for the actual time that you use it.
A lot of software already does something like this with their help packages, so that you can only access them on the internet. Internet mail like Yahoo or Google is also a very good example of virtualization, however they make their money out of advertising rather than charging.
The reason why companies that use software might have a motivation to do 'virtualization' is that in the short term it could be cheaper, because the software will be charged per single use rather than buying lots of site licenses and upgrades.
The reason why software companies have a motivation to do 'virtualization', is that they can more tightly control the copyright; i.e. it will be a lot harder to copy if it's on a central server than if it's installed on lots of computers. Also, in the long run it may actually end up being more expensive for the user, particularly if it's a large project that uses a lot of software time. Just like with credit cards, mobile phones, etc, people tend to underestimate how much they'll spend when it's small incremental amounts.
The main disadvantage for the user is that whoever owns the server will have access to the information. Also, the information may be accessible in transit from your computer to the server and vice versa, by a third party, if security is not adequate.
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