Rising world data volumes pose major opportunities
A new IDC Digital Universe study Extracting Value from Chaos, has found global digital information is more than doubling every two years. With a colossal 1.8 zettabytes to be created and replicated in 2011 the rate of growth occurring is faster than Moore’s Law. The study’s fifth anniversary, measuring and forecasting the amount of digital information created and copied annually, analyses the implications for individuals, enterprises, and IT professionals, and has major economic, social and technological implications for big data and other opportunities. Key points include:
Staffing not keeping pace with server, data management and file growth
IDC notes that the skills, experience, and resources to manage the deluge of data and resources simply isn’t keeping pace with all areas of growth. Over the next decade (by 2020), IT departments worldwide will experience:
- 10X the number of servers (virtual and physical).
- 50X the amount of information to be managed.
- 75X the number of files or containers that encapsulate the information in the digital universe, which is growing even faster than the information itself as more and more embedded systems, such as sensors in clothing, in bridges, or medical devices.
- 1.5X the number of IT professionals available to manage it all.
Cloud computing cost and operational efficiency
While cloud computing accounts for less than 2% of IT spending today, IDC estimates that by 2015 nearly 20% of the information will be “touched” by cloud computing service providers — with as much as 10% maintained in a cloud.
The digital shadow has a mind of its own
The amount of information individuals create themselves—writing documents, taking pictures, downloading music, etc.—is far less than the amount of information being created about them in the digital universe.
Liability and responsibility lies with enterprises
While 75% of the information in the digital universe is generated by individuals, enterprises have some liability for 80% of information in the digital universe at some point in its digital life.
Microsoft launches Office 365
Microsoft this week announced the worldwide availability of Microsoft Office 365, the company’s newest cloud productivity and collaboration service for business. Available in Australia and 40 other markets, Office 365 brings together Microsoft Office, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Exchange Online and Microsoft Lync Online in an always-up-to-date cloud service, at a predictable monthly subscription. “Enabling business productivity sits at the very core of Microsoft’s DNA. Office 365 is designed with one mission in mind: help businesses run better by providing a new generation of world-class collaboration tools in the cloud,” said Oscar Trimboli, Director, Information Worker Business Group, Microsoft Australia.“Through Office 365, the very smallest organisations can now access the most sophisticated, enterprise class collaboration tools for a price per user, per month that is roughly the cost of a sandwich. The playing field has truly been leveled,” he said.
AARNet terabit ready with Cisco
AARNet, Australia’s Academic and Research Network and Cisco have announced the successful trial deployment of a 40Gb service for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and radio astronomy community. The trial demonstrates Australia has the infrastructure and capabilities in place to support the demanding ICT requirements of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), should Australia be selected to host this international mega-science project in 2012. The 40Gb trial is a significant breakthrough in demonstrating the ability of AARNet’s existing network infrastructure to support the extreme data set transfers required for radio astronomy projects including the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) currently under construction in Western Australia, and ultimately the SKA.
Internode links its first customer to NBN in Willunga
Yesterday Internode connected its first customer, technology entrepreneur Raaj Menon, to SAs first National Broadband Network (NBN) location in the southern suburb of Willunga. Interestingly Mr. Menon, CEO of Australia’s specialist broadband device distributor PCRange, moved his home to Willunga in February this year in order to get early access to an NBN broadband service. With SA’s first connections available this week in Willunga, NBNCo is starting a test process with a small number of residents before its trial is extended to about 100 Willunga premises over the next two months. If there is widespread community disinterest to the NBN as some suggest, Menon is not representative of that sentiment. “I’m live and its a cracker,” he said. “At the moment, I’m downloading from newsgroups at nine megabytes per second, with Speedtest showing 95.5Mbps downstream and 35.5 upload,” he added. “Broadband Internet access is the lifeblood of my business, so I intend to put the NBN through its paces”. Internode managing director Simon Hackett said: “Connecting up Mr. Menon as our first NBN customer in Willunga demonstrated our ongoing commitment to the NBN. Internode is determined to be first with the NBN in every new area that it rolls out”.
Kroll Ontrack teams with Covertec for data recovery insurance
Covertec, electronic equipment insurance specialists, has teamed with Kroll Ontrack, a leading provider of information management, data recovery and legal technologies products and services, to offer Australian businesses and consumers data recovery following accidental damage or electronic breakdown of their IT equipment. Covertec provides insurance for laptops, cameras and portable devices against theft and accidental damage underwritten by Chubb Insurance. “In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in requests for data recovery insurance,” said Julian Day, managing director, Covertec. “Loss of data can be a traumatic experience for consumers, be it last year’s tax return, accounts, letters, document scans, wedding photos or music. At the same time, we believe that many small- to medium-size businesses that need to insure a fleet of laptop, tablet and mobile phone devices will consider this insurance program as part of their business continuity strategy.”
Ninefold Cloud evolves beyond public Beta
Ninefold, the cloud computing company, this week announced that its cloud storage service – the first of its kind in Australia – is now in full production after a highly successful public Beta. Based on EMC Atmos and launched in March, the massively scalable storage service is fully tested, API accessible and ready to go as the first truly Australian-based equivalent to AWS’ S3 storage service. With genuine ‘swipe and go’ credit card set up and self-managed service for under 10 cents per GB/month, Ninefold Cloud Storage is ideal for businesses of all sizes that want easy and flexible access to storage. Potential uses might include improving the performance of content-rich websites, secure back-up and business data archives, file sharing for easier collaboration and document control, or remote access to various files and documents. Peter James, Managing Director, Ninefold said: “Ninefold now offers a full range of production-ready compute and storage services with local support for individuals and micro-businesses right up to large environments, at a competitive price-point to other players”.
