Fault tolerance on Windows 2008

Fault tolerance had been recently added as an optional features on windows 2008 which provide a similar features to the Tandem Non Stop concept to minimize the system down time from minutes to seconds. As we notice, this technology will be down the road by VMWare on the next release ESX 4. I not sure whether Microsoft will consider to offer this in the virtual environment rather than the physical, as more users is more interesting in Virtual Vs Physical Servers today. Let's see what will be the next from Microsoft, innovative portion, I m glad to see this from Microsoft.

Windows 7 available for public beta

Windows 7 had been available for public beta. You can obtain a copy of this through the MSDN access or https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/subscriptions/securedownloads/default.aspx

I just installed a VM in my ESX servers and found the performance is good if compare to Vista. I will spend more time to reimage my current workstation from Vista to windows 7 for further test out. Hope Microsoft will learn from the disaster Vista and really deliver the useable version of Windows 7 for the next release.

Balance in between In source and Out source for IT services

Recent big news and the hottest topic of the financial and IT market globally is really focusing on the Satyam Computers financial scandal which similar to Enron previously. It had significant impact to the client who use the services from Satyam for their day to day operation. Personally, I will see that the impact to the company who use Satyam as their IT our source vendor, which may result the significant cost increase as they original plan. Now is time for the company to reconsider the balance in between outsource and in source. This topic is nothing new to the world as always some claim outsource is better and some claim in source is better.

My point here is, both of them is the same, at the end of the day, CIO or CEO will only interesting to manage the figure of operation expenses as well as the result to be able to achieve. Problem of choosing which is the better deal in term of outsource or in source is purely base on people issues. IT is a business, is generating revenue and stop thinking IT as a COST will help the company and the business to grow faster than the competitor. Non of the success company today is not rely on their IT infrastructure to simplify and automate the business process with 24x7x365 availabilities. The Satyam case had provided the alert to the management to rethink the best option to run the IT services to the business. I am always believe the balance in between in source and outsource will help the operation rather that rely fully on 3rd party vendor.

Microsoft will lay off 15000 employees

Latest news I watch today, Microsoft will lay off 15000 employees worldwide. It will be consider a Big "Present" to the employee with the new start of Year 2009. 17% of the lay off will be impacted to the MSN team as the source told. Personal point of view, it had been cash, stock price as well as revenue issue with Microsoft and force to make such a decision at this time could drive the situation in US to be worst.