New Microsoft Volume Licensing Option Coming in 2017

Next year, IT buyers will have a new option when it comes to purchasing #Microsoft software and subscribing to the company's cloud offerings. Just before the long July 4th holiday weekend in the United States, the Redmond, Wash., software giant announced on Friday that it plans to kick off a new Microsoft Products and Services Agreement (MPSA) licensing option in 2017 dubbed Enterprise Advantage. Once Microsoft rolls out the new plan, enterprise software buyers will be able to mix subscription and perpetual software purchases with the company's cloud services slate, including Azure, Office 365 and Dynamics CRM Online. "Enterprise Advantage on MPSA will offer the same business bargain, including products, pricing, and coverage, as the Enterprise Agreement, plus the added flexibility of the MPSA to align to your purchasing structure and needs," wrote Richard Smith, general manager of Microsoft Worldwide Licensing and Pricing, in a July 1 blog post. "At launch, Enterprise Advantage on MPSA will be available for all commercial customers in markets where the MPSA is available, but will be the optimal choice for most customers with up to 2,400 users or devices."

http://mobile.eweek.com/cloud/new-microsoft-volume-licensing-option-coming-in-2017.html

Skype Meetings is Microsoft’s new free video conferencing tool for small businesses

#SkypeMeetings is @Microsoft ’s new free video conferencing tool for small businesses Posted yesterday by Frederic Lardinois (@frederic) #Microsoft today launched Skype Meetings, a new audio and video conferencing tool specifically designed for small businesses. #Skype Meetings is essentially a stripped down version of the Skype for Business solution. The more fully featured Skype for Business product allows you to host meetings with up to 250 people and it’s deeply integrated into #Outlook, #Word and #PowerPoint. Skype Meetings, on the other hand, only allows for PowerPoint collaboration (screen sharing, laser pointer, etc.) and screen sharing. Video calls are also limited to a maximum of 10 people during the first two months. After that, the maximum number of participants drops to three people. Participants can join Skype Meetings from virtually any device with the help of a personalized URL and the calls are powered by the same technology as Skype for Business calls. That means you will get to take advantage of Skype’s head tracking feature, for example, which ensures that a face will always be in the center of the screen, no matter where it is in the actual video image.

Microsoft Makes It Clear There Is No Longer Such A Thing As An Xbox-Exclusive Game

In the wake of E3 where @#Microsoft talked up Xbox Play Anywhere, it seemed possible that in the future, every Microsoft game might be released on both Xbox and Windows 10 simultaneously. Now, we have confirmation from VP Yusuf Mehdi that yes, this is in fact the case. He said as much in a recent blog post on the Windows site itself:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2016/07/05/microsoft-makes-it-clear-there-is-no-longer-such-a-thing-as-an-xbox-exclusive-game/#69bb49c8ee09

Avaya Architecture Designed to Make IoT Easier, More Secure

@Avaya more than a year ago significantly expanded its efforts in the network virtualization space with the introduction of a network architecture designed to make it easier to connect devices and people to the network and that spans from the data center to the network edge. The software-defined networking ( #SDN ) Fx architecture works with Avaya's Fabric Connect technology and includes the vendor's Open Networking Adapter (ONA), an Internet of things ( #IoT ) gateway based on the open-source #OpenvSwitch technology that offers a simple and secure network connection for devices that have an Ethernet port.

http://mobile.eweek.com/networking/avaya-architecture-designed-to-make-iot-easier-more-secure.html

Dell confirms price rise post Brexit vote as UK pound stumbles

#Dell has blamed a #Brexit -induced sterling meltdown for a double-digit price hike across its portfolio. As we revealed last week, the British pound has weakened to a 31-year low against the US dollar, making price rises inevitable. Today’s rate is 12.4 per cent lower than before the EU referendum. Channel partners told us Dell had informed them of a blanket increase of ten per cent on 1 July, something they said they’ll need to ultimately pass onto customers. “Customers expected it,” one told us, “there was an air of acceptance. Given the margins we operate on we can’t afford to swallow it [ourselves].” Currency was an issue technology suppliers were already dealing with in 2015. Back then it led to previous price rises and subsequent spending forecast revisions - and now it’s been exacerbated by Brexit. A spokeswoman for the Texan tech baron confirmed the changes: “We carefully consider price moves for our customers and partners, and have worked diligently over the past several months to postpone any increases pending the outcome of the EU referendum.” “Our component costs are priced in US dollars,” she added, “and unfortunately, the recent strengthening of the US dollar versus sterling and other currencies in the EMEA region, following the UK’s decision to leave the European Union, will have a direct impact on the price we sell to our UK customers and partners.”

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/07/05/dell_confirms_price_rise_post_brexit_vote_as_uk_pound_stumbles/

Dell's Poweredge Servers To Benefit Enterprise Customers

Technology major #Dell ’s latest 4-socket server portfolio will be including 4 rack and blade options, which will help enterprise level customers involving workload requirements,with large scale server deployment. Since workload requirements need flexibility and modularity, the #PowerEdge 13th generation servers will also be delivering on versatility, security, and overall productivity for both large scale and mid-level enterprises. The point to be noted about the new Dell PowerEdge #R930 is that, the server comes with Intel Xeon E7-8890 V4 processors, and has recently set three new SAP world- record benchmarks. The Director and General Manager of the Enterprises Services Group, Manish Gupta explained, “Enterprises have been dealing with changing waves of technology. Be it BYOD, Analytics, Big Data or the Cloud. In short, the lines of business have been re-drawn and that means enterprises need to be constantly ahead of the IT infrastructure curve when it comes to delivering the best experience and service for their customers, regardless of where they are.” He further added, “Dell’s updated 13th generation PowerEdge R930 has the capabilities to address the workloads of not just today but also workloads that will emerge due to new trends in the future. These servers are designed completely basis on customer feedback and our knowledge of understanding where the future of IT is headed. Customers can take advantage of its immense capabilities to handle all kinds of workloads.”

http://www.cxotoday.com/story/dells-poweredge-servers-to-benefit-enterprise-customers/

Dell bolsters channel program

@Dell has announced enhancements to its #PartnerDirect program including a new loyalty program for all partners working with Dell distributors, modifications to its EMEA rebate structure and additional incentives for new business including new programs and events throughout the year. All of these updates have been created to help partners, irrespective of level, grow their businesses with Dell. PartnerDirect Benefits Extended to Registered Partners Dell continues to invest in its distribution program with the launch of an incentive for registered channel partners sourcing Dell’s products and solutions via Dell Authorised Distributors. With over 500 resellers registering during the initial six week pilot stage, partners will now have the ability to become a Dell Registered Partner through a simplified registration and on-boarding process, providing them with quick access to the Dell PartnerDirect portal where they can take advantage of training courses, sales enablement tools, marketing resources, Deal Registration, campaign materials and ongoing information from Dell on the latest products and solutions. Following the changes, registered partners working with distributors will, for the first time ever be able to access incentives, competency training courses, rewards and customer support, all of which were previously only open for resellers working directly with Dell. Additional benefits include a loyalty program which incentivises resellers for their purchases by awarding marks, which can be exchanged for e-vouchers against future Dell orders or co-branded marketing materials.

http://www.dealersupport.co.uk/news/products-and-services/machines-and-print/Dell-bolsters-channel-program

StorMagic Launches SvSAN 6: Brings Unprecedented Flexibility, Efficiency and Performance to Modernise IT

BRISTOL, UNITED KINGDOM – 5th July, 2016 – @StorMagic ®, the software-defined storage company enabling hyper-converged infrastructure, today announced the launch of #SvSAN 6. With the launch of Version 6 #StorMagic will, for the first time, offer SvSAN in a Standard and Advanced Edition. Both will be available globally now that StorMagic is a Preferred Solution Partner within the @Cisco ® Solutions Partner Program and via the company’s OEM agreement with #Cisco. SvSAN 6 is the most affordable way for companies to take advantage of the very latest hyper-converged infrastructure in a lean IT environment. Version 6 enables large organisations with remote or branch offices, or smaller businesses with more modest IT infrastructure and budget to take advantage of advanced storage caching features that enable the perfect balance of flexibility, efficiency and performance, while also future-proofing their IT infrastructure: Flexibility: Deploy any storage in any server on your choice of hypervisor Efficiency: Save time, money and reduce your carbon footprint Performance: Designed for the most demanding applications

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/07/prweb13531018.htm

Virtacore Continues Partnership With Nimble Storage to Expand Replication and Disaster Recovery Offerings

ASHBURN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--@Virtacore, an industry leader of private cloud and Disaster Recovery ( #DRaaS ), continues to add to its services by offering @Nimble -to- #Nimble replication solutions for its cloud customers. Since 2013, #Virtacore, the market leader in disaster recovery (DR) services, has partnered with Nimble Storage to enable Nimble customers across the country to replicate directly to Virtacore’s cloud. Nimble Storage customers who maintain on-premise Predictive Flash arrays have the option to replicate their data via a service. The CoreReplication service from Virtacore, powered by Nimble, enables a geographic diverse offsite solution for DR and business continuity within highly secure (SSAE16 compliant) data centers. CIOs and IT managers now can implement plans for DR compliance requests and SLAs without the large capital expense. Additionally, they are able to maintain control and manage corporate off site data, retention settings, and fail-back to production systems in case of a DR event.

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160705005377/en/Virtacore-Continues-Partnership-Nimble-Storage-Expand-Replication

Dell opens a solar-powered classroom at Waverley Girls’ High

The opening of the solar-powered Learning Lab at Waverley Girls’ High will provide world-class technology and connectivity to hundreds of girls from underserviced communities in Alexandra and Hillbrow. By Staff Writer Part of @Dell ’s 2020 Legacy of Good Plan, #Dell solar-powered Learning Labs provide direct technology access to more than 5,000 underprivileged students in communities where technology infrastructure is limited. This specific partnership at Waverley Girls’ High is just one of the projects Dell and Sci-Bono have collaborated on. Not only does this school struggle to compete and offer the same facilities as surrounding private schools, but it continues to strive to encourage and prepare girls to enter the IT industry. One of 11 labs globally, the Learning Labs are constructed inside standard shipping containers, using Dell’s #Wyse thin client computers and Dell #PowerEdge Servers to create a computer-empowered learning space.

http://techfinancials.co.za/2016/07/dell-opens-a-solar-powered-classroom-at-waverley-girls-high/

Dropbox's HP Enterprise Deal Was About More Than Revenue Growth

Things may be getting better for cloud storage decacorn @Dropbox, but the almost-certainly overvalued start-up is by no means out of the woods just yet. With rising competition from tech giants including @Apple, @Alphabet, @Microsoft, @Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), and Box (NYSE:BOX), #Dropbox has lately slashed some of its more opulent (read: absurd) perks in an effort to steer the company toward eventual profitability. The company's renewed commitment to revenue growth and monetization seems to be paying off, as its recent deal with HP Enterprise (NYSE: #HPE ) further demonstrates. Dropbox and HP Enterprise cozy up They say the best deals are mutually beneficial, and the deal announced earlier this month between Dropbox and HP Enterprise certainly appears to fit that bill. According to The Wall Street Journal, Dropbox and HP Enterprise announced that HP Enterprise will supply the servers for Dropbox's transition to a hybrid cloud model. Crucially, the deal will help Dropbox reduce its reliance on @Amazon Web Services ( #AWS ), removing Dropbox from the uncomfortable situation of paying a company that's also a competitor. According to the report, Dropbox's pivot away from Amazon Web Services took over two years and marks something of a boon for Dropbox.

http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/07/04/dropboxs-hp-enterprise-deal-was-about-more-than-re.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004

Samsung Chasing Apple To Win Over Enterprise Market

One of @Samsung ’s next growth areas for its mobile division is going to be enterprise security. The building blocks are already in place, with its Knox security solution, partnerships with @BlackBerry and @IBM, and a number of Government security certificates around the world. Partly because of its market presence and visibility, and partly because of the volume of sales that it has, #Samsung is the leading #Android handset provider to enterprise partners. With the news that BlackBerry’s time as the lead hardware provider to the @USSenate is up, the way is open for Samsung to move in – and if #Blackberry continues to provide the software services that’s a rare win in 2016 for the Canadian manufacturer.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspence/2016/07/04/samsung-galaxy-note-s7-enterprise-security/#17af7cc1709a

How to Get Google to Quit Tracking You

Where you go, @Google goes. If you have location services turned on, then #Google Maps has keeps track of every step you (and your smartphone) take. Your Google Timeline, introduced last year, can be a true walk down memory lane, but it can also lead straight to you and leave the door to your privacy wide open. With Timeline, not only can #GoogleMaps show you where you're going, but where you've been. There might also be photographic evidence since Timeline syncs with any shots uploaded to #GooglePhotos.

http://www.pcmag.com/article/345340/how-to-get-google-to-quit-tracking-you

Google twists the knife, asks for sanctions against Oracle attorneyWhat Google doesn't want you to know: It pays Apple $1 billion to be on the iPhone.

The second @Oracle v. @Google trial drew to a close in May, when a jury found that #Google 's use of certain Java APIs wasn't a copyright infringement. But court filings from last week show that Google isn't done delivering punishment to #Oracle, which started the litigation back in 2010. Google will be filing a motion for sanctions against Oracle and its law firm, Orrick, Sutcliffe & Herrington. The motion relates to statements by Oracle attorney Annette Hurst, who revealed financial arrangements between Google and Apple that were confidential—until she discussed them in open court at a January 14 discovery proceeding.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/07/following-courtroom-win-google-wants-sanctions-against-oracle-lawyer/

Tesla and Google Take Different Roads to Self-DrivingCar

SAN FRANCISCO — In Silicon Valley, where companies big and small are at work on self-driving cars, there have been a variety of approaches, and even some false starts. The most divergent paths may be the ones taken by @Tesla, which is already selling cars that have some rudimentary self-driving functions, and @Google, which is still very much in experimental mode. #Google ’s initial efforts in 2010 focused on cars that would drive themselves, but with a person behind the wheel to take over at the first sign of trouble and a second technician monitoring the navigational computer. As a general concept, Google was trying to achieve the same goal as Tesla is claiming with the Autopilot feature it has promoted with the Model S, which has hands-free technology that has come under scrutiny after a fatal accident on a Florida highway. But Google decided to play down the vigilant-human approach after an experiment in 2013, when the company let some of its employees sit behind the wheel of the self-driving cars on their daily commutes.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/07/05/business/tesla-and-google-take-different-roads-to-self-driving-car.html?referer=https://www.google.com/

5G: Enterprise Disruption On The Horizon

In today’s turbulent digital world, the last thing CIOs and other executives need is further disruption. Well, hold onto your hats, because #5Gnetworking is around the corner. Now that 4G is well-established, 5G is the next generation in development. 5G promises much greater speed and lower latency than 4G, but the conventional wisdom is that it will arrive in 2020 or later, and thus shouldn’t have much impact on IT roadmaps in 2016.

Think again. Production trials are slated to begin as early as the 2018 Winter Olympics in Seoul, putting this technology well within the typical three-year technology refresh cycle – reason enough to include 5G in today’s IT plan.

But more importantly, 5G promises greater disruption well beyond faster speeds – and market disruption is more about placing the right bets than straightforward planning. Regardless of your industry, it’s time to get up to speed on 5G.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonbloomberg/2016/07/04/5g-enterprise-disruption-on-the-horizon/#4384f1cc75f3

Telstra acquires Readify for cloud, big data, IoT software

@Telstra has announced the acquisition of @Readify, a developer of @Microsoft software applications, saying it will bolster the telecommunications provider's cloud offerings.

The #Readify acquisition augments #Telstra 's purchase of #Kloud in January, according to Telstra's executive director of Global Enterprise and Services Michelle Bendschneider, as well as its earlier acquisitions of #O2Networks, #Bridgepoint Communications, and #NSC.

"As we know, apps and software in general are playing an increasingly important role in businesses. Readify is recognised globally for its innovative software solutions and will further help us create software-led digital transformations with our customers," Bendschneider said.

"Readify will provide application development and data analytics services, nicely complementing Kloud's existing services. It will enable Telstra to add incremental value to customers in enterprise cloud applications, API-based customisation, and extensions, as well as business technology advisory services."

Readify, which has won several awards from Microsoft for its software solutions, has approximately 200 staff members, 160 of which are software developers. The company said the acquisition will allow its business to scale within Telstra.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/telstra-acquires-readify-for-cloud-big-data-iot-software/

Watson, WebEx Mashup, Hadoop Summit: Big Data Roundup

In our roundup this week: #Hortonworks cozied up closer to #Microsoft. #IBM and #Cisco are teaming up to apply analytics to help people collaborate at work. #MapR announced big data IT management tools for enterprises. #MongoDB announced an #Apache #Spark Connector and a new managed SaaS version of its software. Let's start with the news from #IBM and @Cisco. The companies say it's all about improving productivity and collaboration by combining Cisco's WebEx teleconference platform with IBM's Watson and email and social offerings. "The irony of many workforce tools available today is that because there are so many to choose from, they can reduce employee effectiveness, Inhi Cho, @IBM GM of Collaborative Solutions noted in a prepared statement.

http://www.informationweek.com/big-data/watson-webex-mashup-hadoop-summit-big-data-roundup/d/d-id/1326130

SiNode Systems wins $4-million contract to develop silicon-graphene anode materials

The United States Advanced Battery Consortium ( @USABC ) has awarded a $4-million contract to @SiNodeSystems for the development of advanced anode materials for automotive lithium-ion batteries. The 30-month program will focus on the development of silicon-graphene anode material for vehicle applications, and the development and scale-up of pouch cells. #SiNode ’s technology uses a composite of silicon and graphene in a layered structure designed to overcome technical hurdles to silicon anodes such as volumetric expansion and unstable SEI that leads to poor cycle life. The SiNode materials architecture disperses silicon nanoparticles within a flexible 3D #graphene network that stabilizes the Si active material during charge and discharge, leading to minimal volume change during cycling. The graphene also offers enhanced electronic conductivity.

https://chargedevs.com/newswire/sinode-systems-wins-4-million-contract-to-develop-silicon-graphene-anode-materials/

12 Big Data Developments You Should Know About

Big Doings in #BigData It's been a busy couple of weeks in the big data space with both startups and established companies debuting new products, delivering updates and enhancements to existing product lines, and forming strategic relationships. Industry observers say many enterprises are taking their pilot-stage big data systems, particularly those incorporating the Hadoop platform, and putting them into broader production. Much of the news covered here is aimed at helping businesses make that transition. So here's a look at a dozen big data-related announcements that caught our attention. Many – but not all – came out of this week's #HadoopSummit 2016 conference in San Jose, Calif.

http://m.crn.com/slide-shows/applications-os/300081229/12-big-data-developments-you-should-know-about.htm/pgno/0/1