[Info-vax] Accuweather new contract

[Kerry Main]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Info-vax [mailto:info-vax-bounces at info-vax.com] On Behalf Of
> David Froble
> Sent: 24-Mar-15 10:29 PM
> To: info-vax at info-vax.com
> Subject: Re: [New Info-vax] Accuweather new contract
> 
> Kerry Main wrote:
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Info-vax [mailto:info-vax-bounces at info-vax.com] On Behalf Of
> >> David Froble
> >> Sent: 24-Mar-15 9:36 PM
> >> To: info-vax at info-vax.com
> >> Subject: Re: [New Info-vax] Accuweather new contract
> >>
> >> mcleanjoh at gmail.com wrote:
> >>
> >>> Lots of mention of the "cloud". Almost no mention of VMS for 20
> >>> years.  Which do you think will be popular and which be very rare?
> >> The freeking cloud is just timesharing all over again, with much better
> >> communications.
> >>
> >> Just wondering when some marketing type will be bringing back the
> hula
> >> hoop ???
> >
> > Opportunity knocks .. how about a new invention called a "cloud" ring?
> >
> > :-)
> 
> No, really, I'm serious about this.
> 
> Back in the day, the IT department provided services for the users.
> Sometimes those services were perceived to be inadequate, or slow to
> materialize, and such, and is one reason the PCs spread so quickly.
> Users could afford them, and didn't have to wait for whatever IT would
> dole out to them.
> 
> So, what is a private cloud?  It's the centralization of IT, just like
> back in the day.
> 

It's what is typically called internal shared services. Rather than have
many BU's provide their own non-std IT services, the strategy states
that all common tactical IT services will be delivered by a single BU 
(central IT) with strategic services like App dev/support continuing 
to be supplied by the BU's / depts. themselves.

Universities are famous for wild west IT environments whereby each
College / dept does their own thing. (insert Bills views here)

Reference:
http://tinyurl.com/Cambridge-DC-Consolidation  
" In this Q&A, learn how an 800-year-old institution plans to put 200 
server rooms from over 100 self-steering departments under one roof 
and one management strategy."

> The company I worked for started out selling timesharing services on a
> RSTS system, with 110 BAUD accoustical modems.  Other than much
> better
> communications today, what's so different about a public cloud?
> 

Public cloud is simply selective IT outsourcing. Like any other form of
outsourcing there are pro's and con's.

> It used to be the cost of HW that kept things centralized.  Today it's
> maybe the cost of people, power, office space, whatever.
> 

Generally speaking:
Centralized = Good resource management and cost controls. Good DR
features and capabilities.
Centralized = Bad customer service and poor adaptability to rapidly 
changing business requirements.

Decentralized = Good Customer Service, good end user communications
and good adaptability to changing business requirements.
Decentralized = Very bad cost controls, lack of standardization, poor
resource management, poor DR capabilities.

Hence, the answer is neither centralized or decentralized. The real 
answer is to find a shared services model which uses the best features 
of both centralized and distributed models to match your companies 
specific requirements.

> Private centralization of services I have no problem with.  As for the
> public services, maybe useful for some things, but to me it's like
> putting all your eggs in somebody else's basket.  Life on the edge ..

Today's IT challenges are no different than they were decades ago.
Yes, new technologies, but the best practices from an IT perspective
are timeless and is the reason why "dinosaurs" (read experienced)
are constantly experiencing deja vue.


Regards,

Kerry Main
Back to the Future IT Inc.
 .. Learning from the past to plan the future

Kerry dot main at backtothefutureit dot com