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Eyes On: Cisco Jabber for Virtual Desktops

Posted on by ITconnecter Posted in Uncategorized

 

Cisco is bringing its Jabber unified communications platform to virtual desktops with a new software product called the Virtualization Experience Media Engine (VXME).

This week, PCMag got a look at Jabber running on a new thin client system of Cisco’s own design that is set for release in the first half of 2013, as well as on a Dell Wyse thin client, a mainstream laptop PC, and even a tablet. From what we could see, Jabber’s HD voice, video, and instant messaging runs quite smoothly with superior video quality on all those systems—any spottiness in the video and voice streams were due to connectivity issues and not the Jabber software.

“The definition of an enterprise workspace is changing as users demand increasing flexibility in where and how they work. With Cisco Jabber now available for virtual environments, we are enabling our customers to deliver a complete ‘anywhere’ desktop to their employees without sacrificing the exceptional enterprise capabilities they have come to expect,” Phil Sherburne, vice president of engineering in Cisco’s Enterprise Smart Solutions unit, said during a press event in San Francisco on Wedensday.

VXME is an additional piece of software added to Jabber that enables it to run in virtualized environments supported by top virtualization firms like Citrix and VMware (Gates’ note – and Desktone.). Cisco is promising that the virtual desktop Jabber experience is the same as it is on thick client PCs, and from what we could see, that’s pretty accurate.

The initial rollout of Cisco Jabber for virtual environments will initially be made available for Cisco’s own thin client system, which ties together all of the elements of a full-blown unified communications station. The thin client itself carries the Cisco brand and can run either the Citrix or VMWare virtual desktop solutions. Logitech supplies the webcam, Bluetooth mouse, and a special keyboard with designated keys for various call functions like answering a call and switching it to speaker, as well as a built-in LCD caller ID display. Jabra’s Handset 450 and Speak 450 speaker phone complete the picture.

Those systems will be available through Cisco’s reseller channel from partners like CDW.

At some point after the release of Cisco’s own thin client, VXME will come to Dell’s Wyse Z50D thin client and also other Windows-based thin clients and full-fledged PCs, Cisco said. In thin client installations, the VXME software sits locally in the thin client system while Windows or another desktop operating system runs on a server that can support multiple end users and thus save an organization money on hardware and servicing costs, while offering a more easily manageable security framework.

Another plus for the new virtualized Jabber is that it can be folded into an enterprise’s existing network infrastructure without needing to overhaul the network as the new product was designed to work within existing Cisco Medianet-managed network environments.

The Jabber voice, HD video, telepresence, and instant messaging package is currently used by about 1.4 million enterprise users, according to Cisco. The networking giant, which acquired Jabber several years ago, is now making those tools the centerpiece of its efforts to tailor its unified communications and collaboration product lines for what it calls the Cisco Virtualization Experience Infrastructure (VXI).

VXI is an end-to-end solution that Cisco calls “the first desktop virtualization architecture to eliminate the crippling network bottlenecks and server overload often caused by real-time voice and video traffic traveling between an end user device and a virtual desktop hosted in the data center.”

The upshot is that you’ll soon be able to use Cisco Jabber for enterprise-class communications and collaboration on the desktop, mobile devices, and thin clients. Or at least you will if you’re part of an organization with the bucks to shell out for Jabber licenses and these customized thin client rigs, which Cisco wasn’t offering a price on just yet.

We expect most consumers and small business operators will be sticking to Skype and other free or low cost video communications alternatives for the time being.

For more from Damon, follow him on Twitter @dpoeter.
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Eyes On: Cisco Jabber for Virtual Desktops

Posted on by ITconnecter Posted in Uncategorized

Cisco is bringing its Jabber unified communications platform to virtual desktops with a new software product called the Virtualization Experience Media Engine (VXME).

This week, PCMag got a look at Jabber running on a new thin client system of Cisco’s own design that is set for release in the first half of 2013, as well as on a Dell Wyse thin client, a mainstream laptop PC, and even a tablet. From what we could see, Jabber’s HD voice, video, and instant messaging runs quite smoothly with superior video quality on all those systems—any spottiness in the video and voice streams were due to connectivity issues and not the Jabber software.

“The definition of an enterprise workspace is changing as users demand increasing flexibility in where and how they work. With Cisco Jabber now available for virtual environments, we are enabling our customers to deliver a complete ‘anywhere’ desktop to their employees without sacrificing the exceptional enterprise capabilities they have come to expect,” Phil Sherburne, vice president of engineering in Cisco’s Enterprise Smart Solutions unit, said during a press event in San Francisco on Wedensday.

VXME is an additional piece of software added to Jabber that enables it to run in virtualized environments supported by top virtualization firms like Citrix and VMware (Gates’ note – and Desktone.). Cisco is promising that the virtual desktop Jabber experience is the same as it is on thick client PCs, and from what we could see, that’s pretty accurate.

The initial rollout of Cisco Jabber for virtual environments will initially be made available for Cisco’s own thin client system, which ties together all of the elements of a full-blown unified communications station. The thin client itself carries the Cisco brand and can run either the Citrix or VMWare virtual desktop solutions. Logitech supplies the webcam, Bluetooth mouse, and a special keyboard with designated keys for various call functions like answering a call and switching it to speaker, as well as a built-in LCD caller ID display. Jabra’s Handset 450 and Speak 450 speaker phone complete the picture.

Those systems will be available through Cisco’s reseller channel from partners like CDW.

At some point after the release of Cisco’s own thin client, VXME will come to Dell’s Wyse Z50D thin client and also other Windows-based thin clients and full-fledged PCs, Cisco said. In thin client installations, the VXME software sits locally in the thin client system while Windows or another desktop operating system runs on a server that can support multiple end users and thus save an organization money on hardware and servicing costs, while offering a more easily manageable security framework.

Another plus for the new virtualized Jabber is that it can be folded into an enterprise’s existing network infrastructure without needing to overhaul the network as the new product was designed to work within existing Cisco Medianet-managed network environments.

The Jabber voice, HD video, telepresence, and instant messaging package is currently used by about 1.4 million enterprise users, according to Cisco. The networking giant, which acquired Jabber several years ago, is now making those tools the centerpiece of its efforts to tailor its unified communications and collaboration product lines for what it calls the Cisco Virtualization Experience Infrastructure (VXI).

VXI is an end-to-end solution that Cisco calls “the first desktop virtualization architecture to eliminate the crippling network bottlenecks and server overload often caused by real-time voice and video traffic traveling between an end user device and a virtual desktop hosted in the data center.”

The upshot is that you’ll soon be able to use Cisco Jabber for enterprise-class communications and collaboration on the desktop, mobile devices, and thin clients. Or at least you will if you’re part of an organization with the bucks to shell out for Jabber licenses and these customized thin client rigs, which Cisco wasn’t offering a price on just yet.

We expect most consumers and small business operators will be sticking to Skype and other free or low cost video communications alternatives for the time being.

For more from Damon, follow him on Twitter @dpoeter.

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from TechTarget’s Gabe Knuth – “What investing in Parallels means for Cisco desktop virtualization”

Posted on by ITconnecter Posted in Uncategorized

….before the article, here’s my two cents:  Cisco is a real believer in the vision of end-user computing (EUC).  Virtual desktops via VXIaaS (or hosted VXI) are another step in that direction as is supporting DaaS (VDI) out to the edge.  Their VXI series of webinars are industry thought leadership material; this Parallels investment will be only one of a few announcements coming in this end-device-centric vision of EUC.

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Cisco invested in Parallels last week, which could signal a new path for the networking vendor. What might this mean for Cisco desktop virtualization or cloud services?

It’s interesting to see Cisco take an interest in the smaller virtualization company. Parallels makes no mention of any specific products, and we don’t know exactly what equity investment means, but the announcement indicates that Cisco believes in Parallels’ overall offering. It mentions cloud services for SMB end users and adds, “By strengthening our collaboration with Cisco, Parallels is focused on accelerating its growth and offering an end-to-end solution for cloud service providers.” Let’s dig into that a bit.

Parallels already has an offering called Parallels Cloud Server, which encompasses Parallels Hypervisor and Parallels Containers. The hypervisor is used primarily for client hypervisors, and Containers is a unique virtualization method that segments a single Windows instance into isolated, manageable containers. That means one instance of Windows can be used for multiple services at the same time without stepping on each other.

MORE CISCO NEWS

Cisco buys Meraki

Using Cisco VDI to support real-time apps

Cisco works on network virtualization

As part of Parallels Cloud Server, these two technologies are combined with Parallels Cloud Storage to allow for cloud-based system management. It’s primarily aimed at hosting companies because Parallels has inroads with hosting firms that use Containers to deliver Windows Web servers to multiple clients.

Cisco got involved almost certainly because it wants to be on the back end of that offering; it could provide the servers, networking and WAN optimization. Plus, it shows that Cisco may want to tighten relations with a specific hypervisor.

For years there’s been speculation about Cisco buying into the desktop virtualization market. Every 18 months or so there’s a rumor that they’ll buy Citrix, for example, and it goes nowhere but does cause us to look at what Cisco’s offering would look like in that scenario. I want to do the same here by examining what Cisco already has.

What’s WAN optimization got to do with it?

Cisco’s WAN optimization tool, called WAAS, has been in the desktop virtualization news lately because of an announcement at Citrix Synergy in Barcelona last fall. Citrix announced a much tighter relationship with Cisco (prompting another rumor of an acquisition), andCisco announced it will promote Citrix NetScaler as its WAN optimization solution of choice (among other things). That doesn’t mean WAAS is going away; in fact, it might work well for a scaled-down, SMB cloud offering.

Networking, servers and storage

Grouping networking and servers together may seem odd, but the fact is that Cisco is using its networking relationships to sell servers, too. You’d be hard pressed to find a Cisco server shop that isn’t running Cisco networking. That would be a fundamental part of a Parallels cloud offering. 

Cisco also has storage tools despite the fact that it doesn’t actually offer any storage repositories. In addition to storage switches, the company offers storage optimization and management tools — all of which Parallels could use in a cloud platform.

Communications and thin clients

Cisco is among the top companies in collaboration and communications with IP, video and soft phones to thin clients designed for call centers that have phone components built in. A suite built on an all-Cisco platform would include these, meaning you’d get the WAN optimization, data center hardware, voice capabilities and endpoint device from one vendor. 

This sort of turnkey package is the reason that announcements like Parallels’ garner our attention. Anything that expands on its existing offering would be a step in the direction we’ve assumed Cisco was heading. If Cisco tightens relations with Parallels (or acquires them outright), it could deliver an end-to-end package with the distinct advantage of a single reference architecture that’s adaptable to almost anyone. It makes sense to start that process at the SMB level, since any kinks wouldn’t be as noticeable and would be easier to work out.

Of course, you’d also need a broker in between to get users from point A to point B. Perhaps Parallels is working on something like that as part of its Cloud Server offering, or maybe they would work together with a third-party broker such as LeoStream. Or — and I’m just throwing it out there — maybe Cisco would buy Citrix!

It will be interesting to see if this partnership has any effect on the relationship between Cisco and Citrix. In addition to the NetScaler announcement, it also means Cisco will be working more closely with Citrix XenServer and its cloud orchestration solution, CloudStack. Keep an eye on this as Cisco continues to dabble in the desktop virtualization and cloud services arena.

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DaaS and 2013?

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DaaS and 2013?

from Rick Blaisdell’s #Rickscloud blog

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BYOD Buyback Program from TechPayOut.com

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BYOD Buyback Program from TechPayOut.com

from their website – 

“HR Approved, Employee Loved – 

TechPayout will help educate your employees through Human Resources on how to get them top dollar for their used electronics. We also offer fully customized sub-sites with your company’s branding to further ensure your employees are dealing with a company approved vendor. Additionally, we will send you monthly reports to see just how successful your initiatives are.”

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Equinix and Desktone FlexPod Partnership

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Equinix and Desktone FlexPod Partnership

good progress in this space with the new Equinix / Desktone partnership….

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BYOD buyback program by TechPayOut.com

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BYOD buyback program by TechPayOut.com

HR Approved, Employee Loved

 

TechPayout will help educate your employees through Human Resources on how to get them top dollar for their used electronics. We also offer fully customized sub-sites with your company’s branding to further ensure your employees are dealing with a company approved vendor. Additionally, we will send you monthly reports to see just how successful your initiatives are.

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IS MOBILE DEVICE MANAGEMENT DEAD?

Posted on by ITconnecter Posted in Uncategorized

Lately, I have been asked about my thoughts around Mobile Device Management and whether or not I thought it was a valid and valuable solution in the enterprise or whether it was a passé — essentially an outdated solution. My answer? Well it’s not that cut and dried, it’s not that simple.

I have heard the arguments about how MDM is dead, that Mobile Application Management is the wave of the future and I agree with that. What I don’t agree with is when bloggers, analysts, etc. deal in absolutes. I’m not just a blogger — I also consult and deal with enterprises daily and I can assure you that, as of right now, MDM is not dead. But, it’s also not a smashing success at any organization.

Let’s face it, MDM is an outdated approach that is still trying to control the device, lock it down, dictate usage, and so on. In today’s world as soon as you tell the user that you want them to enroll their device in order to get access to corporate resources at the expense of IT-managed device and remote wiping capabilities, will find that user opting out immediately.

We live in a world where the consumer is king. Long gone are the days of IT command and control. Today, the focus should be on governing the device, and not even all of the device but just the corporate assets that reside on that device.

So MDM isn’t dead exactly. We’re in a transition period. IT has not fully accepted the fact that they have lost the battle. Many of them will nod their heads and say we get it, but in practice they are still the same IT shop of 10 years ago.

There still is a legitimate need for MDM. I was at a client that wants to continue to issue phones and now wants to issue tablets to users. The client wants to own the devices so they can continue to manage it. This particular client has convinced its management to continue to make that investment. MDM is very valid in this situation.

Yet, in most cases with most of my customers, MDM was a purchase that either was never implemented or was implemented with such basic features that it might as well not have been.

In 2013, many organizations will finally get around to implementing MDM, and what we’ll see is a surge in MDM deployments with very loose security and enrollment requirements. This will satisfy many of the security officers’ need for DLP security enforcement and will be a good bridge into MAM as that technology continues to mature.

I predict in the 2014-2015 time frame that MAM will quickly replace MDM as IT finally comes to terms with the fact that its efforts to regain control have proven fruitless and also as users also come to terms that in order to consume corporate resources and get convenient access anytime, anywhere on any device, some level of governance is necessary.

And that’s where governance of enterprise mobile applications and data will come into play. Instead of launching an SSL VPN for the entire phone, let’s launch an SSL VPN for that particular application. Rather than remotely wipe the device, we selectively wipe corporate resources. And so on.

If you are watching the MxM space closely, you will find that consolidation is inevitable but also that many of the MDM vendors have seen the writing on the wall and are starting to venture into the realm of MAM as a natural evolution of their products.

Will MDM ever die? Well, no technology ever completely dies, maybe it’ll just become less mainstream. There is always a use case for technologies like MDM, especially in high-security environments like government, pharmaceuticals and others. What we’ll see is a natural evolution to Mobile Application Management, which is a lot more consumer friendly, less intrusive, and just as secure and manageable.

Posted by Elias Khnaser on 01/16/2013 at 5:33 PM

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Artisan for MSPs, OO storage at less than half Amazon price?????

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Artisan Infrastructure vs Amazon Web Services, S3? (Yup)

Jan. 17, 2013 Joe Panettieri | Talkin’ Cloud

Artisan Infrastructure is launching a cloud storage service for the channel to counter Amazon Web Services, and storage services from Google, Rackspace and others.

Artisan Infrastructure, which promotes IaaS to channel partners, is preparing to counterAmazon Web Services (NASDAQ: AMZN), and is also building out a new OEM and ISV business unit, Talkin’ Cloud has learned.

The new cloud storage service will have a free public beta during Q1 2013, in a bid to unite the channel against Amazon’s Simple Storage Service (S3), Google Cloud Drive, Rackspace Cloud Files, Microsoft Sky Drive, and other rival options.

According to Artisan CEO Brian Hierholzer, “This solution is ideal for providers that are looking to build their own data backup service as well as their own File, Synch and Share solutions leveraging third-party vendors like Anchor, Mezeo, Ctera, Vembu’s SyncBlaze, Own Cloud, StorageXraft and so on.” 

Getting Started (For Free)

During the free public beta, customers will be able to use unlimited amounts of storage while trialing their cloud back up/file synch share solutions.

“Currently we are working with several vendors to provide free trial licenses for their solutions that are compatible with the Artisan Infrastructure cloud storage service,” said Hierholzer. “After the free trial period, which may last several months, the pricing is expected to be dramatically less expensive than the existing public cloud providers.”

Also of note: The Artisan Infrastructure solution will have an S3 API interface so any software solution compatible with AWS S3 will be compatible the Artisan Infrastructure cloud storage service, he added.

The final sale price per GB will not exceed $.03 per GB stored, he indicated.

Of course: Competing against Amazon’s cloud pricing is not for the faint of heart. Amazon has cut cloud prices more than 20 times since launching AWS. But Hierholzer is counting on his 100 percent channel focus to win the day for Artisan Infrastructure.

Reinforcements Arrive

Artisan also is staffing up as it pursues more channel partners. Specifically, the company has named Mark Spowart as VP and GM of Artisan’s newly formed OEM and ISV business unit.

Noted Hierholzer in a preared statement: “With Mark Spowart’s extensive channel sales, product development, and ISV vendor background, we will expand our business by bringing this proven business model to the channel VAR’s of our OEM and ISV partners.” Prior to joining Artisan Infrastructure, Spowart was CEO and co-founder of Zadara Storage, the enterprise storage as a service company. 

Pure Channel. Forever

Hierholzer and I have corresponded for a year or two about the Artisan business. Each time I ask him point blank: Are you still 100 percent pure channel?

His latest reply remains consitent with earlier statements: “We are 100% wholesale only. Only VARs, service providers, etc. We do ZERO business with retail clients. Never have. Never will.”

How will the strategy — especially against Amazon — play out? Talkin’ Cloud is watching.

 
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from CEO Magazine – Innovation

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from CEO Magazine – Innovation

Here are three steps to help you expand your frame and eliminate the Innovation Frame Factor in 2013:

1.) Consult an External Innovation Agent

An outside perspective is invaluable in the innovation process. That agent can be a vendor, former business partner, client/industry panel or an outside consultant that works side-by-side with you at each stage of the process. Regardless, the external point of view can provide a wealth of knowledge and perspective.

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