ViON’S Solutions

As much as mainframes will be with us for years to come, the traditional approach for mainframe operations can now be provided in an as-a-Service financial model that can be very advantageous in the long-run. Mainframe as-a-Service (MFaaS) allows these systems to be consumed through a subscription, not through capital-intensive purchases of physical platforms, which is traditionally required of mainframes. This enables IT managers to make purchases through service level agreements (SLAs) using “consumption of MIPS or MSUs” and storage pricing models – paying for true consumption and ensuring usage through a flexible financial model.

CIO Dive’s recent article titled, “Big Cloud Players May Get the Hype, But They Aren’t For Everyone,” makes a bold statement about future shifts in the cloud landscape. It is exactly the change-up we expected as the cloud market matures and the technology evolves.

At ViON, we have been evangelizing the concept of the "Data Driven Mission" - the idea that big data analytics, cloud and data management / protection should no longer be addressed as separate silos of IT, but as interdependent functions that enable organizations to maximize the effectiveness as their second most valuable asset: data. In case you're wondering, we believe that people are the most valuable asset to any organization. For any organization to derive value from their data through analytics, it needs to be secure, organized and accessible. To achieve this state, the right tools, technology, people and processes must be in place. While this function has traditionally rested with the CIO, increasingly we are seeing this responsibility fall under the Chief Data (Analytics) Officer (CDO/CDAO).

Being on a restrictive diet can take the fun and enjoyment out of food – especially when you have to give up life’s simple pleasures like sugar and carbs. You know what you should be eating, but change is hard. Trying to manage all your data in an efficient way that meets your needs now and into the future can spawn a similar response. Simply put, it’s a tall order and its often overwhelming. Paleo, gluten-free and no-carb dieters have new hope. There’s a trend brewing in the culinary world around a new approach to carbs called “cloud bread” that claims to be a high-protein bread alternative that could stave off cravings without compromising your eating habits.

As the market becomes increasingly crowded with cloud providers and a range of models all claiming to be the best choice, consumers wrestle with their fair share of operational challenges. Moving applications, data and workloads to the Cloud while continuing to buy traditional IT infrastructure is not always an easy process.

The recent "WannaCry" cyber-attack had all the real-life intrigue and drama of an episode of "24". A vulnerability first uncovered by the NSA was released by hackers on the internet. Its effects were swift and widespread - more than 200,000 computers in 150 countries were impacted, including hospitals in the U.S. and U.K. The premise of the attack was simple - once a computer was infected, all the data on that device was encrypted. To get it back, users would have to pay a ransom in bitcoin before the end of a countdown. If they failed to do so, their files would be destroyed. The "Jack Bauer" of this story is not a super-operative, with 9 lives living in the shadows, but a 22 year older researcher from southwest England who identifies himself as "MalwareTech". And he stopped the attack by purchasing a domain for $10.69.

In the world of big data, "predictive analytics" is all the buzz. You put tons of information into a big data machine, a magical algorithm does its part and BOOM - you suddenly predict the future right? Well, not so fast. While the term predictive analytics has panache, it's not an exact science - it's the process of calculating probability based upon the analysis of data points. Determining probable outcomes requires the synthesis of mountains of individual data points, a valid data mining methodology and a clear idea of the answers you are seeking. The data must be gathered, organized, cataloged and indexed before the analytics can begin. This is the less than glamorous side of predictive analytics that makes all the difference in the success or failure of determining projected outcomes.

You might think that the nation’s nuclear program is run by cutting-edge IT technology. However, a recent Washington Post article revealed how the U.S. Department of Defense coordinates the operational functions of nuclear forces using 8-inch floppy disks.