Ladies and Gentlemen... welcome to 2007! All of us here at FastServers.Net would like to wish you a Happy New Year and hope that all of your business ventures perform exceptionally well! We believe that FastServers.Net can help you achieve those goals, so keep us in mind anytime you need additional server support.
Along with a new year, we find new and emerging technologies to evaluate. In this post, I'd like to review the following article: http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=196800208
This article focuses on five of the most significant advances in the technology realm. The following were reviewed:
* RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)
* Web Services
* Server Virtualization
* Graphics Processing
* Mobile Security
I will evaluate the article's sections and discuss how they effect our company & industry.
1) RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)
First, a slight background on RFID: This technology allows for products, pallets, or even human beings, by the use of tags or transponders, to be tracked and kept in an inventory system. The use of this system in big business and government is apparent mostly in tracking products to maintain the supply chain and increase efficiency in the ordering process.
This article examines the main organizations trying to integrate this into their business model: Wal-Mart and the Federal Government. Both of these entities have large resources invested in this technology.
Pros: Easiest way to track movement of stock and inventory by radio wave location tracking, automated inventory system.
Cons: Long setup period, additional training requirements, wireless networking improvement, increased processing power and equipment to maintain new technology.
Potential usage in the dedicated server industry: stock tracking. Each piece of equipment (servers, workstations, monitors, etc.) we own would be tracked in the same manner as above.
2) Web Services
Seriously? Do I really need to cover this one? hahaha! This is our business, folks! If you need to host applications that will automate your company's services, we can provide you the server or services to do the same.
The advent of easier and less expensive (open-source) application software has made the inclusion of this service in your business model a much easier process and we expect it to continue becoming much easier of the next year(s).
Pros: inexpensive, fairly quick to setup, increased productivity and communication services, ease-of-use.
Cons: security of vital end-user data and encryption services must be kept at highest levels when using application-based software.
Potential usage in the dedicated server industry: This IS our industry. We provide internet-based application and web hosting services on a 24/7/365 basis.
3) Server Virtualization:
A quick explanation of this service: Server Virtualization means that software can be applied to allow for multiple operating systems to be applied to a single dedicated server and operated at the same time. Along with this, the memory and processing power of the server can be divided to allow for each virtual user to have a certain amount to themselves.
Pros: increase productivity of the hardware you have in stock, decrease hardware expenses.
Cons: over-utilization of hardware resources can cause issues to other customers on the same hardware.
Potential usage in the dedicated server industry: The use of Virtual Servers by hosting companies is fairly common. However, this is much like a shared service, so there are always issues with over-selling the server resources or over-utilization by certain customers using this service. FastServers.Net does not support this technology at the moment, as we feel that your own dedicated server will allow you to expand as you use or need more resources.
4) Graphics Processing:
This technology probably affects our industry the least of all of the listed components. The graphics processing functionality of a workstation or server usually depends on the hardware video card that is installed. Unless a customer is running a graphics-intensive program on their server via Remote Desktop on a server, this will not affect the functionality of the services that our company provides. The on-board graphics card should do the trick!
Pros: Advanced graphics rendering on workstations for GUI-based operating systems and programs, such as AutoCAD or video games, decreases reliance on workstation CPU.
Cons: High-end video cards can be priced in the thousands of dollars, driving computer budgets up.
Potential usage in the dedicated server industry: As the Windows operating system increases the graphics requirements to run the software (such as Windows Vista), the higher-end the graphics cards that are installed to workstations and laptops. However, don't expect much increase to the video requirements for basic web and application servers.
5) Mobile Security:
How many laptops, notepad computers, wireless PDAs, mobile smart phones or Blackberrys connect to your internal network on any given day? Probably quite a few. With the expansion of wireless and mobile communications, security measures for those gadgets must also be increased in the same way. No longer do encryption keys do the trick of blocking unwanted connections, as more and more easily-concealable spyware is deployed into those laptops and smart devices running Windows-based operating systems. Additional measures are being taken to integrate security scans of the mobile device for Anti-Virus definition updates or OS updates before they are even allowed to connect to the network.
Pros: increased efficiency of the private network and mobile devices due to eliminating virus or spyware connections.
Cons: implementation time and required scanning time upon each connection to the network, new technoloy expense.
Potential usage in the dedicated server industry: Mobile technology is growing in popularity within our office by leaps and bounds, including wireless network for laptops, Blackberries and mobile smart phones. The requirement of paying closer attention to your email, even when you're away from your desk, has pushed some employees to acquire Windows Mobile or Blackberry hand-helds that will check your email on-the-go.
In conclusion, we find that the technology noted above in the 5 different classes will continue to increase efficiency in the dedicated hosting environment. Even though this article was originally written from the viewpoint of the different examples being "disruptive" improvements in the technological fields, we feel that these will actually improve efficiency in the long run. While the increase in productivity may not be imminently experienced, these should pay off on the initial monetary and time investments in the end.
Thanks for reading! Long winded? Yes... but much needed to fully explain. Hopefully I didn't put you to sleep! :)
Questions/comments/discussions -> drew@fastservers.net
Have a WONDERFUL NEW YEAR! Cheers!
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