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Market Roundup EMC Updates Invista SAN Virtualization Linksys Offers Big Company Security to Small Businesses |
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It has been about two and a half years, give or take, since
Although much of the virtualization discussion to date has
focused on servers, the reality is that storage should be treated in most cases
in a very similar fashion, as a virtual networked resource. As we have said
before,
Overall, we remain pleased with the underlying vision and
direction that Invista has taken. The consistent virtualization and reclamation
of underutilized resources story is one that plays well in the acquisition
cost- and operational expense-weary IT marketplace of today. Being able to
seamlessly move data across multiple storage arrays with differing performance
characteristics while maintaining operational integrity is a major must have
for most any organization. Solutions such as Invista offer a level of
operational efficiency and flexibility that is well positioned to meet this
need. Virtualization provides a soothing balm for the IT professional that
eases the management of disparate resources under a single view while also
allowing greater flexibility in choosing solutions. For vendors, virtualization
has been a hot marketing message with commensurate market opportunity, but with
marketplace expectation that standards and cooperation trump vendor specific
lock in. To our way of thinking,
Linksys Offers Big Company Security to Small Businesses
Linksys, a Division of Cisco Systems, Inc., has announced the Wireless-G Business Internet Video Camera with Audio (WVC2300). This latest surveillance product combined with the recently released Business Internet Video Camera with Audio and PoE (PVC2300), adds to the Linksys focus on small businesses and the channels that cater to them. Both the PVC2300 and WVC2300 offer features in a standard box-type camera design that also combines flexible mounting options. The PVC2300 works with networks utilizing Power over Ethernet (PoE) connectivity, by drawing power from a PoE Switch or power injector via Ethernet cabling. The WVC2300 is targeted at installations utilizing a secure wireless network, and uses a standard AC-power outlet. Both cameras employ removable CS-mount lenses customizable for zoom or wide-angle imaging; and vari-focal, auto-iris, or other types of lenses for specific applications or settings. The camera can also be mounted on any industry-standard Pan-Tilt base and can be remotely controlled through a Web interface. The cameras come with two input and two output ports and can be connected to an alarm panel, siren, Passive InfraRed sensor, smoke detector, lighting switch, door sensor, or other detectors. The camera also offers motion detection functionality, capable of sending event notifications, updates, and video via email.
Both products are Linksys One-ready and can be easily be deployed in Linksys One data or data/voice networks. Main features include WPA2 and QoS (WMM and 802.1p), maximum resolution of VGA , max frames rate of 30fps, RTSP Video/Audio Streaming to Unicast and Multicast clients, JPEG Snapshots at multiple resolutions that can be sent to an FTP server, a maximum of ten Unicast users and unlimited multicast users, built-in Web server for Remote Access over HTTPS, and software for Monitoring and Recording up to sixteen cameras simultaneously. Both are available immediately through distribution, online resellers, and VARs. The estimated street price for the WVC2300 is $399.99 and for the PVC2300 is $349.99.
We have been closely watching the marriage of video and the Internet, and have noticed a surge in use of video for security purposes on an international scale. Many businesses, mostly large ones, have relied on closed-circuit TV for security monitoring, and organizations such as automobile dealers have started to employ video to document transactions in the finance office to confirm that the buyer understood the disclosures and agreed to the terms. Retailers and organizations with high-value, easily monetized, and transportable assets are especially likely to employ video. By adding Internet capabilities the cost of such surveillance is reduced and greater flexibility is provided because remote personnel can monitor the activity while digital recording can be stored for later use.
It appears that video adaptation is poised for even greater growth. By offering Internet-based video capabilities to the small business arena, Linksys may be stimulating adaptations not only by small/home offices, but in departmental and consumer activities as well. We believe that video will ultimately be as common as the printed photo was in its day, and that more mainstream technology vendors will offer allied products and services. We also envision closer collaboration between media companies and IT vendors as competition heats up in both directions.
The new
Large end-user organizations have been prompted to bolster
their identity management technology by recent data compromises and a
never-ending array of regulations. Technology that does more than identify or
flag problems, but can also take remedial actions based on organizational
policy and involving a minimum of interaction, would be a boon to many an
enterprise.
Products such as this, that provide operational advantages
while documenting actions, also have the potential to enhance an organization’s
compliance posture and simplify auditing. Centralized reporting is a key
ingredient and very much in line with
3PAR has announced the introduction of 3cV, a blueprint for
the virtual datacenter based upon the combination of the 3PAR InServ Storage Server,
HP BladeSystem c-Class, and VMware Infrastructure. According to the company the
modular architectures of the HP BladeSystem c-Class and the 3PAR InServ Storage
Server coupled with the increased utilization provided by VMware Infrastructure
and 3PAR Thin Provisioning allow organizations to reduce overall storage and
server costs by 50% or more. Using VMware VMotion and Distributed Resource
Scheduler, HP Virtual Connect and Insight Control, and 3PAR Rapid Provisioning
and Dynamic Optimization, customers are able to provision and re-provision
physical servers, virtual hosts, and virtual arrays with tailored storage
services in a matter of minutes. 3PAR states that its 3cV customers can
minimize server floor space through VMware-enabled server consolidation up to
70% with HP BladeSystem density resulting in up to 50% savings. HP Thermal
Logic is credited with reduced server power consumption of 30% while the 3PAR
InServ Storage Server delivers twice the capacity per floor tile as compared
with alternative solutions. In addition, 3PAR thin technologies, Fast RAID 5,
and wide striping allow customers to power and cool as much as 75% less disk
capacity for a given need. 3PAR InServ Storage Servers and the HP BladeSystem
are certified solutions with VMware Infrastructure. 3PAR is a Premier-level
member of the VMware Technology Alliance Partner program and HP is a
Global-level VMware
When it comes to virtualization, we believe standards are essential for the promise of virtualization to come to fruition. Typically, when we see multiple vendors working together to promote solutions that provide a surety of interactivity across the range of IT infrastructure we are heartened and applaud their efforts. In the case of 3PAR, HP, and VMware, these vendors have been focused on virtualization for some time and collectively would have much to offer to their customers. So with this mind, why does this announcement leave us in a less than excited state of mind? The answer is simple: this announcement falls short of the sort of cross-vendor solution that we believe the marketplace is expecting.
In today’s lean IT environment, human and capital resources are thinly provisioned (to steal a phrase). For the most part, organizations are looking to the vendor community to help drive standards, provide vision and best practices, and offer solutions that combine technical acumen with the integration and services needed to bring said solutions up and running. This implies a high degree of vendor cooperation and keen preparation of solutions that target specific customer demographics to make the customer’s investment as easy as possible to undertake while minimizing the operational and financial exposure to the organization.
In this announcement, 3cV offers a blueprint for datacenter design, some statements of certification between the discrete components, and an invitation for interested parties to buy the solution parts from the various vendors or channel partners. In an age where virtualization, power efficiency, and consolidation are rallying calls to the weary IT professional and CFO, 3cV’s response seems pale. As of this writing, a quick search of the HP Website yields no mention of 3cV, and VMware’s site only lists a brief mention in a blog that references the 3PAR press release. Absent evidence to the contrary, it would seem that 3PAR’s 3cV is a case of preaching to the faithful. If the mentioned partners of this solution cannot muster sufficient excitement to engage at a minimum level of marketing consistency, it is difficult to imagine how 3cV will help drive interest and deployment in this collection of technology in the marketplace. This would not only be a lost opportunity, but would also set the expectation in the eyes of the uninitiated that virtualization is a piecemeal collection of technology, and as such is probably complex, and something that is only relevant/feasible for “the big guys.” This would be a real shame.