Amazon Web Services Announces Online Marketplace for Selling Reserved Instances
September 27, 2012
In the PCWorld.com post, “Amazon Web Services Allows Users to Sell Reserved Instances,” Mikael Ricknas discusses the recent Amazon announcement of an online marketplace where users of cloud computing services will be able to sell their reserved server instances to other companies. Riknas explains reserved instances:
Reserved instances allow avid cloud users to lower their cloud costs by making a one-time payment to reserve compute capacity for a specified term, and in turn, receive a discount on the hourly charge, Amazon said. For example, a standard Linux instance costs from US$0.08 per hour, while a reserved instance with a one-year term and light utilization costs $69 plus $0.039 per hour. That cost divided by the discount means that it is a good deal after running the instance for more than 70 days.
Ricknas says the change is an effort to make the marketplace more attractive and flexible. The announcement may be worth the read if you’ve been looking at Cloud options, especially to learn more about the fees associated with the one-time transactions. You may also consider Fabasoft Mindbreeze’s InSite solution. InSite is a Cloud service that brings together all content from your Web sites, blogs, social media networks, and more so that information can be indexed and accessed remotely with proven security.
Philip West, September 27, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Amazon Adds SQL Server Support to Manage Big Data Rush
September 27, 2012
As businesses and enterprises rush to chase Big Data in the cloud, Amazon is jumping in by adding additional SQL Server support. DataMation informs us about the support addition in “Amazon Web Services Simplifies Private Cloud Configuration, Adds SQL Server.” We learn that Amazon Web Services has recently added two new capabilities to its Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), the first of which is added support for static routing.
The article tells us more about the changes to the Amazon VPC:
“Organizations must connect to VPC via an encrypted virtual private network (VPN). In the past, Amazon required companies to use BGP routing protocol for those connections, but BGP can be difficult to set up and manage. The static routing option will make it easier for organizations to use VPC.
AWS is also adding support for Microsoft SQL Server within VPC. It had recently also added support for Oracle’s database.”
This service addition from Amazon could attract more enterprises to the service as companies search for Big Data solutions that help them manage the mass of information available in the cloud. We are anxious to see how corporations implement this new support and hope other web services follow Amazon’s suit in this venture.
Andrea Hayden, September 27, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Amazon Introduces New Virtual Computer Marketplace
September 25, 2012
WIRED recently reported on a new service put out by Amazon in the article, “Amazon Opens Marketplace for Virtual Computers.”
According to the article, the online retail giant has historically operated two distinct services that never really fit together. One the one hand it is an online retailer and on the other it is a massive cloud service. Now, Amazon has come out with a service that bridges the gap. Earlier this month Amazon introduced an online marketplace where you can buy and sell virtual servers called Amazon EC2 Reserved Instance Marketplace.
When explaining the new service, the article states:
“EC2 is short for Elastic Compute Cloud. Akin to services such as Microsoft Azure and Google’s Compute Engine, it lets you access processing power over the net — so you don’t have to buy your own physical servers. Originally, EC2 was a place where you spun up and paid for virtual servers as you needed them. But about two and half years ago, Amazon introduced what it called reserved instances. In short, you could reserve virtual server instances for use in the future — at a cheaper price.”
While Amazon is not the first company to combine cloud computing services with an online marketplace, it does seem to be a natural fit.
Jasmine Ashton, September 25, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Yandex Offers Cloud Storage Service to Compete with GDrive
September 21, 2012
Looks like Yandex is jumping on the latest search vendor bandwagon and offering cloud storage service, joining the likes of Dropbox and Google Drive. The “Google of Russia” has unveiled Yandex Disk which is currently in its beta version and can synchronize files across multiple devices. Wired.com’s article, “Yandex, the ‘Google of Russia,’ Erects Own GDrive,” shares with us about Yandex’s hopes to continue to hold off the Google monopoly.
The article tells us more about the competition between search leaders:
“[…]the giants of the web are building their own services. Apple introduced iCloudlast October, Microsoft re-launched SkyDrive in April, and Google launched GDrive the next day. But much like its U.S. counterparts, Yandex has been expanding beyond search into other areas, such as digital music sales, e-commerce, and much more. The company has also been inching into international markets with English- and Turkish-language products and services.”
Besides Yandex’s powerful role in Russia and Baidu’s presence in China, Google easily is the strongest and most visible search vendor worldwide. However, with all of these changes in services by other leaders in the market, Google will need to stay on its game to ward off the competition, because it is fierce.
Andrea Hayden, September 21, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext
Munich International Trade Fairs Depends on Mindbreeze InSite
September 20, 2012
In the online environment, customer service obviously means something different than simply having pleasant face-to-face interactions. Online businesses have to go the extra mile to meet their customers’ needs, but have to assess these needs without the benefit of personal interactions. One key factor in online customer service is an intuitive Web interface and an effective Web site search mechanism.
If customers cannot find what they need, the odds that they will move on to another vendor or site is quite high. Munich International Trade Fairs, which organizes trade fairs around Europe, learned the value of intuitive Web site search through Mindbreeze InSite. Read more in, “Munich International Trade Fairs counts on Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite.”
The article begins:
Munich International Trade Fairs offers a special service to online visitors of the Communication World 2011: easy, secure, and intelligent search through Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite. ‘We are pleased to be the first trade organizer in Germany to offer this service on our websites. With a structured overview, the visitor can get to the information he needs faster. I was particularly impressed by the swift implementation. The product was ready for use in less than 10 minutes,’ says Prof. Dr. Manfred Mayer of Munich International Trade Fairs.
So if you are looking for a way to improve your overall customer satisfaction, the painless and hassle-free addition of Mindbreeze InSite will pay dividends in happy customers.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 20, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
SharePoint Cannot Meet All Enterprise Needs
September 19, 2012
For all of the talk about what SharePoint can do, sometimes it is good to know what SharePoint cannot do. Avoid an unnecessary expense as well as wasted time and frustration by exploring the BetaNews article, “3 Things Not to do With SharePoint.”
The author begins with an analysis of what SharePoint can do well:
I’m a big fan of SharePoint. I’ve worked with it for years, right back to SharePoint 2001. It does a lot of things very, very well (Since you ask — document management, collaborative working, and increasingly social networking functionality). However, SharePoint also does lots of things, its feature set is simply huge. Not all of these features are as mature as others, and as a result it is easy for SharePoint systems to end up feeling a bit mixed and matched. Some things work well, some less so, and some should have been avoided altogether.
The author then goes on to list the three things you should avoid doing with SharePoint: 1) creating a public facing Web site, 2) customizing graphic design, and 3) treating it like a database. For each of these functions, a smarter choice is to find a third party solution that can work with SharePoint or an existing infrastructure to seamlessly accomplish that goal. For public facing Web sites, we recommend Mindbreeze InSite, a solution that will automatically set up intuitive search on your Web space.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 19, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Mindbreeze InSite is a Hit
September 18, 2012
Even at its inception, Mindbreeze InSite was garnering rave reviews for its creativity and effectiveness. The From the Cloud blog features good news regarding Mindbreeze InSite acceptance in the industry in its entry, “futurezone.at: Mindbreeze InSite is a Direct Hit!”
The author begins:
A few weeks ago Mindbreeze InSite became the latest sprog to join the family of Fabasoft Cloud services online. The young Cloud service had barely entered the world when it landed its first major success: Replacing Google Appliance as the integrated search on futurezone.at, the Austrian national newspaper Kurier’s technology news portal. According to Alexa ranking this website belongs to the top 5 websites in Austria (top 871 worldwide)!
Mindbreeze InSite is quick and easy to install. Tens of thousands of pages of Web content can be indexed simply by embedding a few lines of script code. Additionally, tens of thousands of searches can be performed by hour by users to the Web site, without any burden on the system. In addition to the other successful enterprise services that Mindbreeze offers, InSite offers a wonderful compliment, equipping users to find quick satisfaction in their search of your public facing Web sites.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 18, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite Boasts Information Pairing
September 13, 2012
Web site search can be a struggle from the user’s viewpoint. Navigating a Web site, particularly a commercial one, can be arduous at best. And yet organizations have had a hard time better designing a site to users’ needs. However, Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite offers a solution. Fabasoft Mindbreeze offers a wide variety of smart solutions for the enterprise, but InSite is particularly geared toward smart public-facing Web site search.
Read an explanation of the information pairing technology behind the product’s success, written by Daniel Fallmann, in the entry, “Information Pairing Makes Websites More Intelligent!”
Fallmann describes the InSite product’s success:
Behind this ‘magic,’ however is a great deal of digital know-how. The key term here is information pairing, under the motto ‘bringing together what belongs together.’ To put it in concrete terms, the current Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite release enables a maintenance-free, always up-to-date conflation of information from different areas. Always relevant. Always interesting. Always to the point. For both you and your website’s users.
Information pairing technology is secure and award winning. Best of all, it improves your company’s Web presence without a huge investment in time or development hours. For organizations that know the importance of grooming their online appearance, Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite is an easy investment.
Emily Rae Aldridge, September 13, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
Enhance a Public Facing Site with Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite
September 11, 2012
A public facing Web site is a digital business card and often the first way potential customers meet your company or organization. Messe München International (MMI) realized the opportunity in powerful site search and so employed the Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite solution. Patrick Kapfer discusses the MMI decision in the post, “Global Trade Show Organizer Opts for Mindbreeze InSite.”
Kapfer explains,
The product stands out with its intuitive, user friendly search. As a Cloud service it’s ready to use straight away! Further advantages lie in the fact that it’s more than just a search. Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite recognizes connections using semantic and dynamic search procedures. In this way it delivers a pinpoint accurate ‘finding experience.’ No installation, no configuration, no maintenance. What more could a company wish for?
Consider taking advantage of the no obligation 14 day free trial InSite demo and test the enhanced finding experience for your Web site. As the Messe München International (MMI) attests the fast search and clear results make Insite a viable search option for customers seeking functionality and ease of use. Other customer comments can be found online if you are seeking additional testimonials about the capabilities of Mindbreeze. The search service “runs on high performance servers in the Cloud and can be up and running in a few days. There’s nothing to install – Mindbreeze InSite is available straight away via our self-service.”
Philip West, September 11, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
SharePoint 2013 Looks to Improve the Web Content Management Experience
September 10, 2012
Niraj Tenany discusses Microsoft’s evolution in Web Content Management environments in the Netwovenblogs.com article, “Is SharePoint 2013 Ready for Prime Time Web Content Management (WCM)? You be the Judge!”
Tenany explains the development:
Microsoft acquired a company called nCompass back in 2002. nCompass’s Content Management System (CMS) become the foundation of the WCM capabilities in SharePoint. Since then, Microsoft has been adding features to support WCM in SharePoint.
The launch of SharePoint 2013 preview presents an interesting opportunity for companies to consolidate all of their web infrastructure to SharePoint 2013…this can provide a great of value to companies by reducing the overall management costs as well as having a focused team.
Tenany also provides a summary of SharePoint 2013 improvements to support WCM, including the ability to work easily with video content, multi-lingual site support, and analytics and recommendations.
When it comes to creating Web site content and managing a Web presence, organizations may also want to look closer at their site search. With no installation, configuration or maintenance required, Fabasoft Mindbreeze InSite is designed to intuitively find information on your site with a user friendly interface. Here you can read how InSite “recognizes correlations and links through semantic and dynamic search processes. This delivers pinpoint accurate and precise finding experiences.”
Philip West, September 10, 2012
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Augmentext.
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