How Will Apple Compete in the Enterprise IT Market?

Ryan Faas in a Computerworld article reports,  “The new edition of Apple’s new Mountain Lion Server platform is revolutionary in a lot of ways, not the least of which is the $19.99 price tag.”
Mountain Lion Server includes basic server functionality for the small to mid-size business (SMB) market:

• File sharing
• Network printing
• Client backups
• Website hosting
• VPN
• Email services
• Centralized contacts for an organization
• Shared calendars

 

Ryan Faas in Aug 1, 2012 also reported in a mac-talks.com article, that Apple has recently been slowly steering its server platform away from large enterprise deployments. Instead, according to Faas, Apple has directed more efforts toward redesigning OS X Server to meet the needs of small to mid-size businesses. Additionally OS X Server is geared to accommodate “Apple-centric” or business departments utilizing Apple devices, as well as workgroups in larger organizations.

Wayne Dixon in a July 25, 2012 article states Apple’s focus on the enterprise market in the past has been somewhat ambivalent.  The enterprise market has traditionally been, and is currently still, dominated by the PC segment. The reasons surrounding this development include:

• Better enterprise-level support from Microsoft
• Better competitive pricing
• Focused growth and advancement in the enterprise market segment

These reasons were compounded by the fact that mainstream IT professionals in the past rarely used Apple products; this resulted in a lack of knowledge and skill sets around Macs and iOS devices. Also, Apple computer and iOS device users rarely had a need for enterprise IT functions such as mass deployment, client or device management, and integrating Macs and iPhones and iPads with enterprise systems like Active Directory or Exchange.

 One example leading to speculation that Apple is not progressing in the enterprise market is the recent removal of the Xserve from its product line since January 31st, 2011. According to Dixon, the reason why Apple pulled the Xserve from the product line was due to low sales. Dixon quoted only 50,000 Xserves were being sold per year, in contrast to Apple selling millions of iPads or iPhones during a launch weekend.

 

However this claim was met with the argument that, the Mac Mini Servers and Mac Pro Servers filled the role of enterprise servers both of which are same form factors as their non-server, desktop computer counterparts. This makes sense for Apple to modify the server hardware line to be in the same form factor as some of the other Mac desktop computer products. Apple can now use the current production lines to build and swap parts for Mac Mini and Mac Pro servers rather than have a dedicated line to solely producing the Xserves.

 Amidst these claims and speculations Apple seems to have gained a foothold in the enterprise IT market.  This change in Apple’s relationship with the business enterprise market started evolving in 2010 when Apple introduced MDM and security capabilities into iOS, and opened that architecture to third party vendors.

 This growing foothold of Apple’s presence in the enterprise world may prove that it wasn’t that Apple did not understand or chose to ignore enterprise IT. What Apple has done is make an unpredicted entry into enterprise businesses via iPhones and iPads by concentrating on appealing to users as opposed to IT managers.  Third party vendors focused on delivering enterprise capabilities directly in Apple consumer products helped to tie iPhones and iPads into the enterprise IT world.

So as Apple slowed development of end-to-end solutions for companies and schools that wanted to deploy Mac technologies, it was at the same time designing enterprise and consumer products to work with mainstream enterprise technologies.

Pricing

 

Mac OS X Server has followed in the footsteps of Mac OS X, in that, as new versions of OS X have been released, Apple not only made improvements in the software but also, in the pricing.

Apple took a significantly different approach with OS X 10.7 Server pricing than previous OS X Server versions, this version was set at $49.99 while each OS X Lion client was priced at $29.99 for an unlimited number of clients for the server. Apple previously priced Snow Leopard Server at $499; this 90% reduction in price demonstrates Apple’s desire to increase accessibility for enterprise businesses to implement the new server software.

Apple has continued to drop prices for OS X Server with Mountain Lion Server; Apple has reduced the price of each client to $19.99 for the upgrade from Lion Server. Additionally, Server.app will now cost you $19.99 down from $49.99. If you are running Mac OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard or OS X 10.7 Lion upgrading to Mountain Lion Server will cost you $39.98.

Apple’s Entrance Into Enterprise IT

 

 BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) programs have helped to integrate Apple products into many businesses.  Many IT professionals now see iOS as easier to use and work with in corporate IT than Android.  Apple’s disruptive entrance into the enterprise IT market via consumer products might may have a more far reaching and long lasting impact in this industry than previously predicted.  Looking at companies like SAP, where the IT department manages 20,000 iPads and roughly the same number of iPhones, or Barclay’s Bank, using over 8,000 iPads, it’s obvious that Apple can scale to enterprise IT needs in terms of both sales and support.

 Here at iTech we can help you realize your dreams and implement the best possible solutions for your home or business.
 For more information visit our website at www.torontopcrepair.com or call 647 330-TECH (8324)
  

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sources:
Ryan Faas. “10 Reasons Why Your Business Needs Mountain Lion Server [Feature].” Cult of Mac, July 17, 2012. http://www.cultofmac.com/179285/10-reasons-why-your-business-needs-mountain-lion-server-feature/
 Wayne Dixon. “OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion Server: A Review.” Macgasm, July 25, 2012. http://www.macgasm.net/2012/07/25/os-x-10-8-mountain-lion-server/
 Ryan Faas. “Apple: An Enterprise Giant, Hiding In Plain Sight.” Cite World, Jan 28, 2013. http://www.citeworld.com/business/21354/apple-could-dominate-enterprise-one-day-heres-why

Cloud Storage.. What Why Where ????????

 

 

   For anyone not familiar with the term "Cloud Storage," it applies to storage of data anywhere on a network.
   The advantage being that, in the event of a failure of hardware you have a backup of your precious data. Another advantage is access to that data from anywhere with almost any device capable of connecting to the web.
   Lets say I want to work on that great novel I'm writing and it's not on my tablet that I brought out with me. I can access it by accessing my cloud storage that backs it up automatically from my notebook or home computer .

  Many of the big providers are offering sizable chunks of online storage for free. if you are a Google or Hotmail/Outlook subscriber, you already have an online storage option you can take advantage of right away called Google Drive and SkyDrive.We'll get to that later on.


    In 'The Cloud' you can access your files, big or small, on the go; or make a back up; or share it with millions of others. All thanks to cloud storage services, you can do all these things and more. As this technology already has been catching up with the consumers, lately there has been a sprout of many such services. But which among them are best? Here is the list of 10 best cloud storage services to date.

#10 Mega

Mega is a file hosting service and successor to Megaupload. The website was launched on 19 January 2013, to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the seizure of Megaupload. After Gabon denied the new company under the domain name me.ga, Kim Dotcom announced it would instead be registered in his adopted home of New Zealand under the domain name mega.co.nz.

It offers a 50GB free storage, and for security purpose, the service will be encrypted client-side using an advanced AES algorithm. A way to beat what happened to Megaupload.

Apparently you can't buy extra storage through Mega. You have to rent your storage space via a Mega reseller. Prices start at 10 euros per month for 500GB of storage.

#9 Ubuntu One

Ubuntu One is the personal cloud that brings your digital life together. It includes storage, sync, sharing and streaming – so that you have immediate access to your music collection, favorite photos, videos, important documents and more, at any time and from any device.

It offers 5GB of free storage and music streaming, and if you soared the word about it, you can earn up to 20GB extra free cloud storage with its referral program. Buy any track from its Music Store and it will be there in cloud for 6 months, which includes 20GB of cloud storage absolutely free. You can get more storage on Ubuntu One with a flat fee of $3.99, or $29.99 a year for each additional 20GB of storage. If all I needed was a simple storage service that also included music streaming, for $3.99 a month, I'd be fond of Ubuntu One. For me, though, there are better services.

Ubuntu One is available on Windows XP or higher, Mac OS X 10.6 or higher, Android and iOS.

#8 SpiderOak

SpiderOak can be used to back up, share, sync, access and store data using an off-site server. It allows the user to back up any given folder from his/her computer. One of the most defining features of this cloud storage service is that, it uses encrypted cloud storage and client-side encryption key creation, so even employees of SpiderOak cannot access users' information.

SpiderOak offers two account types, a free 2 GB version and a paid subscription for capacity above the free account limit. Users can also create a referral link, and each time the link is used to sign up for an account, an extra 1GB will be allotted to both accounts. The maximum account size that can be attained in this manner is 10GB. And it will cost you $10 a month for 100GB of storage.

It is accessible through an app for Windows, Mac and Linux computer platforms, and Android, N900 Maemo and iOS mobile platforms.

#7 Microsoft SkyDrive

It was previously known as Windows Live SkyDrive and Windows Live Folders. It allows users to upload and sync files to a cloud storage and then access them from a Web browser or their local device. It is part of the Windows Live range of online services and allows users to keep the files private, share them with contacts, or make the files public. Publicly shared files do not require a Microsoft account to access.

The service offers 7 GB of free storage for new users and, for one year, an additional 3 GB of free storage to students. Additional storage is available for purchase. If you want 20GB more, it will cost you $10 a year. 50GB is $25, and 100GB is just $50 annually. The service is built using HTML5 technologies, and files up to 300 MB can be uploaded via drag and drop into the web browser, or up to 2 GB via the SkyDrive desktop application for Microsoft Windows and OS X.

#6 MediaFire

MediaFire is a free file and image hosting web site. It includes up to 50 GB of storage, starting at 10 GB then increased by as much as 40 GB if various activities like sharing on Facebook and Twitter are done. MediaFire provides users with the ability to create image galleries from folders of images and view and share common document, presentation, and spreadsheet file types inside the web browser. MediaFire's free account service does not require download activity in order to preserve files, and is thus often suitable as a temporary or secondary backup solution although MediaFire does not officially support free data warehousing. There’s a limit of 200 MB per file.

These restrictions go away with the subscription versions. These start at a $1.50 a month with a year's subscription. This level doesn't add any storage, it just frees you of some of MediaFire's restrictions. The other plans, Pro for $4.50 a month, and Business for $24.50 a month, gives you 250GB and 1TB of storage respectively.

MediaFire supports Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows on the PC side of life, and Android and iOS on devices.

#5 Google Drive

Google Drive is a file storage and synchronization service by Google. It is now the home of Google Docs, a suite of productivity applications that offer collaborative editing on documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and more.

Google Drive gives all users 5 GB of cloud storage to start with. A user can get additional storage, which is shared between Picasa and Google Drive, from 25 GB up to 16 TB through a paid monthly subscription plan ($2.49 US per month for 25 GB).

Gmail is well integrated with Google Drive. Just sign in to your email account and click 'Drive' on the top bar. Select the files you want to share (multiples possible), add email addresses and click send.

Also, like Dropbox, it integrates with Windows and Mac file systems, Chrome OS, Android, and Apple's iOS.

#4 Dropbox

Dropbox offers cloud storage, file synchronization, and client software. It allows users to create a special folder on each of their computers, which Dropbox then synchronizes so that it appears to be the same folder, with the same contents, regardless of which computer is used to view it. Files placed in this folder also are accessible through a website and various mobile applications. Dropbox provides client software for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android, iOS, BlackBerry OS and web browsers, as well as unofficial ports to Symbian, Windows Phone and MeeGo.

Dropbox only comes with 2GB of free storage, but you can get more storage by bringing new users to Dropbox. If you want more room, Dropbox charges $9.99 a month, or $99 annually for 100GB, and similarly priced deals for up to 500GB.

#3 Box

It is more of a business-collaboration and work-flow solution for enterprise companies than a storage service; but if you are looking towards something like this, then Box fits the bill perfectly. The company has adopted a freemium business model, and provides 5 GB of free storage for personal accounts. A mobile version of the service is available for Android, BlackBerry, iOS, WebOS, and Windows Phone devices. The personal editions also offer 25GB for $9.99 a month and 50GB for $19.99. Business edition starts at $15 a month for a whopping 1,000GB of storage.

You can use it for the business purposes since it provides amazing features like- Invite others to view, edit and move; Track file versions; Post comments and discussions; Assign and manage tasks; Real-time activity feed; Google Docs integration. In addition, the service also includes Box OneCloud, for improved mobile work-flow, and Online Workspaces. There are also a variety of business-specific apps included within the service.

#2 Apple iCloud

iCloud is a cloud storage and cloud computing service from Apple, and comes with 5GB of free storage. The service allows users to store data such as music and iOS applications on remote computer servers for download to multiple devices such as iOS-based devices running iOS 5 or later, and personal computers running OS X 10.7.2 "Lion" or later, or Microsoft Windows (Windows Vista service pack 2 or later). It also replaces Apple's MobileMe service, acting as a data syncing center for email, contacts, calendars, bookmarks, notes, reminders (to-do lists), iWork documents, photos and other data. The service also allows users to wirelessly back up their iOS devices to iCloud instead of manually doing so using iTunes.

Apple iCloud works hand in glove with iTunes Match. Match, which is built into the iTunes app, lets you store your entire music collection, no matter where you get your tunes, for just $24.99 a year. Even if you didn't buy the music from Apple, it doesn't count against your storage limits. There is a 25,000 song limit though.

Additional space is priced at $20 per year for 10GB, $40 per year for 20GB, and $100 per year for 50GB.

* Important Note: Apple iCloud users who use Alternate or Microsoft applications instaed of iWork Apps to edit documents may find it difficult to work and share on your different devices using your favourite applications within  Apple's iCloud structure. Additional software may be required at an additional cost. The integration to Apple applications is very tight and narrow minded in my opinion.

#1 Amazon Cloud Drive

“Never worry about losing a precious memory or not having access to your important files on the go. Amazon Cloud Drive makes storing your photos, videos, documents, and other digital files in the Cloud quick and easy,” the Amazon Cloud Drive page states.

Its storage space can be accessed from up to eight specific devices. The devices can be mobile devices, different computers, and different browsers from a single computer. The device limit are reached even if web browser cookies are not stored, or are deleted. The first 5 gigabytes of storage is free; additional space costs $USD 0.50 per gigabyte per year.

Users can opt in to store their purchased music to Amazon Cloud Drive by making a purchase via Amazon MP3 store, either on a website or via Amazon MP3 application for Android (version 2.0 or later). The music purchased through Amazon MP3 store does not count towards the storage limit.

if you are in the Toronto area and have questions regarding these options and how to implement them in your home or business, Please feel free to contact us www.torontopcrepair.com  Your Technology Solutions Provider.

I'll be talking about gaming systems in our next article.

10 Must have devices for the mobile you:

Gadgets have fast become an essential part of our lives. I spend a lot of time linking these up for people. It is now difficult to imagine how one could manage without these cool tools. There's a jungle of gadgets out there to meet almost every conceivable need. But then some needs are more important than others. Here is a list of 10 must have gadgets to fulfil your primal tech needs and desires.

 

 

It is no longer just a phone and does much more than beyond plain calling and texting. Smartphones are no longer the luxury that they used to be and the prices have fallen within the reach of most buyers. I remember the days of carrying around a phone the size of a motorcycle battery on a shoulder strap that cost $2500 to purchase and a small fortune to use. then the DynaTAC 8000 coming out The price was some $$3995 in 1983 dollars. now for 120 you can carry a pocket  computer / communicator wherever you go.

 

 

 Notebooks: In today's digital world, almost every task is done digitally. Gone are the day of manually entering the data and maintaining a huge pile of files. From writing a letter to collecting information, preparing a presentation to watching a video, everything is done on a computer. Thus, almost everyone has a laptop. A laptop scores above desktop because of its portability in the fast-paced life.

 

Smartphones: because of the potential to perform numerous chores, are used throughout the day. Thus, even a full charged, high-cost, feature-rich smartphone can run out of battery, anytime. This is possible that your battery goes dead when you need it the most say, to make an emergency call, and you can not have access to the charging point, every time. Thus, it is important that you keep a portable charger with you. For instance, you can get a Solmate solar charger that can be charged via USB or using sunlight. The device, if charged, can be used anywhere, anytime. It comes with various tips to charge most portable devices. 

 

portable power source: This small and easily portable data storage device lets you store data which can be carried along anywhere. As these drives are rewritable, their utility increase. These drives are colloquially known as 'pen drives' and a good-quality pen drive starts from $5 (for 4GB). Available in various variants - from 256 MB to as high as 256 GB - these drives come with different price tags. Generally, an 8GB or 16GB pen drive is fine, however, the storage space depends on users' usage, which helps in making a buying decision. 

  

 

  USB Stick drive: Often you cannot save all your data on your PC, especially the important data. This is because of the limited storage space your computer offers. There are 2 relatively inexpensive solutions.

A: installing a second hard drive. Today most laptops today can handle 2 hard drives with the second being installed in a special caddy, in place of the CD/DVD Drive.

B: Use a portable hard disk drive. From important documents to even a backup of all the contents of your Computer - all can be kept safely on your external hard drive. These drive come in various capacities ranging from 250GB to as high as 6TB.

 

 

Memorable moments can be preserved in the form of photographs and a camera lets you capture them all. While your phone may have a camera, but mobile phone cameras pale in comparison with standalone cameras. If your budget allows you can opt for a DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera to get better picture quality.

 

 

Today's hi-tech life has a side effect - stress and we need something to get rid of the pressure burgeoning in our minds. Music is the ultimate stress buster. This in turn requires a good music player. Some people love listening to music at regular intervals while others listen throughout the day, especially while working. While most phones nowadays have built-in music player, some people prefer a small and compact player like Apple's iPod shuffle. Moreover, audio quality of dedicated music players is often better than that in phones. 

 

 Tablets: This small-sized device has all the key features of a full-sized personal computer. The device has better usability than mobile phones. Some tablets come equipped with ability to make calls, while others don't. This is primarily used for surfing the internet, on the move. But. With the right tools installed you can do almost all the same tasks that you do your PC or Mac surfing internet, writing letters, composing emails, preparing presentations, watching videos and much more. The device prices start from approx $100 CAD and goes as high as $1200. for high end transforming models that double as a notebook.

Next month, a low-cost tablet from Datawind is said to be launching in India , which is priced at Rs 2,999. That's about $50.

 

 

Bluetooth headsets: These devices give users hassle-free wireless connectivity. A user can either use it for conversing over the phone or to listen to music. The device is mostly used while driving as people can easily talk or listen while driving. 

While we're become so dependent on the Internet, anytime-anywhere access to the Web has become a must. The USB data cards can easily connect to a desktop or laptop, thereby allowing you uninterrupted access to the Internet.WindMobile has an unlimited plan for $35

 

 

Our next post will be on Cloud storage. What it is why you should use it and how it can benefit your productivity.