Gartner predictions for 2008
To our clients, friends and potential customers,
In looking ahead, it's always useful to consult the industry analysts. The Gartner Group recently listed ten technologies as most strategic for 2008.
Green IT: Gartner predicts an increased awareness of environmental danger; concern about power costs; regulatory requirements; government procurement rules; and a sense that corporations should embrace social responsibility. IT counts for 2% of all carbon releases. To save power, Gartner analyst, Carl Claunch, predicts, "
we'll have servers that will go to sleep if they're not being used."
Virtualization 2.0: This new version will simplify installation and movement of applications, making it easy to transfer jobs to another server and facilitating changes without impacting other IT systems. The technology lets you restack virtual systems in different orders in recovery centers, providing DR flexibility. Claunch offered, "Frankly it's the Swiss Army knife of our toolkit in IT today."
The other eight most-strategic technologies listed by Gartner for 2008 are: Unified Communications; Business Process Management; Metadata Management; Mashups and Composite Applications; Web Oriented Architecture; Computing Fabrics; Real World Web; and Social Software. More on Gartner's predictions.
2007 turned out to be the best year for Key since our founding in 1999. Our client base now stands at 500 clients and we've added 30 new clients this year alone. Our current technology focuses services include IT security, blades and virtualization, high availability and fault tolerance, storage, Exchange migration, VoIP and archiving solutions.
We want to hear from you now and in 2008. Finding ways to serve you better remains our biggest commitment.
It was a pleasure working with our clients this year!
Pete Elliot
Director of Marketing, Key
pelliot@keyinfo.com
1.818.737.2804
Bio
IT Security & Compliance
Key is partnering with IBM's ISS division to provide IT security services.
Key has inked a partnering agreement where Key will provide technical assistance and infrastructure with the new IBM Internet Security Systems division (ISS). Regulatory and PCI compliance continues to grow in both importance and cost. At the same time, exposure to liability and threats from inadequate security is increasing from catastrophic downtime to non-compliance penalties associated with industry and government mandates
ISS is helping companies ensure compliance, protect against evolving threats and control costs when it comes to their networks. The range of network security solutions that IBM ISS offers provides preemptive protection for the entire IT infrastructure.
Moreover, ISS is helping to ensure Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance. ISS products and services address each of PCI's 12 requirements, and ISS is globally certified for PCI service assessments. Key and ISS are working with companies to develop a remediation plan to close the gaps in out-of-compliance situations.
Key has created a new Security Solution Center to collect and organize relevant information including white papers, product descriptions, and useful links to press & research articles and webinar replays.
IBM's Virtual Network Mail Security FREE 20-day Trial
Key is offering a free download of a 20-day trial of IBM's award-winning mail security offering.
You can now test-drive an email security system with more robust function and ease-of-use.
IBM's Network Mail Security System provides Award-winning email content filtering. The policy engine is unique by providing a more granular customization solution coupled with ease of use.
Additional facts about IBM's Network Mail Security System:
Brochure available here: http://www.keyinfo.com/downloads/Mail_Security_Brochure.pdf
Also, you can register to download a free 20-day trial to test-drive it for yourself here.
PCI Compliance
Webinar replay How IBM ISS can help you comply with PCI (Payment Card Industry).
PCI compliance and security is becoming a major issue for companies that handle even just a few credit card transactions. Key's October 25th webinar PCI Compliance How IBM ISS Can Help featured Howard Glavin, CPP-CISM-QSA-QPASP, Principal Consultant and Manager of PCI Services at IBM Internet Security Systems (ISS). Hear how IBM ISS can help you ensure PCI compliance, protect against evolving threats and control costs. Also, learn how IBM ISS products and services address each of PCI's 12 requirements and how ISS is globally certified for PCI service assessments. Learn how IBM ISS works with clients to develop a remediation plan to close the gaps.
Access the replay here
For an archived recording of this and all past KEY Webinars: http://www.keyinfo.com/resources/web_arch.shtml
Tivoli Productivity Center
Latest announcements from IBM for TPC.
New IBM TotalStorage Productivity Center Basic Edition V3.3.1
IBM is now shipping V3.3.1 pre-installed on the IBM System Storage Productivity Center (machine type 2805). By having the software pre-installed on a single system, you can begin to consolidate and simplify your IBM storage management infrastructure. It extends device configuration capabilities of IBM storage resources to a central platform. It supports managing the storage network, hosts, and physical disks in context rather than by device. For further details see Announcement Letter
New Tivoli Advisor newsletter now available
The Tivoli Advisor aims to bring information, knowledge assets and factoids to the Tivoli and IBM software community. The Tivoli Advisor will provide articles to help its readers harness the power of Tivoli. The information is provided in high level snapshots to make them easily digestible. Click on Tivoli Advisor.
You can also learn more about Advanced Analytical Reporting with TPC Standard Edition
Archival Solutions from Plasmon
Secure and compliant data archiving that is easy to deploy, easy to manage, and affordable.
Plasmon solutions provide the authenticity, longevity, security, and access for archiving critical data and applications. For this reason, Key has partnered with Plasmon to bring their superior archiving solutions to Key's clients.
For more, see Plasmon at www.plasmon.com
MS Exchange 2007 Painless Migration & Monitoring
Key's newest business partner, Azaleos, provides migration from your current email handler to MS Exchange 2007.
Key is working with our latest new business partner, Azaleos, to assist companies to migrate from their existing email server to an MS Exchange 2007 server. The Azaleos server appliance with MS Exchange 2007 software and services reduces both the cost and inconvenience of Exchange 2007 migration, monitoring and virtualization. This solution is an ideal fit for companies needing in-house control, high availability and world-class performance without the daily burden of using valuable in-house IT resources to monitor, maintain, manage, and fix Exchange.
Key has created a new Azaleos Solution Center to collect and organize relevant information including product descriptions and diagrams, Q & A, useful links, research papers and articles
Fault Tolerance for Virtual Servers
Marathon's everRun now runs on virtual systems to provide fault tolerance between two or more virtual servers using one physical server.
Typical availability clustering and failover solutions have significant problems -- complexity, instability and high cost. Virtual servers, however, make availability even more necessary as more of applications are moved to fewer physical servers. Marathon everRun software now provides fault tolerance for critical applications running in a virtual environment, and is affordable for less critical applications.
Winner of Best of VMworld New Technology award at VMware's annual conference Oct 2007, everRun has even been selected for an array of demanding real-time process control applications, including building management for the world class new terminal at Singapore's Changi Airport.
We continue to expand our Marathon Technologies Solution Center with latest news, product data, references, demos, white papers, articles and case studies. Two new white papers appear, plus links to Marathon's new v-AVAILABILITY initiative for virtual environments.
Solution Centers on Key's Website
Key has added Portal/Solution Centers to its web site, providing concentrated information on many of Key's main solution areas.
We've created concentrated portals of information on our website including the most salient reference material for some of Key's main areas of technical focus. Our Solution Centers contain: white papers, case studies, events, webinar replays, press & research articles, diagrams, tips and product descriptions.
Others are in development for Storage, High Availability and Fault Tolerance.
VoIP Resources
Solution Center on VoIP contains white papers, case studies, articles, reference links.
VoIP, providing server-based telephony using the IBM System i, can provide comprehensive telephone services at highly affordable costs. It provides a quick and easy way to add significant voice/data integration, functionality and reliability to any organization's telephony infrastructure.
Our new VoIP Solution Center includes over 40 links to reference material including the white paper Emergence of VoIP Telephony in the Enterprise. This white paper contains industry trends for adoption of VoIP, a detailed case study of the first VoIP installation in the U.S. on the IBM System i, and nearly 40 hotlinks to related data on the Internet.
Key's Innovation Center
Robust technology center for Key's customers to test and evaluate solutions.
Key's customers are encouraged to take advantage of our IBM-authorized Business Partner Innovation Center. It is a robust testing environment for evaluating best-of-breed solutions and best practices applied to server computing, networks and business continuity solutions.
Specific functions of the Center include:
- Demonstration & Evaluation Demo basic hardware and software capabilities allowing first-hand assessment by potential users.
- Proof of Concept Evaluate the performance of specific solution sets and test the operation of specific configurations.
- Testing & Staging Assembling ordered hardware and software for final testing prior to delivery to client.
- Preloading Loading client application programs and data for testing prior to delivery.
To visit the Center, contact your Key representative or Pete Elliot at 818-737-2804 or pelliot@keyinfo.com.
Spotlight on Key Talent
Sandy Nannini brings her specialty in IT security to Key's clients.
Sandy Nannini rejoined the Key team in our San Francisco office in May 2007. We interviewed her to get her background and special skills.
INsights: What relevant IT experience did you have prior to joining Key?
I have recently returned to Key Information Systems after taking a few years off to have a baby and spend time with my family. I enjoy what I do and have been selling IBM solutions for over 20 years which includes working directly for IBM for almost 10 of those years.
INsights: What is your current position at Key?
I am in sales consulting for Key, reporting to Allen Shahdadi, our Director of Sales, with special emphasis on infrastructure software, services and security solutions.
INsights: What projects will you be focusing on at Key?
My projects will include working closely with key's clients at the executive level to understand where IBM product offerings coupled with Key Information Systems' consulting and professional services are of value to the customer where they may be lacking in skills, resources or simply inadequate knowledge of IBM's products and solutions.
INsights: Why did you decide to join Key?
My number one reason for joining Key was the PEOPLE. Key is a first-class organization when it comes to professionalism and technical competency.
INsights: What kinds of training have you had that relates to your work at Key?
As I mentioned, most of my career has been with IBM. I graduated from St. Mary's College in Moraga, California and was hired by IBM while still in my senior year of college. I've gone through IBM Sales Training in Atlanta and continue to keep myself up to date on the newer technologies and offerings by taking advantage of product training as they are available.
INsights: What are some of the critical issues you see IT users facing today?
One of the biggest challenges I'm hearing from customers is how to effectively manage and secure the increasing amount of data that their companies are producing and storing. Records management is more important than ever, not just to improve productivity and Return On Investment, but also to meet the increasing demands of industry and government regulatory mandates such as Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, GLBA, PCI, and others. For example, email is a critical communication vehicle for most corporations and the volumes are growing daily. The need to manage those volumes while keeping costs down is prompting executives to implement effective retention policies and document management systems.
INsights: What interests do you enjoy outside of your work?
Spending time with my kids is what I enjoy the most. I have a 9 year old and a 3 year old and they keep me very busy. I love to cook, entertain and travel. I wouldn't consider myself a "runner" or a "golfer" but I enjoy getting out there and attempting to master both, just not at the same time.
Sandy can be reached at snannini@keyinfo.com.
Reader Feedback
We value your ideas and comments. Please send your thoughts to Pete Elliot at pelliot@keyinfo.com or call him at 1.818.737.2804.
Newsletter
Editor
Dennis Fletcher, dfletcher@keyinfo.com,
949-770-2793.
Publisher
Key Information Systems is the leading IT technology business partner in the western United States, specializing in solutions for corporate infrastructure, business continuity and storage. Key is an IBM Premier Business Partner, AVNET Premier Business Partner and Microsoft Certified Partner. The company also represents brands such as Brocade, Novell, VMware and Marathon Technologies. Key's high-availability, fault-tolerant solutions are backed by a complete range of professional services including critical assessment, financing, systems integration, installation, training and maintenance. With one of the most knowledgeable and best trained teams in the industry, the company has been listed as one of Inc. magazine's Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies in Los Angeles and has received Leadership, Beacon and Fast Track Awards from IBM as well as a Top Partner Award from AVNET. Corporate headquarters are in Woodland Hills, CA, with additional offices in San Francisco, Newport Beach and Phoenix, AZ. An IBM-designated Business Partner Innovation Center is maintained at the Woodland Hills location. For more information, contact Key Information Systems, 21700 Oxnard St., Suite 250, Woodland Hills, CA 91367, 877-442-3249, info@keyinfo.com, www.keyinfo.com.
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