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Market Roundup February 16, 2007 New OpenSolaris Distribution for Developers NeoScale and Symantec: Symbiosis in Action |
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New OpenSolaris Distribution for Developers
Sun Microsystems has announced a new set of products and
services targeting developers, startups, and Internet companies seeking to
build and deploy their Web infrastructure on Solaris 10. The three offerings
are Solaris Express, Developer Edition, Solaris + AMP (Apache/MySQL/PERL or
PHP), and an expanded Sun Startup Essentials program. Solaris Express,
Developer Edition is the first distribution based on the OpenSolaris project
and provides developers an integrated environment for the development of
applications for Solaris, Java technology, and Web 2.0 while supporting a
variety of common x86-based desktop and laptop hardware with a simplified
installation experience. This release includes an improved GNOME-based desktop,
Sun Studio 11, NetBeans IDE 5.5, as well as 150+ open source applications.
Solaris + AMP offers popular open source applications that have been optimized
for Solaris, including the Apache web server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, PERL, PHP, and
Python, as well as other developer and open source technologies. Sun is also
posting “recipes for success” that feature systematic instructions as well as
multiple levels of Sun Services. The company also expanded its Startup
Essentials program to offer an improved buying experience through streamlined,
online access to Sun hardware, including Sun Fire x64 servers and Sun Fire
servers with CoolThreads technology running the Solaris 10 OS or other
operating systems. Sun has now added Sun StorageTek modular disk arrays, NAS,
and tape storage products to the program at deeply discounted prices. Lastly,
Sun also announced Developer Services that provide specialized advice for
programming issues relating to Solaris Express, Developer Edition on a per
incident basis with guaranteed response times through Sun Developer Expert
Assistance Service. The service is available to all developers with a cost of
$49 per incident or unlimited requests for an annual subscription of $249.
Developer Expert Assistance Service will be available for Solaris + AMP stack
at the end of February 2007 with full production support on Solaris available
early this summer.
As Sun continues to reinvent itself, it is not surprising to
see programs targeting constituencies that may not automatically consider
themselves as part of the Sun faithful. Smaller, Web 2.0-oriented firms sound
like the natural playing field for Linux, low-cost industry server, and the
open source movement: something that by perception would not seem to be in the
bailiwick of Sun Microsystems… or is it? Judging by its actions, Sun’s affinity
for the volume server marketplace only seems to be growing. Its strategic
relationship with AMD, and now Intel, illustrates a desire to reach the volume
hardware platform in the marketplace. With its embrace of Open Source,
especially with respect to Solaris, Sun has fundamentally changed its position
in the lower echelon of the computing marketplace. However, simply
rediscovering the x86 architecture is not enough, and Sun, to our way of
thinking, has wisely taken many steps to make itself
relevant again in this marketplace.
Startups and leading-edge companies, which encompasses most
anything labeled Web 2.0, all live in a world of limitations, be they financial-,
human-, market-, or time-based. By packaging Solaris-proven versions of the
most popular Open Source applications and tools, offering recipes for success,
and backing it all up with a modestly priced support package, Sun has made
itself germane to this market segment. Combined with the newly enhanced Startup
Essentials program, Sun has taken this a step further and, most importantly,
made its offerings affordable and financed in a way that matches the reality of
the potential customer base.
While for many, Open Source may be all about the source
code, the reality is that the binaries distributed are what are truly
important. Solaris Express is not a listing of source code, it is a tested and support distribution of that source code that Sun
is backing up with support. The Sun + AMP stack reinforces the value proposition
by delivering Solaris-tested and -certified binaries of popular Open Source
application. While all of the source can be freely viewed, the value
proposition is that off the shelf, the code works, and customers can focus on
developing their intellectual property, not fuss about testing the open
communities’ product.
Driving the ecosystem around any platform is essential, as this ecosystem provides the lifeblood of the platform. In this instance, the ecosystem may seem to be a collection of freely available software issued for the betterment of society. However, Sun correctly sees that without the solid commercial backing of a heavy hitter in the industry, this community will not thrive to its potential. For the target market, we believe Sun has done a fine job of making itself pertinent again to a market segment that a few scant years past would have likely dismissed the notion of Solaris and Sun altogether. While there is much work and outreach to be done, we are impressed with the tenacity that the Copernican company has illustrated under its new executive management and its repositioning of itself as a player to be considered by organizations who do not find themselves at the top end of the computing marketplace.
NeoScale and Symantec: Symbiosis in Action
NeoScale Systems Inc., an enterprise storage security
solutions vendor, has announced that its CryptoStor Tape security appliance has
been qualified by Symantec Corp. and HP within their respective testing
programs, the Symantec Technology Enabled Program (STEP) and the HP Tape
Automation Compatibility (TAC) Partner Program. These qualifications provide
Symantec and HP customers with the assurance that NeoScale data security
solutions integrate with their preferred backup technologies. NeoScale CryptoStor
security appliances are deployed on the storage network and deliver wire-speed
encryption, compression, and cryptographic authentication of data on tape. They
integrate with NeoScale CryptoStor KeyVault appliances, which provide
centralized key management across heterogeneous devices for rapid information
recovery from authorized locations. NeoScale's CryptoStor Tape has been
validated for interoperability with Veritas NetBackup from Symantec. As part of
the HP TAC Partner Program, CryptoStor has been tested for compatibility with
HP tape libraries and is now included on the HP StorageWorks Enterprise Backup
Solution (EBS) Compatibility Matrix. The latest round of integration
recognition demonstrates the commitment from leading backup vendors to support NeoScale 's encryption technology to secure customers'
sensitive data.
The NeoScale solution is also now included on the HP
StorageWorks EBS Compatibility Matrix, a public document that provides
information for designing data protection solutions, including backup/restore
and archiving, that scale from entry-level workgroups to enterprise-level
datacenters. By HP StorageWorks tape libraries with the NeoScale CryptoStor
Tape security appliance HP customers can employ data encryption if they so
chose.
Symbiosis in nature is a relationship between two different
species of animals where at least one of them derives some benefit. Among the
more interesting pairs are the Egyptian plover bird and the crocodile. The bird
helps the croc by eating parasites on his body and mouth while the croc offers
protection to the bird. While we are certainly not comparing either vendor to
an animal, never the less large vendors need an ecosystem of smaller, generally
specialist vendors to reinforce the market position of the large vendor. For
its part, Symantec with its heavy reliance on NetBackup as an anchor to its
product line has recognized that there are advantages to linking backup and
security services. Having exited the appliance business, Symantec recognizes
that some appliances have their place. Encryption appliances in particular may
be a viable option for organizations who want to have secure, yet easily
recoverable data.
Sageza believes these relationships are good ones. NeoScale, the smaller firm, benefits through association with the larger, more well resourced vendor and VARs may be the ultimate beneficiary by offering the consulting and support services necessary to implement and support the combination. The concept of “secure yet available” data is likely to take on more value partially because the new U.S. Rules of Civil Procedure require an early meeting between the parties to agree on initial electronic discovery procedures and production. The contentious nature of litigation and the court’s history of generally refusing to take a technological excuse for lack of availability may also help stimulate this product combination.
HP has introduced the latest version of the HP-UX 11i
operating system and new HP Integrity servers. The latest release, HP-UX 11i
v3, focuses on making virtualization easier to deploy while delivering
mission-critical virtualization for applications such as business intelligence
and data warehousing, and providing mainframe-class availability. HP-UX 11i v3
can address up to 100 million zettabytes (100 billion TB) of storage and
features new hot-swap and online patching capabilities that aim to reduce
downtime. Binary compatibility with past releases ensures that applications
will run unchanged on HP-UX 11i v3 with the company-noted benefit of executing
an average of 30% faster. The company also announced a new rack-optimized unit,
the Integrity rx2660 entry-class server, as well as the HP Integrity BL860c
Server Blade, the first Integrity model for the HP BladeSystem c-Class. The HP
Integrity rx2660 targets application-tier workloads and is positioned as a
versatile solution for porting, application serving, testing, and development.
Although the new server targets smaller deployments, it offers
business-critical computing, and HP-UX features including VSE, HP Serviceguard,
and HP Systems Insight Manager. The new HP Integrity BL860c Server Blade
targets database-intensive applications and scientific computing environments
and offers a powerful virtualization engine for application consolidation,
which can help drive down total cost of ownership. HP also noted the
availability of four new Virtual Server Environment (VSE) Reference
Architectures, including Oracle, SAP software, and shared services based on
HP’s own application server and database implementations. A base configuration
of the HP Integrity BL860c Server Blade is priced at $3,827 and is expected to
ship in March. A base configuration of the HP Integrity rx2660 has a starting
price of $4,931 and is available now. The HP-UX 11i v3 operating system is now
shipping at lower prices for OS and some of its supporting software.
UNIX, much like the Mainframe, is the platform that has been
pronounced stale, in decline, or even outright dead, but which simply refuses
to die. In the world of mission-critical back-office computing, or super-high-performance
installations, UNIX continues to deliver value to organizations across
industries and the globe. True to form, we see HP’s penchant for engineering
illustrated in this release. The company’s notion that virtualization is a key
technology is well supported by its continued investment in the VSE and the
latest reference architectures. Although most larger
organizations have a cadre of IT professionals inhouse, there are often few
spare human resources available to weave from whole cloth a well thought out
architecture and deployment plan for new technology installations. Knowing the
right thing to do and having the time or resources to do it are two very
different things. This is where the value of VSE Reference Architectures is
readily apparent. By bringing tried and tested approaches to the table, HP has
removed one of the barriers that may be impeding organizations’ greater
deployment of virtualized solutions, especially with respect to primary back-office
or business-critical applications.
For those who have made a strategic commitment to the blade
architecture, we believe the availability of the Integrity BL860c will be well
received. As this is the first Integrity blade for the new c-Class BladeSystem
enclosure, organizations that have been actively migrating and consolidating
their x86-based applications now have the opportunity to expand their efforts
to include their Integrity workloads. This achievement is more than simply
adding another kind of blade to the mix, but rather bringing together HP’s two
main processor families within the IT unifying framework of the blade
architecture. Organizations can now much more easily make the strategic
decision to unify the bulk, or in some cases all, of their IT infrastructure
within the blade environs, servers, storage, and the like. For shops with mixed
HP environments, this could prove tantalizing.
Overall, we are pleased to see that HP continues to value its HP-UX heritage while at the same time looking to increase the flexibility and options afforded its customers that base so much of their business well-being on HP’s UNIX platform. With Sun’s recent focus on driving Solaris into new and interesting places through attention to Open Source and OpenSolaris in particular, it is interesting to note HP’s reduced pricing for HP-UX. However, price alone does not make an operating system, and neither solely does being open source. It is the value proposition afforded by its use that is determinant. HP maintains a strong ecosystem of partners and third-party technology providers that support its platforms, which is essential for its long-term success. All said, it seems that February is a good month for the UNIX marketplace.
Sophos Mobile Security: Shooting ahead of the Target
Sophos this week announced the availability of Sophos Mobile
Security to protect organizations against the growing number of malware attacks
aimed at Windows Mobile. Sophos Mobile Security provides realtime protection
for Windows Mobile 5.0-based devices against mobile viruses and spyware threats
and enables IT administrators to implement and lock down security policies for
PDAs and cell phones. The vendor stated that the mobile malware threat has been
steadily increasing over the last few years and more businesses are now looking
to secure confidential data against potential attacks at all endpoints. In a
recent Sophos web poll, 81% of business IT administrators expressed concern
that malware and spyware targeting mobile devices will become a significant
threat in the future. However, 64% also said they currently have no solution in
place to secure company smartphones and PDAs. Sophos Mobile Security protects
devices against malware infection via MMS, SMS, email, instant messaging, WiFi,
and Bluetooth, ensuring business communications are kept secure. It offers on-access,
on-demand or scheduled scanning and detects and quarantines any mobile viruses
or spyware with minimal impact on device performance. Central policies can be
created and deployed to ensure consistent company-wide security. Sophos Mobile
Security is bolstered by Sophos Behavioral Genotype Protection technology,
which proactively blocks new and unknown mobile threats before they execute.
Network administrators are alerted with realtime notification of malware incidents, ensuring threat activity is monitored and
neutralized, reducing the impact on employee productivity. Sophos Mobile
Security supports Windows Mobile 5.0 for Pocket PC Edition and Windows Mobile
5.0 for Pocket PC Phone Edition. This version will also protect devices using
Windows Mobile 6.0 which Microsoft plans to launch later in 2007.
Sophos is not the first to offer a product aimed at
protecting mobile devices from malware. Both McAfee and Symantec have products
in this space. So if it’s not new and the dominant players in the market
already have similar products in the field, then why bother writing about it?
Simply stated, the threat of malware on mobile devices
represents a classic security conundrum. On one hand organizations will readily
concede that they are highly dependent on these new endpoints and that the use
of the devices is growing at all levels within the organization exacerbated by
the fact that the technology continues to advance providing yet more bells and
whistles. On the other hand, the threat has not yielded any horror stories of
successful attacks and there are many other demands on IT budgets in general
and on allocations for security in particular.
Sageza believes that attacks on mobile devices will gradually increase as targeting becomes more sophisticated and focused. There is a growing body of evidence that indicates that cybercrooks are following Willie Sutton’s apocryphal advice to rob banks because that’s where the money is. As more criminal and hostile elements (read “nations and terrorists”) become more sophisticated and blend social and technological attacks they will exercise more specificity with respect to devices and malware of all types will become more prevalent. The trick for end users however is to close the door before the horse gets out and employ the mobile protection before they become target rather than after.
Can KeepYouSafe Keep You Safe?
Information Survival LLC has developed a service called
KeepYouSafe Online Safe Deposit Box. This is an encrypted storage service that
utilizes a 256-bit AES encryption key aimed at enabling users to send and
receive sensitive email files securely. The online service also works as a
virtual safe-deposit box, also encrypted, available to the person with the key
at any time, anywhere in the world where the Internet is accessible. The key is
only available to users; the company does not carry a spare and employees
reportedly do not have access to any information. In fact, the company website
urges that users write down their password as a failsafe. Traditionally,
encryption services are difficult and technical, making them tricky for the
typical end user to fully utilize. KeepYouSafe’s goal
is to enable average end users to easily encrypt sensitive documents without
slowing down the email to do so.
Encryption of email used to be only the concern of big
companies and governments; what need had Joe Q. Public to encrypt an email to
his mother? However, as more business is conducted online, SMBs and individuals
in sensitive jobs such as physicians and attorneys, and in particular medical
and legal offices, may be drawn to the service. Emails sent to patients and
clients containing sensitive information probably should be encrypted; some
professions, such as the law, require confidentiality on the part of their
practitioners. However, in the real world how much expectation of privacy do
people really have once they send their information out into the Net? “Not
much,” is the answer that Sageza picked up at the recent RSA show.
Historically there have been some issues about providing
hard-to-break cryptography for general use. The founders of KeepYouSafe are
both members of the United States Secret Service New York Electronic Crimes
Task Force, so it seems counterintuitive that they would develop a service that
would help break the law. On top of their own security measures, they have
contracted with another company to run a daily check of their perimeter, plus
they have the option of running two-factor authentication for users. Will the
public trust that the keepers of the vault won’t be entertaining themselves, or
worse, selling the contents of the vaults? We have been assured that as all
contents are encrypted, and that the key itself is encrypted, there is no way
that employees could view the contents of either the emails or the boxes.
While the U.S. Congress has been kicking around various
ideas of legislation, protection legislation is generally technology-neutral.
We have seen California lawyers advised to protect confidential email and it
would appear that this service may be a relatively painless way to protect
their clients. ISPs may become early adopters of this technology as a way to
differentiate themselves in this highly competitive field and as a way to field
a premium service at a premium price.
Given that much commerce is electronic today, some SMBs, especially those dealing with sensitive data or trade secrets, will most likely provide encryption service as a “must-have” rather than a “nice extra.” Those not inclined to trust anyone will probably then have to choose which will seem the least likely target for hackers, a giant ISP storage vault or a heavily-fortified encryption service. One might want to sign up early at the encryption office.