This is my 2nd time visiting 7x24 Exchange in Orlando. Last year, I sat next to two friends who just happened to be on the flight from SEA to MCO. One was going to a Gartner IT conference another who is ex-Microsoft was on his way for a summer vacation with his daughter.
This year I noticed the plane flights were booked and expensive to go from SEA to MCO, then I found Microsoft's TechEd conference is in Orlando the same time as 7x24 Exchange. I used to go to Microsoft TechEd for years and years. What is TechEd? It is Microsoft's premier IT Pro event and is sold out.
Windows 8: Learn how Windows 8 will deliver a no-compromise experience for your business, helping you deliver the experiences people will love and the enterprise grade capabilities that IT departments require.
Microsoft cloud solutions: Find out how Microsoft private cloud, built with Windows Server Hyper-V and System Center, puts your applications first. It offers you deep application insight, a comprehensive cross platform approach, best-in-class performance, and the power to run, migrate, or extend your applications and workloads between Private, Public, and Hybrid Cloud environments.
I am here in Orlando for 7x24 Exchange.
I have spoken at both conferences and spent hours and hours engaged with staff, logistics, and getting to know the attendees.
Bottom line: I look forward to going to 7x24 Exchange to see great people and discuss new ideas. And, I have no desire to go to another Microsoft TechEd conference. I have so much more fun in the data center world than IT Pro world.
Bridging the gap between the Data Center Staff and IT Pros is a common topic that consultants, analysts, and media bring up, but I don't get too excited with what I have seen most write.
The World's are very different and it will be interesting to maybe write on more on the Data Center World vs. IT Pro World.
On Thurs when I go back from MCO to SEA, the flight will be packed with Microsoft's heading home. We'll see how many smiles I see. i have no doubt that 7x24 Exchange will be a good experience for me, and I'll have a smile.
i worked at Apple from 1985 - 1992 and at Microsoft from 1992 - 2006. There are actually a fair amount of people who have made the move from Apple to Microsoft. More and more I hear there are people who are moving from Microsoft to Apple. I even know people who went from Apple to Microsoft and back to Apple.
But, after 50 years who would remember this. The below is a video of Malcolm Gladwell being interview at an event celebrating Jamaica's 50 year of of independence.
Geekwire reports on a Youtube video recorded by Toronto Public Library's Appel Salon interviewing Malcolm Gladwell. Here is the video.
The Geekwire article does a good job digging through and transcribing the video.
“I firmly believe that 50 years from now he’ll be remembered for his charitable work. No one will even remember what Microsoft is, and all the great entrepreneurs of this era, people will have forgotten Steve Jobs. There will be statues of Gates across the third world and … there’s a reasonable shot … because of his money, we will cure malaria.”
One of the main points that Malcolm makes is Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were some of the best businessman.
“Think about it, look, all of the things that made him a brilliant self-promoter, they overlap with what made him a great businessman, right? He was brilliant at understanding the image he wanted to craft for the world. What was brilliant about Apple? He understood from the get-go that the key to success in that marketplace was creating a distinctive and powerful and seductive brand, and he was as good at doing that for laptops as he was for himself.”
Malcolm made this a person vs. person story.
Gladwell called Gates “the most ruthless capitalist” until the day when he “wakes up one morning and says enough and steps down and he takes his money, he takes it off the table.” For that alone, Gladwell believes that Gates will be revered like no other entrepreneur of his era.
But, the #1 thing that will help Malcolm's prediction come true that Bill Gates will be remembered is the Gates Foundation. Bill Gates is spending 100% time on this. Bill is going to put his health as the top priority and not make mistakes Steve Jobs made with his health, trusting new age medicine and seeing his health through his eyes like the infamous statement of Steve not using an oxygen mask that is poorly designed.
To illustrate his point, Gladwell retells the story of Steve Jobs who while on his deathbed refused an oxygen mask several times because he didn’t like the design of it.
“It was like making him send his final emails using Windows,” Gladwell said to laughs from the crowd.
Health is a cruel reality of where big egos can quickly be brought down to earth and make them aware they are not super human, and the world will not bend to their will.
Also, the Gates Foundation has Melinda Gates, Billions of Gates money, more than Steve Jobs had, Warren Buffet's Billions, and a staff of hundreds. Bill Gates has built the Microsoft of Foundations that is called the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Bill has made room for Melinda to change the world. And, Bill Gates, Sr participates as well.
Forbes' Brian Caulfield says Malcolm Gladwell is wrong. That Bill Gates is a Atilla the Hun. But, Brian is wrong. In third world countries, they have no concern with the Apple vs. Microsoft past wars. With Steve Jobs gone and Bill Gates gone from Microsoft the battle between the companies is history. Does anyone get pumped up with a battle between Apple's Tim Cook and Microsoft's Steve Ballmer?
Three words for Gladwell: Atilla the Hun. Who is better known, Albert Schweitzer or Thomas Edison? Father Damien or J.P. Morgan? Steve Jobs wasn’t a great humanitarian*; but what does not being a great humanitarian have to do with being particularly forgettable?
Bill Gates has used his money to pull together an organization that has no rivals.
Bill GatesCo-chair and TrusteeBill Gates shapes and approves foundation strategies, reviews results, advocates for the foundation’s issues, and helps set the overall direction of the organization.Melinda French GatesCo-chair and TrusteeMelinda Gates shapes and approves foundation strategies, reviews results, advocates for the foundation’s issues, and helps set the overall direction of the organization.William Gates Sr.Co-chairWilliam H. Gates Sr. guides the vision and strategic direction of the foundation and serves as an advocate for the foundation’s key issues.
Warren BuffettTrusteeWarren Buffett helps shape our vision and develop strategies to address some of the world’s most challenging inequities.Jeff RaikesChief Executive OfficerJeff Raikes leads the foundation's mission to promote equity for all people around the world.Christopher EliasPresident Global DevelopmentDr. Chris Elias, President of the Global Development Program, leads the foundation’s efforts in integrated and innovative delivery, finding creative new ways to ensure solutions and products get into the hands of people in developing countries who need them most.
Allan C. GolstonPresident United States ProgramAllan C. Golston leads the foundation’s efforts to increase opportunity and advance student achievement for all young people in the United States through evidence-based education reforms and innovations.Geoff LambPresident, Global Policy and Advocacy Global Policy & AdvocacyGeoffrey Lamb leads a team that partners with public policy colleagues in each of the three program areas to help build strategic relationships that are crucial to the foundation’s work.Trevor MundelPresident Global Health ProgramDr. Trevor Mundel, president of theGlobal Health Program, leads the foundation’s efforts in research and development of health solutions including vaccines, drugs, and diagnostics, focusing on health problems that have a major impact in developing countries but get too little attention and funding.
Martha ChoeChief Administrative Officer Foundation OperationsMartha Choe oversees the foundation's Information Technology, Security, and Global Workplace Resources teams.Connie CollingsworthGeneral Counsel and Secretary Foundation OperationsConnie Collingsworth leads the Legal team, which provides staff guidance and creative solutions and upholds the foundation’s integrity.Richard HenriquesChief Financial Officer Foundation OperationsRichard Henriques oversees Finance and Accounting, Financial Planning and Analysis, Strategic Planning, Impact Planning and Improvement, and several special initiatives.
Kate JamesChief Communications Officer Foundation OperationsKate James oversees internal and external communications functions, advancing and protecting the foundation’s reputation and building awareness of foundation focus areas.Mark SuzmanManaging Director, International Policy and Programs Global Policy & AdvocacyMark Suzman leads a team that helps build strategic relationships with governments, NGOs and other key partners to increase awareness, action, and resources devoted to global development and health priorities.
I think the biggest mistake people make in a China project is under estimating the complexities and issues that will occur. They see a lower price and assume they are getting a better deal. I used to do a fair amount of work in China, but stopped working on those type of projects as they required way more effort than others thought was required.
The following are a couple of things to think about.
WSJ has an article on a European Highway project that had problems with its China Bulider.
For the Polish highway, by contrast, Covec was hired to manage a complex project from beginning to end in a European Union nation, including design, financing and construction within tight regulatory confines. It failed.
Covec was thin on management expertise, lacked financial skills and didn't understand the importance of regulations and record-keeping in public works projects in the West, according to numerous people involved in the project. Says Marek Frydrych, a Chinese-speaking adviser to Covec: "They thought they came to Africa."
Here is a presentation made at Google by a consultant on comparing American and Chinese Negotiation Styles.
WSJ has an article interviewing Southern Company CEO, Tom Fanning. The title could be interpreted as what is sustainable needs to be safe.
Tom Fanning: The Natural Gas Skeptic
'Nobody can sit here and tell me that it's going to be safe forever, safe in terms of economics and reliability,' says the Southern Company CEO.
...
Mr. Fanning sat down with the Journal editorial board recently amid "an historic shift" in the electric industry. King Coal is in twilight. For decades it was the engine of the U.S. power system, delivering nearly 60% of net generation by the 1980s. Southern illustrates the new reality; the share of its generation mix from coal has plunged to 35% in 2012 from 70% only five years ago. Meanwhile, gas has climbed to 47% from 16%.
Consider some of the points made in this article if you are thinking of creating your own microgrid for a data center. Do you have to be a power provider as well as a data center provider?
CNet News reports on judges being fed up with patent lawsuits.
Even judges are fed up with patent lawsuits
A few smart judges are throwing out patent complaints, or at least imploring that the two sides figure out a compromise, and that's a good thing.
The reporter is frustrated too.
That's why it's important that judges remain aggressive in their willingness to throw out extraneous complaints. I'm sure you're as tired of reading lawsuit stories as I am of writing them.
Bill Gates
Melinda French Gates
William Gates Sr.
Warren Buffett
Jeff Raikes
Christopher Elias
Allan C. Golston
Geoff Lamb
Trevor Mundel
Martha Choe
Connie Collingsworth
Richard Henriques
Kate James
Mark Suzman