Pender's Blog

Blog archive

HP and Microsoft Unveil Appliances

OK, so we were expecting some blenders, maybe a washer or a food processor, but the appliances HP and Microsoft trotted out yesterday are more about cloud computing than what used to be called "home economics."

There are five appliances in total, one of which is intended to help companies build a private cloud "in a box." That leads us to wonder -- when is the cloud not the cloud? If it's installed and administered on-premises, is it still the cloud? And can the cloud be put in a box?

We're probably over-thinking this, or not thinking enough. Anyway, the other appliances include an Exchange-based messaging appliance and an appliance for building data warehouses that costs $2 million. That last one, called SQL Server 2008 R2 Parallel Warehouse edition, was code-named Project Madison during its development. Madison...hmm, why does Madison stick in the mind?

Oh, yeah. Madison, as in Wisconsin. Wisconsin, as in the Rose Bowl. Now we remember why Madison rings a bell. Yup, your editor is still giddy. And with that, we wish you a great weekend.

Posted by Lee Pender on January 20, 2011


Featured

  • Microsoft Appoints Althoff as New CEO for Commercial Business

    Microsoft CEO and chairman Satya Nadella on Wednesday announced the promotion of Judson Althoff to CEO of the company's commercial business, presenting the move as a response to the dramatic industrywide shifts caused by AI.

  • Broadcom Revamps VMware Partner Program Again

    Broadcom recently announced a significant update regarding its VMware Cloud Service Provider (VCSP) program, coinciding with the release of VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.0, a key component in Broadcom’s private cloud strategy.

  • Closeup of the new Copilot keyboard key

    Microsoft Updates Copilot To Add Context-Sensitive Agents to Teams, SharePoint

    Microsoft has rolled out a new public preview for collaborative "always on" agents in Microsoft 365 Copilot, bringing enhanced, context-aware tools into Teams channels, meetings, SharePoint sites, Planner workstreams and Viva Engage communities.

  • Windows 365 Cloud Apps Now Available for Public Preview

    Microsoft announced this week that Windows 365 Cloud Apps are now available for public preview. This aims to allow IT administrators to stream individual Windows applications from the cloud, removing the need to assign Cloud PCs to every user.