Here’s some oddball tech news for you. Apple apparently is going after a whole new demographic: Middle-aged women. With its new Mountain Lion OS X, Apple is no longer just targeting young hipsters, granola munchers, sandal wearers, ponytail sporters or Prius drivers, they’re putting on an extra layer of makeup on OS X, donning their best black mini-dress, slipping on a pair of hot Prada pumps and hitting the town prowling for something a little exotic: MILFs (Moms I’d Like on Facebook).

The marketing team over at Apple must have something up its sleeve with this one and I applaud them for it. It’s about time that tech companies target a demographic that I personally have been targeting for years–from a purely marketing point-of-view, of course.

It’s no secret that Apple makes products that are not only simple but elegant, which is perfect for the mature woman on the go. In fact, I think that Apple should hire me to help them pump this idea for a commercial or two. It’s too bad I didn’t know about it a month before the Super Bowl. We (Apple and me–we’re a team) could have done something special with it.

Instead of releasing Mountain Lion in summer, they could release a first version of it in May and then the real version in December. Although, the irony might prove too subtle for the buying masses to grasp. I bet a dollar the middle-aged women would catch on. <wink>

I rather like the idea of transgenerational operating systems. Ones that automatically compensate for presbyopia and diminishing hearing. It could work. And, that way the over 40 crowd could still look cool surfing, texting and sipping lattes at the local coffee shops.

The transgenerational operating system opens a whole new marketing context. In this time of aging populations, rampant ageism in the workplace and skyrocketing hair dye sales, a new generation of operating system for an older generation is the right product at the right time.

I’m in.

The next computer I buy will certainly have Mountain Lion on it. Unfortunately, Apple got a little ahead of its time by focusing on the octogenarians with its Snow Leopard–a move I still don’t understand but I’m totally on board with this Mountain Lion thing.

Keep up the good work, Apple, I love you. Now, where are my reading glasses and my TV Guide?

What do you think of Apple’s new older woman-focused operating system? Cool, or did they go too far? Talk back and let me know.

See Also:

Apple’s OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion features Twitter, no Facebook

OS X ‘Mountain Lion’ unifies software update into Mac App Store

Apple’s secret weapon against Windows 8 (and why OS X 10.8 will be Apple’s most important OS release since iOS)

The iOS app that’s sorely missing from Mountain Lion: iBooks

Yes, cool.

I’m not pulling any punches here when I tell you that Windows 8 will change everything. It’s an innovative new desktop interface that’s oriented toward the new touchy-feely tablet screens, smart phones and lightweight ultrabooks. I’m excited about that. No, I’ll probably never own a Windows 8-based tablet, phone or ultrabook but I think it’s cool that they’ll exist.

Now, you’re probably asking, “Why are you excited about something that you don’t really care to own one of?”

I think I’m excited about Windows 8 and the hardware on which it will run precisely because I won’t ever own one. I hope that makes sense to you. It does to me.

Here’s my thinking: Personally, I use Linux and Apple products. I also use Windows, professionally. I use all operating systems as part of my day job and as part of my “moonlighting” work as a tech writer. Windows has strengths and weaknesses that are great fodder for posts such as this one. The same goes for Linux and Apple.

There is no perfect operating system. And, there’s no perfect company that produces them.

Plus it’s fun to toss a few bombs into the path of the big guys to possibly bring them down a notch or two in the process. Frankly, I have significant problems with all operating systems, with the possible exception of iOS. I like it, thus I don’t bust on it. It’s better when I don’t like something.

I currently don’t like Windows 8 for myself. I can say with confidence that I’ll never use it except for testing and writing, until my day job company tells me that I have to use it. I think that mandate will be a few years away, since I only recently switched to Windows 7 from Windows XP on my corporate laptop.

Windows XP was great. Windows 7 is good too. Microsoft does a pretty good job overall with its applications and operating systems. They’ve had a good run with Server operating systems that they haven’t necessarily enjoyed with their desktop operating systems. Since I’m a server guy, I don’t care what OS I use to connect to the servers. It’s merely a stepping stone to the work that I do. I can use Linux, Apple, iOS or Windows. I don’t care.

I like to check out new operating systems. I like to try to break them. It’s fun. I’m a technical guy and not simply a talking head or writing head, as the case may be. If Windows 8 sucks, really sucks, I’ll tell you so and you can believe it because I’ll tell you why. I’ll tell you what sucks about it and possibly how to fix the suckiness. That’s how I roll.

I’m amused by the current negative atmosphere surrounding Windows 8 and I’ll keep a watchful eye on the pundits, naysayers and aficionados alike. It’s actually more fun for me to bust on other industry types than it is for me to criticize the companies involved in producing products. There are a couple, even on ZDNet, who deserve a good thrashing every now and then and I don’t mind doing it.

Windows 8 is an operating system. It’s not a religion. Some people act like its existence is a personal affront to them. They’re offended by it. I look at operating systems from a practical standpoint. I want it to be transparent to me. I don’t want to have to worry about finding applications nor do I want to worry if they’ll work or not once I do find them.

I’m excited about Windows 8. Not just for the things that are wrong with it but also for the things that are right about it. I’m willing to give it a chance.

What do you think of Windows 8 so far? Are you excited about it? Talk back and let me know.

Related Stories:

I hate Unity. I hate GNOME. I hate Windows 8. The ultimate desktop search continues.

Microsoft’s Windows 8 logo: Metro but not in a good way

Windows 8 Faceoff

What problem does Windows 8 solve?

How Microsoft SkyDrive will morph from a Web site to cloud service with Windows 8

And, you know how some people can leap off into ‘religious’ rants that only seem important to them? Well, I’m about to break into today’s Irritable Bowel Syndrome* colon cramp tirade, so hold on. So, bail now or grab a cup of coffee and take a ride with me while I explain to you how wrong and dangerous it is to mess with an all-Android product focus.

And, yes, I’ve seen Apple and other mobile device vendors go back and forth on mobile device market share numbers; each one claiming a majority of the market. Let’s just say that Android and Apple make up the bulk of the market but they’re not alone. Look at the so-called ’smart’ phone market players:

• Apple
• Android - Various vendors
• Windows
• Blackberry

Don’t you think it wise to support the two primary market holders at the very least? The better question is, “How wise is it to only support one platform?”

It isn’t wise at all. The reason is not that you should support any device that a user owns, although that’s a pretty good reason. The reason is that most companies want to buy only one solution for their mobile device management. If your software only supports Android, you’re severely limiting yourself to those companies that only allow Android phones, which,…let’s count them up…OK, so, none.

For example, I own an iPhone 4. If that device isn’t supported on my employer’s network, then I will expect, and rightly so, that they’ll supply me with a device. If they supply the device, that isn’t BYOD now is it? And, therefore, they’re not saving money nor are they allowing me to use my iPhone.

The solution is for them to not buy your single device-oriented software.

The reality is that Android has some of the market and Apple has some of the market. So do Windows phones and Blackberry. I currently have a corporate-owned Windows phone. Before that, I had a corporate-owned Blackberry. If your software doesn’t support those, then too bad, so sad, you won’t have any customers because no company of any size has only one type of device, corporate-owned or not.

The other more interesting part of this whole BYOD phenom is that your higher-end, executive types will own Apple products. They can afford them. They aren’t geeks so they’re going with what’s trendy and cool, not what’s geeky. You know, the folks at the high end of the pay scale buy the good stuff. Ironically, they want to hire people at the bottom of the range but want to purchase products at the other end of the spectrum: Apple, Mercedes, Starbucks, Klipsch. But, that’s a whole other rant.

Selling a product that only supports one type of mobile device is like opening a sandwich shop and only offering a ‘Ham and Cheese on Rye.’ It’s very limiting and not wise. In fact, it’s really kind of dumb. And, you really shouldn’t do it.

I know that it’s easy to create software and services for Android. It’s Linux. It’s going to be easier. But, picking the low-hanging Android fruit won’t get you where you want to be, which presumably is into company networks. You have to play nice with other types of mobile devices or you won’t be playing at all. As I wrote earlier, companies only want to deal with one mobile device management (MDM) software, not four or even two. Either you support all types of devices or you might as well just program some Apps for an App Store. You’ll find more success and more customers. After all, you’re banking on market share, aren’t you?

Think back to the early 1900s, when the automobile was a new thing. Henry Ford’s company built cars. The joke was that, “You can have any color you want as long as you want black.” Other car companies that entered the market taught Mr. Ford something very important about consumers: They want choices. What motivates you to buy a new car if the new one looks exactly like the old one? At least change the grille and tail lights on the new model.

Consider the following scenario:

SCENE: DAY - INTERIOR TRADE SHOW FLOOR

CIO: Hi, I’m looking for MDM software for my company.

VENDOR: Great, how many devices do you expect to manage?

CIO: About 2,000.

VENDOR: Great, we have a scalable, available, affordable…blah blah blah solution.

CIO: Awesome, let me have a look.

VENDOR: Let me see your Android phone and I’ll give you a live demo.

CIO: I have an iPhone 4, not Android.

VENDOR: Oh, what types of devices comprise that 2,000 number that you gave me?

CIO: All types but maybe only 350 Android ones.

VENDOR: Well, we can certainly manage those 350 for you with our SMB version of our software.

CIO: We want a single MDM for all of our devices. Yours only supports Android?

VENDOR: Yes, Android only. Can I show you the benefits of using Android? It’s much more…

CIO: Nah, thanks. I need something that will accommodate all device types.

VENDOR: Do you want to enter our drawing for a free Android phone?

Very sad. Very bad.

The solution is to also provide support for Apple devices–at the very least. And, yes, I’ve heard the rhetoric about Apple’s inability to use mobile hypervisors. I say, “Talk to the hand.” Don’t give me excuses; give me results. If Apple devices won’t use mobile hypervisors, then figure out another way to create multiple profiles. If nothing else, you could use an App that uses a VPN connection and only branded VPN-aware or VPN-authenticated Apps will work while connected. How about that?

Get busy you Android-only vendor types and get me some Apple support or give me nothing at all.
* No, I don’t have it, unless you count the personality equivalent of that defect.

See Also:

Judge rules that targeting Android for destruction is legally OK

Motorola opens up a bit on Android ICS plan for Xoom, Droid

Apple blows past Samsung to become top smartphone vendor for 4Q 2011

Apple’s iPad 3 refresh likely to kick off sales boom

OK, so the geniuses over at Hubworks totally stole my idea that I had back in the mid to late 1990s of enabling Internet ordering, POS integration and table-side payment. Although my idea employed standard PC technology, I’ll relinquish my litigation rights only because they’re such cool people. But, I’m watching you, Hubworks so tread lightly on this hallowed ground, which I’ve claimed as my turf.

Hubworks touts one of “their innovations” thusly: “FoodHub is an iPad ordering platform that can integrate with your restaurant’s point-of-sale system. Guests can order items off the menu, play games, connect with social media, and pay at the table when they are ready to go. FoodHub eliminates wait times and makes your restaurant more efficient, thus increasing your revenues while creating a unique customer experience. Your customers will love it… and so will you.”

Yeah, yeah, whatever. I thought of it more than a decade ago but they’re the ones making all the bank off of it. OK, so I didn’t do anything with my idea nor did they steal it from me directly, but still, I feel slighted on the whole thing.

The rest of their shtick is the same old, same old, “We developed this fancy shmancy thingamajig for the iPad (technology du jour) and gosh we’re really impressed with it and you should be too.”

OK, sure, it’s cute. They came up with this frame thingy that allows them to plug into an iPad, take orders, pay, play games, blah, blah, blah.

I did rather enjoy talking to Aaron Gabriel and Sam Something-or-other from Hubworks. They kept me mildly entertained while I was counting up the millions of rubles that I missed out on by not marketing my idea to someone in Silicon Valley. OK, so they hail from the bustling metropolis of Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho (Heart of Alene?)–but that’s really not important right now.

Yes, I did give them some grief about stealing my idea. And, yes, this is about me, not them.

I am impressed that their animated web site works with Safari on my iPad. It’s actually a good idea to have it work on an iPad, since that’s the technology that they’re peddling to restaurants and bars. I think that if I had a bar or restaurant, I’d probably buy into their solution just because it’s so cool. I like the thought of using iPads for orders, payments and whatever else comes to mind. It’s a better idea than mine although I think that my idea would have evolved into their idea as technology also evolved.

I just don’t want these whippersnappers to get a bloated head over the whole thing, since, of course, I thought of it first. A fact that I’ll personally never let them forget.

My idea was far more elegant than theirs. I was going to build custom tables for the Buckaneer bar, here in Tulsa, that included a full computer with keyboard and trackball–all spillproof–for the protection of all the drunks that hang out there. We were going to have online ordering, specials that scrolled across the screens and numbered tables so that you could ‘chat up’ the hotties at another table, inlcuding (but not limited to) sending drinks their way, hooking up and so on. Use your imagination.

Oh sure, they chuckled at the ‘old man’ who waxed poetic about the misspent years of his youth to them on the phone about the “one that got away” and were somewhat polite about it all. But, in the end, it’s their game, their App, their invention and their idea that will revolutionize the restaurant industry. Seriously.

This is the stuff that former waiters, such as myself and them, only dreamed of back in the now nostalgic 1980s (OK 90s or 00s for them–ugh). I wish Aaron and Sam the best in their endeavors. I think their idea and product are awesome. It appears that there’s a season for everything. I was ahead of my time. No one cares. The time has arrived for them. I’m merely an observer and a reporter.

Hubworks is an excellent product and service for restaurants of all sizes and configurations from Mom and Pops up to large chains. It’s not a gimmick, it’s technology. Real and efficient. And, what’s better than that? It’s compatible with your current POS system.

I only wish some of my favorite restaurants/haunts would use their technology. Maybe I wouldn’t spend a lot of my time saying, “Excuse me, my order is wrong.”

Until I see some young filly sporting an iPad in my favorite restaurants and clubs, I’ll continue to lament the technoblunders of my younger days and to endure order problems that plague me.

Thanks guys, it was a fun interview. Remember to comment on Hubworks when you see an iPad in use at your favorite restaurant or hangout. And, remember to dedicate a toast to me, Ken Hess, the real inventor of in-house, online ordering technology.

See Also:

iPads replace menus at Atlanta eatery

I had the pleasure of speaking to the administrators of York County, Virginia Schools a couple of weeks ago and learned that it’s not only possible to go BYOD* in a large network; it’s also possible to do it in a large multi-site school system. With 12,500 students and more than 2,000 staff members, the York County Schools (YCS) BYOD project is no elementary undertaking. As I told Doug Meade (IT Director), Eric Williams (Superintendent of Schools) and Kip Rogers (Director of Secondary Education) that day, “I’m impressed.”

And, technologically speaking, it isn’t easy to impress me.

Impressive is appropriate for a school system that supports approximately 90 virtual Xen hosts that host 40 virtual desktop each. This environment is in addition to the many Citrix Presentation Servers, database servers, file servers, utility servers and network equipment that the school system supports.

York County isn’t your average school system, though. York County, founded in 1634, was one of the eight original “Shires” of the Virginia Colony. It is one of America’s oldest counties and Yorktown, its county seat, is the Yorktown, of the famous Battle of Yorktown.

Yorktown is the site of another battle for freedom–the freedom to choose and use your own technology, in public schools of all places. That, like my story of the schools in Douglas, Wyoming that adopted iPads, again defeats the din of incessant whining about how public schools fail our children.

Being from Texas, I understand the significance and joy of walking outside and seeing where soldiers fought and won the battles for our freedom. Of course, the situation in Texas was a little different than in the Revolutionary War but no less pride-insipiring. This same pioneering spirit exists in the people of York County today. During a time of economic downturn, this school system realized that they’re not educating students to work in today’s economy, they’re not investing in the short-term payoff and they’re not holding back at a time when it would be easy to do so. They’re going forward with what Superintendent Eric Williams calls, “Tranformative Learning.”

Transformative Learning, he states, is not about the technology but it’s the empowerment of our students to learn in a way that fits into their lifestyles. Part of this transformative learning revolution is York County’s more than 60 virtual courses available to students.

The transition to a BYOD model was natural for YCS as they had already made a significant investment in Citrix Presentation Services and rich content delivery to classroom computers in a lightweight, non-local manner. As part of their BYOD project, the team created a large XenServer-based virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) to accommodate the need for secure desktop computer access for the students and staff.

Part of the overall transition includes allowing access to school network facilities from home (or anywhere) for staff and students. This enables students to have a consistent work environment to complete projects and homework assignments. It also makes desktop management easier for the school support staff. Their solution also saves money for the school district because of the centralized management capability and secured virtual desktops. Performing break/fix repairs, maintenance, hardware updates, software updates, technology refresh and theft recovery/replacement on thousands of desktop systems is a huge financial burden for school districts.

The York County School District is also different in the way its people approach technology for students. Their web site states their progressive outlook: “The York County School Division embraces the importance of technology in the personal and educational lives of students.  Access to mobile technologies enables instant access to a wealth of information, references and collaborative resources on the web.  These Internet resources can support the learning activities that are a part of daily classroom instruction.”

You can learn more about their technology and policies by checking the YCS BYOT FAQs page and the YCS BYOT Policy page.

Their school also offers an excellent PowerPoint movie explaining their BYOT program in detail.

York County School BYOT Informational PowerPoint

YCS administrators created a unique technological experience for their fellow staff members and for their students. I want the YCS teachers and support staff to know that this is not common practice among school systems. Most school districts still sweat it out with standard desktop computers that rarely work and with outdated applications and games that the kids aren’t interested in using.

From this former teacher, you have earned my sincerest admiration and congratulations, YCS, you get an A+ for your BYOT program and your dedication to your student’s educations and to their futures.

* BYOD - Bring Your Own Device is the accepted terminology but YCS uses BYOT (Bring Your Own Technology). I use the two terms interchangeably for the purposes of this article.

I think the IPO is a last ditch effort to breathe life into a failing concern. But, it won’t work. Not for long anyway. I think people will wake up and say to themselves, “OMG, I have invested in something that doesn’t really exist except in Cyberspace. I’ve…I’ve…invested in AIR!”

They’ll wisely pull their money out and Facebook will fall to the wayside.

Goodbye and good riddance.

Although I hate Facebook and I think that the IPO is really just a money grab for those who own stock, let me add this: If I had stock in Facebook, I’d sell it as soon as possible and retire comfortably on my ridiculously gotten gain. Yes, I’d be on the phone to the broker and say, “Show me the money, baby, I am outta here.”

I don’t trust the stock market. I’ve seen fortunes lost in it. It’s the same logic that keeps me out of the casinos. Sure, some people win but the losers far outnumber the winners. I don’t like to lose so I don’t play and I never bet unless it’s a sure thing–and it never is. But, if I were the guy who painted that mural at Facebook and today he might be worth $200 million dollars, I’d take the money and run.

However, there will be people who ride it all the way to the bottom.

I can’t wait to hear the “analysts” discuss Facebook’s meteoric rise and fall. Everyone will give their roundtable spins as to the whys and hows and no one will remember this humble prediction. Except for me, that is.

Years ago Zuckerberg had an offer on the table for a couple billion dollars for Facebook. He didn’t sell it. I would have. He held on. People don’t know when to let go. Of course, he stands to make billions more now but my guess is that either he’ll ride it to the bottom and end up with almost nothing or he’ll wisely bail on it. The smart people involved will use this IPO bubble as an exit strategy out of a dying animal’s carcass.

My advice is that if you have Facebook stock that you should cash it in because it will never be worth more than it is right now.

Why? Because it’s a silly social network thing. It’s false, people. There’s no value in it. It’s a bunch of blips on a computer screen. It’s a false way to be “social.” It’s the latest MySpace.

Be smart, don’t gamble your underfunded retirement on it. If you get the twinge to do it, think about Enron, WorldCom and so many others. Also, think about MySpace. MySpace was “all the rage” a few years ago. Now, you couldn’t sell it for the electricity it burns up. A few years ago, everyone had a MySpace page. You had to have one or you didn’t really exist. That’s Facebook.

Facebook and the rest of “social” media is basically a scrolling wall onto which you “spray” your graffiti. It’s now an acceptable form of communication. By acceptable, I mean accepted but pointless.

If you don’t think Facebook is ridiculous, perform the following test.

Sit someone down across from you and pretend that they fell into a coma in 1993 and woke up a few days ago. Now, explain Facebook to that person. Hopefully, less than three minutes into the conversation, you will feel embarrassed and silly by talking about it, when you say things like, “You can post to their wall” or “I can update my status.”

You must feel extremely important, if you truly believe that anyone cares what you’re doing or where you’re doing it.

Status update: I’m at a Lady Gaga concert. Woohoo!

Here’s an idea, turn off your damn phone and enjoy the concert by being there. Unless you think your Facebook pals are at home saying, “OMG, Jenny’s at the Lady Gaga concert, Jenny is soooo cool.” I know it’s crazy to ponder this but you could just call Jenny later and tell her about the concert or perhaps you and Jenny could actually go and hang out at the mall and tell her about it…OK, wait for this one…face to face. GASP! Is it like really possible to like talk to someone like when you’re actually like looking right at them?

Whew, sorry, I digressed. I haven’t had my pills yet today. I’ll update my Facebook status after I’m done with this post and my wife will read it and then she’ll like bring me my meds.

Just so that we’re clear here. Facebook is bad. The IPO is a money grab. Don’t fall for it. If you have fallen for it, snag your profits and update your status that you just made a million dollars. You’re welcome.

What do you think of Facebook’s IPO? Is it doom and gloom or renewed awesomeness? Talk back and let me know.

It’s true that I love Google’s open source Chrome browser but I’m not in love with it–at least not anymore. I use Chrome exclusively except when I have to use Firefox or Internet Explorer for something that Chrome just won’t do, which isn’t often. Chrome has an impressive list of features going for it including Incognito mode, in-browser language translation, speed, plugins, cross-platform support and bookmark synchronization to name a few but, for all of Chrome’s awesomeness, it has its problems.

One of those problems is that it seems to use a lot of memory on my Windows 7 system (AMD Turion X2 Dual-Core Mobile RM-70 2.00GHz, 4GB RAM, 64-bit Windows 7 Ultimate). For example, in the screenshot below, you’ll see that there are ten Chrome instances running on my computer, although, in reality there is a single browser open with three tabs.

When using Chrome for my very long days, often exceeding 12 hours, Chrome will crash at least once. In fact, Chrome crashed during the writing of this article. I stepped away for dinner while writing it and came back to the following single message on my screen.

My daily greeting from Chrome.

It’s very frustrating. I thought I had lost most of this post but thank goodness for browser history. I still, stupidly, often compose these articles in Chrome while logged into our content management system.

One of Chrome’s touted features is stability:

Tabs and Stability
Chrome is built for stability. If an individual tab freezes or crashes, the other tabs are unaffected.
You can also arrange your tabs however you wish — quickly and easily. Learn more on how to organize your tabs.

Yeah, I’m totally on board with that stability statement. Not.

In fact, I’ve never had a Tab fail that didn’t take down the browser or browsers that I had open. Often enough, the Shockwave plugin is the culprit but not always. For example, the failure during dinner. An excellent recipe for indigestion, I must say.

Chrome’s bookmarking and bookmark management also leaves much to be desired. I hate messing with bookmarks in Chrome. But, bookmark management is minor compared to my stability problem. In case you’re curious, I’m using version 16.0.912.77. The latest according to Chrome’s Help->About page.

So, my first thought is to move to Firefox, Internet Explorer or Opera for my default browser. On second thought, perhaps I should just deal with the crashes as I have for the past year or so and hope for a more stable version that is always “in the next revision.” I think I’ll give Opera a try and report back on my progress with it. I don’t really want to change but I feel that I have to change for the sake of my productivity and my sanity.

It’s nice that Chrome “recovers” and restarts my most recently used pages when I relaunch it but seriously I’m tired of doing it.

I love Chrome. I love the idea of Chrome. I love Chrome’s features, in theory at least. Yes, ours is a dysfunctional relationship of love, hate, happiness and frustration. Chrome is a harsh mistress and one that I’m tired of stringing along. I won’t completely sever my ties with Chrome but I’m putting it “on notice” with the statement, “Chrome, you had better hope that I don’t like Opera better.”

Firefox irritates me. Internet Explorer is almost useless to me, since I upgraded it to version 9. And, now Chrome is failing me. My Opera download (version 11.61) has finished and it’s time to install it and to close out this array of Chrome’s that I now have open. (Yes, I’m still composing this in Chrome, although I know better. Some people just don’t learn.)

So long for now, Chrome. I’ll miss you but not the problems.

Do you have similar problems with Chrome on Windows? Talk back and let me know.

[Note: I have never had any problems with Chrome on Linux.]

Related Articles:

Google shares Chrome browser security principles

How to use Google or Google Chrome to view Wikipedia articles during the SOPA blackout

Google fixes up offline Gmail app for Chrome

Google plugs three ‘high risk’ Chrome browser flaws

Shema Congregation Beth ZDNet! You need to know about Cellrox, an Israeli company that has the cure for your BYOD ills. The company offers a total solution for your Android-based mobile devices that’s live, working and available to you now. They use multiple “personas” to accomplish the secure separation between corporate data and personal data. These personas are actually virtual mobile devices that run simultaneously on your host device. Their solution uses a ThinVisor.

A ThinVisor is a kernel-enabled hypervisor that runs on the host hardware that accommodates these multiple personas.

What does this technology mean for you as the end user?

It means that this technology ensures that your personal Apps and data never mixes with the data contained in the corporate persona. It means that you’ll enjoy the same performance from simultaneously running multiple personas as you do from running a single use device. It also means that the whole process is transparent to you.

What does this technology mean for you as IT support?

It means that you can remotely manage the corporate persona without physically touching the device. And, by manage, that means everything. You can enforce policies, decide what type of access you’ll allow for a persona (Shared, Exclusive, None) and determine persona switching scenarios.

If you’d like to see a live demo of how persona switching works, check out CellRox Jade in Action.

Cellrox Jade in Action

Cellrox also offers a whitepaper that describes the ThinVisor in detail.

I spoke with Cellrox CEO, Omer Eiferman, yesterday and he also told me that they are going to release a consumer persona product, now known as Amber, sometime probably next year. He didn’t have a price available yet for the Amber product. What Amber will allow you to do is to create a virtual device (persona) on your current device that can be used for guests, other members of your family or for privacy.

As I’ve said in other posts, these types of hypervisors are what will keep BYOD security concerns at bay. In the video, you can see how easily you can switch from one persona to the other. Your personal persona is totally owned by you with no restrictions and the corporate one receives its security information from the Cellrox mobile device management (MDM) software.

You can operate the Cellrox MDM from your own internal server or via a cloud-hosted service. The MDM enables IT administrators to provision, manage, update, audit and control the corporate persona on their employees’ devices.

As I’ve written many times before, this hypervisor technology is the best way to handle the BYOD dilemma. Actually, it removes the dilemma and only leaves the question of, “When will you convert to a bring your own device model?”.

After you check out the video demo and the whitepaper, talk back and tell me what you think of Cellrox’s solution.

"I swear I was working."

It’s a rare day indeed, when I find a press release worth commenting on, much less printing in its near entirety but this one speaks volumes and needs no further commentary from me, except to say, “I told you so.” So, here it is, a press release from Cisco. My impressions at the end.

Today, Cisco released a survey about tablets and mobile devices in the enterprise. Did you know that 48 percent of companies would never authorize employees to bring their own devices (BYOD) to work, yet 57 percent agreed that some employees use personal devices without consent? Yeah, we were surprised too. These are just a couple of the unexpected stats from Cisco’s just released global survey discussing IT manager’s perceptions about mobile devices in the workplace. The results from 1,500 IT managers and executives spanning six countries assess their attitudes, fears and hopes for mobile devices, including tablets, within the enterprise.

Here are some additional fun facts that may make you rethink the perceptions you have of mobile devices within businesses:

• Globally, IT departments report employees place one tablet request for every three smartphone requests today
• Spain is the most excited about tablet growth, with 90 percent of IT managers believing the tablet will become more popular in the next two years
• A “huge problem” of the BYOD phenomena for IT personnel is that handling BYOD issues divert IT attention from other important projects (44 percent globally)
• 75 percent of U.S. IT managers said new rules must be established around security and device usage

Cisco commissioned Redshift Research to survey 1500 IT managers and executives in the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany and Spain to assess attitudes, fears and hopes for tablet form-factor mobile devices (”tablets”) in the workplace. Still a nascent market, 2012 is seen as a year in which enterprise-grade tablet computing will undergo significant change.

Redshift polled IT managers and executives in a wide variety of global companies of all sectors and sizes.  All respondents are either primary IT decision makers or play a key role in the decision process for all IT products. Sole proprietors were excluded from the study. Field work was conducted in late 2011.

Key findings include:

Tablet Demand

• Tablets vs. smartphones: which win? Globally, IT departments report employees place one tablet request for every three smartphone requests today.
• Which countries lead? Of the countries surveyed, theUS and France are tied for tops—each report a tablet is requested by 21% of the workforce. Senior executives are most likely to be issued a tablet in the US (38%) and least likely to be issued one in the UK (27 percent)
• Who’s most excited? Spain tops the list, with 90% of IT managers believing the tablet will become more popular in the next two years.
• “Uber-connected sales guys”. Tablets are significantly more prevalent among salespeople in Germany (31%) than in all other countries (21% on average).

Fears And Wants

• Tops in security concerns? The U.S., the country with the most experience managing tablets, also ranks #1 on the “security issue”: 75% of US IT managers said new rules must be established around   security and device usage.
• What about app access? Nearly half (48%) of all IT managers surveyed agree that access to company applications should be restricted for all employees. Canada and UK were the top countries in wanting to see restricted access on tablet form-factor devices (55% and 56 %, respectively).
• Custom apps? IT managers universally agree that custom tablet applications would benefit their business.
• Top “want list” features? Globally, three-quarters of IT managers indicated email and document sharing are “must haves”. About half agreed or strongly agreed that these are desirable: video conferencing, IM, access to company databases and seamless synchronization with other business devices.

“BYOD”

• Turning a blind eye to BYOD. Globally, 48% said their company would never authorize employees to bring their own devices (BYOD), yet 57% agreed that some employees use personal devices without consent.
• 51% of the respondents reported the number of employees bringing their own devices to work is on the rise.
• Using personal devices without consent was highest in the US (64%) and lowest in Germany (49%).
• Access to company servers was highlighted as a “huge problem” of the “bring your own device” to work phenomena as was lost/stolen devices (64% globally).
• Globally, 44% say that handling BYOD issues diverts IT attention from other important projects.

Tom Puorro, director of product management, IPCBU, Cisco Systems

“Mobile workers and virtual workspaces are here to stay—but so are the demands on IT to continue to ensure enterprise-grade security, manageability and interoperability.  2012 promises to be an exciting year and IT leaders are a critical component in unleashing innovation and enabling organizations to take advantage of the next wave of business growth and opportunity. Cisco is keenly focused on helping its customers navigate the post-PC era and transform their business.”

The statistics paint an interesting picture of the current state of flux that businesses are in with BYOD. BYOD is disruptive, it’s irreverent, it’s scary and it’s happening. The best course of action is to deal with the trend intelligently and by meeting it head-on. Hiding in the shadows or ignoring it won’t help but could lead to some costly problems regarding security.

I’ve never been the type of person who thinks that it’s OK to raise the speed limit because everyone speeds but this BYOD phenomenon makes sense. And, I’m not suggesting that you blindly accept the premise of BYOD without doing some research. Every company is different and so is every set of users. Consumerization isn’t going away; it’s coming on strong and you’d better learn to manage it now.

What do you think the statistics are telling us about BYOD? Talk back and let me know.

"ARMING DISRUPTORS"

The other day, I had the pleasure of speaking with Greg Kostello, President and CEO of givit.com, a private video sharing service (think YouTube, only secure) and our discussion diverted from givit to Apple. We talked about Apple in the Enterprise and how it seems that BYOD could usher in a whole new age of corporate technology. We talked about how reluctant IT personnel are to embrace BYOD until a CXO walks into the IT cubicle farm with an iPad that he wants to connect to the corporate network. Then everything changes. Greg suggested that if Apple really wanted to take over the Enterprise, all they would have to do is to hand out iPhones or iPads to C-level executives at a place like CES.

“What a great idea,” I said with excitement and thoughts of stealing it as my own. I reluctantly admitted to Greg that I would give him credit for it and I do so now, begrudgingly.

But, I won’t argue over who thought of what or who said this or that. The point is a good one. Apple could disrupt and takeover the Enterprise by handing out free iPhones, iPods and iPads to CXOs.

Why would that work, you ask? Simple. With certain technology shifts, you convert from the bottom and others you convert from the top. If BYOD isn’t working by converting a company’s user base, then you’ll have to convert the leadership.

Company leaders get things done.

For example, if your company has a no BYOD policy, that means that no one can bring in their own device to use on the network. No personal laptops. No personal phones. No personal tablets. However, when a C-level executive wants to use her personal tablet on the network, you’ll configure it for her without question. Quoting company policy to someone who probably wrote the company policy is not a good idea–career-wise, but you handle it like you think you should. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

You, wisely, help her connect her tablet to the network and walk away.

A few days later, another executive or manager comes to you for the same purpose. Pretty soon, company policy has changed and now BYOD is standard fare.

But, wait. How did you know how to connect the original executive’s tablet to the network? Oh, that’s right, I forgot, those of us in IT are really immune from silly company policy. We can do whatever we want because, well, we can. We tell everyone else, “No,” but take liberties for ourselves. That’s just the way it works. Just like the, “No Facebook,” “No Twitter,” and “No personal email” rules that we ignore. That just doesn’t apply to us.

Now, instead of saying, “No,” to such requests, you have to do it for everyone or publish an Intranet How-To for anyone who wants to bring their own device.

If Apple were to hand out iGadgets at a conference, you’d see the BYOD shift taking place at a very high pace. It’s going to happen anyway but might require two to three years to have the same reach as a “giveaway” episode that I’m describing.

So, what will happen if Apple does indeed disrupt the Enterprise with its technology? My crystal ball says that Apple products will become the ultimate remote clients.

Ultimate remote clients?

Yes, ultimate remote clients.

BYOD will usher in another Enterprise shift: The shift toward a data-centered Enterprise. No longer will companies have to worry about desktop hardware. Your company will provide services, such as remote/virtual desktops, storage, client Apps where appropriate and access. It will be up to you how you connect in to do your work. That’s a tremendous burden off of company shoulders.

The company’s burden is to provide you with a pathway in and services with which to work. The only difference in then and now is that you’ll own the computer. For the most part, no changes will have to be made to your device.

Done correctly, the scenario is very simple.

You’ll use your device to connect to a secure VPN. Apple devices come standard with a Cisco VPN client under Settings, VPN. You can configure your VPN to prompt you for a connection password. Then you’ll connect to a virtual desktop using an App. For example, using an RDP or Citrix Receiver App. No passwords are stored on the device. Active Directory controls your logon credentials and your access to resources, just as if you were on the corporate network.

Once your device connects to the VPN, you have access to resources via Apps or through your virtual desktop computer. Problem solved. No corporate data ever stays on the local device. No virus or malware transmission is possible. No saved passwords. No device lockdown. No hindrances to the user device or the corporate network. Everything works as it always has.

The company IT department will manage user access through an AD-integrated management (MDM) program. Sure, you’ll still have Windows virtual desktops and Windows servers but the traditional Windows desktop is about to die a quick and timely death. Everything in the data center. Everything managed from the data center.

I think that over the next couple of years, Apple products will disrupt the “desktop” and push Windows out of the way as the ultimate remote client. Windows has had a good run for the past 20+ years on the desktop but that time is about to come to a halt in favor of a more user-oriented, user-owned magic device: The ultimate remote client.

To speed things up, Apple could give away its hardware to company decision-makers.

And, that, my friends, is how Apple could disrupt the Enterprise.

See Also:

Wintel: beginning of the end or end of the beginning?

OnLive Desktop app now available from iTunes App store

Appleization and the Apple-centered Appleprise

Apple’s iOS cited as the most popular mobile OS for enterprise