Google Local Business Center Drives More Web and Foot Traffic

Google lets small businesses add their physical location details, to their Google Maps service. This drives more web traffic as well as foot traffic to your place of business. Sign up for Google Local Business Center services.

Java Under Oracle

Scott McNeally, Sun Microsystem's co-founder and former CEO, is dressed in a clean white button down shirt with denim jeans at the close of the opening general session at JavaOne 2009. He calls to the stage Oracle's CEO Larry Ellison, who is in full black business garb including shirt, blazer, and pants. Seeing the two, dressed the way they were, meeting on stage was like the joining of the dark and light forces.

Admittedly, I don't know much of the normal demeanor for these two computer icons. McNeally came across as humble and weak when compared to Ellison, who appeared proud and triumphant. The two exchanged words of how their companies had considered the idea of closer collaboration in the years past, but today, Oracle is in a definitive agreement to purchase Sun Microsystems.

It really seamed that McNeally was giving his final farewell at possibly the final JavaONE. This is probably the final JavaONE by Sun, but probably not the last JavaONE.

Ellison gave the conference attendees reassurance that Java has a significant future within Oracle. Oracle's current technology line up, with the exception of the Oracle database, is 100% Java, and it's future line up is expected to be 100% Java. The acquisition of Sun is just part of Oracle's business to fill out their Java offering. Ellison doesn't expect there to be too much change to Java, just an expanded support from Oracle.

As McNeally left the stage, he received a standing ovation for his accomplishments at Sun Microsystems and for having brought Java such a large international developer base.

Follow here, for more photos from the opening keynote with Sun Microsystems' co-founder and former CEO Scott McNeally and Oracle CEO Larry Ellison. Photos by the Associated Press. Video of the general session included below

OpenSolaris 2009.06 Launched

OpenSolaris 2009.06 launched today at the CommunityOne West conference at the Moscone Center, SF. The open source operating system added new features including an Image Packaging System (IPS), an update to the ZFS file system, and extended its virtualization functions beyond the operating system to include virtual network, and virtual storage. The virutalization features allows developers to recreate live production environments, including network latency, bandwidth, virtual storage, and virtual servers, on their laptop to execute performance testing across the enterprise without actually affecting the live machines.

For more features about Open Solaris, read here.

Join me today at JavaONE.

Power Partners - Microsoft and Sun

I attended the Virtualization Solutions for IT and Business Advantage roadshow event hosted earlier this week by Microsoft and Sun Microsystems. Their San Francisco venue closed their four stop roadshow.

David Hayes, director of the Microsoft Partners Solutions Center in Building 25 of the Microsoft campus, presented some of the benefits of using the new Hyper-V virtualization technology that is included with Microsoft Server 2008 R2. When Hayes inherited the MPSC, it was a monstrous 1500+ machine data center. With an aging fleet of 1500+ machines comes all of its required infrastructure support equipment which includes miles of cabling, stacks of switches, numbers of dead machines, high cooling costs, valuable real estate, and a busy maintenance team. Hayes then transformed this center into a lean operation using only 6 Sun Fire x4450 Servers. That is some amazing statistics. Using Microsoft Server 2008 Hyper-V, each of ther servers could host 75-80 virtual machines (VMs) and peak at up to 300 VMs. Having to physically maintain only 6 servers and their associated network storage devices significantly reduces the data centers cooling costs, releases valuable real estate, and frees up the technical team. In this virtualized server environment, the MPSC can dynamically turn on (virtual) servers as needed. Microsoft partners are invited to work with their clients to use the MPSC to build demos to test out client's virtualized environments before rolling out to live production.

"We faced the same issues as our customers: the need to lower our server footprint substantially, while continuing to scale to support growing demand. And we wanted to support Microsoft's environmental goals for lowering power consumption and reducing our carbon footprint. Teaming with Sun Microsystems provided the answers. "
– David Hayes, Director, Microsoft Partner Solutions Center

Some of the benefits businesses gain from virtualizing include

• Energy Efficiency
• Resource Optimization
• Increase Productivity
• Eliminate Manual Provisioning
• Reduce Server Sprawl
• Reduce Carbon Footprint
• Lower Power Consumption

* * * * *

Following Hayes' presentation, Matt Wolf of Sun Microsystems showed how Sun has teamed up with Microsoft to deliver technologies that work well with each other. One example of paired technology is running Microsoft's Essential Business Server 2008 on a Sun Fire X4150 Server. This makes for a great combination because EBS2008 requires an individual servers to run each of the three components. A fourth server would be required to install the optional Microsoft SQL Server 2008. When EBS2008 is installed on an X4150 running Microsoft Server 2008 R2 with Hyper V, each of the four physical servers could run as a VM. This solution would be more cost effective because fewer physical machines would comsume less power, and occupy less space.

The best value that Sun offers to small and medium business is their try and buy program. Basically, you get to use Sun equipment for free for 60 days. Sun pays the shipping to your location, and the return shipping if the equipment doesn't suit your needs.

Check out Sun Microsystem's other useful links for small and medium business:

• http://www.sun.com/microsoft
• http://www.sun.com/smb
• http://www.sun.com/tryandbuy

How to Do More Business and Make More Money in the Next 30 Days

The Silicon Valley Business Journal invites you to join us for a FREE Lead Generation and Networking Seminar, presented by professional speaker, trainer, and best-selling author, Dave Sherman. Continental Breakfast will be provided.

Networking is one of the most effective ways to grow a successful and profitable business. Unfortunately, most people don't have the tips, tools, or techniques necessary to make the most of business or social functions.

Come network with me and grow your business. Sign up for the Silicon Valley / San Jose Bussiness Journal sponsored event here.

Always Do Your Due Diligence

During this tough economy when IT budgets are restrained, and companies are choosing to all together spend less, what company would not want a little help from an outside consultant that could provide small and mid size businesses with more customers and a greater revenue stream.

I received a cold call from just such consultants, but something in the caller's voice prompted me to be cautious in listening to what he had to offer. He stated that he picked up my card from a mixer not too long ago, and wanted to meet with me to see if his company's services could benefit me.

When caller asked a few more questions to know more about my company size and revenue, he realized that our company did not fit his ideal profile. Fortunately, I did not feel that I missed out on an opportunity. I checked out the company from which he identified himself to be from.

The caller represented International Profit Associates. Because our company was not an ideal candidate for IPA, we ended our conversation. A quick hop over to Google revealed all too much information about this company. Immediately, my initial suspicions are confirmed. I am sure there are some decent consultants within the company, but there is just too much negative sentiment, that I have no desire to connect with them now or in the future.

No matter how good any business proposition sounds, it is always important to perform your own due diligence before committing to a service agreement and writing them a check, especially when companies are always looking out for their own interest, not necessarily yours.

Made For Me

I hadn't seriously worked on my physical fitness for some time now, and it is definitely beginning to show. I had taught physical education at Beacon Christian High School a few years ago, and I had become reasonably fit. My cardiovascular fitness activity of choice was running. My running shoes were retro red leather Nike Cortez. Since I had put a good many miles on these shoes, it was definitely time to retire these babies.

I wanted shoes that were breathable, light, practical, but had flair. I went to the Nike Factory store in Milpitas, CA, where I found a pair of Nike Free Dynamic Trainers in metallic silver, red, and white. Function, with enough splash, is what I like.

I came home to check online to see if the shoe that I had bought was available in black. While searching, I stumbled upon the NikeID website, where a collection of Nike shoes can be completely customized to your desire. You can create a shoe that is uniquely your own, whether you like classy, or completely off the wall. Create your own shoe at NikeID. Once you get on the site, you can choose the shoe model, choose each of the shoe component colors, and even add your name! The custom build of the shoe costs more than the regular models that Nike produces, and it takes up to 4 weeks for your creation to arrive. Who wouldn't pay a little extra for something so personal?

Having a truly personal experience is the ultimate goal of what people are looking for, and technology is helping to deliver that experience. NikeID is able to deliver a custom shoe made to order. Burger King delivers a personal taste experience as promised by their motto, "Have it your way." Having your vehicle reflect your exacting requirements, Toyota delivers "Build your Toyota," where you can choose colors, trim, and accessories.

In order for these companies to deliver these customized products, the materials needed to produce the end product must be available "just in time" for manufacturing. In the case of the Nike shoe, each component stock must be taken from inventory or cut from raw materials and delivered to the right places on the assembly line. If one of these components is not delivered "just in time," the assembly line could potentially be interrupted.

An extension of the consumer buying personalized products, advertisers are finding that personalized market messages delivered at just the right time can gain the appropriate eyeball stickiness. If the wrong message is delivered (or at the wrong time), an ad would go unnoticed or relegated as irrelevant. Check out the Google AdSense ads on this page. Are they somewhat related to anything I have on this page? Tumri has figured out how to package a customized marketing ad based on a variety of factors including online behavioral, page context, physical geography, demographics, and more.

Here are some other companies that deliver customized products or solutions

• CafePress - Custom t-shirts and accessories.
  
• Dell - Personalized laptops, workstations, and servers.
• Select Comfort - Personalized mattress firmness and support.
  
• StickerJunkie - Make your own stickers.
• Yola - Build your own website.
  

What would you like to see be made more personal?