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I grew up as the kid who watched Star Trek: The Next Generation and Saturday morning Avengers cartoons.  It’s no surprise that I have always been fascinated by technology and what the future holds.  I can’t even imagine telling my 6-year-old self that one day we will have a full-sized version of that radio-controlled car he got for his birthday last year.  It’s crazy when you think back on the stuff you grew up with and compare them with today’s technology.

 

I thought I’d take the opposite approach in this blog.  Instead of looking to the past, I thought I’d compare the future to what we have today.  I took a few future ideas/concepts that I’ve come across in the IT industry as buzzwords and tried to find something like that in today’s technology.

 

Future Concept:  Self-repairing cars

 

Today’s thoughts:

 

With self-driving cars being the inevitable conclusion, cars will be soon be able to detect when something is wrong and drive itself to the shop to fix itself.  You can extrapolate this to anything.  Maybe your car needs new windshield wipers.  Well, instead of going to your auto parts store yourself, your car will recognize when they are failing and take care of the problem by itself.

 

As someone who just had to spend $700 at a dealership because a rabbit decided my car’s wires looked tasty, I can’t wait for this to happen!  However, if we look beyond just cars, this technology is available today.  HPE recently acquired a storage company called Nimble.  If you’re not familiar with Nimble, they’re the only storage company that I know of that claims to be a software company.

 

If you take a peak under the hood (car pun intended), Nimble’s secret sauce, and the reason HPE purchased them, is a software call InfoSight.  It eliminates the need for Nimble, and soon to be HPE, to have tier 1 and 2 support calls.  Let’s say there was an issue.  Nimble would explore the issue, fix that one instance, and then mass update all other instances of that same scenario across their whole customer base.  Much like my car driving to the shop overnight to fix a problem, without even knowing, Nimble customers are getting fixes.  We’re not quite to self-repairing cars, but this technology could be a foundation for that in the future.

 

Future Concept: AI (Artificial Intelligence) Based Security

 

Today’s thoughts:

 

Of all the “Future Ideas” I came across, I think this one is closer to becoming a reality than most.  What I mean by the future idea of AI based security is truly removing the human element from security altogether.  The technology isn’t far off, if not already here today.

 

Aruba’s UEBA (User and Entity Behavior Analytic) product called Introspect constantly monitors and reacts to any issues within a network.  It looks for anomalies from “normal” use and can send out an alert and even act on its own.  A great example for Introspect is if it detects malicious activity from an employee device, it can automatically quarantine it in real time to protect the rest of the organization.  This may not seem too new, but this applies for all entities within an organization.  A few of the well-known cyber security breaches over the past decade have come from devices already inside of the company firewall, like a thermostat or printer.  If a thermostat starts looking at financial documents, Introspect would flag that as an anomaly and shut it down.  A regular firewall or end point security tool would miss that.

 

I think we’re still a few years out from Skynet (or Ultron for the comic book nerds) being brought online, but the Missile Defense Agency is already working with/testing AI based systems for training.  Tools like Introspect are a great way for people to build trust in AI.  Gradually, it will be responsible for more and more of the everyday things we take for granted.

 

Future Concept: A keyless, cashless, ID-less world

 

Today’s Thoughts:

 

Imagine a world where you don’t need to carry a wallet or keys.  With more and more of the things we interact with everyday becoming connected to the internet, it’s not a far leap to say that one day we won’t need to carry things like ID’s or even cash.

 

In the world we live in today, how annoying is it that I still have to take out and show my Costco card every time I walk in?  Imagine just walking in without having to do that. The store already knows who I am and how I intend to pay.  I just shop like normal and walk out.

 

There’s a big creepy factor with this.  With any new technology, society has to acclimate to the change.  Imagine if I told my 6-year-old self that we would all be walking around with devices that know our locations at all time.  Super weird, right?  Today, we don’t even think about that.

 

 

If you’ve read this far, you can probably tell that I love talking about this stuff.  If you’d like to learn more about any of the vendors or products I mentioned (Nimble, Infosight, Aruba, Introspect), please reach out to me.  If you think I’m way off on this and completely wrong, please reach out to me as well. I’d be happy to debate you!  Thanks for your time.

 

The team has worked their backsides off trying to win a new account. The signature comes back, and the Purchase Order arrives soon after. Time to exceed customer expectations. A kickoff call is scheduled and introductions are made. Post kickoff call, project details are sent back to the client for approval, and we’re off and running. The first month of the account leads to fine-tuning specifics, establishing a main point of contact and on-time deliverables. A call cadence is established and the account is in good shape. Fast forward six months later. The deliverables are still timely and error-free, but the call cadence has fallen off the Hillary Step of Everest.

 

Email communication becomes the norm and sometimes even text messages. It’s assumed (you know what that means) everything is going along just fine. However, it’s uncovered that an element of the deliverable hasn’t been used or isn’t functioning properly. The issue escalates to Executive Management on both sides and then the firestorm begins. The account went from a strong candidate for renewal to being in jeopardy of falling into the abyss of non-renewable accounts.

 

Has this ever happened to you? Ok, maybe not as dramatic, but I think we have all been there. This happened to me, and it was a refreshing slap of reality across my face. We get busy with daily operations, tactical thinking and oh yeah; there’s that thing called LIFE which can be challenging at times. Complacency sets in and the theory of “No news is good news,” becomes commonplace. Complacency is not a good trait to have in the workplace (or anywhere for that matter).

 

Problem Solve

 

It’s time to problem-solve. Don’t waste time pointing fingers; it is what it is. The immediate action item is to establish verbal communication over the phone or if budget allows, a physical visit. Nobody picks up their phone nowadays, but you must pick up the phone, dial the number and leave a voicemail. It works! I have seen myself do it! Now, the next step is to follow up with an email which regurgitates what you said in the voicemail. It’s documented this way. However, you’re far from done on problem resolution. Persistence is essential, and the phone call regiment continues until you get your contact on the phone and actually talking. It’s equally important to have a team in place who are aware of the issue. Call them too! There’s a good chance the issue will need the assistance of a few others based on their core competencies. The team will also be ready to troubleshoot and answer any questions which requires a skill where you might have to go back to school, take out another student loan and take multiple classes just to become a novice. Another important element to the firestorm is to have a scribe in place so pertinent information can be captured for the team to refer to if need be. Again, more documentation. Finally, be ready to have solutions / options to present, but also be ready to listen.

 

Chances are, you’ll hear a lot of frustration on the other line and rightfully so. Admit you will take full ownership of the issue and come prepared with a set of solutions /options in place. It’s also important to assure this type of disconnect will not take place again, and communicate to your client there have been steps to ensure it doesn’t. Be sure to implement several quality checks and tests after the issue has been resolved. Then you can report back (AND CALL) to your client you’re on top of the matter. This shows loyalty to the client and a concern for the success of the client as well as the success of your organization.

 

Finally, call the client frequently (in addition to the regularly scheduled calls) to make sure everything is working for them. If there is something else which would provide value to your existing products / services for your client, this would be the time to pull the rabbit out of the hat.

 

So, at the end of the day, imagine what might have happened if a phone call was made instead of unanswered emails or texts. Remember exactly how you felt when the issue was escalated to Executive Management. Remember your clients’ success or lack of if you don’t stay in constant communication. It’s time to turn back the technological clock and stop counting on electronic messaging to communicate important information. Even if there’s nothing going on, there’s no harm to pick up the phone and say ‘Hi.’

 

Electronic messaging is integral. Now, picking up the phone is perceived as a necessary evil. Let’s change that to electronic messaging is the necessary evil and talking is personable. So pick up the phone, but please don’t let it be a rotary phone.

In the past few years, we have seen some significant advancements in wireless technology.  Starting with 802.11ac Wave 1, we saw about double the theoretical max data rate (from 600Mbps to 1.3Gbps) from the previous standard 802.11N. Thanks to the addition of 80MHz channels and 3 spatial streams.  The next generation, 802.11ac Wave 2, increased those numbers even further by adding 160MHz channel support and Multi-User MIMO.

 

The advancements in these AC technologies were much needed in the industry, but I wouldn’t necessarily call them “game changers”.  The increase in  channel frequency was achieved by bonding more channels, meaning that the extremely dense real-world deployments could not effectively take advantage of the technology due to channel overlap.  Even MU-MIMO was an advancement of a technology that had been around for over a decade – single user MIMO.

 

The next generation of WiFi promises to be that “game changer” technology the wireless world has been waiting on.  This blog will focus on the total redesign that went into 802.11ax, and the benefits that this technology will soon be bringing to mobile networks hopefully by early 2019.

 

Benefits

 

802.11ax is designed specifically for high-density public environments, such as libraries, stadiums, conference centers, airports, etc.  But it also will be beneficial in Internet of Things (IoT) deployments, in heavy-usage homes, in apartment buildings and in offices that use high bandwidth applications like videoconferencing.  Perhaps the most exciting feature of 802.11ax is that it was designed for cellular data offloading, allowing cellular networks to offload data to a compatible wireless network in cases where poor cellular connection is present.  Note – I’m a little biased on this feature since my house only gets “2 bars” of cell reception on a good day.

 

The ReDesign

 

802.11ax touts a theoretical maximum bandwidth of 14Gbps, delivering single streams at speeds up to 3.5Gbps.  Thanks to the new multiplexing technology that was adapted from the world of LTE (cellular), a single AP can deliver 4 of these 3.5Gbps streams to equal that theoretical max bandwidth number of 14Gbps.  Thanks to a higher order of QAM modulation, which allows more data to be transmitted per packet, 802.11ax delivers nearly 40% more real throughput when compared to 802.11ac technology.  The total number of available channels will also increase in 802.11ax.  There has been talks of the FCC opening up more of the radio spectrum, however this is not how 802.11ax achieves a higher number of channels.  Instead, 802.11ax creates broader channels and splits them into narrower sub-channels.  This will drastically increase spectrum utilization and decrease interference on the wireless network.

 

802.11ax also made some significant improvements to the Multi User MIMO technology.  With AC Wave 2 AP’s arecapable of transmitting 4 concurrent down-streams of data.   802.11ax allows for 8 simultaneous streams, and makes use of a technology called explicit beamforming to better aim the streams at the receiving client radios.  This will provide better reception, range, and throughput while minimizing interference on the network.  Even more importantly, 802.11ax piggybacks on MU-MIMO with an LTE cellular base station technology called Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA). This allows each MU-MIMO stream to be split in four additional streams, boosting the effective bandwidth per user by four times.  From a user perspective, the network will seem much less congested than with 802.11ac.

 

The final big improvement in 802.11ax comes from the device side, rather than the network.  As wireless technology improves client battery life typically also improves due to data being transmitted faster and further, meaning the client device does not need to work as hard.  802.11ax has built on this trend by introducing a feature called “time scheduling”.  This enables Aps to tell clients when to go to sleep and provides a schedule of when to “wake” to receive the next transmission.  These are very short periods of time, but make a huge difference in the overall battery life of a device as the wireless card is no longer “always on”.

 

In conclusion, 802.11ax aims to increase network efficiency, range, speed, and reception while minimizing the issues that haunt us today in dense environments: inefficient spectrum utilization and interference.  Consumer grade 802.11ax routers have already begun shipping, starting with Asus who shipped their router on August 30, 2017.  Enterprise access points are expected to begin shipping around mid 2018.  As with 802.11ac wave 2 the major bottleneck looks like it will again be client devices.  To take full advantage of the technology client devices need to be equipped with AX capable wireless cards, giving them access to the 8 MU-MIMO spatial streams.  However, I expect client device adoption to be much swifter with this standard because of the significant battery life improvements (which is a big selling point for phones).  Only time will tell, but the good news is that 802.11ax is backwards compatible with both 802.11ac and 802.11n devices.

“John, you’re a Timex watch in a digital age” snidely quips Thomas Gabriel, the brilliant, but maniacal, cyber-villain of Live Free or Die Hard, the fourth (and some would argue best) entry in the Die Hard film series.

 

The “John” in question is, of course, none other than protagonist John McClane, the old-fashioned NYC Police Detective who becomes the reluctant hero in all five Die Hard films. In this particular installment, sophisticated hackers launch a targeted attack on the United States’ infrastructure, gaining control of all government controlled computers, and essentially hold the country for ransom. Can an aging cop with old school tactics hold his own against these advanced and intelligent cyber-terrorists?

 

Well, first of all…of course he can. We ARE talking about a Bruce Willis movie here (and he always wins, right? Maybe not in The Sixth Sense…but I’ll save that for another blog). By this point in the series, John has already saved dozens of hostages, taken on countless henchmen, and happily exclaimed “yippe-ki-yay” all along the way. His encounters thus far, however, have strictly been with semi-traditional adversaries using semi-traditional means of operation. How then, you might ask, is a fifty-something cop who’s known for being “the wrong guy, in the wrong place, at the wrong time” going to keep pace with such a formidable, high-tech group of foes? By rolling with the punches! Duh! Though he definitely takes matters into his own hands and deals with the situation “the John McClane way”, he does so while also gaining a different perspective, aligning with the proper allies, and obtaining the needed resources that do not come to him naturally (in this case, seeking out help from a couple of virtuous hackers, Matt Farrell and ‘The Warlock’, who are willing to use their talents to aid his cause). Later in the film, after narrowly surviving an onslaught of lethal henchmen, John retorts to Thomas Gabriel, “I know I’m not as smart as you guys at all this computer stuff. But, hey… I’m still alive, ain’t I?”

 

Although it may seem superfluous, the character arc that I have just laid out brings up an interesting point. Change. We see it in almost every aspect of our lives. Our neighborhoods, our bodies, the media, the stock market, our friends…you name it! The IT industry is no different. From the massive big-data servers of yesteryear to virtualization and advancements in cloud computing…infrastructure and disruptive technologies are constantly evolving and improving. It is how we adapt and move forward with this change that is important. Here at Zunesis, we strive to be the support system that helps customers implement and transition into this change.

 

This is where the Die Hard analogy comes into play. Bruce Willis’ character from the film series is relatable, simply because he is often a victim of circumstance and forced to react when these seemingly insurmountable situations arise. His old-school style is appealing but it cannot be maintained forever. This becomes evident in Live Free or Die Hard when the villains John McClane is pitted against use tactics that are completely alien to him. Does he completely transform overnight? No. But he does reassess his environment and adapt accordingly. The same can be said of IT. The industry, technology, and processes are constantly changing and it is imperative that the customer base have the means to follow suit.

 

Zunesis has all the tools to make this happen. We partner with the top technology organizations and our Solution Architects have an average 20+ years of experience. Whether it is hyperconvergence, cloud migrations, hybrid IT, infrastructure refresh, health checks, assessments…you name it! Zunesis is here to help. Nothing must change overnight. A complete 180 is not necessitated. Just a gradual discovery of the exciting new things on the IT horizon. We are here to help! In this scenario, Zunesis is “The Warlock” (watch the movie and you will understand) and you, the customer, are John McClane. That’s right, YOU get to be John McClane! You’re the hero and we are the humble sidekick that helps you accomplish your goals! We are here for all your infrastructure solutions. Just let us know how we can help!

 

In closing, there are many ways to evaluate your IT environment and ascertain the best ways to prepare for the future. Cost efficiency, security, consolidation, streamlining, and many others can all be addressed. Remember…you’re John McClane! And Zunesis is here to aid you in your quest. Yippe-ki-yay!

“John, you’re a Timex watch in a digital age” snidely quips Thomas Gabriel, the brilliant, but maniacal, cyber-villain of Live Free or Die Hard, the fourth (and some would argue best) entry in the Die Hard film series.
 
The “John” in question is, of course, none other than protagonist John McClane, the old-fashioned NYC Police Detective who becomes the reluctant hero in all five Die Hard films. In this particular installment, sophisticated hackers launch a targeted attack on the United States’ infrastructure, gaining control of all government controlled computers, and essentially hold the country for ransom. Can an aging cop with old school tactics hold his own against these advanced and intelligent cyber-terrorists?
 
Well, first of all…of course he can. We ARE talking about a Bruce Willis movie here (and he always wins, right? Maybe not in The Sixth Sense…but I’ll save that for another blog). By this point in the series, John has already saved dozens of hostages, taken on countless henchmen, and happily exclaimed “yippe-ki-yay” all along the way. His encounters thus far, however, have strictly been with semi-traditional adversaries using semi-traditional means of operation. How then, you might ask, is a fifty-something cop who’s known for being “the wrong guy, in the wrong place, at the wrong time” going to keep pace with such a formidable, high-tech group of foes? By rolling with the punches! Duh! Though he definitely takes matters into his own hands and deals with the situation “the John McClane way”, he does so while also gaining a different perspective, aligning with the proper allies, and obtaining the needed resources that do not come to him naturally (in this case, seeking out help from a couple of virtuous hackers, Matt Farrell and ‘The Warlock’, who are willing to use their talents to aid his cause). Later in the film, after narrowly surviving an onslaught of lethal henchmen, John retorts to Thomas Gabriel, “I know I’m not as smart as you guys at all this computer stuff. But, hey… I’m still alive, ain’t I?”
 
Although it may seem superfluous, the character arc that I have just laid out brings up an interesting point. Change. We see it in almost every aspect of our lives. Our neighborhoods, our bodies, the media, the stock market, our friends…you name it! The IT industry is no different. From the massive big-data servers of yesteryear to virtualization and advancements in cloud computing…infrastructure and disruptive technologies are constantly evolving and improving. It is how we adapt and move forward with this change that is important. Here at Zunesis, we strive to be the support system that helps customers implement and transition into this change.
 
This is where the Die Hard analogy comes into play. Bruce Willis’ character from the film series is relatable, simply because he is often a victim of circumstance and forced to react when these seemingly insurmountable situations arise. His old-school style is appealing but it cannot be maintained forever. This becomes evident in Live Free or Die Hard when the villains John McClane is pitted against use tactics that are completely alien to him. Does he completely transform overnight? No. But he does reassess his environment and adapt accordingly. The same can be said of IT. The industry, technology, and processes are constantly changing and it is imperative that the customer base have the means to follow suit.
 
Zunesis has all the tools to make this happen. We partner with the top technology organizations and our Solution Architects have an average 20+ years of experience. Whether it is hyperconvergence, cloud migrations, hybrid IT, infrastructure refresh, health checks, assessments…you name it! Zunesis is here to help. Nothing must change overnight. A complete 180 is not necessitated. Just a gradual discovery of the exciting new things on the IT horizon. We are here to help! In this scenario, Zunesis is “The Warlock” (watch the movie and you will understand) and you, the customer, are John McClane. That’s right, YOU get to be John McClane! You’re the hero and we are the humble sidekick that helps you accomplish your goals! We are here for all your infrastructure solutions. Just let us know how we can help!
 
In closing, there are many ways to evaluate your IT environment and ascertain the best ways to prepare for the future. Cost efficiency, security, consolidation, streamlining, and many others can all be addressed. Remember…you’re John McClane! And Zunesis is here to aid you in your quest. Yippe-ki-yay!

The term “Intelligent Edge” is used in many ways, but perhaps the best way to think of it is as a place. The edge is where the action is. It’s a manufacturing floor, a building, a campus, a city, your house, a telecommunications outpost, a sports arena, or in other words, where the “things” are in the Internet of Things (IoT).  IoT data originates remotely, often from equipment at the edge, enabling immediate access to the data and affecting immediate control of “things”

 

The edge is “intelligent” because now there’s technology in these places that’s smart, connected, computational, and controlling.  Crucially, the Intelligent Edge provides analytics capabilities that were formerly confined to on-premises or cloud data centers.

 

The media and telecom industries face growing distribution pressures from increased video resolution, new formats, expanding bandwidth, and the need for better security and reliability. As a result, telecom service providers are placing sophisticated compute and control systems in businesses and homes. These distributed intelligent edges make the services more competitive and improve customer experiences.

 

Seven Reasons To Compute at the Edge

 

Edge computing can yield immediate insights from edge data at relatively low cost. Edge compute can be improved by shifting enterprise-class compute, storage, and management from the data center out to the edge. Organizations can leverage compute at the edge to:

 

1. Minimize Latency: There are many applications that require immediate insight and control. For some mission-critical functions, compute must take place at the edge because any latency is intolerable.
2. Reduce Bandwidth: Sending big data back and forth from things to the cloud, can consume enormous bandwidth. Edge computing is the easiest solution to this problem.
3. Lower Cost: Even if bandwidth is available, it can be costly. Efficiency is an important element of any corporate IoT strategy.
4. Reduce Threats: When you transfer data across the campus, state, country or ocean, it is simply more prone to attacks and breaches. Processing data at the edge can reduce security vulnerabilities.
5. Avoid duplication: If all the data is collected and sent to the cloud, there will likely be some equipment duplication in memory, storage, networking equipment and software. If this duplication is not needed, then the associated increases in capital and operating expenditures are unwarranted.
6. Improve reliability: Even without any nefarious activity from hackers, data can be corrupted on its own. Retries, drops and missed connections will plague edge-to-data-center communications.
7. Maintain Compliance: Laws and corporate policies govern the remote transfer of data.

 

 

HPE Edgeline at the Intelligent Edge

 

The key to HPE’s IoT strategy is edge computing, combining OT and IT into one appliance. In June of 2016, HPE announced the EdgeLine 1000 and EdgeLine 4000 series of devices that allow more processing power to be deployed into the field near these connected devices that generate data.  Both devices accommodate the same M510 or M710x ProLiant cartridges used in HPE’s signature Moonshot Chassis, with room for one cartridge on the Edgeline 1000 appliance and four cartridges on the EL4000.  Both appliances have integrated wireless networking on the system.

 

 

 

 

In Las Vegas, Zunesis recently showcased AI-based image and video analytics applications that run on the Edgeline Devices (in tandem with the customers VMS platform).   The features and use cases are far reaching – just a few key features we showcased:

 

• Immediate identification of key image elements, such as people or an abandoned bag.
• Processing video nearer the point of capture, the camera, eliminating the need to transfer large amounts of video data into the datacenter or cloud, thus reducing bandwidth costs, accelerating reaction time and lowering risk of corruption or espionage.
• Engagement geometry for smart video surveillance that can direct camera viewpoints and aggregate video data of a particular location
• Long videos can be compressed into minutes by superimposing all moving elements over the same unchanging background. The technology is ideal for identifying popular items or routes.

 

Also exciting is HPE’s new Global IoT Innovation Lab – Asia Pacific (APAC), located at HPE’s APAC headquarters in Singapore, one of four globally that offers immersive Edge Experience Zones to demonstrate practical IoT use cases for industries such as oil & gas, manufacturing, engineering, healthcare, retail, smart cities and more.

 

For more details, check out this great article on the new Lab – http://www.techtradeasia.info/2018/02/hpe-opens-singapore-based-global-iot.html.

System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) provides a unified management console with an automated set of administrative tools to deploy software, monitor health, and enforce compliance across all devices in an organization. With Configuration Manager, IT technicians proactively manage the entire lifecycle of all Windows-powered devices. This includes deploying and maintaining systems and software, responding to security threats, distributing settings, and analyzing inventory data.

 

Capabilities

 

Application Delivery

 

Configuration Manager takes a user-centric approach to application delivery that allows administrators to create one application that can be delivered to all of a user’s devices. It evaluates device and network capabilities and optimizes delivery.

 

Check for running executable files before installing an application. If an executable is running the user must close the running executable file (or it can be closed automatically for deployments with a purpose of required) before the deployment type can be installed.

 

Beginning in version 1702, for available deployments of task sequences, you can choose to use pre-cache content. Pre-cache content gives you the option to allow the client to only download the applicable content as soon as it receives the deployment. Therefore, when the user clicks Install in Software Center, the content is ready and the installation starts quickly because the content is on the local hard drive.

 

Device Management

 

Integration with Microsoft Intune provides a single administrative console for managing policies and comprehensive asset and compliance reporting across PCs as well as mobile devices, including Windows, iOS, and Android. With new on-premises mobile device management (MDM) capabilities, Windows 10 devices can now be also managed via MDM.

 

Endpoint Protection

 

Configuration Manager serves as the infrastructure for System Center Endpoint Protection. It delivers a single solution for malware protection, identification, and remediation of vulnerabilities, while giving visibility into non-compliant systems.

 

Compliance and Settings Management

 

You can create a baseline for “desired configuration state” and ensure that all devices comply through auto remediation or alerts.

 

Software Update Management

 

Configuration Manager simplifies the complex task of delivering and managing updates to IT systems across the enterprise. IT administrators can deliver updates of Microsoft products, third-party applications, hardware drivers, and system BIOS to a variety of devices, including desktops, laptops, servers, and mobile devices.

 

Operating System Deployment

 

Configuration Manager distributes operating systems to physical desktops and eliminates the inefficiencies and errors associated with manually installing applications. With Windows 10, Configuration Manager can also manage in-place upgrades which significantly reduce the time and complexity of deploying Windows.

 

Inventory

 

Configuration Manager can inventory hardware and software in your organization to help give you a view into what resources you have. With Configuration Manager, you can enable custom hardware inventory more easily and extend the inventory schema.

 

Reporting

 

Reporting in Configuration Manager helps you gather, organize, and present information about users, hardware and software inventory, software updates, applications, site status, and other Configuration Manager operations in your organization.

 

Asset Intelligence

 

Administrators can have continuous visibility into hardware and software assets and usage. Asset Intelligence translates inventory data into information, providing rich reports that help administrators with software purchasing decisions, upgrade plans, and license reporting.

 

Power Management

 

Get more out of your energy-saving hardware with a comprehensive set of centralized client power management tools. Configuration Manager works with the capabilities built into your Windows operating system to help you optimize power settings at a granular level.

 

Windows 10 Management

 

Configuration Manager is designed to keep pace with Windows 10 updates to provide support for new Windows features as they become available. When Configuration Manager is integrated with Microsoft Intune, you can choose between multiple deployment and management options of Windows 10 that work best for your business.

 

In-Console Updates

 

Updates and servicing node in the Configuration Manager console provides more frequent and easier-to-apply updates for new features, cumulative updates.

 

Data Warehouse Service Point

 

Use the Data Warehouse service point to store and report on long-term historical data for your Configuration Manager deployment.

The data warehouse supports up to 2 TB of data, with timestamps for change tracking. Storage of data is accomplished by automated synchronizations from the Configuration Manager site database to the data warehouse database. This information is then accessible from your Reporting Services point.

 

Reporting

 

Reporting in System Center Configuration Manager provides a set of tools and resources that help you use the advanced reporting capabilities of SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) and the rich authoring experience that Reporting Services Report Builder provides. Reporting helps you gather, organize, and present information about users, hardware and software inventory, software updates, applications, site status, and other Configuration Manager operations in your organization. Reporting provides you with a number of predefined reports that you can use without changes, or that you can modify to meet your requirements, and you can create custom reports. Use the following sections to help you manage reporting in Configuration Manager.

 

Configuration Manager uses SQL Server Reporting Services as its reporting solution. Integration with Reporting Services provides the following advantages:

• Uses an industry standard reporting system to query the Configuration Manager database.
• Displays reports by using the Configuration Manager Report Viewer or by using Report Manager, which is a web-based connection to the report.
• Provides high performance, availability, and scalability.
• Provides subscriptions to reports that users can subscribe to; for example, a manager could subscribe to automatically receive an emailed report each day that details the status of a software update rollout.
• Exports reports that users can select in a variety of popular formats.

 

If you are utilizing SCCM today, but aren’t completely satisfied with how it is functioning, Zunesis can help with an SCCM Health Check. With this Health Check, we are going to focus on your Server Site and Component health, the health of the client system and the Configuration Manager client itself. We want to make sure the client system is properly configured to install the Configuration Manager client, to get policies, run inventory, and install software and patches. Your current environment will be documented and recommendations will be made to make sure your SCCM environment is delivering the results you intended it to deliver.

 

If you have ever read something that I have written in this space, you most likely can guess that I love movies. I would not say I am a movie “buff” or a true “aficionado”, as I don’t actually get to watch as many as I would like. Instead, I am constantly intrigued by the strange, small, or mundane things about the movie industry that end up either making a huge difference in the movies we watch or even affecting our culture in general.

 

As some of you may know (at least all those not currently on assignment in Antarctica), the movie industry just had its biggest night. The Academy Awards were broadcast across the globe to many avid movie fans, award show viewing parties, and the average casual watcher. The Academy Awards and the people they employ work tirelessly on getting everything in this presentation just right. They want the best lighting and camera angles to highlight some of the most aesthetically pleasing and talented performers on the planet, as well as showcasing the fashion statements they make. They work tirelessly to choreograph everything, so they can perform flawlessly, on a night that is celebrating the many flawless performers in their industry. Year in and year out this awards show is put on with rarely even a small hiccup.

 

Every year that is, except last year.

 

You may know what I am talking about.  Last year during the night’s penultimate crescendo, the presenters that were announcing the biggest award in all of moviedom…were given the wrong envelope.  Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, the presenters for this award, declared that the movie La La Land won the award for best picture. As the creative team behind La La Land took the stage to accept their award and congratulations were spread around, a producer named Jordan Horowitz was pulled aside by the stage manager Gary Natoli. They both looked at the envelope that Mr. Horowitz was holding. The envelope read that actress Emma Stone won an award for her part in La La Land, not that the movie won the award for best picture. From all accounts Mr. Horowitz was devastated, but went on to do something that was truly remarkable. He took the microphone and the correct envelope and stood up in front of all his peers and roughly about 33 million people and openly admitted there had been a mistake. He then corrected the mistake and announced the real winner of the Best Picture award, the movie Moonlight.

 

This, of course, caused major waves across all of the entertainment world, social media lost it collective mind, and journalists from around the country took to writing the best and most unique spin on it. Of course, the fallout was swift and severe for some (the two people responsible for the mistake were removed from their positions). After all the dust had settled, and the collective world had moved on to the next big thing, I was still captivated by it. It was not about the mistake, or the fact that it happened. It was not even about the backlash and sensationalism of the “scandal” (even though, again, it was just a mistake). In the end, I could not get over how a person at the very top of his profession, who had worked his whole life to finally achieve this goal and to be awarded with the highest honor in his profession, still had the guts and the moral fortitude to stand forward, admit there was a mistake and correct it. Even though it was not his mistake and he had every out to just walk away from it all.  Hollywood and its culture is constantly and continually debated as to its moral fiber and the mark it has on the general populous, yet out of this hotly debated sector, a person took action to do what is right no matter what the consequences were.

 

What Would I do?

 

I have always tried to do what is right in both my personal and my business life. Business ethics is an important part of Zunesis, it is one of the reasons I work and have worked here for so long. It is also important for the vendors we partner with and sell. We do whatever is necessary to treat our customers morally and ethically. That being said, Mr Horowitz’s example, caused me to pause and self-evaluate. Could I do what he what he did? Stand up in front of so many and correct a wrong? After a lot of soul searching, the conclusion is since I have not been in that position, I can’t truly answer that. The answer I can give myself is to strive for improvement each and every day. To focus on doing what is right every time, no matter how hard it hurts, or how much I don’t want to. Not only work to improve myself but to also encourage those around me. No matter how well we have done this in the past, we can always do better. The customers we work with deserve this, our co-workers deserve this, our families deserves this. As you may know, the world of sales can be very cut throat. Doing what is right may lose us a deal, or even a customer. However, I would rather do what is right and lose, then what is wrong and win. I realize this is somewhat personal for a blog post from a technology company, but I felt compelled to share this and to provide a glimpse into the psyche that is Zunesis and its employees. I, in no way, want to say that Zunesis or myself is different or “better” than our peers. Instead I want to highlight what is important to us, as I hope it is important to those reading this. Thank you for reading!

 

When I was just starting out in my career, I was lucky enough to attend a leadership and teamwork conference.  I have used the information I learned from that conference over the years and it is still valuable to business today.  Many of the articles and books I have read since this initial conference has done nothing except validate these 3 ideas. I know there are many other ideas, but these work for me.

 

1. You don’t have to be the boss to be a leader.

 

First, let me say there are many very good managers that are not leaders in most companies. You don’t have to be a manager to be a leader and you don’t have to be leader to be a manager.  A good manager has the ability to direct and develop people, execute against the corporate vision, and establish and execute against a process.  These people are very valuable and are needed in every organization.

 

A good leader is a person that people want to follow, they are honest and have a high level of integrity.  This is important to get people to buy into strategy and the journey.  These people have a vision, and a path to get there.  They inspire others and make sure everyone knows their importance to achieve the vision.  As a result, they must have great communication skills.  These are the people that lead by example, that people gravitate towards.

 

2. Soar with a team of Eagles.

 

What does it mean to be an Eagle? The Eagle represents honesty, truth, majesty, strength, courage, wisdom, power and freedom.  Every organization has a group of people, I call Eagles. These are the top producers, the people that seem to fly higher.  So, if an entire team can achieve this level, you can achieve far more together than as individuals.

 

“A Team – even a team of eagles – is a very special and fragile thing. A team is like a family. It’s held together with honesty, trust and respect.  Never lose sight of what made your team great in the first place.” –Mike Singletary. 

 

There are basically five steps to becoming a team of eagles.

 

1. Agree on a common Goal. To be effective, everyone on the team needs to be pulling in the same direction, toward the same goal, with the same level of urgency.
2. Know the abilities of each team member. Take advantage of each members strengths. Put people in a position to achieve success.
3. Communicate effectively. For any team to be successful, it takes open and honest communications.  Every team member must understand the vision and where they are in the process.  For this to work, they must respect the other team members.
4. Sharpen individual skills. Even though you are a member of a team, everyone should be looking at how to better themselves.  Sharpen your skills, turn your weaknesses into strengths.
5. Execute consistently. To execute consistently with excellence is a discipline and can be difficult to do.  But for a team to excel, this must be a conscious decision of the team.  Target deadlines and expectations must be consistently met or exceeded.

 

3. Attitude and Behavior are linked.

 

Attitudes can have a positive or negative affect on a person’s behavior.  If you bring a negative attitude to work or to your team, it can negatively affect your behavior.  Conversely, if you bring a positive attitude, it can have a positive impact.  A single person can change the behavior of an entire team.

 

Organizations and teams where people respect and trust each other are more productive and have less turnover than organizations that do not have the respect and trust.  Managers and leaders with positive attitudes view problems as an opportunity for success and growth.  Managers and leaders with negative attitudes view problems and a reason for failure.

 

At Zunesis, we have a program called CustomerFirst.  This program is about setting high expectations with our customers, then exceeding those expectations. To achieve this, we must pull together as a team, have the right attitude and do the right things.

The server is down. A computer has a virus in the office. You have ten deadlines to hit to meet your boss’ expectations. Just to name a few. Many IT professionals feel like they are on edge at all times and cannot find a moment to unplug even when on vacation. Lifestyle diseases are more common among IT professionals than any other field. Overeating, sleep deficit, alcohol use and more are just a few health care issues that are prevalent in the IT industry.

 

Job Stress can lead to burnout and turnover, costing IT organizations countless dollars in replacement costs, and making methods for measuring and minimizing stress a business benefit.

 

A recent survey done by Careercast, lists these as the top 10 most stressful jobs in Tech:

 

1. CIO’s – Often have to be available at all times and motivating their team is on the top of their priority list.
2. IT Procurement Specialists– Tight schedules and working around client’s needs often result in high levels of stress.
3. IT Managers and Directors– 24% of most IT Managers/Directors work more than 50+ hours a week. They do not work a typical 9 – 5  job when maintenance updates and migrations often occur after hours or on the weekends.
4. Operation Specialists– Work on tight deadlines and need to troubleshoot problems at all hours. Any mistakes they make can impact a whole company’s access to data.
5. Software Engineers– Demand for this job is in high demand and is expected to grow by 17% by 2024. A lack of talent in this position adds more pressure for these jobs.
6. Application/Software Developers– Around one-third of developers surveyed reported they do not have sufficient time to do quality work. Over a quarter couldn’t plan tasks because of time limitations.
7. Database Manager– Tight deadlines, multi-tasking, constant pressure are just a few of the demands of this job.
8. Web Developer– Job growth for this position is 27% by 2024. Skyrocket demand adds to the pressure.
9. Network Administrator– Demand is on the rise as businesses invest in better systems. Need to often be available 24/7, multi-task and be an effective communicator with all staff.
10. IT Security Specialists– This position often has to make decisions on the spot and frequently variables around them are things that they cannot control.

 

 

Reasons for Stress

 

Security and Email Specialist GFI, put together an infographic to show their results from a survey they did on the stress IT professionals experience.

 

 

 

How To Reduce Stress?

 

For most IT professionals, they truly enjoy their job and what they do. What can one do to alleviate some of the stress from their jobs. Here are a few suggestions from a neurobiologist and other professionals in the field.

 

1. Just Breathe – It may seem simple enough but it does work when you concentrate on changing your breath. Deep breathing exercises, meditation and more can help induce a state of calm in your life.
2. Take a Break – A majority of us spend our workday in front of a computer and most likely are dehydrated. Set a timer on your phone to take five minutes of every hour to get up and walk around, get a drink of water, etc.
3. Set Your Priorities: Daily, make a list of the top three things that you want to accomplish that day. Prioritize your responsibilities by importance, size or deadline. Break larger tasks into smaller ones that are easier to accomplish. Cross things off your list at the end of the day to give you a sense of accomplishment.
4. Delegate and use Time Efficiently: Distribute tasks amongst your team based on strengths. Determine when meetings are necessary and consider whether or not all parties are needed to be at a meeting.
5. Make Time for Sleep: Remember when you used to take naps as a kid? Well, your body still needs it. Make sure you get in your z’s. Don’t sacrifice much needed sleep.
6. Use Your Senses: In most offices, there is constant outside noise and distractions. Try to switch off the outside noise by using headphones, shutting your door or whatever works best for you. Is there a certain smell that puts you at ease? It’s been proven by studies that familiar smells can put a person at ease when they are experiencing high levels of stress.
7. Minimize your screen time: This is probably the hardest thing for an IT Pro to do. Avoiding the thing that reminds you of work will hopefully allow you to relax and unwind. Anything that reminds you of work can trigger an emotional reaction of stress. Go for a walk, take up another hobby that does not remind you of work, or whatever that allows you to forget about the pressures from work.
8. Be Grateful: When things get rough, it may be hard to be grateful. Take the time to make a gratitude list  or start your day with a Post-It note of things that make you happy. It’s easy to get caught up on the things that are causing frustrations and pain in our life. A grateful and positive person often has less stress and attracts positivity around them.
9. Use Your Vacation Hours: Americans are terrible at using their vacation time and taking a break from their jobs. In IT, it is hard to disconnect from work while on vacation. Even if its a staycation, take the time for you to not think about work or your responsibilities.
10. Just Say No: If you are off the clock, on a break, at a social event, etc., you have the right to tell some that asks about an IT issue to say no. Set up boundaries in your life when you are off the clock.
11. Invest in You – Spoil yourself and feel  no shame. Take up a new hobby, a new outfit, workout, etc. Find those things that bring you joy. Put you first!

 

Reducing stress is easier said than done. The demand of new technology, rise in cyber attacks and security breaches, and digital transformation are just a few things that will be a part of IT professionals lives for years to come. HR Departments and CEO’s are realizing the demands put upon IT teams and are looking for ways to improve the lives of their employees.

 

Zunesis is here to help your business and IT departments with problems they may have that they cannot solve on their own. Our experienced professionals are here to help alleviate your stress. Contact us today to find out how we can help!