Hectic Eclectic

Welcome, this is a blog about all things Seric.  The content is focussed on IT, in particular on Infrastructure & support.  Of course life doesn't end there so neither does the blog. Enjoy.

To Case Study or not to Case Study

Yours truly has been investigating and I just can't think of a reason not to complete a case study if

A) Everything has gone swimmingly for a client

B) Enough time has elapsed to prove (A) is indeed the case

C) Nothing being implemented is of a particularly sensitive nature

We've done quite a few but it amazes me how (certainly initially) few people are keen to do Case Studies with business partners and/or vendors. This position I've always found surprising as it is a great was to showcase the fact everyone did a good job --  client end user/ IT within client / business partner / vendor  --- and why would any of us want to shy away from that?

Oh - and this made me smile.

Good news...

 

Can't say anything to anyone yet - but was told I've won something this week, not to say and not my usual either.  Here's hoping it all goes swimmingly...

Microsoft Licensing... Government scraps £80m deal with NHS

Just picked this out on over ComputerWeekly.com

Wow - If that isn't a sore enough one for everyone involved in it...  read down to see MS still able to recoup £50m from unlicensed software proliferation, and that is before they have been upset by an early contract cancellation.

Those EA true-ups don't half cost.

Project Liberate anyone?

TED TALK - David Byrne: How architecture helped music evolve

Really enjoyed this recently...  good old Ted.com

Seric to Sponsor Edinburgh International Film Festival

Over at Seric Towers we are all rather excited by the fact that we are to be a technology sponsor for Edinburgh International Film Festival.  As a long time film fan I'm personally delighted and looking forward to doing a good job working with all the other partners and sponsors engaged to make the event go with a bang.

Glasweigan Bird gets burned over the VERY HOT weekend

  Made me smile after the sites of Glasgow's South Side Festival of the weekend.

Like browsing? Thought you were annonymous?... Think again.

Really interesting article by Robert McMillan on just how private your private online sessions happen to be.  Well actually if you are paraniod it isn't perhaps even as bad as you might have thought but it isn't good.  Without stealing Robert's thunder it would be fair to say that on average it is 94% bad (i.e., they can ID your browser - through some combo of browser, fonts, time zones, plug-ins etc... ) which would mean there is room for improvement...

I certainly would start applying some randomness to all those variables if I were some naughty Serbian or other sort about to embark on the cyber-naughtiness (I'm alluding to fraud rather than filth here).  Move, counter, counter to the counter and so the game goes on: Cops and robbers... cops and robbers!

Anyway - check out Robert's article here. 

Been having a look at some of the Tivoli appliances...

...and they look not bad.  Not seen the commerical propositions yet so they may be pricey... some of the Tivoli stuff just is - in my opion.

Anyway - check this out - we are waiting on a trial unit and commercials here at Seric Towers...  Will report back once the demo has been ... well ... done!

IBM could reduce its workforce by 299,000 in seven years

IBM has told Personnel Today that it could reduce its workforce from 399,000 today to 100,000 in 2017.2017 is the planned completion date of the completion of its its HR transformation programme.Tim Ringo, head of IBM Human Capital Management, told Personnel Today IBM would re-hire the workers as contractors for specific projects and when necessary use crowdsourcing. He said it was only being considered at present."There would be no buildings costs, no pensions  and no healthcare costs, making huge savings," he said.Sounds like what in India is known as "The Bench."

via www.computerweekly.com

SWMBO gets published in Emergency Medicine Journal...

My clever missus just got published - much excitement in our house.

Readability of information leaflets given to attenders at hospital with a head injury

In case you are wondering why this matters to me... why not get a little insight by reading my favourite Woody Allen Short. Anyone quoting the title at SWMBO and referencing me will be shot.

And in case you are wondering why this matter more generally... head injuries are serious, people die yall!