This document provides insights from IT managers regarding critical technology trends that will influence enterprise spending in the upcoming year, emphasizing security, business intelligence, and data center transformations as top priorities. It highlights a trend towards leveraging existing IT infrastructure for cost savings rather than investing in new systems, stemming from economic pressures. Additionally, the document encourages proactive responsibility among IT professionals as they prepare for higher management roles by understanding both technology and business processes.

1. FEBRUARY / RS. 150
VOLUME 01 / ISSUE 02
SECURITY: Is your
enterprise ready for
27 GREEN IT: Can you
cut the power cost
30 STRATEGY: How do
you define IT project
52 THE BIG Q
How to ensure adequate
mobile devices? in the data centre? requirements? bandwidth? Page 55
YOU
VOTED!
IT MANAGERS IDENTIFY
TEN HOT
TECHNOLOGIES
A 9.9 Media Publication

2. EDITORIAL
Driving business
value
To be the last to produce a technology
trend list is a difficult decision to make.
But, at IT Next we consciously choose to do “IT managers are
this, to avoid bombarding you with another me-too looking at technologies
prediction for the year. Instead, we decided to conduct a reality-check that can provide
of the “commonly announced predictions” by asking your peers— the IT
managers—to vote and rank the technologies that will matter during the year. clear, measurable
The parameters were simple—ability of the technologies to leverage cost savings”
existing IT infrastructure of an enterprise, its level of maturity, utility, and S H U B H E N D U PA R T H
the cost of implementation. But the outcomes were startling.
Several of the technologies that ranked high on low implementation cost,
faltered on either the ability to leverage the existing infrastructure or the
maturity and utility front.
The real surprises in the pack were the much touted XaaS (everything as
a service), business-grade social networking and green IT. Sure, they made
it to the top list, but scored relatively low on the utility front.
The message is clear: businesses and IT managers are looking at
technologies that can help them squeeze more from the existing infrastructure,
and provide clear, measurable cost savings—both in terms of improved
productivity and efficiency.
The top three in the list, security, BI and BA, and data center transformation,
clearly indicate that enterprise IT spending will continue to be driven by
the business value of technology. It looks like IT managers will adjust their
operational spending levels in direct proportion to corporate revenue, rather
than developing or implementing new systems or going for technology upgrades.
Virtualisation, which scored marginally lower than the top three
technologies in the list, reinforces the fact that the prevailing economic
Blogs To Watch!
scenario is compelling IT managers to leverage their existing IT assets to
www.infosysblogs.com/eim/
PHOTO GRAPHY: D R LOHIA
the hilt, helping organisations keep their capex low. www.cringely.com/
The one exception, however, is security. The fact that IT managers have
Your views and opinion matter
rated it high on all parameters points to the fact that it continues to be to us. Send your feedback
a major concern area. But merely protecting devices will not serve any on stories and the magazine
at shubhendu.parth@9dot9.
purpose. It needs to map the real business data. in or SMS us at 567678 (type
Watch out for the pitfalls though. ITNEXT<space>your feedback)
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 1

3. CONTENT
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TECHNOLOGIES
10
THAT MATTER
INDIA’S IT MANAGERS REVIEW,
ANALYSE AND REFLECT ON THE LATEST
TECHNOLOGY TRENDS—AND VOTE ON
THE ONES THAT WILL MAKE THE
CUT THIS YEAR.
Page
16
INSIGHTS BOSS TALK INTERVIEW
27 Defending new boundaries
How to secure your mobile enterprise environment
34 Getting ’em work from home
Telecommuting employees can deliver big gains
38 Moving away from terra firma
While cloud computing offer some great benefits, the transition may
C OV ER DES IGN/ILLUSTRATIO N: ANIL T
not be easy for an enterprise
42 Playing the storage nutritionist
Data tiering, virtualisation and green-orientation are among the vital
nutrients that will help you arrive at the right mix 05 Take more on your plate | 24 “We have an edge over
The much vaunted right time, Google Apps” | Ponani Gopal-
46 Making the right connections right place adage is no longer akrishnan, VP at IBM India Soft-
The right cabling solution must be standards-compliant and appropri- relevant. What really works is ware Lab talks about the benefits
ate for both existing and future application needs all time, all place of LotusLive
2 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

4. ITNEXT.IN
MANAGEMENT
Managing Director: Dr Pramath Raj Sinha
Printer & Publisher: Vikas Gupta
EDITORIAL
Group Editor: R Giridhar
Page PUTTING THE SQUEEZE ON ENERGY
Editor: Shubhendu Parth
Consulting Editor: Pravin Prashant
30
CONSUMPTION | Rationalising power cost at Associate Editor: Shashwat DC
data centers can help build a greener enterprise
Sr Correspondent: Jatinder Singh
OPINION OFF THE SHELF DESIGN
06 Money Wise: Costliest 64 Wipro launches green PC Sr Creative Director: Jayan K Narayanan
not always the best | by Alok | A sneak preview of enterprise Art Director: Binesh Sreedharan
Kumar, CEO, Sears IT & Manage- products, solutions and services Associate Art Director: Anil VK
ment Services Manager Design: Chander Shekhar
Sr Visualisers: Anoop PC, Santosh Kushwaha
59 Tech Talk: Resolving the Sr Designers: Prasanth TR & Anil T
‘Open’ dilemma | by Jaideep
SALES & MARKETING
Billa, Advisor to Chief Architect
VP Sales & Marketing: Naveen Chand Singh
& CEO, Polaris Software Lab
(09971794688)
Brand Manager: Siddhant Raizada (09990388390)
15-MINUTE National Manager-Events & Special Projects:
MANAGER Mahantesh Godi (09880436623)
49 From Fat to fit | How to THE BIG Q National Manager Online: Nitin Walia
manage the IT operating budget 55 What chokes my Inter- (09811772466)
net? | Managing a WiFi network GM South: Vinodh Kaliappan(09740714817)
50 Office Yoga | Asanas for GM North: Pranav Saran(09312685289)
stress relief CUBE CHAT GM West: Sachin N Mhashilkar(09920348755)
60 Aspire to inspire | “A leader Assistant Brand Manager: Arpita Ganguli
52 Healing Achilles’ heel | should not shy away from tak-
Managing project requirements, ing new responsibilities,” says PRODUCTION & LOGISTICS
budget and timelines Ranganathan N N, Joint Man- Sr. GM Operations: Shivshankar M Hiremath
ager, Business IT Solutions at Production Executive: Vilas Mhatre
54 Power Dressing | 5 simple Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Logistics: MP Singh, Mohamed Ansari,
steps to buying the right suit Services Shashi Shekhar Singh
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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 3

5. BOSS TALK | NILESH SANGOI
MANAGING IT
Take more
on your plate
H
ave you noticed something
strange about human nature?
While we acutely aspire for
power and authority, we want
to lay hands on them with mini-
mum accountability and effort. I have often come
across managers aspiring for higher positions,
waiting for what they call the right time to show
their skills and talent, little realising that they
should be doing it all the time.
The idea that one needs to wait for a particular “The much vaunted right time, right
opportunity to display one’s skills is grossly
erroneous. Gone are the days when indulgent
place adage is no longer relevant. What
bosses used to mentor their juniors in the really works is all time, all place”
‘guru-shishya parampara’. With competition
becoming intense and time getting compressed, critical to thoroughly understand fundamental
the current crop of juniors are expected to excel theories and principles before learning through
by the dint of their abilities and commitment if hands-on practical work. This foundation
they really want to be noticed and mentored by helps tremendously.
their seniors for fast-track growth. And even while you do that, do not forget that
So what should an IT manager, who desires in today’s environment a good CIO is one who
to become the CIO some day, do to impress his comprehends technology and business equally
bosses and score over his peers? He should SUGGESTION BOX well. So, take keen interest in the business
proactively take more on his plate. Never evade your organisation is in, the market scenario,
assuming higher responsibilities just because competition, business processes and the ways
they are not part of your job description. But how the business and the end consumer can be served
should you go about it? better with the help of technology.
Typically, a CIO likes subordinates to In some organisations, there is a clear line
whom he can assign a task and forget about drawn between IT and users. It should be ‘we’
it. Therefore, ensure that your boss does not rather than ‘us versus them’. Work very closely
have to continuously remind you about the with other departments to see how you can help
task assigned. Keep communicating to him the them make IT a business enabler.
developments, both good and bad. It talks about the In the end, let me repeat that the much vaunted
Also, remember that when you are escalating Google founders, ‘right time, right place’ adage is no longer relevant.
a problem to your boss, you present a few and describes how What really works is ‘all time, all place’. So never
PHOTO GRAPHY: MEXI XAV IER
possible solutions, and your recommendation. technology has flinch from taking new and higher responsibilities.
This will make decision-making relatively easy changed the way What you take on today without asking, might be
for the boss and earn you higher responsibilities. we live and work yours for the taking tomorrow.
To be able to do that, ensure that you build WRITERS: DAVID A VISE &
MARK MALSEED The author is CTO of Meru Cabs and an open-source enthu-
a very strong foundation of technology know- P UBLISHER: PALGRAVE
siast who believes in being hands-on whenever possible. He
MACMILL AN
how during the initial years of your career. It is P RICE: INR 295.00 has also served as AVP-IT at Star India
4 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

6. INBOX
Brilliant IT magazine! I am
sure it’s going to be read by
every CIO in the country very
soon. Very well laid out, fantastic
design, coverage from logistics to
Cloud… superb advertisements
JANUARY 2010 backed by all market leaders. Way
to go!
IT NEXT THANKS
ITS READERS SHIVA SHANKAR SHIVA
FOR THE WARM Vice-President & Head—IT Infrastruc-
RESPONSE ture & Security (Operations & Engineer-
ing) | Reliance Communications
http://www.
scribd.com/
doc/25549135/IT-
Next-Vol-1-Issue-1
It was a nice feeling to realise
that I am actually reading some-
884 views
IT NEXT VALUES YOUR FEEDBACK thing which has been exclusively
We want to know what you think about the magazine, and how we can make it designed for my community of IT
http://issuu.com/
a better read. Your comments will go a long way in making IT NEXT the pre- itnext/docs/ managers.
it_next_issue_01_
ferred publication for the community. Send your comments, compliments, dec09-jan10
As you have pointed out in
complaints or questions about the magazine to editor@itnext.in. your editorial, the IT managers’
108 views
community often goes unnoticed
in the entire gamut of IT and IT
delivery. Thanks for bringing out
“It was nice to go through the first issue of IT Next, which READ THIS a magazine for us.
ISSUE ONLINE
focuses on the significant contribution made by IT While the first edition is
spot on in the content and
managers in the growth of an organisation. This is the only http://www.itnext.
in/resources/ presentation, I would like to know
magazine that provides IT mangers with ample guidance on magazine more about the best practices
how to become the next generation of CIOs. The magazine does in IT strategy as this will help
growing organisations to rise up
well by focusing on upcoming issues and recent trends in technology
to meet the growth challenges.
both from infrastructure as well as applications side.” But it is definitely a Maybach :).
SUBHASIS NAYAK PRASAD REDDY
Manager (IT) | Bata India Ltd Manager-IT & Administration | Prelude
Systems
The magazine looks good in content and on the gloss scale. The
article on GST is good. Other articles in Insight section are also good. Excellent work! Hope you can
However, the magazine can do with lesser and smaller photographs. keep up the quality.
The cover story is good, but has missed out on the opportunity to high- L C SINGH
light that today’s CIOs also help in the strategy process and are not lim- Founder CEO | Nihilent Technologies
ited to merely executing what someone else determines. This, of course,
requires experience, competence and “industry-specific” perspectives. I read through the magazine
Going ahead the magazine should include a feature on “Musings” or and found it excellent. Despite
“Higher Plane”, “Weekend Byte” or something else which will get the there being other similar sources
CIO talking of other interests or different perspectives than just about of information in the market, IT
IT. An in-depth case study will add value to the readers and will be in Next stands out on many counts—
keeping with your overall look, theme and feel. while the content is surely fabu-
The magazine should also take up unusual issues or topics and get lous, I am impressed with the
to depth and bring a refreshing perspective. It would also help to get a look and feel factor as well. Over-
few international quality bloggers to write and contribute. all, I think it’s a great effort from
I can see that you are structuring to be different. I feel you can work your end and kudos to the entire
ITNEXT<space>
to become the Forbes India of the IT magazine world. Some additions, team!
<your feedback>
some de-emphasis, some emphasis will help. and send it to SANCHIT VIR GOGIA
NAGARAJ BHARGAVA
COO | Synaptris
56 78
76
*Special rates apply
Senior Analyst-IT Services |
Springboard Research
6 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

7. MONEY WISE
OPINION ALOK KUMAR
CEO, Sears IT & Management Services
job”. Consequently, the quality of
manufacturing, has undergone a sea
change. Similarly, IT is so embedded
in almost every organisation that it
Costliest is not has to be everyone’s concern, and not
that of the CIO alone. The day, this
always the best
understanding is embedded in the
mind of all CXOs, they will witness a
sea change in the benefit technology can
bring to their business.
W
Here are a few tips that can help IT
e all have learned managers reap rich benefits even with
the hard way low IT budgets.
that cost cutting Always plan technology for your
and cost reduc- needs, not on the basis of what you
tion need not can afford. One should look for
wait for a recession to strike. However, solutions that fit the budget without
recession has certainly taught all of us compromising needs. For everything
the lesson that high budget necessarily there is a solution. You have to put in
does not convert itself into high busi- extra effort to look around, or strike a
ness benefits. It is only validation and balance where necessary. Don’t forget to
participation from all levels that an review the actual benefits achieved after
organisation can achieve the right bal- the project.
ance between what it spends and the As an IT manager, you should never
benefit from IT investments. ignore the fact that gaps will continue
In the current day corporate scenario, to exist between the plan and the actual
most of the companies do not have expenditure. But the key to success lies
any formal or detailed IT budget. IT
is always considered as an expense,
“Always plan in reviewing and reducing the gaps
in the future. You can achieve that by
despite the fact that without it the technology for your making your IT an internal business.
business cannot operate anymore. I have
mostly seen planning for IT happening
needs, not on the Effective programme management and
control within IT and user departments
on an ad hoc basis, and requirements basis of what you will deliver far more benefits without
reaching the CIO’s desk as if they have
dropped suddenly from the sky. What
can afford” spending anything extra. To do that you
need to have the benchmarks to compare
this means is that the IT department performance. But do not stop there; try
has little room to plan. Most of the time always a gap between the needs and to create your own benchmarks for
and energy goes in managing what is at the capacity. Therefore, it is obvious others to follow.
hand, and very little focus is accorded to that with limited budget, the business In the end, remember that your wants
integrating business and IT, or planning benefits can never reach anywhere close may always not be the needs of the
how business can better leverage ICT. It to the business needs. Unfortunately, organisation. Think, involve others and
is very apparent that organisations that most organisations give low priority to evolve a consensus on requirements. By
have understood the power of IT have IT planning. Technology, now being the doing this and more, you can achieve
benefited immensely from the same. backbone of almost every organisation, the same result or even better ones
Remember the days, when visiting is akin to the nervous system of the by spending less. So the next time,
a hotel for our dinner, our first glance company. Its breakdown will mean you are asked to make an assessment,
used to be on the right hand side of direct loss of business and, therefore, remember the thumb rule, costliest is
PHOTO GRAPHY: MEXI XAV IER
the menu. Our taste buds were guided must be accorded a priority similar not always the best.
by the cost–the lower the better. This to sales, manufacturing or other core
mindset is all pervasive in every walk functions. The author has been a tech leader for more than
of today’s corporate life. When Deming and JM Juran started a decade, and has been associated with com-
panies like Hutchinson and the Reliance Group.
A budget is based on what the their quality campaign in the 1980’s, Currently, he is heading Sears IT & Management
company can afford, and there is the mantra was “Quality is everyone’s Services India
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 7

8. UPDATE
UPDATE
I N D U S T R Y
TRENDS
DEALS
PRODUCTS
SERVICES
PEOPLE
storage and networking gear.
This will help HP prepackage
“machines” for particular
applications.
The two companies are
also looking at eliminating
complexities of IT management
and automate existing manual
processes through the cloud
environment to lower overall
costs. Taking the partnership
further, the two have also
decided to increase their global
investment by 10 times, to
drive new opportunities for
the 32,000 HP and Microsoft
Frontline channel partners.
The companies will also work
towards developing solutions that
can respond to changing business
HP, Microsoft to The joint
solutions
requirements by seamlessly
converging server, storage,
simplify solution
are designed network and application resources
to simplify in a self-managed environment.
technology The deal is expected to impact
TECH ALLIANCE | Understanding the rising complexities of IT environments earlier alliances made by IBM
environment across the globe, tech giants HP and Microsoft have for busi- and Oracle to save enterprise
entered into a partnership to jointly invest US $250 million in devel- nesses of all costs and Cisco, VMware and
oping solutions aimed at simplifying the technology environment sizes EMC on private clouds.
for enterprises. According to Microsoft, the
The partnership will enable the two companies build and integrate integrated portfolio would be
technologies like Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SQL Server complemented by new design,
applications, and Microsoft Hyper-V Server with HP’s hardware, implementation and support
services for the joint solutions.
Both companies will also
work towards modernisation
MOSTILE
B E Advertisement support for mobile applications will generate of application services for large
OR
APP almost 25% of all mobile app store revenues by 2013 Online Transaction Processing
(REVENUE PROJECTIONS IN US $ MILLION) (OLTP) implementations and
Application 30000 business intelligence (BI)
stores to be
25000
29,479 solutions.
a core focus
This integration also
PHOTO GRAPHY: PHOTOS .CO M
area for the 20000
mobile indus- intends to deliver power and
15000
try in 2010 performance optimisation,
10000
while ensuring interoperability
5000 in a heterogeneous data
2009
6,770
2010
2013
0 4,237 center environment, the two
companies claim.
S O URCE: GARTNER, D ECE MBER 2009
8 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

9. SECURE YOUR IDENTITY AUTOMATE YOUR PC BACKUP SPEED UP YOUR CONNECTIVITY
Trend Micro’s 2010 edition of Internet Se- Seagate Replica, the new PC Netgear RangeMax Dual
curity Pro claims to secure backup device, can elimi- Band Wireless-N Gigabit
online identities of users nate manual need for the Router WNDR3700 has been
in an advanced way. The PC backup process and designed to fulfill the high
product is priced at Rs 1,890 can store up-to-date broadband connectivity needs
for a single PC and Rs 2,890 copies of everything at a of enterprises. It is priced at
for a three-PC licence. single click. Rs 9,900.
Google introduces changes without having to
worry about saving it in different
storage on tap
storage devices. Those using
premium versions of Google
Docs can also use their accounts
for remote backup.
The move is not surprising,
TECH TIDINGS | Google docu- considering that Google has been
ment users can now create and trying to push its own cloud-based
share all kinds of online docu- operating system. It is expected
ments. While the company will that Google will try to offer as
still limit users to 500KB for many essential cloud services as
Microsoft Word documents, and possible before it launches the
10MB for PowerPoint presenta- Chrome OS netbooks.
tions and PDFs, the new limit for The company further states
all other files that cannot be con- that the Premier Edition Google
verted into a Google Docs format Apps customer will be able to
is 250MB. seamlessly upload many files
The company has, however, at once and sync them with
put a cap of 1GB on the amount their desktop in real-time using
of space for non-Google Docs The new cloud The new cloud storage third-party applications. With
files that are stored within Docs. storage capa- capability will help enterprise the battle of cloud heating up,
Users can upgrade though, by bility will help users collaborate on various the announcement is expected
buying additional storage for 25 enterprise kinds of large format documents, to stir the soup for many biggies,
cents per GB per year. as also enable them to make including Microsoft.
AROUND THE WORLD QUICK BYTE
Wireless backhaul:
30 lakh base stations by 2012
IDC predicts that the APAC carrier network
equipment market will have 30 lakh base stations
and over 18 lakh cell sites by 2012—a growth of
24.3% and 10.7% respectively from 2008-09. Half CISCO CEO JOHN CHAMBERS ON THE COM-
PANY’S GROWTH FORECAST
of these sites will be connected to fibre through “THE COMPUTER SWITCHING
Carrier Ethernet. Urban 3G/HSPA base stations will COLOSSUS IS CHANGING
FROM THE INTERNET’S
be linked to fibre by 2011 in most markets. The main ‘PLUMBER’ TO A PLATFORM
driver of this transformation is the need for mobile AND PROVIDER OF
operators to provide high bandwidth services with PRODUCTS FOR ONLINE
WORK AND LEISURE”
incremental capex outlays.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 9

10. UPDATE
Global IT spending to
touch $3.4 trillion in 2010
TECH TRENDS | Giving indications that of 9.3%. While Gartner expects the
the global economy may be headed Middle East and African market to
for a recovery, international research grow by 7.7%, it predicts 7% increase in
firm Gartner has predicted that the Asia Pacific IT spending.
world will spend US $3.4 trillion on IT However, the report cautions that
in 2010. The projection exemplifies a the recovery in Western Europe,
significant improvement from 2009, United States and Japan will continue INTERVIEW
when worldwide IT spending regis- to register slower growth. While NEERAJ GILL
tered a negative growth of 4.6%. IT spending in Western Europe is Managing Director – India & SAARC,
Polycom
The report further predicts that all expected to grow by 5.2%, Gartner
major segments, including computing predicts that the US and Japan market
hardware, software, IT services, spending would grow by 2.5% and IT NEXT: How useful are the present-
telecom, and telecom services, will 1.8%, respectively. day conferencing solutions?
grow in 2010. % The report, however,
GILL: Present-day conferencing solutions
According to the research SPENDING points out that it is important
IN ASIA PACIFIC are well equipped to bring in operational
firm, IT spending growth in to understand the impact
7
TO GROW BY efficiency, business continuity, and help
emerging markets—except of exchange rates on the
in reducing travel cost, giving competitive
central and eastern Europe, markets as well. The growth,
advantage for swift business decisions.
%
and some of the Gulf states— it says, is largely attributed
will lead the way, with Latin to a projected decline in How are you addressing the needs of
America registering the the value of the US dollar IT managers?
Source: Gartner
highest spending growth compared to 2009.
At Polycom, we value the contribution of
IT managers and continue to develop a
variety of resources that are useful for
Oracle completes
them. While we support our users by
providing adequate training, our technical
support team is equipped to help them
Sun takeover design the right tele-presence and video
conferencing solution.
M&A | Oracle has announced that So, what is your recommendation
it has completed the takeover of for a IT manager planning to imple-
Sun Microsystems. The US $7.4 ment a high definition conferencing
billion deal was pending approval solution?
for the last nine months. While
An IT manager should always consider
the US Department of Justice
factors like target users and existing
approved the acquisition last year,
conferencing environment while planning
the European Commission gave
for a high definition conferencing solution.
its go ahead only last month.
One should also consider what types of
The acquisition will enable
content would be shared—spreadsheets,
Oracle to add servers, storage,
PHOTO GRAPHY: JAYAN K NARAYANAN
detailed schematics, and whether the
SPARC processors, Solaris The company is long-term strategic
proposed solution is interoperable and
operating system, Java, and the eying to lever- customer advantages.
future-proof and uses industry standards.
MySQL database to its portfolio age two key Sun With the completion of
Most importantly, IT managers should
of database, middleware, and software assets— the acquisition, Oracle will
take measures to ensure that today’s
business applications. Java and Solaris now be able to fully utilise
investment should be of value tomorrow.
The company is eying to for longterm stra- the potential of its solution
leverage two key Sun software tegic customer by adding the high-end
assets—Java and Solaris, for advantages features of Solaris. By Jatinder Singh
10 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

11. UPDATE
Verizon offers full SAP
TECH TIDINGS
HP expands
suite on the cloud security
The service
portfolio
is targeted at Betting big on rising security
medium to threats and growing business com-
large or- plexities, HP has introduced new
ganisations security solutions and services in
looking to use key areas of technology infrastruc-
SAP at a lower ture, consulting and training, for
cost both conventional and managed
business environments.
According to the company, the
new services and solutions will be
part of the HP secure Advantage
portfolio. It will include applica-
tions, business continuity, content,
data integrity, data center, end
points, networks, identity and ac-
cess management, risk manage-
ment, and security operations.
TECH TIDINGS | Taking a step forward to large enterprises that are looking The company claims that each
to realise its cloud ambition, Verizon to adopt cloud-based applications. category of offering is supported
has introduced a new cloud-based SAP The company says that it will offer by many individual services and
service. According to the company, the custom service-level guarantees that capabilities for various types of
service enables enterprises to more extend beyond server and application information security needs. With
effectively deploy and manage essen- availability to include transaction and this announcement, HP aspires to
tial SAP applications such as financial business process metrics. become a single-point source for
analysis and logistics management, While Verizon will provide service addressing diverse security needs
while reducing complexity and con- support using its dedicated help of an enterprise.
trolling costs. desk in India, San Francisco and UK, The new security solution is
The company claims to support customers will also have visibility also expected to help HP improve
the entire SAP portfolio, including into their SAP environment through its Enterprise Services division
software for customer relationship a Web interface. offering. The company has previ-
management, enterprise resource The offering has been certified ously acquired IT outsourcing firm
planning, product lifecycle, supply by SAP, and the platform already Electronic Data System (EDS) for
chain and corporate services. supports 100,000 customers $13.9 billion in 2008, which is now
The service is targeted at medium globally. called HP Enterprise Services.
NEWS @ OPEN ORIGINALLY DESIGNED for pen computing tablets, about ADOBEthat market was
IS GOOD FOR IPAD, SAYS 15 years before CTO
BLOG FLASH WAS
ready to take off | Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch in his blog < http://tinyurl.com/ITNext-Kevin-Lynch-on-iPad>
There has been much hue and cry over the non-inclusion of Flash on the
latest gadget, with Apple CEO Steve Jobs calling Adobe “lazy” and Flash
“too buggy” for its devices. Lynch subtly debunked Apple’s “walled approach”
stating that, “the Web should remain an open environment with consistent
access to content and applications regardless of your viewing device”.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 11

12. COVER STORY | TECH TRENDS
10
TECHNOLOGIES
THAT
MATTER
12 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

13. TECH TRENDS | COVER STORY
The robust performance of the Indian of IT managers evaluate and rank them on
economy over the past few months has rein- four dimensions:.
forced the belief that downturn, at least in 1. Leverage of existing IT assets: With
India, is well and truly behind us. IT bud- increased organisational emphasis on cost
gets that were hurriedly slashed a few quar- control, the ability to reuse and leverage exist-
ters ago are being slowly reinstated. Shelved ing technology and infrastructure is a huge
project plans are being revived, and IT man- plus since it not only helps optimise capital
agers are once again being tasked to iden- expenditure but also reduces the difficulty of
tify and evaluate technologies that can help transitioning to a new paradigm.
their organisations capture and monetise 2. Maturity of technology: Technology
new opportunities, and improve operational maturity often has a direct correlation to ease
efficiencies. of installation, deployment and management.
The beginning of a new year is also the IT managers responsible for ensuring appli-
time when industry experts and vendors cation and infrastructure reliability tend to
INDIA’S IT MANAGERS REVIEW, ANALYSE
AND REFLECT ON THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY
TRENDS—AND VOTE ON THE ONES THAT
WILL MAKE THE CUT THIS YEAR.
BY DEEPAK KUMAR
ILLUSTRATION: ANIL T
identify the latest technology value technology maturity over
trends and make predictions for novelty.
the year. This is also the time when 3. Potential benefits and utility:
IT managers responsible for creating, Evaluating a trend or technology on this param-
maintaining and operating corporate eter helps organisations sift hype from reality.
infrastructure and services recommend Issues like return-on-investment and time-to-
and select the technologies and solutions market are important considerations here.
for their organisations. A big challenge for 4. Cost of implementation: Superior or
IT managers making these decisions is to new technologies often come at a significant
cut through the hype and hyperbole—and cost, or can become expensive to deploy. A dis-
identify the ideas that will matter. crete assessment (of the technology) on cost
The IT Next team identified a range of considerations ensures its relevance.
technologies that have the potential to make We now present the Top 10 Technologies
a mark in 2010—and asked the community that will matter this year.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 13

14. COVER STORY | TECH TRENDS
CONCEPT &
METHODOLOGY SECURITY 2.0
The perennial concern
with security has not
OVERALL SCORE
WHY THIS SURVEY
IT Next asked IT managers to rate reduced 3.41/5
the top technology predictions and
trends for 2010 on a 5-point scale.
THE PARAMETERS
The technologies were evaluated on
a set of four parameters: 3.26
1. Leverage of existing IT
2. Maturity of the given technology
OVERALL SCORE
3.26
3. Potential benefits and utility for
the organisation 2.96/5
4. Low cost of implementation (of
the technology) GREEN IT 2.79 3.64
Controling spiral-
EXPERT EDITORIAL PANEL ing power costs
R Giridhar, Group Editor, 9.9 Media and contributing to 2.87
Dr Neena Pahuja, CIO, MAX Health- CSR go hand-in- 3.26
care Institute hand 3.21
Basant Kr Chaturvedi, Head IT-
Perfetti Van Melle India
Shiva Shankar, Vice President &
2.87
Head - IT Infrastructure & Security -
Operations & Engineering, Reliance
Communications OVERALL SCORE
2.97 2.87 3.56
Shubhendu Parth, Editor, IT Next
Deepak Kumar, ICT/Media Market 3.17/5 2.87
Researcher and Consultant
RESPONDENTS/SAMPLING
IT Next conducted a survey amongst 2.54
41 IT managers in various verti-
cals across the country. While a VIRTUALISATION
majority of respondents were from The focus remains on
3.08
leveraging existing
2.44
Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Chennai and
Bangalore, cities like Hyderabad, IT assets and capex
in control
2.54
Pune, Nasik, Ludhiana, Vadodara
and Bhilai were also represented. 2.87
THE METHODOLOGY
2.79
Each respondent rated the identi-
fied technologies on four selected
OVERALL SCORE 2.44
parameters. The averages of these
scores were then taken to arrive
at the final scores—and the Top 10
2.75/5
Rankings. PRIVATE
We also pulled out a few additional CLOUD
Marrying the
3.03
technologies to include in the Fol-
benefits of a cloud
lowing Five list. The reason to have model to the secu-
this separate list is that while the rity of traditional
benefits of these five technologies set up appeals to XAAS
may not be realised during 2010, many Despite its ad- OVERALL SCORE
2.73/5
these would still be the ones to vantages over
box-based pricing
watch for. Also, for specific indus-
models, interoper-
tries or companies, their relevance ability issues are a
could grow more rapidly over the concern
following months.
14 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

15. TECH TRENDS | COVER STORY
BUSINESS
INTELLIGENCE &
LOW COST OF IMP BUSINESS ANALYTICS
LEME Rapidly changing business
NTA OVERALL SCORE
TI O environment drives the
N 3.27/5 need for greater data savvy
amongst users
LEVERAGE OF EX
ISTI
NG
IT
2.67
U T IL I T Y OVERALL SCORE
3.33
3.23/5
DATA CENTER
MATURIT Y 3.67 2.90 TRANSFORMATION
Ease of management
and greater efficiency
are driving this trend
3.26
3.33
3.69
TOP 10 2.90
TECHNOLOGIES
FOR 2010
SCORED OVERALL SCORE
2.62 2.54 2.62 2.79 2.62/5
1-5
S CA L E
3.03 BUSINESS-GRADE
SOCIAL NETWORKING
3.28 While managers recognise
3.00 the power of the tools,
changing corporate culture
3.03 to use them efficiently will
be a challenge
3.33
2.72
3.00 OVERALL SCORE
3.04/5
ENTERPRISE
MOBILITY
2.67 Convenience and
ubiquitous con-
nectivity drives
greater interest in
the technology
UNIFIED COMMU-
OVERALL SCORE NICATION
3.00/5
The twin benefits—
intra-organisation
coordination and
one-session query
Note: Dus ea vellessunt vel is endis resolution—propel
dolupta ssuntemquist qui sundip- this to the fore
sapis et porioremque nus a inihil id
magnam, atquas
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 15

16. COVER STORY | TECH TRENDS
Security 2.0
Just protecting devices in the network will speedier damage control in
not suffice—the focus of security needs to the aftermath of the crisis.
3.41 be the data Market intelligence teams
OVERALL in enterprises are now
SCORE As 2010 sees uptake of several community-based technology and placing greater emphasis
communication paradigms like UC, TP and Social Media, the on such tools to help their
traditional perimeter security models will need to change and give organisations captivate on
way to a paradigm that is more user-driven and user-propagated. new opportunities as the
Information dissemination and user awareness will play a more economy recovers.
PITFALLS important role, and IT managers will need to pay more attention to While business intelligence
Putting more implementing security policies in a relatively open and dynamic IT focuses on monitoring
emphasis on secu-
rity solutions and
framework. operational information for
somewhat less on Now that the boundaries of enterprise networks are no understanding the gaps and
the security policy longer rigid, with partner and client networks meeting in fuzzy taking corrective measures,
could lead to a
breach of data.
zones, protecting devices in the network is not enough. Even business analytics aims to
protecting the servers and storage devices that contain data will perform a predictive analysis
not suffice—the focus of security has to be on data. of the market and the
IT Next is of the view that it would be meaningful to business.
develop security policies that lay greater emphasis on data and In today’s globalised
information protection, followed by endpoint protection and and highly competitive
network protection. Essentially, it is about having data at the marketplace, BI and BA tools
center of the security policy. can help your organisation
It would be advantageous for IT managers to use the social compete better. Line
media and integrated communication tools to sensitise users managers increasingly rely
about security policies, and develop security champions for on their IT counterparts
addressing security-related concerns in the dynamic enterprise. for improved performance
management.
IT Next urges you to
evaluate and recommend
BI/BA tools that can be
neatly integrated with your
enterprise IT systems, and
Business Intelligence help market intelligence
and marketing teams in
and Analytics your organisation use the
data to formulate smart
While BI can help analyse business information growth strategies.
3.27 better, the value is in performing a predictive
OVERALL
SCORE analysis
PITFALLS
The economic crisis that caught many enterprises and gov- The biggest showstopper could be
the quality and format of underlying
ernments unprepared, also spawned the realisation that data that can mar effectiveness of a
a greater use of BI and BA tools could have facilitated a good BI/BA solution.
SECURITY 2.0
BI & BA
HOW THEY RANK DATA CENTER
VERTULISATION
Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
= Low Cost of Implementation = Level of Maturity = Utility = Leverage of Existing IT
16 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

17. TECH TRENDS | COVER STORY
Data Center Transformation
Virtualisation, server rationalisation, site consolidation, and
energy management are ideal ingredients of a data center
transformation recipe
These include measurable cost hogging servers and chart a phased
savings, improved productivity and plan to replace these by smart form
3.23 efficiency across the organisation. factor servers that are more efficient.
OVERALL
SCORE The ideal ingredients for a data Data centers often operate with
PITFALLS center transformation would include more-than-surplus cooling equipment,
The wide variety of virtualisation, server rationalisation, to fight off ‘hot spots’ that get built
solution perspectives on data cen- site consolidation, and energy up in certain zones due to air-flow
ter transformation carries the real
risk of adopting a solution or archi-
management. deficiencies. Experts have pointed
tecture that may not be the right fit IT Next advises IT managers to out that most data centers suffer from
for your organisation. develop a data center transformation the problem of over-loading and that
roadmap that will distribute the the solution lies in identifying the hot
capital expenditure (capex) over a spots and creating airflow in those
While ‘measured green’ alone would period of years while ensuring return zones. You colud draw measurable
be a good enough reason to initiate a on investments for each year or a benefits by installing energy
data center transformation, there are periodic interval. For example, you monitoring and management software
other equally strong reasons to do it. could identify inefficient and energy in the data center.
Virtualisation could reduce the need for
additional licensed software—
A virtualisation strategy will help you get the best out and reduce the need to virtualise
of your IT infrastructure. Evaluate and perform a mid- applications.
term adjustment, if necessary Overall, the larger your
organisation, the more
Given that the most pronounced goal of virtualisation is to lever- visible would be returns
age existing IT infrastructure and reduce buying, its relevance 3.17on a virtualisation
OVERALL
for you as an IT manager will continue to be very high in the SCORE investment, especially for
PITFALLS
prevailing economic situation. So, stick to your virtualisation large and larger-among-
Security issues
get amplified in a roadmap, and do the necessary adjustments and refinements, the-medium enterprises.
virtualised envi- if you are already working on one. If not, put your virtualisation act However, vendors are also offering
ronment because together, especially if you have a data center to manage. virtualisation solutions for smaller
a large number of
virtual machines In general, server and storage virtualisation will make immediate businesses.
could be exposed. sense because redundancy of these resources is usually high in many ITNext believes that in a
Virtualisation organisations in India. dynamically evolving market
can also cause
management- Adoption of desktop virtualisation and application virtualisation and technology scenario, a two-
related issues, would work on a small scale, at least through 2010. One, because phased approach to virtualisation
due to increased for virtualised desktop environments to be cost competitive, the is the way to go: while need-based
complexities.
implementations need to be fairly large-scale, something that one may part-virtualisation projects
not be inclined to consider, particularly when transitioning through a should be rolled out for quick
recovery phase. benefits, end-to-end, full-blown
Investments in application virtualisation could be worth postponing virtualisation projects may be
while the SaaS paradigm gains momentum. That is because SaaS evaluated from a long-term
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 17

18. COVER STORY | TECH TRENDS
3.04
OVERALL
SCORE
PITFALLS PITFALLS
There is always the risk of UC works in an IP environment with a
user acceptance (of a EM large number of components. Making
solution) being compromised them work seamlessly and reliably
by management issues or could be a big challenge.
security concerns.
Unified
Enterprise Mobility Communication
Enterprise mobility solutions will give The key advantage of UC lies in its ability to resolve
businesses much-needed dynamic flex- a query in a given session. This increases productiv-
ibility in competitive market places ity, and reduces resource and time costs
The scope of enterprise mobility ranges from intra- The commonly accepted costs. This is radically
premise to inter-premise, and from intra-city to key components of a UC 3.00 different from traditional
OVERALL
inter-city connectivity, and seamless access to enter- solution are: e-mail, SCORE communication which
prise applications. As enterprises strive to better instant messaging, IP relies on a single medium,
compete in the marketplace, enterprise mobility is telephony, and pres- say email or telephony,
becoming a key differentiator. ence, with video conferencing and would typically involve
Enterprise mobility is expected to register higher getting added to the suite. multiple sessions spread over
adoption levels across a wide range of verticals in The benefit is the integrated many days, even weeks, to
2010. The fact that laptop shipments will continue to connectivity among different close a query, business deal or
grow at much higher rates than desktops, and smart communication media and customer complaint.
phone shipments are already higher than PC sales, is platforms like texting, voice IT Next recommends UC,
a testimony to the ground being ready for enterprise and video. It allows the user especially because the cost of
mobility. to switch from one medium to implementation is not high,
IT Next believes that enterprise mobility another, literally at the click of and given that UC leverages
solutions will give businesses the much-needed a button. and integrates existing
dynamic flexibility in competitive market places. You can use UC in your communication platforms like
In particular, if you manage IT in businesses organisation for, say, a customer IP, hybrid PBX, e-mail and IM
such as insurance, retail, logistics, transportation, query resolution, within the in the enterprise.
manufacturing and healthcare, adoption of EM span of a given session, to
could bring in substantial business benefits, and increase productivity and
also simplify concerns such as location tracking and reduce resource and time
integrated view of inventory.
ENTERPRISE MOBILITY
UC
HOW THEY RANK GREEN TECHNOLOGIES
PRIVATE CLOUDS
Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
= Low Cost of Implementation = Level of Maturity = Utility = Leverage of Existing IT
18 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

19. TECH TRENDS | COVER STORY
Green Technologies centers, we could be heading to
a serious situation.
Besides addressing the concern of rising en- You as an IT manager have a
ergy costs, the focus on ‘green’ can contrib- pivotal role to play here: you can
ute to CSR and sustainability initiatives use ‘green’ to effectively address the
concern, while also contributing
to your organisation’s CSR and
As an IT manager, you may have been witness to sustainability initiatives.
power and cooling requirements associated with IT ris- A good market development
ing to alarming proportions. You may even be is that the cost of deploying
directly affected if this expense now goes from green IT has come down
the IT budget, as is the case for an increasing
2.96 significantly with IT
OVERALL
PITFALLS number of organisations. SCORE vendors now shipping green
A ‘green rush or overdrive’
A couple of years ago, a report by the IT as a mainstream rather
could lead to IT spending Environmental Protection Agency of the US than in a niche product.
that is disproportionate to estimated that data center energy usage would nearly IT Next is of the view that
savings derived from the
implementation. It could also
double by 2011 over 2006 levels if the then prevailing you are ideally positioned to
lead to higher overall carbon operating practices continued. While there is no similar be a green agent, and bring
footprint due to speedier study for India, the rate at which data center adoption about the change in your
replacement of equipment in
a shortened timeframe.
has grown over the past couple of years leads to the organisation. Make the most of
conclusion that the situation could be much worse. this opportunity to contribute,
If we take into account the fact that power supply and save the environment.
situation in India is not dependable and that gensets
have become a way of second life for most data
Private Clouds economic sense if the vendor is
able to package infrastructure,
Get your vendor to package infrastructure, platforms, and applications
platforms, and applications together for together in a seamless fashion as
greater economic benefit a robust solution. And, contrary
to perceptions, private cloud
offerings in 2010 will be useful
A private cloud is an emulation of the public cloud in a and economically viable even for
controlled enterprise environment. Given the perceived smaller businesses.
advantages of (public) cloud computing, and the secu- IT Next suggests that as
rity and availability concerns surrounding it, a you take calculated steps
private or internal cloud holds the promise of towards private cloud
PITFALLS offering the best of both worlds. 2.75 computing for your
Cloud management tech- A private cloud, however, is not likely to OVERALL organisation, look for
nologies are beginning to SCORE
be as cheap as a public cloud equivalent. Yet, good ‘appliance’ versions
mature, and are expected
to undergo more evolution if offered by your long-standing and trusted of such offerings. These
going forward. Currently, vendor or solution provider, IT Next suggests appliances are likely to be
they may not be able to that you go for it. While virtualisation provides relatively cheaper, have better
accommodate all virtu-
alisation and infrastructure significant improvement in infrastructure utilisation plug-and-play characteristics,
technologies in their current rates, a good cloud management solution can drive and would typically be a fusion
forms. utilisation even more. of proven discrete products, say a
A private cloud offering would make even more platform and an application.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 19

20. COVER STORY | TECH TRENDS
XaaS
Since any thing as a service reduces fueled buyer interest and adoption. However, it
the risk of failure, it is a good bet can be correctly argued that an enterprise-wide
when experimenting with new usage would demand contract pricing to come
software and solutions into play, and perhaps render the cost advantage
of XaaS less obvious.
While software-as-a-service (SaaS) is the better Yet, XaaS will have a clear overall advantage
known and talked about category, but there are over box-based pricing models, despite the leasing
others too—infrastructure-as-a-service, and financing options promoted by box
platform-as-a-service, and so on. All these vendors.
PITFALLS
services are delivered over the cloud. 2.73 IT Next’s opinion is that XaaS
SaaS applications may OVERALL
pose integration and In India, as elsewhere, telecom service SCORE would be a particularly good bet when
interoperability issues providers are emerging as mainstream experimenting with new software and
with existing enterprise
XaaS channels and providers, as part of solutions for non-core functions, as it
applications. There
can be unplanned and their attempt to offset falling average revenue per lowers risks associated with failure. You may
unexpected downtime, user in their regular voice and data service offerings. consider XaaS alternatives for proven solutions
due to reasons beyond
XaaS has largely been marketed as a pay- deployed in the core, only after being convinced
the control of the
enterprise IT team. as-you-use or utility pricing model, which has by success studies and robust proofs of concept.
XAAS
HOW THEY RANK SOCIAL SOFTWARE
Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
= Low Cost of Implementation = Level of Maturity = Utility = Leverage of Existing IT
The Following Five…
…And why they were not part of the Top 10 list
MANAGED SERVICES WAN OPTIMISATION WIRELESS BROADBAND
The importance and relevance of man- IT managers have accorded The potential benefits of a wide-scale 3G/
aged services hasn’t reduced so signifi- very high importance to vari- WiMAX takeoff in India would be huge for en-
cantly as to take it out of the Top 10 list; ous WAN optimisation tools terprises, as they promise to make enterprise
it’s just that more avid and pronounced and technologies. Yet, WAN mobility, unified communication, collabora-
interest in other technologies has optimisation is increasingly tion and others more seamless, meaningful
pushed managed services out of the ten- being demanded as a part and powerful. Judging by the interest levels
squad. Managed services will continue of the overall offering from expressed by IT managers, 3G/WiMAX could
to be as relevant for IT managers as in a managed network service have well featured in the Top 10 list. However,
2009, but more and more as a matter of provider and not as a stan- the spectrum delays will effectively make it a
IT routine. dalone genre. non-starter for most of 2010, and we expect
it to have greater relevance in 2011.
20 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

21. TECH TRENDS | COVER STORY
Enterprise-grade
Social Software
By plugging social media tools into an enterprise application or proc-
ess, organisations can achieve ‘contextual collaboration’
Have you fought against the invasion that will help enterprises compete better
of various social media platforms into the in the marketplace.
PITFALLS enterprise, haunted by security concerns? A salient feature of enterprise social
The biggest pitfall It’s time to realise that the use networking is “collaboration in
would lie in the con- of social media is a cultural-cum- context”. This can be achieved
tradiction that a social
media platform essen-
generational shift in human-to- 2.62 by plugging in social media
human communication. The best OVERALL collaboration features into an
tially suited for a flat SCORE
world has with the hier- way to defend against its perils is enterprise application or process
archal structure still so to enable information sharing
to embrace it, with security filters
typical of enterprises.
built in. That’s what enterprise-grade between users right when the need for
social software is all about! sharing is felt.
Deployment of social media in IT Next suggests that IT managers
the enterprise will earn IT managers spend time in evaluating various
accolades, not just for providing the enterprise-grade social media solutions
communication environment that and looking for success studies. Carry
employees are already used to, but more out the deployment only after you are
importantly for initiating a cultural shift convinced of the benefits.
COLLABORATION SOLID STATE COMPUTING
In the long run, collaboration is po- Solid state computing has indeed seen a
sitioned to be a superset that would highly accelerated uptake and adoption across
encompass other genres like unified various computing platforms. We are of the
communications, enterprise mobility, opinion that solid-state computing could
tele-presence and business-grade social surprise by beating growth expectations and
networking. However, the magic fabric be among the most significant trends to watch
that can seamlessly make this happen for in 2010. However, while the cost of solid-
is only available now. The IT Next panel state storage remains 20-25 times more than
feels that collaboration as a technology that of the rotating hard drive-based storage,
still needs to mature before it can gain wide-scale adoption in India’s cost-conscious
wider acceptance. enterprises will be a non starter.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 21

22. INTERVIEW | PONANI GOPALAKRISHNAN
24 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

23. PONANI GOPALAKRISHNAN | INTERVIEW
“WE HAVE AN
EDGE OVER
GOOGLE APPS”
Ponani Gopalakrishnan, Vice-President for IBM’s India Software
Lab, in a conversation with Shashwat DC, dwells on the benefits
that enterprises can draw from LotusLive offerings, and how they
compare with Google Apps
What are the need to shift to the cloud model ponents such as Gmail, Google
compelling business more urgent. So, the draw is not Docs and Google Sites. LotusLive,
reasons for LotusLive? only lower costs, but also the on the other hand, is designed to
Ponani: If you really look at ability to avoid purchase, deploy- complement the existing collabo-
enterprise computing today, you ment, management of hardware ration infrastructure. It takes
will discover that the primary and software stacks, and also to collaboration to the next level by
requirement of CIOs is a lot more ensure a lower IT administrative making it effortless to work with
flexibility in their infrastruc- headcount. LotusLive is the per- both co-workers as well as exter-
ture as business requirements fect match for all these require- nal stakeholders such as custom-
are changing rapidly. This puts ments. It is a suite of business ers or partners.
a lot of pressure on the CIO as networking and collaboration
the infrastructure needs to be cloud-based services. The inte- Can you explain some of
ready to take loads during an grated services include email, these features in LotusLive?
sudden upsurge or spike in busi- social networking for businesses, Being able to collaborate seam-
ness requirements. According to online meetings, file sharing and lessly is one of the biggest fea-
our estimates, even today, huge instant messaging. tures of LotusLive. A lot of
amounts of IT infrastructure applications have been designed
remain unutilised. According How does LotusLive compare around it. There are plenty of
to one assessment, servers are to other enterprise services tools and applications that an
usually utilised at close to 20% like Google Apps? enterprise can make use of.
to 25%. That is a huge waste of LotusLive has built in a rich set of For instance, we support a web
computing power. This is what features that are designed to han- meeting... so if you have a small
PHOTO GRAPHY: RAHUL KN
compelled people to look at other dle this range of requirements. work group spread around dif-
services and models, and why The reason why Google Apps is ferent cities, then you can bring
cloud computing came to the fore. not the best fit for enterprise users them around to a common
The fact that IT budgets are flat or is because it is not designed to be meeting platform. It integrates
shrinking due to the current eco- one. It is essentially a conglom- audio, video and presentation.
nomic scenario has only made the eration of several popular com- We also have the ability to pull
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 25

24. INTERVIEW | PONANI GOPALAKRISHNAN
together web conferencing.
You can stream lectures to a
large audience live on the web
using LotusLive. Besides that,
thanks to a recent acquisition
(Outblaze), LotusLive provides
enterprise class email with a
high level of security, privacy,
backup and reliability. We also
have a feature that allows the
organisation to host communi-
ties through Lotus Connections.
Then we have a special feature
for those who are transitioning
to the cloud-based environment
called ‘click to cloud’.
You mentioned enterprise
class email. How is that
better than the one offered
by Gmail?
Over the past many years, lot of
sensitive information is being
exchanged over emails, be it
approval for projects, budget
sanctions and strategic blue- “LOTUSLIVE IS DE-
prints. All this information trav-
elling over unencrypted public SIGNED TO COMPLE-
network poses a big risk. What
if tomorrow someone hacks into MENT THE EXISTING
your email account and deletes
your inbox? What happens if
COLLABORATION
your address book is compro-
mised? What happens if a sensi- panies integrate their applica-
INFRASTRUCTURE...
tive document is sent to someone
by mistake?
tions. Sometimes, it happens
that enterprises want to inte-
IT TAKES COLLABO-
The current email services grate their internal systems. So RATION TO THE NEXT
like those offered by Google are they might want to pull some
not designed to cope with such information from their ERP and LEVEL”
issues. They are great tools from be able to populate the same on
a consumer perspective, not from the collaboration platform. We
a business-user perspective. At have the ability to do that. Some platform internally, you have a
IBM, not only do we ensure that of that is already pre-integrated choice of putting in a lot of capi-
our products are robust and into the system, while for spe- tal investment now and doing an
secure, but we also back them cific requirements we work with installation that is going to take
up with strong service. That is the clients. several months. And then you
the edge we have over all Google have to train your users. By the
Apps. What is the pricing model for time the project actually ends, it
the LotusLive service? will be several months. But with
Many enterprises already It is a very compelling price. You Tune in to www. LotusLive, it is instant. So the
itnext.in/podcast
own collaboration tools. How have both group pricing and- to listen Dr Ponani cost is not just in terms of capi-
do they integrate with the individual pricing options, and Gopalakrishnan tal or money, but also in terms of
talk about
LotusLive platform? it compares very well with what LotusLive, time and effort. You do not have
We have a dedicated team of you can get from Google Apps. If evolution of cloud to wait for months for a project to
computing and
professionals that helps com- you do not have a collaboration more be completed.
26 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

25. SECURITY | INSIGHT
DEFENDING
NEW BOUNDARIES
Growing adoption of mobile Barely had Manish Jain, senior IT
manager of a mid-size packaging firm,
enterprise devices is compelling settled down for a late dinner, that he got
IT managers to bring in best a call from his boss, the CIO. Apparently,
the boss, who was travelling abroad, had
security practices at their end misplaced his Blackberry and was sweat-
ing with worry. “Manish, disable the darn
instead of putting the onus on the thing and erase the data immediately.”
end user The instructions were prompt and precise.
Manish punched in a few messages
that carried a secret code and replied to
BY JATIN D E R S I N G H a few automated responses. The CIOs
device was disabled and wiped clean.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 27

26. INSIGHT | SECURITY
The good thing about this incident was Shankarnarayan Dharmarajan, Marketing
that Jain was aware of the remote-wiping Manager, Wireless, Security and Routing
capabilities in the device and was prepared to Technology Group, Cisco India & SAARC.
handle the eventuality. But that is not the case
with hundreds of other IT managers. While Back to basics
mobile enterprise usage has grown manifold, Organisations often fail to lay appropriate
the threats have increased in tandem. emphasis on cannons that are indispens-
Mobile enterprise devices are not just able for IT security of an enterprise. For
portable but also allow users to send and instance, have you given a serious thought
receive updates in real time across branches. to the number of times your employees
However, the device has also brought with it expose company data, deliberately or inad-
a confusing tangle of mobile platforms, with vertently, through their USB and removable
endless number of technology challenges, storage devices? And more importantly, are
revolving around device provisioning, you constantly evaluating which data needs
“FORANYITMANAGER compliance, security, performance to be protected, at which level, and for what
IT IS ESSENTIAL management support, and decommissioning. period? If not, then you too, might end up in
TO DESIGN BEST “It is vital to evaluate the security a predicament similar to Jain’s.
framework for mobile devices as lost or “Designing best business practices to
BUSINESS PRACTICES stolen devices can endanger confidential secure valuable information, irrespective of
TO SECURE VALUABLE data and compliance efforts, causing the location or the device, is a critical job for
INFORMATION terrible pain in the long run,” says any organisation. We constantly attempt to
improve our policies as per the necessity
IRRESPECTIVE OF THE of our operations,” says Prakash Pradhan,
LOCATION OR THE
DEVICE”
— Prakash Pradhan, Head IT,
7 STEPS Head IT at Jagsanpal Pharmaceuticals.
For an IT manager, managing devices,
applications, data and communications
Jagsanpal Pharmaceuticals, India TO SECURE MOBILE proactively is critical to the success of
ENTERPRISE mobile workers. While strong encryption
and inbuilt password protection is critical,
DEVICES the devices should be managed from a
central console, wirelessly, so that repair and
Ensure that the password maintenance can be done without physically
1 protection is attuned to be ‘on’ bringing the devices back for service.
in the mobile devices. In addition, an effective endpoint
protection solution can be very effective.
Install the firewall and update
2 It not only allows analysis of application
“IT IS VITAL it regularly.
behaviour over the network, but also helps
TO EVALUATE 3
Frame policies to restrict unau- administrators restrict usage of high-risk
THE SECURITY thorised access and download-
ing of files.
devices and applications. The infected
endpoint can be repaired by disinfecting
FRAMEWORK FOR Install a mobile management
or quarantining the system. The remedial
MOBILE DEVICES 4 system to keep a regular check
process is then completed by deploying the
AS LOST OR on data security policies for
necessary patch.
Efficient monitoring is another vital
STOLEN DEVICES remote devices.
step towards protecting confidential
CAN ENDANGER 5
Make sure to deploy efficient information. While data must be made
CONFIDENTIAL DATA encryption policies. available to mobile workers, as per the
requirements, adequate steps should
AND COMPLIANCE 6
Guarantee your transmission
safety through enforcement of
be taken to ensure that data is not being
EFFORTS” security/VPN security standards.
smuggled by any outsider. To this end, data
—Shankarnarayan loss prevention (DLP) solutions can be of
Dharmarajan, Marketing Manager, Bring in permanent lockdown/ immense help to IT managers.
Wireless, Seurity and Routing
7 automatic data rub-off feature to “With DLP solution, organisations can be
Technology Group, Cisco India & tackle issues such as device lost sure that customer lists are not copied to USB
SAARC or missing for a certain period. flash drives or other removable media, source
28 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

27. SECURITY | INSIGHT
WIPING THE DEVICE CLEAN
BLACKBERRY
Blackberry phones have this security feature inbuilt. Thus, any Blackberry Enterprise
Server (BES) handset can be erased remotely via the Erase Data and Disable Handheld
IT administration command over the wireless network. IT administrators can also
specify if the handset should revert to factory default settings or retain the IT policy it
had before.
Individual users with BES can install Roblock for Blackberry 2.0, an application that remote-
locks or wipes devices. The tool offers GPS tracking and also helps recover lost contacts.
Users can also install the GadgetTrak app that enables remote wiping through SMS.
APPLE IPHONE
Unil the recent launch of iPhone OS 3.0, remote-wiping meant much trouble. Now
Apple offers a MobileMe service that lets users perform a remote-wipe on a lost or
stolen iPhone. Besides, the application also allows Mac users the ability to push e-mail,
contacts and calendar entries to the iPhone.
“WITH DLP SOLUTION,
ORGANISATIONS
ANDROID PHONE CAN BE SURE THAT
The good thing about Android Phone is that being an open platform it offers a handful
of remote security options. One such application is remote-wipe for Root users. The
CUSTOMER LISTS ARE
other application is SMobile Anti-Theft for Android. NOT COPIED TO USB
FLASH DRIVES OR
SYMBIAN/WINDOWS MOBILE
There are scores of applications that are available for Symbian (Nokia) and Windows
OTHER REMOVABLE
Mobile phone. Kaspersky Lab has a product Windows Mobile and Symbian that will MEDIA”
send SMS with a Google maps location, lock or wipe the phone, and can also send back —Vishal Dhupar, Managing
the new number, if any other SIM is inserted. It also has anti-virus and firewall, as well Director-India & SAARC, Symantec
as tools that can help block SMS spam.
code is not copied or pasted to a new file, changing the pasword or not auto and F-Secure have specific tailored
design documents are not burnt to CDs saving them, which can strengthen or offerings for different levels. While
or DVDs, price lists are not printed out weaken the entire data security plan,” Trend Micro’s Office Scan 10.0 claims
or faxed to competitors and much more,” says N Rangnathan, Project Manager at to defend laptops and smart phones at
elucidates Vishal Dhupar, Managing Mahindra & Mahindra. all levels of network, companies like
Director-India & SAARC, Symantec. Sybase are offering Afaria, a mobile
Automatic kill and permanent Multi-flavoured menu device management and mobile
lockdown are some of the other measures “Security labs see thousands of new security solution from a single console,
that can help IT managers wipe all the malware samples every day and it is providing protection against security
data automatically in case the device simply not possible to create detection threats and compliance issues.
fails to connect with the central console signatures for each of them. So, differ- However, at the end of the day, what
within a stipulated period of time. ent detection and protection techniques matters most is the implementation of
“Also, policies can be put in place like whitelisting and blacklisting are a solution that not only manages and
so that not all data is displayed in all being developed. These techniques des- secures mobile data and devices but
geographies. For example, certain ignate specific programmes as ‘known also provides the best ROI along with
e-mail data could be restricted to good’ or ‘known bad’ and treat them as improved efficiency, customer service
specific locations. Once outside the per behavioural analysis,” says Roger and, ultimately, profitability.
defined area, the data would not get Thompson, Chief Research Officer at So be well advised like Mr Jain was,
transmitted,” suggests Franck Rougier, AVG Technologies. and prepare in advance so you do not
President of Blue Helios, a New York- There are many security solutions end up losing your midnight sleep over
based consulting firm. in the market, claiming to provide a lost device.
“It’s indispensable to get employees highest level of security for mobile
Find similar stories online
trained in the basics of security. There enterprise devices. Vendors such as on the website
are several minor things like regularly Symantec, Trend Micro, AVG, McAfee www.itnext.in/Insight
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 29

28. INSIGHT | DATA CENTRE
PUTTINGTHE
SQUEEZE
ON ENERGY CONSUMPTION
Rationalising power and energy
costs in data centers can help
improve resource allocation and
facilitate the move towards green
enterprises
BY MOHIT CHHABRA
30 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

29. DATA CENTRE | INSIGHT
I
T managers are at the crossroads an associated level of service. For instance,
today with the economic scenario not every type of data needs the same
squeezing them from all sides. On level of protection, replication, disaster
one hand, the number of IT hands- management and recovery services. Hence,
on-deck are being rationalised. On savings and efficiencies can be gained by
the other, the team is under greater pres- identifying and classifying data sets into
sure to make ‘wise’ decisions about IT their associated levels of service. Certain
infrastructure planning to make the best technologies are helping IT organisations
use of their existing resources. get there faster.
Meanwhile, demands from the business
and mission critical business applications Understanding usage
are increasing. patterns
On the data centre front, the IT manager Most data centers are sized for peak condi-
can control costs by juggling a range tions that rarely exist. According to a study
of variables. Some of these are delay in by Emerson, in a typical business data cen-
Blade servers
10
capital expenditure, reduction of total cost tre, daily demand progressively increases
of ownership, reduction in risks associated from about 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. and then begins consume about
with remote disaster recovery and lowering to drop at 5 p.m. However, server power
of maintenance expenditure. consumption remains relatively high even
In addition, the IT team also has the as server load decreases. In the idle mode,
option of cutting cost by reducing energy many servers consume between 70% and
spend in many ways—from introducing
efficient cooling systems to decreasing
85% of full operational power.
This means that a facility operating %
server and storage footprints, managing at just 20% capacity may be consuming less power than rack
data growth efficiently to storing more 80% of the energy as the similar facility
mount servers of equal
data within the existing infrastructure. operating at peak capacity. A vast majority
performance
45
But adopting any of these options is of server processors have built-in power
riddled with huge challenges. Until about management features that can be used to
a few years ago, the key challenge faced by dramatically reduce power consumption
%
a data centre manager was that of space in idle mode. However, many times, for
and availability. Today, with technology the fear of increasing response times, the
becoming robust and efficient, and features remain disabled. It would be
mean-time-between-failures nose diving, prudent to analyse usage patterns and
availability is the least of an IT manager’s re-examine the disabling of the power
worries. savings feature in server processors.
Energy efficiency, power density and Another disadvantage of building
of the TCO for a
cooling density are the top issues facing and running data centers for peak loads, typical rack in a high
today’s data centre manager. This is is the cost of cooling. “Computer Room availability 2N data
obvious, considering the fact that nearly Air Conditioners or CRACs are fitted centre is contributed
45% of the total cost of ownership for a with fans that run at constant speed to by power and cooling
20
typical rack in a high availability 2N data deliver a constant volume of air flow. equipment
centre is accounted for by power and Newer technologies can convert these
cooling equipment. fans to variable frequency drive fans.
“Going after cooling equipment can This controls and adjusts the fan speed
actually serve two purposes. It can create according to the server load, thereby
energy efficiency that directly translates optimising and bringing efficiency to
%
into cost savings thus converging the power consumption,” says Pratik Chube,
objectives of green IT with that of business,” Country General Manager (Product
says Bhairav Kulshrestha, Manager (IT) at Management & Marketing) at Emerson
Atul Group of Companies. Network Power India.
reduction in the fan
Planning, or sharpening the axe, is a And these savings are easily quantifiable. speed of computer
great tool to generate cost efficiencies. Like For instance, a 20% reduction in fan speed room ACs can help
all other asset classes, data and applications results in savings of nearly 50% on power cut over 50% of power
should be identified and accordingly consumed by fans. The advantage of this consumption by these
classified into categories that then deliver new technology is that these variable fan- fans
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 31

30. INSIGHT | DATA CENTRE
THE POWER GUZZLER CATEGORY BREAK-UP
Energy usage in a data centre is more or less evenly split between
computing (52%) and overheads (48%). While newer technology like Computing 588kW
blade servers reduce the computing load, they often tend to gener-
Lighting 10kW
ate greater amount of heat resulting in more power consumption in
the air conditioning.
UPS and distribution losses 72kW
The issue exacerbates in a tropical country like India, as com-
panies mainly rely on air conditioning to keep servers at the right Cooling power draw for 429kW
temperature. The more powerful the machine, the more is the cool computing and UPS losses
air needed to keep it from overheating. Experts predict that energy
costs, now about 10% of the average IT budget, could rise to 50% in Building switchgear/MV 28kW
a matter of years unless urgent actions are taken. Technologies like Transformer/other losses
virtualisation can help reduce both the computing load as well as
the air-conditioning requirement thereby bringing down the power Total 1,127 kW
consumption drastically.
“WHEN RACK
MOUNT
SERVERS ARE
REPLACED WITH
BLADE SERVERS,
IT CAN RESULT
IN HUGE ENERGY
SAVING”
—Pratik Chube, Country
General Manager (Product
Management & Marketing),
Emerson Network Power
India
speed drives can be retrofitted into the replaced with blade servers, it results in a
existing CRACs with minimal investment, 1% saving on total energy consumption,”
“…GOING one which pays back for itself within a year. explains Chube.
AFTER COOLING Shifting to save
Similarly, a shift towards server
virtualisation results in consolidation and
EQUIPMENT CAN The whole drive within the IT community savings. The consolidation of as many as
CREATE ENERGY to shift to blade servers along with server 10 or more physical servers into one yields
EFFICIENCY virtualisation may not have been driven
entirely by energy considerations but these
amazing efficiencies.
It is estimated that virtualisation can
THAT DIRECTLY shifts have certainly had a huge impact on provide an additional 8% reduction in total
TRANSLATES energy consumption. power consumption at a data centre. Indeed,
INTO COST Blade servers consume about 10%
less power than equivalent rack mount
something to aspire for and execute!
SAVINGS…” servers because multiple servers share
—Bhairav Kulshrestha, ITNEXT<space><your feedback>
common power supplies, cooling fans
Manager (IT), Atul Group of and other components. “It is estimated 56 78
76
and send it to
Companies that when 20% of rack mount servers are
*Special rates apply
32 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

31. INSIGHT | TELECOMMUTING
GETTING ’EM
WORK
HOME
FROM
Telecommuting employees can
deliver big gains only if enterprises
adopt robust technologies and the right
policy measures
BY P R AG YA S I N G H
W
ork is something proved to be favourable for both point to the growing importance of
we do, not some- employer and employee. telecommuting among Indian SMBs.”
thing we travel If your company is in a business In small businesses, telecommuting
to. While this is where employees do not need to be penetration is highest among
not yet a catch physically present to carry out work, or professional businesses followed by
phrase in Indian organisations, but if your organisation is facing problem manufacturing units, that have remote
it seems well on its way getting there. finding an adequate and suitable production facilities and specific
With urban centres such as Delhi, workspace, then telecommuting can be service needs. However, in the medium
Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad an answer. The concept has come of age, business segment, the penetration is
getting more congested, the corporate thanks to the availability of high-speed highest in the banking and finance
sector is presenting its employees flex- connectivity and handheld devices, at sector as they have agents and brokers
ible work options that enable them to least in major Indian cities. working from remote locations.
cut travel time and boost productiv- According to Kalyan Banga, But, like in other technology
ity. A recent survey conducted by Research Analyst at AMI Partners, deployment, the concept cannot be
IDC revealed that 81% of executives “Telecommuting penetration is on rolled out without a proper enterprise
polled across the Asia-Pacific region the rise across Indian enterprises, strategy for telecommuting. IT
strongly agree that telecommuting particularly amongst SMBs. While it managers need to understand a
improves productivity. In 2005, only has increased from 3% in 2006 to 11% host of issues—from security to
61% thought so. in 2008 amongst smaller companies, it performance management, policies for
For a growing number of has jumped from 8% to 27% amongst data classification and defining access
businesses, telecommuting has medium level enterprises. These figures rights—to prepare their organisations.
34 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

32. TELECOMMUTING | INSIGHT
Says Dr Deepak Shikarpur of Computer
Society of India: “Telecommuting is possible HOW TO MAKE IT WORK
wherever there is clarity in the role, and data
n Provide telecommuters with proper technical, technological
security is in place.”
and logistical support to ensure that they are able to do
In addition, telecommuting requires robust
their job effectively
technological support to enable hassle-free
communication between the organisation and n Put in place proper data security measure to avoid intrusion or cyber
the employee. According to Shikarpur, a PC with attacks triggered from a telecommuter’s system
wide screen and high bandwidth Internet with n Install a mobile management system to keep a regular check on
adequate audio is the minimum setup needed for data security policies for remote devices
home operation.
n Ensure adequate communication infrastructure is in place for real
“Secured access to the corporate network
time interaction and collaboration from point-to-point, and point to
is also a must,” he says, adding, “Privacy at
multi-point
home and a good telephone instrument with
speakerphone facility would be ideal.” n Frame policies to restrict unauthorised access and
PHOTO GRAPHY: PHOTOS .CO M
downloading of files
Security and performance n Help telecommuters understand the tools, and provide special
management handbooks or reference guides to help them use technologies, ac-
Security becomes a major issue in telecommut- cess information and expertise
ing. Adopting measures such as secured access
to business data, phone systems, applications
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 35

33. INSIGHT | TELECOMMUTING
and other resources through secured, wireless
TECHNOLOGY and fast Internet connections can go a long way
IS THE KEY in making remote functioning possible (see box
“How to make it work”).
A lowdown on tech- For long-term benefit, it is important for an
nologies that you need organisation to put in place a clear-cut security
to consider to enable policy as well as performance measurement
telecommuting in your tools. It also needs a way to handle softer
organisation. issues by clearly articulating the total number
of work-hours for such employees, and
vaccation time.
Amit Malik, Vice-President–East, Cisco
India and SAARC, says, “Telecommuting is
feasible only if the organisation has structured
performance management approach in place.”
According to him, organisations need to be very
transparent about how to assess a telecommuting
employee’s work and productivity.
Virtual Private Network (VPN): This is a private network that con-
“We also have clear processes and advanced
nects your offices and remote users via a virtual connection over the
communication technology in place that allows
internet. Some of the major vendors that provide VPN solution include
employees to work efficiently, no matter where
Avaya, AT&T Business Data Services, Axcelerant, Cisco, CheckPoint,
they are. As the employees’ bonus is mapped
NetSilica, Neoteris, Positive Networks, Plethora Technology, Fortinet
onto productivity, it also provides a clear reason
and Sonic Wall.
to deliver on work assigned,” he explains.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP): VoIP involves the transmis-
sion of voice communications over IP networks such as the Internet. Hurdles and benefits
Services like Skype are extremely popular among small and medium Despite the fact that the advantages of telecom-
businesses. It lets users make PC-to-PC phone calls for free. To make muting, such as increase in number of produc-
calls to landlines and mobiles, you have to pay. You can also ask your tive hours, better professional and personal life
telecom service provider to provide VoIP connectivity or opt for full-
fledged VoIP network and phones. Companies like Avaya, Cisco, Nortel
and others offer these technologies.
Instant Messaging (IM) software: IM is real-time communication
ON THE UPSWING
via typed text and is a useful tool for keeping tele-workers in touch. Free
IMs abound, with GTalk and MSN leading the pack. You can also opt for 2006
27%
paid IM services for greater reliability and security, or explore IBM Lo-
2008
tus IM and Microsoft Office Live Communications Server technologies.
Audio & video conferencing software: These are packages that
allow an array of group and individual communications including VoIP,
IM and video conferencing. Options range from audio-only to com-
plete presentation support and webcasts. Citrix GoToMeeting, Cisco
TelePresence, WebEx and Microsoft Office Live Meeting are some of the 11%
options available.
8%
Remote access technology: Using this technology, your team can
access their computers stationed in the office. GoToMyPC is one of the
leading service providers of this technology. For small businesses, they
3%
have a central admin center that lets you manage team collaboration.
Small enterprises Medium enterprises
Collaboration systems: Collaboration software is a key need for
effective group interaction particularly when the group members are
The SMB sector has been a big driver of telecommut-
in far-flung locations. You can start off with something inexpensive as ing in India for two main reasons. One, as a tool to
Google Docs. Or try Office Live. There is also Zoho, a comprehensive cut real estate cost; and second, to ensure employee
set of web-based programmes targeted at small and medium sized stickiness by enabling better work-life balance.
businesses. Source: AMI Partners
36 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

34. TELECOMMUTING | INSIGHT
“TELECOMMUTING IS
POSSIBLE WHEREVER
THERE IS CLARITY
IN THE ROLE, AND
DATA SECURITY IS IN
PLACE”
—Dr Deepak Shikarpur,
Computer Society of India
“IT CAN BRING IN
POTENTIALLY LARGE GAINS
IN PRODUCTIVITY AND
SUBSTANTIAL SAVINGS IN
BOTH TIME AND COST”
—Rajesh A R, Vice-President, Temporary
Staffing, TeamLease Services
“TELECOMMUTING IS FEASIBLE ONLY IF
THE ORGANISATION HAS STRUCTURED
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
APPROACH IN PLACE”
—Amit Malik, Vice-President – East, Cisco India and SAARC
balance, less exhaustion due to reduced case of women staff, this option works Besides, telecommuting can also help
or no commutes and, more importantly, particularly well during times of family enterprises in terms of talent retention
reduction in carbon footprint outweigh pressures or maternity leave. and offering the staff flexibility on a
the negatives, the proportion of organi- Says Rajesh A R, Vice-President regular basis, or when they are on long
sations adopting telecommuting is still (temporary staffing) at TeamLease vacation or leave.
small. Services, “The concept can bring in However, to be the change agent
Many employers have difficulty in potentially large gains in productivity driving the concept, IT managers
breaking free from the ‘keeping an eye’ and substantial savings in time and need to carefully explore the options
mindset, and evaluating the employees cost. At the same time, it offers good provided by various vendors. They also
on the basis of their physical presence, work-life balance to the telecommuting need to examine the various technology
rather than their performance. workforce. However, for these benefits options (see box: Technology is the key)
However, providing flexible working to come to fruition, it is extremely and weigh the pros and cons before
options does enable organisations to important for companies to have offering a solution that can help the
retain the best talent, even when they excellent performance management organisation extend this facility to
are facing personal problems. In the systems in place.” employees.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 37

35. INSIGHT | CLOUD COMPUTING
MOVING
AWAY FIRMA
TERRA
FROM
“A hundred years ago, companies
While cloud computing offer
stopped generating their own power
some great benefits, the transition with steam engines and dynamos, and
may not be easy for an enterprise. plugged into the newly-built electric
But if you knowwhat to expect, you grid. The cheap power pumped out
by electric utilities didn’t just change
can prepare for it how businesses operate. It set off a
BY S H AS H WAT D C chain reaction of economic and social
transformations that brought the
modern world into existence. Today,
a similar revolution is under way.
Hooked up to the internet’s global
computing grid, massive information-
processing plants have begun
pumping data and software code into
our homes and businesses. This time,
it’s computing that’s turning into a
utility.”
—Nicholas Carr in the Big Switch
38 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

36. CLOUD COMPUTING | INSIGHT
NO OTHER TECHNOLOGY has been so So, if you are planning to climb on a
much in the news as cloud computing. cloud, here is what you need to guard
The ability to provision hardware and against.
software remotely seems to have taken
enterprise computing by storm. Products Do you really have to?
and services built around this concept by Agreed, cloud is cheap, is easy to use and
companies like Salesforce.com, Amazon, green too. But do you really need to be on
IBM, Google, Microsoft, and others have the cloud? The decision to shift to a plat-
proliferated in the market today. Much form should not be dictated by technol-
like the clouds that hover over us in real ogy, but by business concerns. Thus, the
world, cloud computing has cast its spell first thing to be assessed is whether or
on enterprise data centers, enticing IT not the cloud suits the requirement, and
decision-makers. the nature of your business. For instance,
In his book the ‘Big Switch’, Carr likens a retail chain with presence across the
cloud computing to the all pervasive country is a good candidate for cloud,
electricity grid network and postulates while a creative agency with a single “I DO NOT THINK
that we will be using computing resources
in the service model.
office is certainly not.
Even when there is a match, there
IT IS PRUDENT
Thus, in a cloudy world if you require may be functions that should not be sent TO JUMP INTO
extra storage or processing power, there to the cloud. PUBLIC CLOUDS…
will be no need to buy a storage box or
extra RAM. Just call in the cloud service
Shiva Shankar, Vice-President and
Head of IT Infrastructure and Security
PEOPLE NEED TO
provider (CSP) and get instantly. Operations at Reliance Communications CONSIDER THESE
And yet, even as we are gung-ho about warns, “I see very little understanding NEW CONCEPTS
the cloud and the future, there seems to be
some confusion about what exactly cloud
of cloud in the industry today. This
technology will evolve and meet all the
WITH EXCELLENT
computing is. First it was SaaS (Software security issues, over time.” PLANNING DURING
as a Service), then PaaS (Platform as a He advises organisations to stay away IT REFRESHMENT,
Service). More recently we have IaaS
(Infrastructure as a Service), CaaS
from the public cloud for CRM, ERP or
any financial applications. “Within the
AND IN A PHASED
(Communication as a Service) and even organisation, one can create a private cloud MANNER”
XaaS (Everything as a Service). What are for such apps so that the infrastructure —Ratnakar Nemani, CIO &
these? and resources can be effectively utilised. Head—IT Projects Wing, VST
Just like clouds which have many There are several applications in each Industries
varieties like cirrus, cumulus, business that can go to cloud, and I would
nimbostratus, there are many forms of not hesitate to move them to the cloud to
cloud computing. All these acronyms exploit the advantages,” he adds.
represent different paths leading to one Another factor to be borne in mind
goal: Kingdom Cloud, where everything is the growth projection of the business
gets dynamically and remotely done in a in the near-term and long-term horizon.
cost effective manner. Ideally, a fast-paced growth can be easily
46
That’s as far as the concept goes. The supplemented by cloud computing.
real issue is in shifting to a cloud-based Though even in times of placid growth,
setup within an enterprise. And no matter cloud computing can come handy as a
how easy the vendors portray it to be, it cost saving measure.
is not a slam dunk. Many IT managers,
who made the shift from a traditional How secure is the cloud?
on-the-premise infrastructure to a SaaS Crooks and hackers are always on the
or an IaaS model, recall with horror the
transition process.
lookout for vulnerabilities to exploit, and
systems that can be compromised. In such
%
In fact, the more complex the current a scenario, trusting a third party vendor Overall awareness
infrastructure, the more vexing the with sensitive information can be fairly level of cloud computing
shift will be. Interestingly, most of the nerve-wracking. Even if the vendor has in Asia Pacific (excluding
challenges that crop up are not technical fortified its networks against attacks or Japan)
ones, but process or people oriented. intrusion, do not forget that the data will SOURCE: SPRINGBOARD RESEAR CH
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 39

37. INSIGHT | CLOUD COMPUTING
1
SEVEN-STEP
CSP
BUSINESS VIABILITY
Pedigree: Brand visibility
of cloud service provider,
entrepreneur track record, 2
SELECTOR management, strategic
investors or VCs
Financials: Balance sheet, STRATEGIC
cash flows, VC funding rounds, CAPABILITIES
Collated by Sameer
equity structure
Commitment level: Capex
Manpower: Quality of
manpower, average industry 3
Kulkarni, Head—IT committed to cloud per-se, experience, qualifications,
Automation Architecture R&D or innovation budget certifications, attrition rate PORTFOLIO AND
(Data Center Business),
Roadmap: Expansion plans Partnerships and tie-ups: PRICING
Reliance Communications
announced publicly and Published track record of Portfolio: Breadth and depth
commitment to growth partnerships (the more the of portfolio offerings, medium
better) to long-term roadmap
Industry rankings:
Assessments from third party Forums: Forums hosted, Pricing flexibility: Maturity
analysts like Gartner, Yankee steered, sponsored and flexibility of the pricing
and IDC Patents filed: (if any) model and up sell model
hosted model. Secondly, it is dependent
on Internet and external networks.
And most importantly, there are quite
a few security concerns, as your data is
travelling on public networks,” he says.
An IT manager needs to not only
review the security policy of the Cloud
Service Provider (CSP) but also do a
robust check on how the data will travel
between the organisations and the
service provider.
The starting point would be to do a
vulnerability analysis of the current
infrastructure, and examine the
“THERE ARE QUITE “THE MAJOR security and privacy policy of the CSP.
A FEW SECURITY ISSUE WITH CLOUD And don’t forget to examine the legal
CONCERNS, AS YOUR COMPUTING IS THE policy as well—namely if the network
is compromised, who is liable for it.
DATA IS TRAVELLING ADOPTION, AND Always remember, for a CSP your
ON PUBLIC THE ROI FACTOR” data is merely a business. For you, it is
NETWORKS” —Ajay Kumar Meher, VP – IT,
Sony Entertainment Television
a lifeline.
—Vishwajeet Singh, National
Is it really cost effective?
Manager – IT, FCm Travel Solutions
‘Save money, oodles and oodles of it’
is the pitch that all CSPs make. While
be travelling up and down a network of the desired platform or solution. there is some truth in what they say, it
channel that could be compromised. However, he warns that enterprises is not the complete story itself.
Vishwajeet Singh, National Manager– need to consider various aspects while “Though flexibility is guaranteed and
IT, FCm Travel Solutions agrees that adopting for such a solution. upfront payments avoided, the issue of
hosted models are becoming more “Most of the time it is not very easy to higher cost still bogs cloud users,” states
popular because of instant availability customise the solutions available on a Upal Chakraborty, CIO at DLF Limited.
40 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

38. 4 CLOUD COMPUTING | INSIGHT
OPERATIONAL
EXCELLENCE
Portal experience: Portal of
a company says a lot about it
(how rich, contemporary and up
to date?)
Web enablement: Degree
of sophistication in web
enablement of customer
5 6
operations
Customer empowerment:
SLAS AND CONTRACTS
TECHNOLOGY Measurements:
Extent of “self-care” ARCHITECTURE How transparent is the
automation of customer and Choice of platforms: Choice
7
measurement and reporting,
service life cycle management of virtualisation platforms, and is it automated
Real time visibility: Real time servers, OS, ISVs
Enforceability: Contractual
reporting, application visibility, Eco-system: Extent of terms and obligations to the
topology, dependency maps vendor neutrality, migration, SLAs
Notification & escalation commitment to open source SECURITY AND LEGAL
process: Means, processes option Privacy policy: Stated privacy
and sophistication Extensibility: How policy and enforceability
Disaster recovery: seamlessly extensible (on-tap Jurisdiction: In which
Architecture, tools and available) is the compute, country is the CSP located and
readiness storage and network covered by what jurisdiction
The confusion is further aggravated to examine them thoroughly before Manjit Tomar, Business Development
by the numerous CSPs and their var- committing yourself. Manager at Wipro Infotech.
ied offerings. Depending on the service “Apart from these issues, some of “Plan ahead for the exit route, and have
provided, CSPs have a tiered pricing the barriers are privacy, security and options for the time when you decide
model. The best way would be to study regulatory compliances in different to move away from the cloud,” Tomar
the different pricing models in detail, countries. Unless these issues are suggests adding that, organisations
and make a valued comparison. Also, addressed, I do not think it is prudent might need to move away from the cloud
remember that vendors yield to negotia- to jump into public clouds as of now. due to relationship or technology issues.
tion; so do not feel shy to bargain. May be people need to consider these “You need to have a standby plan for
“The major issue with cloud computing new concepts during IT refreshment such situations. Provision the necessary
is the adoption, and the ROI factor,” says in a phased manner,” advises Ratnakar conditions in the agreement with the
Ajay Kumar Meher, Vice-President– Nemani, CIO & Head—IT Projects Wing cloud provider so that you are safe
IT, Sony Entertainment Television. He at VST Industries. in case you need to move away from
further classifies the enterprise apps the cloud computing service. Outline
as commodity type (e-mail), and that of Are you ready for the clauses that will detail how you can get
enterprise class (ERPs and SCM). after? your data back. These clauses should
“Taking the first one on the cloud Cloud computing should be viewed as a outline the data formats and how you
may be feasible, but pay back will be journey to the end and not an end in itself. can handle migration of this data onto
more time consuming than creating one. There are numerous issues that could go your future application,” he advises.
For the second type, the apps are very wrong along the way, and it is always In the end, remember that going on to
customised and getting them migrated to good to know where the parachute is. The the cloud or staying put should be based
cloud (third party) will be very difficult. important thing is to be clear and firm on on well thought out plan and not merely
Besides, getting the desired SLA may the SLAs. Work with the CSP to define because you should be on it.
also be difficult at times,” he warns. and detail what exactly the commitment We all know that clouds can be
Another factor, and often the most of 99.9% uptime implies, and what hap- very unpredictable in real life. They
critical one in making the shift is the pens if it is not. Well worked SLAs can may not be different in the enterprise
issue of legacy infrastructure. Do not save a lot of trouble in the long run. space too.
forget to account for the migration And then finally, what happens
time, and the costs of the legacy and if you do not want to be in the cloud
How did you like this story?
in-house applications. The devil anymore? It is important to work Send your feedback at
clearly lies in the details; do not forget that out before you join in, cautions editor@itnext.in
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 41

39. INSIGHT | STORAGE
PLAYING
STORAGE THE
NUTRITIONIST Data tiering, virtualisation and green-orientation
are among the vital nutrientsfor sustaining your
storage infrastructure. A quick ground-check will
PHOTO : PHOTO S.C OM
help you arrive at the right mix
BY D E E PA K K U M A R
42 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

40. STORAGE | INSIGHT
As enterprise data volume continues priority, compliance requirement, and You will also be able forecast for
to grow in a colossal fashion, an IT man- other parameters. We need to be cost- cumulative storage needs—the trick is
ager is challenged to keep the storage conscious and prudent in choosing the to keep adding each passing year’s data
infrastructure responsive to informa- storage media. to cumulative storage.
tion and compliance needs, both from
within and outside the organisation. Getting started  What storage management
IT Next will help you find the way Running a detailed audit of the storage system is currently in use, and
out. But first, you need to answer a few infrastructure and needs in your enter- what are its advantages and
questions. prise should get you started. The objec- disadvantages?
Does all data in your organisation tive is to discover the following: Without the right management sys-
have equal storage importance tem in place, even cheap storage can
and retrieval priority? ΠWhat is the total installed lead to a higher overall spend in the long
Do you have no budget constraints capacity and how much of that run. An ineffective management system
when it comes to buying addi- has been utilised? would also result in more energy costs
tional fibre channel (FC) disk arrays? This is not just to estimate the capacity associated with higher runtimes.
Has the economic slowdown that will be available but to also gauge
also slowed down your storage how much capacity is being utilised on  What is the level of virtualisa-
requirements? a cumulative basis versus annually. In tion, if any, that has been carried
Of course, a common answer to the other words, this is to get a ratio of the out?
queries would be a clear no. archived data versus current data. While cost saving by way of leverag-
Now that we have done that, let’s see This first level of data segregation ing existing storage infrastructure is a
how it can be of help. gives you a simple, yet effective basis major driver of virtualisation, another
for determining how much of higher- important benefit is that it enables
Add, add, add…? speed storage media is necessary easier handling of heterogeneous stor-
Traditionally, that is what we have been while the rest can reside on lower- age environments, something that is
doing. We have bulk-stored enterprise speed media. quite common due to the “add, add,
data on arrays of disks, and kept adding add” strategy.
disks when the data inflow exceeds the  Which kinds of storage media The other management benefit of
installed capacity. have been deployed, and what is virtualisation is that it gives you an
After a while, the process starts the distribution? effective way to deal with file-based data
appearing as mundane as adding chairs This will give you an estimate of in a secured manner.
in the back of a conference room as new how much storage media is available A point to remember here is that
attendees keep pouring in. across high, medium and low-speed while virtualisation helps improve
And you thought data storage segments. This, along with data seg- utilisation, it is not an alternative to the
was about information lifecycle mentation, should get you started tiered approach. A right mix of the two
management (ILM)? Yes, it is indeed with mapping the high-priority data should be considered.
about management! In fact, the task is to high-speed storage media, and help Subhasish Saha, Chief Technology
getting more and more complex by the document the need for procuring any Officer at Apeejay Surrendra Group
day, not to mention that adding disk additional media. says that his organisation found an
arrays linearly is going to make this Along the way, you will also get to audit to be extremely rewarding in
complexity even more baffling. know if low-priority data is sitting highlighting core issues.
So what is the solution? Before on high-speed storage and take the “We had three striking observations.
coming to that, let’s first visit the necessary corrective measures. First, we did not have any policies
answer to question number 1: not all Essentially, high-speed storage could be of storage across the organisation.
data are equal. freed up for use by high-priority data. Second, storage provisioning was in
Why do we then treat all data as silos without any optimisation thrown
almost equal? We store all enterprise Ž How many users are there in in, which resulted in utilisation levels
data on the same storage media the enterprise and how much varying from 10% to 95%. Third,
without discrimination. Agreed, the data do they generate annually? demand for business critical application
prevailing data storage practices are This will help you forecast the addi- data was the lowest,” he elaborated.
an outcome of tradition than of your tional storage requirement for the Appejay Surrendra implemented a
conscious choice. But then, probably it coming year, and even for a three to virtualisation solution from a leading
is time for one to take more conscious five year period. It can also help you vendor, which has already resulted in
decisions, proactively. We need to forecast storage requirements by consolidation of 15 out of 40 servers and
segregate data by its sensitivity, access speed segments. improved utilisation by 35%.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 43

41. INSIGHT | STORAGE
How many tiers?
So you may have guessed by now that
it is about having a maximum of three-
“OUR GOAL IS TO
tiered storage architecture… almost. REDUCE BACKUP
Almost, because IT Next will also recom- COST WHILE
mend ‘flashing’ it up with a thin fourth
layer at the top to address ultra-fast
ENSURING IMPROVED
access needs in certain situations. PERFORMANCE AND
Shailesh Joshi, Head IT at Godrej BETTER SERVICE
Properties says that his organisation
is in the process of developing a tiered
LEVELS”
— Shailesh Joshi, Head IT,
storage system.
Godrej Properties
“Our goal is to reduce backup cost
while ensuring improved performance
and better service levels. With
increasing importance of compliance,
digitisation of corporate assets has “AN INTELLIGENT
gained importance. Items like contracts,
e-mails and transaction records need
AND TIERED
to be stored and retrieved on a regular APPROACH TO FLASH,
basis. Also high availability of data is FC AND SATA WOULD
of prime importance nowadays,” Joshi
points out.
BE BENEFICIAL”
—Sanjay Lulla, Director –
The standard prescription for tiering
Technology, EMC Corp
is: FC or equivalent in Tier 1 for the
high-priority data, SATA or equivalent
in Tier 2 for bulking it up, and tapes in
Tier 3 for backing it up. In fact, tapes
have demonstrated a proven advantage
over disk drives, not only in terms of
cost but also in terms of low power and that is precisely the reason why we did With high-speed metadata access
cooling costs. not recommend using it even in Tier 1. becoming a reality, you will also see
To add to that, compliance guidelines Sanjay Lulla, Director–Technology information lifecycle management
for financial accountability of regulated at EMC Corp says, “An intelligent (ILM) making more sense.
companies will require more and more and tiered approach to flash, FC and Predicting the trend, Chuck Hollis,
data to be retained for years to support SATA would be beneficial. It would an industry veteran and blogger of
any audit or investigation into company be great if flash, FC and SATA drives many years’ standing, had in 2006 said:
records. Compliance requirements are used as target for specific portions “Information is so important, it’s going
would also warrant that data is not of an application workload. It would to need an owner, the way a CFO owns
altered or tampered after being stored. be even better if there is an intelligent money or HR owns personnel. I think
Write Once Read Many (WORM) tape application that could migrate content IT will need to evolve to an ownership
drives are an ideal cost-effective fit for between these tiers seamlessly, based on role regarding information policy
such requirements. business policies.” and management… ILM is but one
Great! But what was that fourth layer What we do believe is that flash can manifestation of these trends.”
we recommended above? Flash! deliver more than the money spent on That holds even truer today.
it if it is used to store just the metadata Storage is indeed about ownership
Icing on the cake part. That is why we call it a storage of information, its management and
Given the technological advancements layer and not a tier. accountability. Therefore, keeping the
in flash drives, it makes good IT man- Vendors have already come up with storage system dynamic, agile and fit is
agement sense to use a pinch of these flash-embedded servers that help the key to successful IT management.
solid state storage devices to add flavour you achieve this objective. This also Own the health of your storage
to your storage recipe. makes your storage greener as flash systems. Play the nutritionist.
True, the cost of flash is still uses less energy than the rotating disk
prohibitive, perhaps 20 to 25 times the drives. Needless to say, flash boosts the The author is an independent ICT/Media market
cost of disk-based storage. But then, performance of your storage system. researcher and consultant
44 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

42. INSIGHT | STRUCTURED CABLING
MAKING
THE
RIGHT
NCI N
ON E T O S
C The right cabling solution need
not be bleeding-edge, but must be
standards-compliant and suitable
for existing and potential application
requirements
78
BY JATIN D E R S I N G H
“ %
A CABLING CALL THAT the IT team at Birla Tyres took almost a year ago is now
serving the country’s fifth-largest tyre manufacturer well.
The Cat 6-based solution provides uninterrupted bandwidth and availability to of network related
meet the company’s ever-growing applications requirements, ranging from data problems occur
and voice to video.
because of a wrong
Looking back, Birla Tyres was determined to take a holistic view of the cabling
decision in deploying
infrastructure, as it also planned to integrate the networking infrastructure at their
two Orissa-based production units.
efficient structured
”
They believed that this approach would not only save on the overall capital
cabling solution
expenditure but also lead to an improved ROI. The team evaluated a number of —Milind Tamhane,
solutions from different vendors and even took inputs from external consultants Vice President- ITS,
to arrive at the best fit for the organisation’s strategic needs. Manufacturing, Digilink
46 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

43. STRUCTURED CABLING | INSIGHT
S Ojha, who is the IT Head at Birla more efficient operations, reduced power
Tyres’ Balasore unit says, “Appropriate consumption and lower life cycle costs.
planning for cabling is a prerequisite to IT managers, should, therefore carefully
avoid any issues in the performance.” assess the future voice and data require-
Structured cabling indeed has ments of the organisation when planning
come a long, long way from the times for a new cabling system.
when it would attract only peripheral While Cat 5e solutions are still being
involvement of IT managers… considered for environments where the
applications are not very bandwidth
Planning matters intensive in nature, Cat 6 solutions
When Birla Tyres planned to augment are perhaps seeing the largest share of
their production capacity to 500 tonnes greenfield deployments.
of tyres per day, the IT team decided to Cat 6A solutions which offer 10G
take a close and careful look at the struc- Ethernet over unshielded twisted
tured cabling plan, as part of the bigger copper have gained a great deal of
IT infrastructure plan. traction over the last couple of years,
“IF THE SOLUTION
S
The company wanted to take a holistic especially in data center environments.
view of the cabling infrastructure, as it
also planned to integrate the networking
For higher requirements, fiber is
still a preferred media, also because
IS DEPENDABLE
infrastructure at their two Orissa- it is immune to electromagnetic AND ADHERES
based production units. Of course, interferences and cross talk. However, TO STANDARDS,
it was necessary that the solution be
standards-compliant.
technological advances have also made
copper-based solutions for a number
SUBSTANTIAL
Finally, a combination of Cat6 copper of applications. AMOUNT OF OPEX
cable and single-mode fiber optic Market data suggests that over 85% CAN BE SAVED ON
structured cabling was selected.
While factors such as vendor’s
of all new installations will be cabled
with Cat6 solutions, which costs about
ITS UPKEEP OVER
A LONG RUN
reputation, high quality performance,
budget and lower installation costs
influenced the company to select the
35% more than the Cat5e.
In view of this significant cost
difference, it is often argued that if there
—Ajay Kumar Pandey, DGM
(IT), BL Kashyap
”
solution, the decision to upgrade to the is no visible requirement for high-gig
Cat6 standard was largely driven by the applications, or if your organisation has
high bandwidth requirement to support plans to move to a new premise or site
future applications. in 2-3 years time, then Cat 5e solutions
Emphasising upon the detailed may still be worth considering.
planning that went into determining However, such exceptions apart, Cat
the right solution, Ojha says, 6 solutions are a de-facto standard. This
“There is always ambiguity over the also helps you accommodate other IT
bandwidth needed to support future initiatives such as Fibre Channel over
communication models. Therefore, an Ethernet (FCoE), IP convergence and
appropriate planning is a prerequisite server virtualisation.
to avoid any issues in performance.” “IT professionals upgrading or
“APPROPRIATE
Agrees Milind Tamhane, Vice deploying their network today should
President-ITS, Manufacturing at therefore consider MPO solutions, high-
Digilink: “78% of network related density solutions, higher bandwidth PLANNING
problems occur because of a wrong
decision in deploying an efficient
cabling, and cable management that
ensures reliability, flexibility and
WHILE GOING
structured cabling solution. The irony scalability,” says Dileep Kumar, Director FOR CABLING IS
is that many organisations in India still of Product Management, ADC Krone, A PREREQUISITE
do not understand this logic.” India & SAARC.
Another high-gig copper standard
TO AVOID ANY
Identifying the right is Cat 7, which is a shielded technology, ISSUES IN THE
solution PERFORMANCE
”
aimed at supporting 10G for high-speed
Given lower TCO as a top priority, the bandwidth intensive applications. —S Ojha, IT-Head, Birla
need is to identify solutions that facilitate However, the adoption Cat 7 standard Tyres, Balasore Unit
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 47

44. INSIGHT | STRUCTURED CABLING
has been relatively limited in India,
which primarily remains a UTP
(unshielede twisted pair) country.
Sticking to standards
IT managers often have to deal with the
problem of network going down due TRAINING
CALENDER
to cabling-related problems. In most
cases, according to the industry experts,
the problem lies with the substandard
cabling systems, rather than with the Career booster
hardware or the applications. To mini- courses for you
mise this, experts strongly advocate
installing standards-compliant based
solution (such as TIA/EIA and ISO)
rather than proprietary solutions.
“If the solution is dependable and
adheres to standards, substantial
amount of operating expenditure (opex)
can be saved on its upkeep over a long PROGRAMME DATES INSTITUTE
run, thus giving a better ROI for any
IT manager,” says Ajay Kumar Pandey, Innovation strategy Feb 01 - 03, 2010 MDI, Gurgaon
DGM (IT) at BL Kashyap. Collaboration and networking Feb 01 - 05, 2010 IIM Calcutta
In this context, it is also important
to ask for a performance certification Computerised OR models Feb 01 - 05, 2010 IIM Indore
from the vendor to be certain of the Customer Relationship
actual delivery of the network. Such Feb 08 - 10, 2010 IIM Ahmedabad
Management
certification assures that the system
will industry industry standard Project management Feb 08, 2010 IIM Lucknow
performance, as well as ensure the
support for emerging applications. Advanced analytics for
Feb 11 - 14, 2010 IIM Ahmedabad
Last but not the least, a consultation management
from cabling design engineers will
International negotiating skills Feb 11 - 13, 2010 IIM Bangalore
be helpful in designing the network
in a way that it is not only able to Work life balance for
accommodate future active networking Feb 15 - 16, 2010 FORE School, Delhi
managerial wellbeing
equipment and technologies, but also
accommodate planned changes in the Effective communication for
Feb 15 - 19, 2010 MDI, Gurgaon
easiest possible way. managers and leaders
And of course, who would be better
than you—the IT manger with the
Lean operations for business
Feb 15 - 19, 2010 MDI, Gurgaon
ground view of the organisation’s IT excellence
requirements—to cut through the hype
Finance for non-finance
and judge which solutions will be the Feb 18 - 20, 2010 FORE School, Delhi
executives
right fit for your organisation.
This ground view, combined Managing IT projects Feb 22 - 25, 2010 IIM Ahmedabad
with an informed selection process,
will help you arrive at the right Service operations
cabling recommendations for your management for competitive Feb 22 - 24, 2010 IIM Kozhikode
I LLUSTRATIO N: ANO OP PC
organisation! advantage
Growth strategies for
Feb 22 - 26, 2010 IIM Indore
ITNEXT<space><your feedback> businesses
56 78
and send it to
76 Business Intelligence Feb 25 - 27, 2010 IIM Kozhikode
*Special rates apply
48 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

45. 15MINUTE
TRAINING
EDUCATION
WORKPLACE
ASANAS
FOR
STRESS
MANAGER
Manage IT Four steps to controlling IT opex PAGE 51
IT Strategy How to map enterprise IT needs PAGE 52
COMPENSATION RELIEF
WORKFORCE TRENDS PAGE 50 Power Dressing 5 simple steps to buing the right
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT suit PAGE 5 4
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
BY M O H I T C H H A B R A
S
arvesh Rana was befuddled. He
had just stepped out of the third
presentation on a foggy winter
morning in Delhi. He had been
looking for advice from consul-
tants to help him enhance productivity at
his Rs 150-crore auto ancillary company.
All the presentations that day
suggested adding a new CRM
application and tweaking the existing
supply chain system with some
additional hardware and more software.
Most of these systems would pay back
for themselves within a year or two,
promised the guys in blue suits.
Somehow, Sarvesh felt this approach
to enhancing productivity was
counterintuitive. He desired simplicity.
Unknown to Sarvesh, something
similar, at a far larger scale, happened
a few years ago.
MANAGE IT
FROM FAT
Mark Hurd took over the reins of HP
in early 2005. His single-minded focus to
trim costs was as clear then, as it is now.
TO FIT
Some of the ‘hard’ decisions he took then
seem so simple and commonsensical,
with the advantage of hindsight.
PHOTO GRAPHY: PHOTOS .CO M
Hurd at HP
Hurd came in during good times and
sliced off 15,200 jobs, or almost 10% of Surgical interventions on IT operating
the company’s headcount. He then led
the initiative to slash the company-wide
budget can deliver benefits without
use of applications from 6,000 to 1,500. loss of efficiency
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 49

46. 15-MINUTE MANAGER
Hurd also forced a consolidation of HP’s
data centre, bringing down the number
from 85 to six! And HP’s own IT depart-
ment was slimmed down to 8,000 from
the original 19,000 people. All this,
Hurd made clear, was with the intent to
hire more sales staff.
The results are clearly reflecting
on HP’s balance sheet today. Hurd’s
unwavering attention on trimming
costs, both capital expenditure (capex)
and operating expenditure (opex) have
seen HP’s bottom line grow even in
hard times. HP recently forecast that
sales for 2009 would decline as much OFFICE YOGA By Dr Naveen Arya | aryansclinic@gmail.com
as 5%, but Hurd still is projecting a
nearly 6% rise in profits.
ASANAS FOR STRESS RELIEF
Sarvesh decided that he would make
no additional investments in IT. “Let’s get Watch out for signs Taking full, cleansing breath is a simple and
that indicates you are powerful, relaxation technique. It’s easy to
more juice out of the existing facilities, stressed learn, can be practiced almost anywhere, and
and reduce operating costs,” he thought.
is the quickest means to overcome stress.
Outsourcing the company’s COGNITIVE SYMPTOMS
IT organisation seemed like an MEMORY PROBLEMS The basis of this technique lies in the art
intelligent and easy answer, but I NABILIT Y TO CONCENTRATE of breathing from the abdomen. This helps
Sarvesh knew that the theory and P OOR JUDGMENT the lungs get as much fresh air as possible.
practice of outsourcing were entirely SEEING ONLY THE NEGATIVE When you take deep breaths from the abdo-
different things. He knew that once ANXIOUS OR RACING THOUGHTS men, rather than shallow breaths from your
he decided to outsource, it would C ONSTANT WORRYING upper chest, you inhale more oxygen. The
expose his company to new forms more oxygen you get, the less tense, short
of risk. An inferior supplier of PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS of breath, and anxious you feel. So the next
outsourced services would only dent AC HES AND PAINS time you feel stressed, take a minute to slow
his relationship with his suppliers DI ARRHEA OR CONSTIPATION down and breathe deeply.
and customers, he thought. Sarvesh NAUSEA, DIZZINESS
l Sit comfortably with your back straight.
wanted to adopt a common pragmatic C HEST PAIN, RAPID HEARTBEAT
Put one hand on your chest and the other on
approach to reducing his operating LOSS OF SEX DRIVE
your stomach.
expenses on IT without having to FREQUENT COLDS
issue pink-slips. l Breathe in through your nose. The hand on
your stomach should rise. The hand on your
The stepping stone chest should move very little.
Taking the lawnmower approach to cut-
l Exhale through your mouth, pushing out
ting costs may be faster and involve less
as much air as you can while contracting
effort but it runs the risk of endangering
your abdominal muscles. The hand on your
future business outcomes. Experts sug-
stomach should move in as you exhale.
gest that the first step in understanding
what to cut is to find out where busi- l Continue to breathe in through your nose
ness has its costs. Business areas–or and out through your mouth. Try to inhale
domains–that are consuming a lot of IT enough so that your lower abdomen rises and
PHOTO GRAPHY: JAYAN K NARAYANAN
services (and thus cost) may be doing falls. Count slowly as you exhale.
so in a strategic or tactical drive. That’s
PHOTO GRAPHY: PHOTOS .CO M
If you feel uncomfortable in breathing from
fine. But if it’s due to sloppy business
your abdomen while sitting, try it lying on the
processes or inefficient IT support,
The body’s natural relaxa- floor. Put a small weight like book or flower
there is an opportunity to drive poten-
tion response is a powerful on your stomach, and try to breathe so that
tial IT savings.
antidote to stress that can the book or flower rises as you inhale and
A recent study by Savvis, an
be achieved by deep breath- falls as you exhale.
outsourcing provider of managed
ing, meditation, and yoga
50 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

47. 15-MINUTE MANAGER
FOUR STEPS
TO CONTROLLING IT OPEX
Understand the constitution
1 of operating expenditure.
Use this analysis to list the areas of
opportunity, and potential risks as-
sociated with cost cuts
Assess the impact of each cut.
2 Review each initiative strate-
gically in the context of its impact on
finance, operations, technology and
interface with clients. For instance,
sometimes a tactical efficiency move
might increase the risk of complexity
and resource utilisation
Implement cost efficiency
3
“IT managers “We have saved a measures in a controlled way
to reap appropriate benefits, and
ensure that these initiatives are cor-
must proactively huge amount by rectly aligned to reduce opex
Monitor and report cost ef-
look for ways standardising all 4 ficiencies. Once the process
to build efficiencies into the system
to improve or applications for have been set, it is critical to super-
vise and measure them to create a
standardise the 44 countries self evolving system
procedures” we operate in” More practical steps
—S K Mishra, Regional Manager —Dhiren Savla, CIO, Fortune favours the brave and one area
(IT), Raheja Builders Kuoni India where IT managers must show bravado
is to adopt virtualisation, which can
help servers do more tasks than origi-
“THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS COST nally planned for. It can also help IT
managers extract “more juice”. Smart
RATIONALISATION IS TO CREATE AN thinking and configuration can enable
virtualisation software to run eight
INVENTORY OF ALL APPLICATIONS” machines off a single server.
—Sanjay Mittal, Manager (IT), Indofarm Tractors & Motors “IT managers must proactively look
for ways to improve or standardise
procedures. Internal systems and
computing and network infrastructure saved a huge amount of money by just processes must be tailored to reflect
for IT applications, reveals that the standardising applications and support the realities of the outside world,” feels
drive to reduce operating costs is a for all the 44 countries we operate in.” S K Mishra, Regional Manager (IT) at
concern among IT managers at a global In the same study, more than half of Raheja Builders. For example, the pace
level. The study shows that nearly two the IT managers surveyed noted that of technological change is slowing down.
of the five IT managers surveyed felt the greatest cost savings would emanate Most developments taking place are
that standardising IT infrastructure from reducing infrastructure costs and improvements in already established
solutions could help cut costs. introducing a virtualisation strategy. systems. HP’s Hurd feels that most
Confirms Dhiren Savla, CIO at Kuoni Basically, it is the magnified focus on of the R&D investment is actually
India: “We have, in the last one year, reduction of operating expenses. ‘maintenance spend’–expenditure that
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 51

48. 15-MINUTE MANAGER
is needed to keep existing technology IT STRAT
running. He is trying to cut that expense.
HEALING
Heavy IT users can adopt the same
approach by revisiting all procedures
ACHILLES’
that were developed when the pace of
development was far more scorching.
“Software licenses can total millions
HEEL
of rupees depending on the size of your
workforce. A first step towards costs
rationalisation is to create an inventory
of all applications,” suggests Sanjay
Mittal, Manager (IT) at Indofarm When project requirements are not
Tractors & Motors.
According to him, while this will captured completely and correctly,
help provide clarity about the user and
purpose of applications, it will also help
project budget and timelines go
the management ascertain which licenses haywire. How to keep things on track
and applications are underutilised.
The screws can then be tightened BY S U M A E P
to make necessary adjustments. IT
managers across the board must sit
I
and work with vendors to re-examine
maintenance contracts to make sure all t is often said that 80% of all enterprise projects that fail, do so because
critical needs are covered, expenditure of basic flaws that occur at the time of defining project requirements.
is routed in the right direction and all Numerous instances can be cited when the project, on completion,
wasteful spend is eliminated. turned out to be fairly different from what was desired. The reasons,
more often than not, lie in the ambiguous and unclear project require-
IT-finance wedlock ments formulated by the team.
The final step is reassessment of ser- Here is a compilation of the most common errors while creating a project
vice level agreements. Significant requirement document, and the best way to avoid them.
monies can be saved if the penalty
clauses are removed, and service Inefficient communication
levels are rationalised. The whole Misinterpretation is, by far, the biggest culprit behind the cre-
data service market has seen a huge ation of wrong project requirements. It can start from the top,
buildup in strength and delivery. says Surendra Kapur, a senior business IT analyst with a
Therefore, it is not a bad idea to con- leading financial services company’s India unit. “The CTO
sider what uptimes are being deliv- or the CIO knows what he wants out of the IT project. But
ered at a commoditisation level of he does not have the time to spend with the delivery team and
these services, and then fine-tune work out details. So he assigns a senior IT manager to look after
SLAs accordingly. For example, IT the project and conveys his vision to him,” Kapur explains.
managers could reduce a 99% uptime The senior IT manager then tries to make sense of the
requirement to 95%, and in lieu get a vision to define what is required from the project. This
far more efficient pricing. is often not congruent with what the CIO has in mind.
Cost containment options must If the CIO is involved in intermediate discussions,
move beyond adoption of new then the gaps can be sealed early enough. However,
technologies or improved practices. if the top stakeholders come in at a later stage a lot
It must constantly focus on exercising of effort may have been made on the basis of the
sound judgment and identifying senior IT manager’s briefing.
opportunities to save as soon as they Sometimes, a customer may not even have
emerge. An enterprise can make this complete vision of what is required. He may have
possible by involving IT managers in ideas that could evolve as the business analyst
financial planning; one must not forget probes about the business and its various processes.
that IT managers are as concerned The analyst will have to be skilful enough to not
about the colour of the balance sheet just balance technology with solid business sense,
as the finance people. but also be extremely good at eliciting information
52 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

49. 15-MINUTE MANAGER
“The IT manager
should understand
“...there is no
the business
process for
processes or
requirement
application for
gathering in
which the solution
majority of Indian
is required...”
organisations”
—Shivshankar Singh, DGM —Krishnamurthy Hegde, Founder
(Operations & Trading), BSE India of Interactive Media Worldwide
community on LinkedIn
from various stakeholders. If this does requirements, too many requirements start getting into the details that you
not happen the IT project can land in and unclear requirements.” realise that many aspects of the scope
a mess where must-have features turn Agrees Mohan Verma, Executive have not been covered.
into optional ones, and a debate starts on Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers “The scope issues may be with respect
change requests. when he says many times the definition to business functionality. Or they
“Generally, there is an attempt of certain terms is not clear, and hence could be about the nature of rollouts to
to obtain requirements by asking there could be a difference in their different locations. It could also be about
customers or users what they want. interpretation by the user groups. training the end-users , even though you
Naturally what is actually provided is “For example, when one talks about may have adopted the train-the-trainer
a list of ‘wants’ instead of needs,” says customisation in ERP projects the approach,” says Verma.
Shivshankar Singh, DGM (Operations definition is not clear. Both sides could Another issue with scoping or
& Trading) at BSE India. be responsible for confusion. While the defining the project requirements is
He reiterates that there is no actual solution-provider, in his enthusiasm to trying to define all the requirements
process for requirement gathering in push the sale, may keep some aspects of upfront. According to Johanna Rothman
majority of Indian organisations, or it is the scope blurred, the client, in his bid, of Rothman Consulting Group, “Users
limited due to time constraints, forcing to contain the cost may do the same,” he don’t know what they really want until
the analyst to accelerate interviews and explains. they see it, or at least, some of it. So,
information-gathering sessions to capture using an agile approach to define and
the bare minimum information and then Inadequate scoping implement some requirements will
attempt to interpret what the user needs. More often than not, during a pre-sales work much better than trying to define
“The result,” he adds, “is cycle while doing a scoping study, there all the requirements upfront.”
incorrectly stated requirements, is only so much one can do. It is only “Gathering and defining project
missing requirements, unnecessary when you actually get into delivery and requirements is a continuous process. It
is so critical that many companies treat
this as an independent project within
“The mantra is simple. You should the bigger project,” says Krishnamurthy
Hegde, Enterprise Solutions Architect
and founder of the Interactive Media
define the scope in layman’s Worldwide community on LinkedIn.
“The IT manager has to thoroughly
language and avoid jargon” understand the business process for
which the solution or application
—Virendra Deshpande, Sr Manager (NOC), Reliance Big Entertainment is required. He should know what
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 53

50. 15-MINUTE MANAGER
POWER DRESSING users are doing, how they are doing it
5 SIMPLE STEPS (manual, automated, or using a third-
party tool), their knowledge of the
TO BUYING THE RIGHT SUIT process and role of technology in that
process,” adds Hegde.
Digging better
Verma explains, “Solution architects
play a key role in this process. Hence,
deploying highly experienced solution
architects, who bring in an appropriate
blend of business knowledge and tech-
nology solution expertise, can make this
exercise fruitful.
“Depending on the nature of the
IT solution and the maturity that the
industry has attained in deploying
the solutions around that technology,
the template and methodology used
for capturing scope can range from
being very basic to very advance. The
Clothes indeed make a man. And wearing the right suit more mature the solution, higher the
likelihood of good scoping,” adds Verma.
can spell the difference between success and failure.
Some tips on how to select the right suit
Requirements
document critical
Feel the fabric: Suits in this part of the world are largely bought when
1 winters set in, and thus it is not a bad idea to buy something that is
Finally, it all boils down to the require-
ments documentation. Hegde says,
100% natural wool. Apart from providing you the protection, wool is a natu- “Instead of focusing on actual use cases
ral fibre, that is comfortable and durable. and interactions, people involved in
Select sober shades: Experimentation is for lads. If you are buying requirements gathering often start writ-
2 your first or even second suit, then go for dark shades such as navy ing essays on the requirements. This
blue, gray or black. If, however, the suit is in line with a few others that you leads to problems in interpretation.”
have in your wardrobe, then you could consider pinstripes. But remember He further states that the various
to go for colours and patterns that are classic, and will withstand fashion teams involved—requirements
erosion. elicitation, development, functional
expertise and testing—can interpret
Style it right: If this is your first suit, then opt for a single-breasted
3 one. It has buttons in front in one single row. If you have a heavy
the document in different ways. “They
need to be in complete sync with one
frame, then better avoid a double-breasted suit as it will only add bulk. Don’t another,” he suggests.
forget the vent—the cut in the suit on the back. Side vents are considered Similarly, Kapur points out that
more European and more suave. Never buy a suit without vents. companies use templates to avoid
Fit it and forget it: Make sure the salesperson takes all your meas- misinterpretation. Short and to-the-
4 urements. Ensure that the suit’s shoulder hugs you, and the shoulder point descriptions, flow charts and
pads do not protrude over your shoulders, and that you can button the coat visual explanations are better for this
comfortably. As for the coat’s length, you should be able to cup your fingers kind of a document.
under its sides. The pants should sit on your waist and not hips. Sums up Virendra Deshpande,
Sr Manager (NOC) at Reliance Big
Complement it: The suit is only complete with matching shirt and tie.
5 Entertainment, “The mantra is simple.
PHOTO GRAPHY: PHOTOS. COM
The classic colours for a shirt to accompany a dark suit are light blue You should define the scope in layman’s
or white. A very formal shirt will come with linked cuffs, which are closed language, and avoid jargon. Scope that
using cuff links or silk knots instead of buttons. However, they are going out is set by vendor and well understood by
of fashion. Ties should always be darker than the shirt. customer is the stepping stone to success
of the project. Learn to manage the
—By Mohit Chhabra perception of your customer.”
54 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

51. WIRELESS
WHAT
THE CHOKES MY
INTERNET?
BIG EXPERT PANEL
BASANT FALGUN SURESH A SHAN-
CHATURVEDI SHUKL A MUGAM
HEAD IT, PER- SR GENERAL HEAD-BUSINESS IT
FETTI VAN MANAGER SOLUTIONS (BITS),
MELLE INDIA (IT), HIKAL MAHINDRA &
LTD MAHINDRA FINAN -
CIAL SERVICES
connectivity is clean and there are no issues,”
THE SITUATION... said the customer care executive. “Please check
again, it can’t be,” an irritated Ravinder said.
“Ravinder, can you check what is wrong with Ravinder had hit a wall. He was the IT Man-
the Internet again,” exclaimed exasperated ager at FreidCorp, an investment banking firm
Manoj Tyagi, Vice President of an investment bank- that employed 120 people at the Delhi office.
ing firm in Delhi. “I need to urgently download the The office was an icon in itself. Designed by a
presentation that Kartik has sent from Mumbai,” specialist firm from Hong Kong, the office was
he added. swank and modern. Everything was wireless,
“I am already printing this 300 page document and the equipment had been pre-configured to
for the client and need a copy of this presentation ensure there were no problems, as some of the
to complete it,” he added, raising the alarm bell. senior folks were Mac users.
The delegate from the UK-based company was What really confused and intrigued Ravinder
expected to reach the office soon. was that everything was working fine. The
Ravinder looked at his wrist watch to see the wireless printing worked well, the backups hap-
time, and it read 10:30. It had been only an hour pened, but the Internet was always a problem.
into the Monday morning and this was already The ISP kept on repeating that there were no
the fourth call. And all of them were about issues. But there were issues—all the time.
Internet connectivity. All Ravinder could think was, “What would
Unknown to Manoj, Ravinder was already Sherlock Holmes do in a situation like this?”
speaking to the service provider on the other Everything, on the face of it, is fine, but some-
line. “Sir, your dedicated 2 Mbps line is working thing is afoot. Getting to the bottom of mystery
absolutely fine. The problem is at your end. The was gnawing Ravinder.
FROM HERE
Your responses count. Log on
to www.itnext.in/bigQ to submit
NEXT
CUT IT
your replies. The best entry will be
published in the next print edition.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 55

52. THE BIG Q
THE COULD BEQUESTIONS...
BIG CHOKING THE INTERNET BANDWIDTH AT FREIDCORP? THE
?WHAT
DEDICATED 2 MBPS LINE SEEMS TO BE WORKING WELL AT THE SERVICE
PROVIDER’S END.
? WHAT SHOULD RAVINDER DO TO PERMANENTLY SOLVE THE PROBLEM?
HERE ARE THE ANSWERS...
‘BUILD A WIRED NETWORK’
FIRST ANSWER
The closest analogy to this problem is that your car hit a bottleneck.
That’s because the eight-lane freeway you are driving on has termi-
nated into a two-lane road. The reasons could be many.
Printing a 300-page document over the Internet could be resulting
in massive data flow from the end-user machine to the print spooler,
which can cause the pipe to choke. Since the same content goes to
copying and printing, the server will need time to respond, and it
could be causing the delay. Besides, copying a 300-page document
can also lead to a surge in Common Internet File System (CIFS) traffic,
with huge TCP acknowledgement flowing through the same line.
The other notable point is that all 120 users at FreidCorp and the
entire IT resource are on wireless, which is limited to 54 Mbps.
BASANT Ravinder’s problem could be getting compounded by the fact that a
CHATURVEDI lot of data—file transfers, data backups and printouts—is also flowing
through the same network. Since all the devices in the office are wireless,
Head IT, Perfetti Van such data flows can clog the network.
Melle India
There could be other possible reasons. Since its the beginning of the business hour,
About me: and a Monday, there is a possibility that the security templates are getting applied on user
Consummate tech machines. Also, antivirus and software definition updates could be running when users
professional with
expertise on SAP log-in to the business network. Though the line connectivity is reported to be normal, a
platform. In the past high latency rate could be causing the delay, and thereby choking the pipe.
have been associated
with Basell India and
Seagram India SECOND ANSWER
Ravinder needs to build a wired network for backup, printing and FTP services. The
wires in the FreidCorp office will free the wireless network from a lot of data packets.
The WiFi network can then complement and augment the wired network, instead of
substituting it. He can also prioritise a key user group on wireless rather than putting
everybody on it.
Besides, there is a need to sensitise users that large documents should be downloaded
from remote servers to the local desktops before printing. This will make the printing
traffic local, and save a large amount of Internet bandwidth. Copying of large files
is classified under CIFs traffic, and other methods like portals, FTP, and managed
downloads can be considered to improve speed. He could also explore the option of
payload compression hardware and software that can help reduce the line utilisation
while copying large documents.
In case it is not already done, he should look at securing the wireless network first and
hide the SSID broadcast, so that only legitimate users are able to connect to the wireless
network. Also, the back-up window can be planned in a way that it doesn’t clash with
the peak business hours.
56 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

53. THE BIG Q
‘CHECK CONNECTIVITY STRINGS’
FIRST ANSWER
At times, it is hard to pinpoint the problem till all the issues have
been studied in depth. There could be several factors responsible for
choking the Internet bandwidth at FreidCorp.
In many enterprises like this, the network uses multiple wireless
routers and switches to create a local wireless mesh network, which
is uplinked to the gateway router. This connectivity between internal
and external network needs to be checked. In such cases, local
processes like printing and file sharing will work because there is no
local connectivity problem. Also, connectivity between ISP and the
gateway router will work perfectly, and that is the reason the ISP did
not find any problem in the connectivity. There is a possibility that
the local network is not properly connected to gateway router.
FreidCorp’s network might also be suffering from Denial of FALGUN
Services (DoS), Trojan or worm attacks. In such cases, while the SHUKLA
connectivity to ISP may work fine, the network under hacker attack
or because of internal malicious attacks could experience slow Internet connectivity. Sr General Manager (IT),
Hikal Ltd
Also, it could be a proxy issue—if Ravinder has a proxy or firewall set up then he
should check whether the users are permitted to use it. There could be a possibility of About me: An advance
caching overflow or blocking, so he should initialise the cache and restart the network. accountancy graduate
who ventured into
the field of IT and
SECOND ANSWER technology and stayed
put. Has been in the
To resolve the issue, Ravinder should ensure that the local network is properly con- industry for over two
nected to gateway router, and conduct regular check for proper connectivity strings. decades, of which the
past eight have been with
He should also ping the gateway router and ISP router to verify connectivity, and both Hikal
the networks.
If it is the security issue that is creating the problem, Ravinder should isolate the
problem and clean the network. The communication should be renewed only after
putting in place a mechanism to properly monitor the routing packets. He should also
review the firewall settings and other security rules to avoid such incidents. Ravinder
should also check the DNS resolution on the user’s work station by using NSlookup to
ensure that DNS resolution is happening properly. NEXT
Enterprises in India are using Wi-Fi network to complement wired networks,
WI-FI and in some cases for building-to-building connectivity (NUMBERS IN (US $ MN))
800
744
600
517
400
207 342
200
124
2005-06
2008-09
2006-07
2007-08
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
80 SO U R CE:
42 TO NSE
TELECOM
0
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 57

54. THE BIG Q
‘CONTROL UNOFFICIAL BANDWIDTH’
FIRST ANSWER
Choking of bandwidth is an issue that many enterprises grapple with,
and the cause could be either the internal network or at the ISP end.
At the user-end, high volume of discreet content uploads or down-
loads can choke the pipe. Similarly, online games, streaming media
applications, peer-to-peer file sharing and such application all con-
sume high bandwidth.
If all these factors are not the cause, then it could be the issue of
physical connectivity and hardware. Improper firewall configuration
could also be the culprit. Finally, it could also be virus, worms,
spyware or Trojans that are causing the bandwidth to choke.
SECOND ANSWER
SURESH A Ravinder needs to take some basic steps to resolve the problem. First,
SHANMUGAM he should check if there are any connectivity and bandwidth issues
from the service provider’s end, and whether the ISP is indeed pro-
Head-Business IT viding 2 Mbps connectivity. While he needs to check the firewall configuration for proper
Solutions, Mahindra
& Mahindra Financial access control, it is also important to control Internet usage through proper policy imple-
Services (M&MFS) mentation, and ensure that adequate security measures are in place at the user end.
It is also quite possible that FreidCorp has peaked ‘official’ bandwidth usage. In this
About me: Member of the
Shadow Board on IT in case the only way is to upgrade bandwidth and go for a backup link from a different
M&MFS. Was associate vendor. However, Ravinder should certainly map the company’s existing and ‘near
with Appsoft in the past
future‘ requirements before deciding to get a backup link.
NOTES
NOTES
What causes network congestion?: http://tinyurl.com/ITNext-NetworkCongestion
MORE RESOURCES Managing a Wi-Fi network: http://tinyurl.com/ITNext-ManagingWi-FiNetwork
Securing a wireless network: http://tinyurl.com/ITNext-ManagingBandwidth
58 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

55. TECH TALK
JAIDEEP BILLA
OPINION Advisor to Chief Architect & CEO,
Polaris Software Lab
power of distributed peer review and
transparency of process.
“The promise of Open Source is
better quality, higher reliability, more
flexibility, lower cost, and an end to
Resolving the
predatory vendor lock-in,” the group
says on its website www.opensource.org.
The claim of open source, while
counter-intuitive, is not without
‘Open’ dilemma
merit. But not all OSS can lay claim
to the above. Only a certain genre of
OSS has lived up to the promise. The
manager, therefore, needs to identify
the characteristics of the right genre
F
of software.
or a few years now, we have The fundamental law that governs
been witnessing a vocif- the quality and reliability of all
erous debate on the use Open Source is the hypothesis that
of Open Source Software “with enough eyeballs all bugs are
(OSS) within enterprises. shallow”. Therefore, the one defining
Juxtaposed against the might of pro- characteristic that a manager must
prietary software, OSS has often been evaluate while making a choice of OSS
portrayed as the right thing to do, more is whether there is a strong and vibrant
from a philosophical rather than a busi- community around the product.
ness point of view. A strong and vibrant community
But what are the business benefits of assures that the OSS in question would
going the open way? be reliable and of high quality. However,
Let us demystify the OSS first. It can these two, in themselves, do not make
be described as a piece of software that OSS the best choice.
is governed by a license that allows the For a given situation, the manager
user to modify and redistribute the must map the “fitness” of Open Source
software without any restrictions. The with needs of the organisation.
10 conditions defining compliance to An IT manager must evaluate (a)
Open Source are listed at http://www. the “fitness of purpose” on whether
opensource.org/docs/osd. the licensing puts any restriction
Initially, the OSS movement was The fundamental law on the way that the product is to be
an expression of the desire to be in that governs the quality commercially exploited, (b) the level
charge. The IT manager too is equally of training required by users, (c) the
eager to control his own destiny. and reliability of all support assistance if any required by
However, the manager seeks to do so Open Source is the the CIO, (d) the security rating of the
more by making vendors responsible product, and (e) the scalability and
for providing a reliable infrastructure hypothesis that functionality of the product.
and less by seeking access to the “with enough eyeballs While the IT manager can look
code and making his own changes. forward to resolving his dilemma with
But using and modifying software all bugs are shallow” OSS, he must remember that what is
written by a multitude of people good for Peter need not be good for
Paul. So, do your homework well before
PHOTO GRAPHY: AJAY CHAW L A
does not intuitively appear to be the
smartest way of providing reliable opt for OSS, the IT manager exposes you decide to embrace or keep away
infrastructure to run a business. himself to the risk of low reliability from OSS.
Yet, OSS continues to find takers, and security.
thanks to its low cost vis-à-vis that However, the Open Source group
The author has been associated with firms like
of proprietary software. But while asserts that it is a development method NCR and Sutherland and is an alumnus of IIT-
cost provides a compelling reason to for software that harnesses the Kanpur and IIM-Calcutta
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 59

56. CUBE CHAT | RANGANATHAN N N
ASPIRE TO
INSPIRE
“Being a role model for someone is
more satisfying than holding any fancy
designation,” believes Ranganathan N
N, Joint Manager, Business Information
Technology Solutions (BITS) at Mahindra &
Mahindra Financial Services (MFFS)
BY JATIN D E R S I N G H
N
“ othing is impossible in this “My present organisation has shaped and
world. Even the word ‘impos- moulded me, and I will remain indebted to my
sible’ says ‘I’m possible’. Have bosses who offered all the support that I needed,”
faith in your potential and give he comments.
whatever role you play the best When asked about the most challenging project
shot.” This is how aspiring CIO, Ranganathan N he has tackled so far, Ranganathan describes an
N, enunciates his success mantra. ERP implementation project that happened in
Currently working as a Joint Manager, 2004. “We underwent a transition from Fox Pro
Business Information Technology Solutions to Oracle, and during that delicate period, many
(BITS) at Mahindra & Mahindra Financial team members quit the organisation. The challenge
Services Limited (MMFSL), Ranganathan was to make the new team members understand
believes in setting a goal (for himself and his team) the complex algorithms, provide them domain
that is SMART—specific, measurable, achievable, knowledge, and strive for user acceptance,” he
MY SUCESS realistic and time-bound. reminisces. He now heads several projects in the
MANTRA Armed with degrees in commerce and company.
Have faith in your poten- computer science, Ranganathan started his career “We are developing a handheld device that
tial and give your best as a programmer with Satyam Computers before has three levels of authentication to reduce
shot to whatever role moving on to Mahindra & Mahindra Financial chances of frauds or refusal of payments to assist
you play Services in August 2002. the company’s field officers record customer
60 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

57. CUBE CHAT
FACT FILE
NAME
RANGANATHAN N N
CURRENT DESIGN AT I ON
JOINT MANAGER -
BUSINESS INFORM AT I O N
TECHNOLOGY SO LU T I O N S
(BITS) AT MAHIND R A &
MAHINDRA FINA N C I A L
SERVICES
CURRENT ROLE
RESPONSIBLE FO R N E W
IT INITIATIVES
PEOPLE MANAGE M E N T,
PROGRESS REVIEW AN D
REGUL AR REPORT I N G TO
THE MANAGEMEN T
PROJECT MANAG E R
FOR MF-BIZ CONN EC T
SOFT WARE PROJ EC T
EXPERTISE
PROJECT MANAG E M E N T,
PEOPLE MANAGE M E N T,
“A LEADER SHOULD NOT SHY AWAY FROM TAKING VENDOR MANAGEM E N T
AND IMPLEMENTAT I O N
NEW RESPONSIBILITIES AND CHALLENGES TO WORK EXPERIENC E
SET EXAMPLES FOR HIS TEAM”
2002–PRESENT
JOINT MANAGER –
BUSINESS INFORM AT I O N
TECHNOLOGY SO LU T I O N S
statements along with pictures and thumb my team members. It helps us to understand (BITS) AT MAHIND R A &
impressions,” he elucidates. one another, and build mutual trust which MAHINDRA FINA N C I A L
“With this device we will be able to is very important for any team,” opines SERVICES
minimise the time spent for trivial things Ranganathan.
2001–2002
like field investigation, duplication of work, According to him, a leader should not shy PROGRAMMER, SAT YAM
authentication, arranging photographs and from responsibilities and challenges and COMPUTERS
so on,” he explains. should set an example for his team.
EDUCATION
IT achievements apart, Ranganathan has So, is he ready to take on the responsibility
2007-2010
been a district champion in carom during of being a CIO? “Maybe in another two years. MBA, IGNOU (PUR S U I N G)
his college days. He is also a movie buff. “I However, we have got over 430 branches
am an ardent fan of Amitabh Bachchan and and every IT manager of the branch handles 1999 -2002
MCA (COMPUTER
Rajnikant, and do not miss their movies,” he operations independently and, in reality, acts
SCIENCE), ASIAN
enthusiastically recounts. as a CIO of that location,” he states. MEMORIAL INSTITUTE OF
PHOTO GRAPHY: R CH ANDRU
However, spending time with the family “What matters at the end of the day is how MANAGEMENT, M AD R AS
and his toddler during weekends is his top well you manage new responsibilities. I’ve UNIVERSIT Y
priority. For him, relationship-building with always aspired to be a role model for my team
1996 -1999
his peers and team members is an important members, and I guess that’s more important BACHELOR IN COM M E R C E
exercise that helps to accomplish projects in than any fancy designation,” Ranganathan (COMPUTERS), CAL I C U T
a better way. “Every week I go for lunch with signs off. UNIVERSIT Y
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 61

58. EVENT | BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
MANAGING
DECISIONS
BETTER
ENN )
C HCEMBER 15 E
(DE
N G A 16)
AI
LOR
The IT Next-Sybase ‘Enterprise
Analytics Workshop’ engaged and
B A( D E C E M B E R
AI
UMB
M EC E M B E R 17 ) informed more than 200 senior IT
(D
HI
D E L ER 18)
EMB managers on the power and application
( D EC 9
200
of business intelligence solutions
It is often said that when the going gets demand for ad-hoc queries and reporting.
tough, the tough get going. This is even The survey also found out that while
more true for enterprise IT managers who companies were mainly using the analytics
face the double-edged sword of cutting to monitor and manage their business, the
costs even while strategising for growth. access to intelligence was limited to a few—
However, there is one solution that lets top level management, and departments like
them do both—Business Intelligence (BI) finance, accounting, marketing and sales.
and Business Analytics (BA). The interactive workshop was
By implementing BI solutions, IT designed to not only provide insight
managers can not only help improve on how BI solutions can be leveraged
enterprise productivity, but also aid and within the enterprise, but also provide
abet growth by delivering insights to operational nuances that can help IT
the sales and marketing function. These managers in theimplementation process.
and other such issues were discussed, Talking about the Need of Smarter
debated and deliberated at the ‘Enterprise Analytics, Chase Hacker, Senior Technical
Analytics Workshop’ for IT managers. Evangelist (Asia Pacific) at Sybase said,
The event was jointly organised by IT “Owing to the growing competition,
Next and Sybase, and drew over 200 IT the organisations, today, need faster,
practitioners across four cities—Delhi, more accurate answers delivered to all
Bangalore, Chennai, and Mumbai. As a run their decision-makers, from all their
up to the workshop, IT Next had conducted information, on their terms.”
a nation-wide survey of IT managers to He further added that businesses not
understand the usage of technology, and only lose market share and competitive
issues related to BI and BA. The findings advantage, they also lose opportunity
were shared at the workshop. because decision-makers don’t always
H IT managers going through the problem
The survey revealed that the rapid get the right answers and very often the
statement at the interactive Enterprise
increase of data volume and data sources answers are drawn from incomplete Analytics Workshop in New Delhi
amongst enterprises had added to the information.
62 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

59. BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE | EVENT
A Sudesh Prabhu, Director, Pre-sales &
Services at Sybase
B Barrie Sheers, Senior VP & GM - Sybase,
APAC
C Chase Hacker, Senior Technical Evange-
list, APAC, Sybase
E
D Sunil Jose, Managing Director, India and
F Sub-continent, Sybase
E Shubhendu Parth, Editor, IT Next in Delhi
F Rajgopalan Giridhar, Group Editor, 9.9
Media in Bangalore
A C G Attentive participants at the Bangalore
workshop
B D
G
H I
LU C
DRAKY
WINN W
Sunil Jose of Sybase ER
gives away a phone,
Nokia E-71 to a lucky
winner
J
K
I IT managers lend a close J IT managers at the Chen- K A group of IT man-
ear to the presentations at nai workshop ponder over agers discuss the
Bangalore event the implementation of BI case study in Mumbai
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 63

60. UPDATE
OFF THE SHELF A sneak preview of enterprise products,
solutions and services
Wipro launches green PC
The toxin-free desktops ensure
safer recycling by reducing release
of poisonous chemicals to the environment
Toshiba launches
Satellite notebook
Toshiba has announced the availability
of its latest 14-inch Satellite L510-
P401A notebooks in India.
The new product comes with a dual-
core 2.2GHz Intel Pentium T4400
processor with Intel GL40 chipset and
Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics.
It also supports 1 GB DDR3 memory,
which can be upgraded up to 4GB DDR3
and a 250 GB SATA HDD. It also features
a LED backlit display equipped with clear
super view (CSV) technology, and boasts
of a high performance six-cell battery.
The notebook comes with a pre-
installed Linux-based operating system
(OS) and built-in, six-in-one bridge me-
dia slot, which is capable of supporting
SD media, Memory Stick, Memory Stick
In its bid to help better manage e-waste in KEY FEATURES Pro, MultiMedia Card and XD-Picture
the country, Wipro Infotech has launched * Meets RoHS standards Cards.
a new range of eco-friendly, and toxin-free * Free of harmful chemicals like
The laptop has a sleek black leather
desktops that comply with the European PVC and BFR
texture finish, while the (HD) LED
Union standard on Restriction of Hazard- * Based on Intel Core 2 Duo
cover and the keyboard surface have a
ous Substances (RoHS). processors
scratch proof coating.
The green desktops are free from * Designed to provide energy
carcinogenic materials such as polyvinyl efficient performance
chloride (PVC) and brominated flame PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS
CPU: Intel GL40 Chipset on a Intel GMA
retardants (BFRs). The green PCs employ Intel Core 2 Duo processors and
Display: 14-inch (35.56 cm) TFT widescreen
designed to provide energy efficient performance.
Display (HBCSV), 1366 x 768 pixels screen
“Wipro considers the launch of PVC and BFR free products a major
PHOTO GRAPHY: JAYAN K NARAYANAN
resolution
breakthrough in clean production and recycling policy. It is a very difficult
Memory: 1-GB DDR3 SDRAM expandable to
process with no alternative solution, and we worked with 37 overseas suppliers
maximum 4-GB, 2MB internal L2 Cache
for more than two years to come out with the completely toxin free product,” said
Front Side Bus (FSB): 800 MHz
Anurag Behar, chief executive of Wipro Infrastructure Engineering Ecoeye, Social
Operating System: Linux
and Community Initiatives.
Battery: 6-cell Li-ion Battery, 3.7 hours backup
The company claims that with removal of the toxins, recycling of the electronic
Weight: 2.35 kg
products will be safer. Wipro has 17 e-waste collection centres in India where
products are collected and recycled. PRICE: RS 24,990
64 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

61. UPDATE
Intel unleashes
Fujitsu unveils high Core i3, mobile i5
volume scanner processor power
Intel has introduced more than
dozen new processors, including
Price
the mobile Core i3 and mobile i5
Rs 15,995
processors.
According to the company, the two
mobile processors are built on the
new Arrandale graphic platform,
KEY ADVANTAGES and will offer nearly 70% better
* Image quality checker to integrated-graphics performance
scrutinise irregularities in soft than the old Core2 i3 and i5. With
copy images 20% more pixel shaders, the
* Colour graphics adapter (CGA) processor maintains the same low
board TDP (thermal design power). The
* VRS professional imaging 2010 Core processor family is
software being launched with Intel’s
Fujitsu has launched new fi-6800 colour A3
* Light-emitting diode (LED) new HD Graphics technology,
production scanner to meet the high-volume
lamp for energy savings Turbo Boost Technology (only
centralised scanning demands of enterprises.
* Consumes less than 4W of on i5 and i7) and Intel Hyper-
According to the company, the scanner is able
to digitise documents ranging between A8 and power in sleep mode Threading Technology.
A3 sizes, and up to three meters in length. * Paper protection and multi- The new Core i3 processors
The product also has a Automatic Sorting feed protection to eliminate are all based on the 32nm
feature that enables users to choose between paper jams during scanning fabrication technology, as are most
unique sorting sheets or barcode printed sheets of the Core i5 processors. The top-
to cleanly separate various kinds of office documents. end Core i5 processors, i5-750S
Besides, the Colour Graphics Adapter (CGA) board and VRS professional and i5-750 desktop processors,
imaging software enable quick processing. are the only i5 processors not to
The scanner can be deployed as part of an integrated enterprise content feature Intel’s Hyper-Threading
management or document management solutions. Technology.
ZyXEL makes its
Price
Rs 8,500
router green KEY ADVANTAGES
* Detachable antenna
Aimed at providing enterprises higher capa-
* Pure AP mode with full WDS
bilities for running audio, video and voice
* 802.11n technology
applications over wireless networks, ZyXEL
* Six-level output power control
Communications has announced the launch
capability
of its green NBG 419N Wireless N router.
* 64/128-bit WEP, and WPA/
With Wi-Fi protected set up, the product features wireless
WPA2 to support stringent
control for energy savings. It is also said to be compliant with 802.11n technology
wireless transmissions.
which is six times faster than the standard than 802.11g networks. The company
* Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM)
claims that the new router is designed with a user-friendly corporate interface,
technology, for enhanced audio,
and provides easy mode for navigating functions, basic setup tasks and a
video and voice applications
comprehensive network map.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 65

62. UPDATE
INDULGE The hottest, the coolest and the funkiest next
generation gadgets and devices for you
Give yourself a makeover and whip up your
work appeal with these stylish fast-forward
devices. While Activa can become your new
personal trainer, it’s hard to snub the appeal
of Nexus and iPad. Check them out WI-FI DETECTOR
T-SHIRT
AA This glowing animated
HOT APPLE IPAD
shirt dynamically displays
the current signal
A 9.7-inch multi-touch
strength of 802.11b or
screen for efficient
802.11g networks
browsing, 1GHz Apple A4
PRICE:
chip processor, upto 64GB US $ 20
flash storage, 3G, Wi-Fi,
data speeds up to 7.2 Mbps PHILIPS ACTIVA
PRICE: MP3 PLAYER
$499 AND ABOVE
Its Tempo music and
progress monitoring
feature inspires you to
exercise harder
PRICE:
INR 6,000
NEW
iHOME iA5
NEW Alarm clock speaker
system for iPhone and
GOOGLE’S NEXUS iPod, touch screen
MOBILE PHONE interface, equipped with
Features a 3.7 inches screen, Bluetooth and a built-in
1 GHz processor, Organic LED microphone
screen, 5MP camera, 4GB PRICE:
TO BE ANNOU NCED
extendable memory and a
dual microphone
PRICE:
INR 27,500
Like something? Want to share your
objects of desire? Send us your wish-list or
feedback to editor@itnext.in
66 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

63. UPDATE
BOOK FOR YOU
OPEN DEBATE A platform to air your views on the latest
developments and issues that impact you The Professional
It is not qualification and skills, but
attitude and integrity that matters
What are the top PUBLISHER : PENGUIN BOOKS INDIA
PRICE : INR 399
three technologies
for 2010?
Who is a better professional, Mahadeva,
the man who has buried more that
42,000 unclaimed corpse in Banglore
or the thousands of high performer
doctors, engineers, MBAs? This book by
Subroto Bagchi provides examples from
PRABODH CHETAN V UNNI NAIR a cross section of the society to explain
PRABHUGHATE MANJREKAR MANAGER IT, what professionalism is all about.
MANAGER-STAFF SR EXECUTIVE- ARAMEX The Professional is not a manage-
& WEBSITE, IDBI SYSTEMS, SKYPAK Enterprise focus on
ment book. It is not meant to be
FORTIS SECURITIES getting more bang from
one. Instead, it’s a diary of the son
I think cloud and cloud- I see SaaS, and for that the money will ensure
of a small-time government servant
based applications, and matter cloud comput- that cloud computing
and the values that he learnt from
infrastructure will gain ing, reaching maturity continues to lead during
his father that have stood the test of
higher acceptability this during the year. Another the year. Vendors will
time—from his days in Orissa’s tribal
year. The big next thing on movement that might grab come out with new service
district Koraput to Texas and back in
the list is business analyt- attention in 2010 is Green models on this front. On
India—work with integrity of purpose.
ics. The slowdown has IT. The hype surrounding the datacenter and desktop
clearly taught us that any the term seems to have front, virtualisation will The book is divided into six parts,
future investment and capi- finally settled down, and garner much mindshare. and while the first three sections talk
tal outlay has to be backed CIOs and CTOs are looking While virtualisation on about the key attributes that make a
by projections based on at ways and means to the server front has been true professional, the remaining three
Business Intelligence (BI). green their infrastructure, well received, I feel it will are more like DIY tools that can help
This is the reason why BI right from the server to the now move strongly to the any individual manage volume of work,
will find much accept- desk top. And finally, with desktop environment. and complex situations and problems.
ance within the commu- the expansion of enterprise Finally, the focus will shift Bagchi also asks, and gives answers,
nity. Besides, the marriage mobility, I anticipate a big to storage management. to the toughest question every profes-
between social networking change in the way compa- Thanks to the ever increas- sional faces: Is my decision the right
and collaboration tools can nies will reach out to their ing data needs, enterprises professional choice to make?
become a reality in 2010; customers. Overall, 2010 will be compelled to adopt
Google Wave was a good for me looks like a cloudy, solutions to make storage
IT NEXT VERDICT
attempt of the same. green and mobile year. more accessible.
Written in a simple language, the book
provides the explicit and implicit codes of
conduct— the boundaries which separate a
skilled individual from a professional.
Your views and opinion matter to us. Send us your feedback on stories and the
magazine to the Editor at editor@itnext.in STAR VALUE:
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 67

64. RAJIV SAXENA
MY LOG Head, Corporate
Communication, Birlasoft
Fly away,
P PC NOO
I L L U S T R AT I O N : A
my love!
Technology-driven communication
has made direct interaction with
fellow beings a rarity
I was hoping against hope that you being. We were soul mates.
would pay a visit, at least, on the New Year We had all the time in the world for each
day, for old time’s sake. But you did not. other in the sylvan surroundings of the
And now that more than a month has gone small town we inhabited. There was no TV, 3 ESSENTIAL
by, I resign myself to a life without your cable, telephone, Internet, and of course, READS
company. An incessant stream of your no cell phone or Blackberry to disrupt our INSIGHT | DATA CENTRE DATA CENTRE | INSIGHT
memories rushes through my barren heart. communion. Life was bliss. I
T managers are at the crossroads an associated level of service. For instance,
today with the economic scenario not every type of data needs the same
squeezing them from all sides. On level of protection, replication, disaster
PUTTINGTHE
one hand, the number of IT hands- management and recovery services. Hence,
on-deck are being rationalised. On savings and efficiencies can be gained by
the other, the team is under greater pres- identifying and classifying data sets into
SQUEEZE
sure to make ‘wise’ decisions about IT their associated levels of service. Certain
infrastructure planning to make the best technologies are helping IT organisations
use of their existing resources. get there faster.
Meanwhile, demands from the business
and mission critical business applications Understanding usage
But that’s not solace enough. It still hurts. However, as I moved to the big metro
are increasing. patterns
On the data centre front, the IT manager Most data centers are sized for peak condi-
can control costs by juggling a range tions that rarely exist. According to a study
ON ENERGY CONSUMPTION of variables. Some of these are delay in by Emerson, in a typical business data cen-
Blade servers
10
capital expenditure, reduction of total cost tre, daily demand progressively increases
of ownership, reduction in risks associated from about 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. and then begins consume about
with remote disaster recovery and lowering to drop at 5 p.m. However, server power
Rationalising power and energy of maintenance expenditure.
In addition, the IT team also has the
consumption remains relatively high even
as server load decreases. In the idle mode,
costs in data centers can help option of cutting cost by reducing energy many servers consume between 70% and
%
Even as a small child, my favourite to eke out a living, our trysts became
spend in many ways—from introducing 85% of full operational power.
improve resource allocation and efficient cooling systems to decreasing This means that a facility operating
facilitate the move towards green
server and storage footprints, managing at just 20% capacity may be consuming less power than rack
data growth efficiently to storing more 80% of the energy as the similar facility
mount servers of equal
enterprises data within the existing infrastructure. operating at peak capacity. A vast majority
performance
45
But adopting any of these options is of server processors have built-in power
BY MOHIT CHHABRA riddled with huge challenges. Until about management features that can be used to
a few years ago, the key challenge faced by dramatically reduce power consumption
%
a data centre manager was that of space in idle mode. However, many times, for
and availability. Today, with technology the fear of increasing response times, the
becoming robust and efficient, and features remain disabled. It would be
pastime was watching you with awe. You infrequent. The big city boasted of record
mean-time-between-failures nose diving, prudent to analyse usage patterns and
availability is the least of an IT manager’s re-examine the disabling of the power
worries. savings feature in server processors.
Energy efficiency, power density and Another disadvantage of building
of the TCO for a
cooling density are the top issues facing and running data centers for peak loads, typical rack in a high
today’s data centre manager. This is is the cost of cooling. “Computer Room availability 2N data
obvious, considering the fact that nearly Air Conditioners or CRACs are fitted centre is contributed
45% of the total cost of ownership for a with fans that run at constant speed to by power and cooling
20
typical rack in a high availability 2N data deliver a constant volume of air flow. equipment
centre is accounted for by power and Newer technologies can convert these
cooling equipment. fans to variable frequency drive fans.
could do things I could only dream of. number of smoke-belching automobiles,
“Going after cooling equipment can This controls and adjusts the fan speed
actually serve two purposes. It can create according to the server load, thereby
energy efficiency that directly translates optimising and bringing efficiency to
%
into cost savings thus converging the power consumption,” says Pratik Chube,
objectives of green IT with that of business,” Country General Manager (Product
says Bhairav Kulshrestha, Manager (IT) at Management & Marketing) at Emerson
Atul Group of Companies. Network Power India.
reduction in the fan
Planning, or sharpening the axe, is a And these savings are easily quantifiable. speed of computer
great tool to generate cost efficiencies. Like For instance, a 20% reduction in fan speed room ACs can help
all other asset classes, data and applications results in savings of nearly 50% on power cut over 50% of power
arrogant skyscrapers obliterating the stars
consumption by these
Perched elegantly atop a tree, you would
should be identified and accordingly consumed by fans. The advantage of this
classified into categories that then deliver new technology is that these variable fan- fans
30 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 31
suddenly take to the skies. Having pierced and the skies, ramrod telecom towers, maze Rationalising power & energy
of electricity poles and wires, and all the cost at data centers can help build a
the low-lying clouds, you would hurtle
greener enterprise. Pg 30
downwards like a shooting star, suddenly paraphernalia that development brings in
shifting into a gentle glide to alight atop its trail. INSIGHT | TELECOMMUTING TELECOMMUTING | INSIGHT
GETTING ’EM
the tree. And as if to congratulate yourself Noxious vapour reigned as numerous WORK
HOME
FROM
at the feat you would break into a celestial humans lived a miserable existence on Telecommuting employees can
deliver big gains only if enterprises
adopt robust technologies and the right
policy measures
song, every note of which still remains pavements and along frothing sewage
BY PRAGYA SINGH
W
ork is something
we do, not some-
proved to be favourable for both
employer and employee.
point to the growing importance of
telecommuting among Indian SMBs.”
Says Dr Deepak Shikarpur of Computer
Society of India: “Telecommuting is possible HOW TO MAKE IT WORK
thing we travel If your company is in a business In small businesses, telecommuting wherever there is clarity in the role, and data
preserved in my heart—for ever. drains. In such a scheme of things, there
■ Provide telecommuters with proper technical, technological
to. While this is where employees do not need to be penetration is highest among security is in place.”
and logistical support to ensure that they are able to do
not yet a catch physically present to carry out work, or professional businesses followed by In addition, telecommuting requires robust
their job effectively
phrase in Indian organisations, but if your organisation is facing problem manufacturing units, that have remote technological support to enable hassle-free
it seems well on its way getting there. finding an adequate and suitable production facilities and specific communication between the organisation and ■ Put in place proper data security measure to avoid intrusion or cyber
With urban centres such as Delhi, workspace, then telecommuting can be service needs. However, in the medium the employee. According to Shikarpur, a PC with attacks triggered from a telecommuter’s system
Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad an answer. The concept has come of age, business segment, the penetration is wide screen and high bandwidth Internet with ■ Install a mobile management system to keep a regular check on
getting more congested, the corporate thanks to the availability of high-speed highest in the banking and finance adequate audio is the minimum setup needed for data security policies for remote devices
sector is presenting its employees flex- connectivity and handheld devices, at sector as they have agents and brokers home operation.
■ Ensure adequate communication infrastructure is in place for real
ible work options that enable them to least in major Indian cities. working from remote locations. “Secured access to the corporate network
time interaction and collaboration from point-to-point, and point to
cut travel time and boost productiv- According to Kalyan Banga, But, like in other technology is also a must,” he says, adding, “Privacy at
multi-point
What poise, what grace, what melody, was, obviously, no place for you.
ity. A recent survey conducted by Research Analyst at AMI Partners, deployment, the concept cannot be home and a good telephone instrument with
IDC revealed that 81% of executives “Telecommuting penetration is on rolled out without a proper enterprise speakerphone facility would be ideal.” ■ Frame policies to restrict unauthorised access and
PH OTO GR A PH Y: PHOTO S. CO M
polled across the Asia-Pacific region the rise across Indian enterprises, strategy for telecommuting. IT downloading of files
strongly agree that telecommuting particularly amongst SMBs. While it managers need to understand a Security and performance ■ Help telecommuters understand the tools, and provide special
improves productivity. In 2005, only has increased from 3% in 2006 to 11% host of issues—from security to management handbooks or reference guides to help them use technologies, ac-
61% thought so. in 2008 amongst smaller companies, it performance management, policies for Security becomes a major issue in telecommut- cess information and expertise
For a growing number of has jumped from 8% to 27% amongst data classification and defining access ing. Adopting measures such as secured access
businesses, telecommuting has medium level enterprises. These figures rights—to prepare their organisations. to business data, phone systems, applications
and, most enchanting of all, what fanciful I am reduced to communicating with
34 IT NEXT | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0 | IT NEXT 35
Put in place right policies to
flights! They kept me enthralled. I often the world largely through the gadgetry make telecommuting employees
tried to mimic you. Preened and pranced development has thrust upon us. Direct more productive. Pg 34
like you. And you lovingly watched. interaction with all fellow beings is INSIGHT | STRUCTURED CABLING STRUCTURED CABLING | INSIGHT
I could never take physically to the becoming a rarity. You too have abandoned
S Ojha, who is the IT Head at Birla more efficient operations, reduced power
Tyres’ Balasore unit says, “Appropriate consumption and lower life cycle costs.
planning for cabling is a prerequisite to IT managers, should, therefore carefully
MAKING
avoid any issues in the performance.” assess the future voice and data require-
Structured cabling indeed has ments of the organisation when planning
come a long, long way from the times for a new cabling system.
when it would attract only peripheral While Cat 5e solutions are still being
involvement of IT managers… considered for environments where the
RIGHT
applications are not very bandwidth
THE
Planning matters intensive in nature, Cat 6 solutions
me. But I daren’t blame you. N
When Birla Tyres planned to augment are perhaps seeing the largest share of
skies like you. But you did train my spirit
their production capacity to 500 tonnes greenfield deployments.
of tyres per day, the IT team decided to Cat 6A solutions which offer 10G
take a close and careful look at the struc- Ethernet over unshielded twisted
T N
CON EC IO S
tured cabling plan, as part of the bigger copper have gained a great deal of
IT infrastructure plan. traction over the last couple of years,
The company wanted to take a holistic
view of the cabling infrastructure, as it
also planned to integrate the networking
especially in data center environments.
For higher requirements, fiber is
still a preferred media, also because
“IF THE SOLUTION
IS DEPENDABLE
infrastructure at their two Orissa- it is immune to electromagnetic AND ADHERES
based production units. Of course, interferences and cross talk. However, TO STANDARDS,
to soar to indescribable heights and to Flap your wings, my dearie, and
it was necessary that the solution be
standards-compliant.
technological advances have also made
copper-based solutions for a number
SUBSTANTIAL
Finally, a combination of Cat6 copper of applications. AMOUNT OF OPEX
cable and single-mode fiber optic Market data suggests that over 85% CAN BE SAVED ON
structured cabling was selected.
While factors such as vendor’s
of all new installations will be cabled
with Cat6 solutions, which costs about
ITS UPKEEP OVER
A LONG RUN
The right cabling solution need
reputation, high quality performance,
budget and lower installation costs
influenced the company to select the
35% more than the Cat5e.
In view of this significant cost
difference, it is often argued that if there
—Ajay Kumar Pandey, DGM
(IT), BL Kashyap
”
not be bleeding-edge, but must be solution, the decision to upgrade to the
Cat6 standard was largely driven by the
is no visible requirement for high-gig
applications, or if your organisation has
standards-compliant and suitable
unimagined lands. fly away to the deep jungles where
high bandwidth requirement to support plans to move to a new premise or site
for existing and potential application
future applications. in 2-3 years time, then Cat 5e solutions
Emphasising upon the detailed may still be worth considering.
requirements planning that went into determining
the right solution, Ojha says,
However, such exceptions apart, Cat
6 solutions are a de-facto standard. This
78
“There is always ambiguity over the also helps you accommodate other IT
BY JATINDER SINGH
“
bandwidth needed to support future initiatives such as Fibre Channel over
communication models. Therefore, an Ethernet (FCoE), IP convergence and
% appropriate planning is a prerequisite
to avoid any issues in performance.”
server virtualisation.
“IT professionals upgrading or
mankind’s greed-driven development
“APPROPRIATE
From childhood, to youth to the twilight
Agrees Milind Tamhane, Vice deploying their network today should
A CABLING CALL THAT the IT team at Birla Tyres took almost a year ago is now President-ITS, Manufacturing at therefore consider MPO solutions, high-
serving the country’s fifth-largest tyre manufacturer well. Digilink: “78% of network related density solutions, higher bandwidth PLANNING
The Cat 6-based solution provides uninterrupted bandwidth and availability to
meet the company’s ever-growing applications requirements, ranging from data
of network related problems occur because of a wrong
decision in deploying an efficient
cabling, and cable management that
ensures reliability, flexibility and
WHILE GOING
problems occur FOR CABLING IS
and voice to video. structured cabling solution. The irony scalability,” says Dileep Kumar, Director
because of a wrong
Looking back, Birla Tyres was determined to take a holistic view of the cabling
decision in deploying
is that many organisations in India still of Product Management, ADC Krone, A PREREQUISITE
infrastructure, as it also planned to integrate the networking infrastructure at their
two Orissa-based production units.
efficient structured
do not understand this logic.” India & SAARC.
Another high-gig copper standard
TO AVOID ANY
ISSUES IN THE
”
They believed that this approach would not only save on the overall capital
cabling solution Identifying the right is Cat 7, which is a shielded technology,
solution PERFORMANCE
”
expenditure but also lead to an improved ROI. The team evaluated a number of —Milind Tamhane, aimed at supporting 10G for high-speed
of my life you have inspired me. A look at may dread to venture.
solutions from different vendors and even took inputs from external consultants Vice President- ITS, Given lower TCO as a top priority, the bandwidth intensive applications. —S Ojha, IT-Head, Birla
to arrive at the best fit for the organisation’s strategic needs. Manufacturing, Digilink need is to identify solutions that facilitate However, the adoption Cat 7 standard Tyres, Balasore Unit
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you and my blues would be blown away. But rest assured, you will continue to Follow standards for a perfect
A strange sentiment would suffuse my live in my heart. Till it flutters! structured cabling solution. Pg 46
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