Information Technology Blog

This article is also available as a Podcast on “The RootCause” podcast series available on iTunes.

As our country begins what I can only hope is a new era, I find myself wondering about the future of our industry. Information Technology took a very hard hit in the Dot Bomb Crash of 2000. I was under contract to Lucent Technologies at the time and the impact there was enormous. Jobs were lost by the thousands, and so were retirements. Now, in 2008 and 2009, we see another financial bomb–but we also see a new vision.

In 2000, the world discovered that just being on the Internet did not guarantee success. Prior to that, business was doing well at moving money around, if not actually producing much. The cash had to keep moving or it would settle to the ground and people would notice that there wasn’t that much new money–just the same funds moving in circles–redistributing. Maybe that is what finally happened. Maybe the music stopped and everyone realized that there weren’t enough chairs for everyone–and panicked.

The financial bomb this time is a bit different and as I am not a financial consultant, I will not try to explain it–even if I fully understood it-which I do not. My concern here is the impact of this market on my industry, the Information Technology Industry. This time it seems, we are not dead center on the bull’s eye–instead we are the arrow point. We went through our decimation and many of us retired, retrained in other fields or just gave up. Others stayed on and have continued to grow with the technology. It’s leaner and meaner and there are far fewer of us to do what needs doing. But, it is also the foundation of the new economy to come.

New energy systems and a rewrite of the way that the Health Care Industry does business will be heavily steeped in Information Technology. Our skills are going to be in more and more in demand as companies around the world, and here in the United States, scramble for ways to create a sustainable future for our planet and our respective countries. We will be right in the middle of it. Are you ready for that? Are you really?

One side effect of the trimming down of our industry has been reluctance to invest in upgrades, to improve efficiency of systems and, most importantly, to create. Older equipment and technology are often still in place–in mission critical positions. Products at the end of their support cycles, that are still working, are still in place. After all, why fix what isn’t broken? Money is tight.

Here is why you should fix it while it is still working.

(1) Because it IS still working. Once a component fails, you will end up scrambling to replace it–making bad decisions and building sloppy installations.

(2) Because new software tools, operating system manufacturers, (think patches), and other manufacturers of equipment, do not perform regression testing back to the beginning of time. If your operation system or other software tools are past that magical line in the sand, new-supposedly helpful-patches and upgrades could break your systems in unforeseeable and unsupportable ways.

(3) Because it is not about keeping your position in a company or in a market. It is about creating new technologies, processes and markets. The old ways don’t cut it anymore and whoever creates a solution to a problem, regardless of country or marketplace, will drive the economies of the world–and of their niche in the global marketplace. If your company creates products or provides services, you need to be on the crest of the wave.

President Obama has asked us to be willing to make hard decisions and to work to create the new technologies that will drive the world’s economy. I for one, embrace the call. Let’s stop trying to make our money by moving money from one pocket to another and begin once again to create. You, the people of the Information Technology Industry, are going to be right at the heart of it. Technologists, look for companies that want to be there too. Information Technology Managers, look for people with passion. Let the wonder that first led you to master an aspect of the magic of technology once again inspire you. This is our moment. This is our challenge. It’s time once again to have some fun with this stuff!

No doubt the requirements of future are to securely record, capture and hold huge amounts of information no matter the applications are data retrieval, archiving, disaster recovery or data backup. Therefore the aims of semi-conductor, optical and magnetic storage media’s manufacturers are to record more data amounts at reduced cost and faster rate. Magnetic tape is the superior storage technology that can hold data safely for longer time duration. When we compare these different storage technologies, the conclusion is that the magnetic data tape’s per GB cost is the lowest. LTO tape technology has achieved greater storage space per cartridge and is still increasing with the introduction of its new generations. The storage capacity of LTO tape has gone beyond 1 terabyte. LTO-4 tape can store 1. 6 terabytes of compressed data. This is really massive data amount as 1TB can accommodate three hundred million text pages. There are numerous challenges that the high- capacity storage media have to handle. These challenges include reduction in metal particle’s size, reduced tape thickness, low cost per GB, increased track density and bit density. Maxell has achieved these goals and devised the best solution to overcome these challenges by introducing the Neo Super Maximum capacity Advanced Reliability Tape (Neo-SMART) technology in the LTO3 (183950) tape format. Neo-SMART is combination of 7 key technologies that contribute to the overall high reliability and output of the Maxell ultrium LTO-3. Technologies included in Neo SMART are advanced dispersion, fine metal-particles, ultra thin coating, high-performance tape cartridge, advanced calendaring, stable writing of servo-track writing and ultra precise slitting. Maxell has employed strong and durable dual-binder mechanism in the LTO-3 (183950) tape by the induction of Neo-SMART technology. As the density of metal particles is increased, the metal particles tend to stick with each other. So the tape surface gets rough resulting in reduction of the signal strength. Maxell found the solution to this problem and introduced two complementary mechanisms that ensure ultra smooth dispersion of the metal particles. This advanced mechanism makes even dispersion of metal particles and afterwards each particle is adhered by a specific binder layer. The metal particles are adhered through a chemical process. Technologies included in Neo SMART are advanced dispersion, fine metal-particles, ultra thin coating, high-performance tape cartridge, advanced calendaring, stable writing of servo-track writing and ultra precise slitting. It is necessary that the tape reel should be highly durable and tough as the quantity of heads has increased in the modern tape storage products. Maxell has employed strong and durable dual-binder mechanism in the LTO-3 (183950) tape by the induction of Neo-SMART technology. Neo SMART comprises of binders some of them are primary while the others are secondary. Neo SMART with the help of tough chemical bonding forms a three dimensional (3-D) structure. This structure increases the magnetic layer’s resistance against heat ensuring high level of reliability and accuracy in severe conditions. So the technology of Neo-SMART in the Maxell ultrium LTO3 cartridge helps to provide the best and accurate results even under high pressure and work load. Advanced dispersion and chemical bonding because of the Neo SMART technology makes the LTO tape cartridge more powerful, robust and tough with increased tape life. For online order of Maxell LTO-3, HP LTO3, TDK LTO3, Fuji LTO3, Sony LTO3, Dell LTO3, LTO ultrium and LTO cleaning tape please visit ‘tape4backup. com’

HP AIT (advanced intelligent tape) is ideal and most reliable data backup technology for workgroup and departmental backups. HP AIT is the superior tape format that offers remarkable and unmatchable performance, large storage capacity and low operational cost. Built-in Memory in cassette elevates the file access process and upgrades the durability. The process to access data files is very fast and accurate in AIT tape media. Its advantageous and best feature is that it’s operational and maintenance cost is also very low.

HP AIT technology provides superior compatibility with all the AIT libraries, tape drives and autoloaders. Built-in memory in the AIT cartridge improves the integrity of stored data. AIT tape drives prevent the tape cartridge from any harm or damage caused by debris because they have self cleaning heads. This self cleaning technology restrains and stops building up of debris. This mechanism provides extra protection to the AIT tape media.

The other forceful and supreme technology in AIT is Advance Metal Evaporated (AME). HP AIT-2 (Q1998A) is compatible with the AIT2 tape drives and SSL-2020 Storage Works tape library. The archival/storage life of HP AIT-2 technology is about thirty years. The key feature of AIT tape technology is enormous recording space with low cost. TAPE4BACKUP. com offers best prices on HP AIT-1, AIT2, AIT-3 and AIT cleaning cartridge.

If uncompressed data of 100GB is recorded on AIT tape cartridge, then the advantage of data density provided by the AIT will be ten times more than magneto optical (MO). This means that for storing similar data volume, more than ten juke-boxes of magneto optical will be required. So the AIT technology allows the organizations to save more money and energy as it will use less floor space, cooling and power. MIC technology and dual reel AIT cartridge assist in increasing the search performance, transfer rate and also boost the load process and efficiency. AME technology extends the AIT tape’s life and ensures safe storage of information on AIT tape media for thirty years even without refreshing or tape rewinding. This mechanism provides extra protection to the AIT tape media.

HP AIT meets the challenge of regulatory compliance effectively with its WORM feature that blocks any activity that tries to erase or makes changes to the information that already has been recorded onto the AIT media. Until now, five generation of AIT format have been launched into the market and all tape versions are performing efficiently. HP AIT tape versions provide to its consumers complete backward compatibility and protection to the organization’s investment.

The extension of the AIT tape is the Super AIT tape format (1/2 inch single reel tape cartridge). SAIT also has WORM technology. Data archival in long term is not limited to some extent by the media’s abilities of data retention but it depends more on the storage platform’s life cycle. That is why AIT format is adopted and trusted by majority of the leading companies around the globe. HP AIT tape technology’s combination with the management software and supporting tape libraries offers the most reliable blend of performance, capacity, retention compliance and low cost.

HP AIT, AIT turbo, HP AIT3, AIT1, AIT-2, AIT cleaning tape, AIT barcode labels, AIT empty cases and Data media tapes are available at TAPE4BACKUP. COM at lowest prices.

The new wave of marketing advertising and communication, dynamic, digital signage, takes advantage of the huge strides we?ve taken in video recording and programming technology over the past 50 or 60 years. One reason for the increasing popularity of digital signage is the dropping cost of this technology. Narrowcasting networks (as digital signage is known in the Netherlands) are more affordable now, and the costs continue to decline. The results of POP advertising, digital media advertising and captive-audience networking, however, continue to get better and better.

From the huge electronic billboards unmistakably displaying brands and services in downtown large cities, world-wide, to the drop-down screens on busses and airplanes, to the credit card display screen at the gas pump digital signage displays are undeniably gaining in popularity.

The massive billboards dominating Times Square in New York City are N-tier player networks, with a multitude of networks, covering various venues but controlled from a single location. Admittedly, these awe-inspiring dynamic displays are expensive, technologically overwhelming, and just not within the financial grasp of every business or organization.

A far less expensive, and far less complex system of digital media advertising displays consist of basic MPEG-2 video loops displaying content over small, flat-screen LCD ad players. Many smaller businesses utilize this much simpler and less costly technology to great effect in their POP advertising strategy. This scaled-back use of digital signage is ideal for small groups of displays since they can be updated easily enough by simply changing the programming disc or CD-ROM.

Rapidly falling prices for the hardware needed for out-of-home media networks is also allowing smaller businesses to upgrade their marketing and communications strategy. LCD ad displays and plasma display screens are selling for much less than they were four or five years ago. Playback and broadcast equipment has been dropping in price for even longer.

The variety if Internet connectivity options means that availability of electronic advertising, informational, and marketing programming and broadcast technology is available to everyone no matter how constrained their budget. . The technology today is such that you can operate your LCD ad player or your LED scrolling message board from your PC or laptop.

Another method in reducing the cost of digital signage technology is found through eschewing brand-name equipment for ?no-name? brands. Technologically equal to better-known brands, these lesser-known brands are very often cheaper, and, in many cases, easier to operate. One study, by Projective Marketing, LLC found that price varied as much as 77% from display to display. Shopping lesser-known brands for your digital media display network technology works!

Finally, the growing selection of digital signage software, cellular technology that allows you to deliver your messages in text format to specific cell-phone subscribers, and the relaxing of interoperability and broadcast standards indicates that in the very near future, digital signage will be available to everyone.

There are no direct financial fruits from merely owning a patent. There are a lot of patents and products which are lying useless in federally funded universities and research laboratories across the country. A patent or product must be adopted, purchased or leased by a corporation for development.

The Technology Transfer Agents are present to complete the cycle of innovation by bringing to the market, products and services resulting from federally funded research institutions. They are also considered the catalysts for innovation.

The only reason for being a transfer agent is to make federally funded research available to private industry, for discovering new applications for new inventions, technologies, and products. To return royalties and revenue back to the research agency.

More than 700 laboratories and research centers apply their research and development skills and expertise for the advancement of science and represent almost all federal departments and agencies- conducting over $100 billion in research and development annually and employ more than 100,000 scientists.

Their science makes our lives safer, more convenient, and more fulfilling from medicine to transportation to communications, these research facilities investigate everything that is known and extract knowledge from the previously unknown. These scientists’ efforts, desires, and creativity are unparalleled.

But all of this work is for nothing if the talents of the genius are not unleashed. It is really necessary that the mind-blowing developments happening behind laboratory doors be transferred from the logical existence to practical existence.

To take full advantage on the nation’s investment in federal research, the expertise and technology should be brought to the marketplace, which not only enhances the nation’s socioeconomic well-being in the global marketplace, but security and prominence is also secured.

This transfer is accomplished through the outstanding work of scientists, agency representatives, and technology transfer professionals. This achievement requires a vision, a plan, and a methodology.

In 2003, LipidLabs acquired and commercialized the Advanced Lipoprotein Fingerprinting Screening technology that allows doctors to better identify health risks. After maturing the technology, it was sold it to Spectracell Laboratories, Inc. for $354,000 and retained a royalty interest, which is then distributed to the prior shareholders as a dividend.

Built on the strength of success, Lipid continues to capitalize, keep alive and deliver the next generation of technology from R&D Facilities like Texas A&M to the marketplace.

LipidLabs, Inc, partners with Fortune 500 companies, small enterprises, universities, and research institutions bringing innovations to market. Finding or funding private and publicly held corporations LipidLabs turns research into reality.

LipidLabs has the vision, plan, and methodology with the tools and services to ensure that the efforts of federal engineers and scientists are not left on a shelf. LipidLabs develops and tests transfer methods, addresses barriers to the process, helps the marketing process, and provides additional funds for necessary product development. LipidLabs offers capitalization, private funding, and fast track commercialization.

Three distinct R&D Commercialization Segments form the foundation of LipidLabs Technology Transfer Services: 1) Nano-Technology and Applied Materials; 2) Bimolecular Sciences, Medical Health and Wellness; and 3) Manufacturing, Transportation and Storage.

In most cases, LipidLabs will obtain an exclusive license and marketing rights from the university or research facility that will provide for royalty payments to the university from profits generated by that technology. In some cases, LipidLabs actually purchases the patents to products under development.

LipidLabs Growth Strategy is the first strategy to simply increase number and value of technology transfers valuations. Second strategy is to expand customer and university supplier base.

LipidLabs expects to continue to develop new technologies and to leverage on the millions of dollars of research grants that universities spend developing these products.