• VMware Adjusts vSphere 5.0 Licensing Model

    Just a few weeks after introducing its new licensing scheme for vSphere 5.0, VMware has made some adjustments based on customer feedback. These changes have been made to address some of the concerns customers expressed about the new model, which shifted licensing constraints from processor sockets to vRAM (provisioned memory).

  • Are You Ready for UEFI on Your x86 Servers?

    Your data centre is in the midst of the biggest server firmware upgrade ever, and you might not realise it. The update is called UEFI, and it doesn’t actually bring a lot of new features. Instead, it’s a long-overdue, industry-wide "bug fix" for x86.

  • Acquisition rumors put spotlight on evolving microprocessor market

    Recently, rumours were swirling that Dell might be preparing to acquire AMD Corporation. Although we do not feel such a deal is likely, it did get us thinking about the evolving role of “industry-standard” microprocessors, and whether that may be the driving force behind the rumour.

  • HP Looks for Critical Advantage in Support Services

    As hardware maintenance services have gradually become commoditised, along with the hardware itself, vendors have increasingly sought to increase margins by packaging and selling higher-level services. Once upon a time (prior to the 1990s), when margins on computer hardware sales were still quite high, maintenance services were not always seen as a key source of revenue, but rather were considered a giveaway that were effectively bundled in with the product. However, times have changed.

  • Dell Aims to Plow Ahead with Acquisitions and Services Growth

    IDEAS recently met with Joe Kremer, the Managing Director of Dell for Australia and New Zealand, for a presentation to a small group of press and analysts. During the talk, Mr. Kremer covered both local and global issues, reviewing the previous year and projecting what we might expect from Dell in 2011.

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