Sun to Open Source Solaris? There are not that many UNIXes
out there any more. All of the low-and mid-end operating systems
(except for Windows) have been killed by Linux (and to some extent,
BSD variants - and yes, I'm counting Mac OS X as one of these). Only
in high end, some UNIX variants still exist for specialized purposes
(like IRIX or AIX), but for the most part, even they are dying away.
You see, I believe in software commoditization. Much like
electricity, or cell phones, you can buy electronic parts from
different suppliers, and different manufacturers, have them all
co-operate with one another, and build a fully functional computer
from them. For some parts, you have a lot of choice (like
motherboards); for some, you have less (CPU). But this all is good
for the consumer, because he does not have to rely on a single
supplier, or a single product. If it's faulty, he can reclaim his
money and take his money elsewhere.
This is not true for operating systems. You run Windows, or you don't
run anything at all.
If Windows was a standard, this would be okay. ...
Grok Headline matches for On Software Commoditization
Commoditization of Software
Commoditization of Software07/15/2004 04:54 PM Impressionistic transcript of a session from Always On on the
Commoditization of Software hosted by Jonathan Schwartz, President &
COO, Sun Microsystems. Jonathan has a related post on his blog. * Rod
Smith, VP, Emerging Technologies, Software Group IBM *...
Cooperation and Commoditization
Cooperation and Commoditization07/21/2004 09:43 PM Before I get down to business on Social Media, I thought I would
further bind the thread of commoditization, and include a shmoo
monster. The thread runs from how Sun montetizes Java, my capture of
the Commoditization Panel at AO,...
In Defense Of Commoditization
In Defense Of Commoditization07/13/2004 03:47 AM A couple months back, there was yet another discussion about Nicholas
Carr and his assertion that technology no longer matters, since it's
being commoditized and no longer offers any competitive advantage. At
the time, I wrote an explanation about why commodit
ization is good for innovation, because commodities become inputs
towards innovation, and (being commodities, after all) they're
cheap. Cheap inputs certainly can lead to greater innovation.
It looks like Sun's Jonathan Schwartz agrees. He describes why Sun is so desperately trying to standardize
certain products to push along the commoditization process. This
is not, as Carr would have you believe, to destroy competitive
advantage, but to help build it. Of course, you could make the
argument that Sun hasn't done enough to really push for
standardization -- and even that their hesitation to go a standardized
route has put the company in a very difficult position. Still,
Schwartz's thoughts are an interesting read. The ideas make sense,
even if the implementation has been problematic.
Commoditization And Innovation - IT Does Matter
Commoditization And Innovation - IT Does Matter05/06/2004 03:49 PM Last year there was a long and loud discussion all around the tech
industry concerning Nichola
s Carr and his assertion that IT doesn't matter any more, since
it's become a commodity. Now, knowing that controversy sells books,
he's gone on to write a full length book, <
i>Does IT Matter? Information Technology and the Corrosion of
Competitive Advantage. Professor Hal Varian, in the NY Times
has responded brilliantly to the arguments Carr makes. Carr's
assertion (often misunderstood) is that IT is becoming a commodity,
and as such, offers no sustainable competitive advantage to companies.
Basically, the argument is that everyone can easily have the same IT
setup, so it should be looked on in the same way as electricity: a
necessary component, but one that gives no particular advantage.
Varian makes the point that we've discussed here in the past:
commoditization, by itself, does not mean the end of innovation
or the end of business opportunities. In fact, it can be the exact
opposite. Commoditized products are inputs into innovation.
The fact that they are commoditized actually means it's easier
and cheaper to use them innovatively to gain a competitive
advantage. In other words, it's about taking advantage of the fact
that they are commoditized and realizing that they're now resources
and not end products themselves. The same argument, by the way, could
be used in the entertainment industry - but that's a story for another
post. Still, I think the real stumbling block with Carr is his
insistence on "sustainable competitive advantage." Let's face it,
sustainable competitive advantage is a myth. There is nothing
any company can do that can't be copied eventually (or leapfrogged).
Competitive advantage is always fleeting. What a good company
recognizes, however, is that the way you build the idea of a
sustainable competitive advantage is by constantly innovating, so that
your fleeting competitive advantages add up to a sustainable one. One
way to do that is to recognize commodities for what they are:
opportunities for new innovation, and not something to be pushed aside
as useless.
How Nicholas Carr Misunderstands Commoditization
How Nicholas Carr Misunderstands Commoditization05/11/2004 03:16 PM Nicholas Carr sure is getting a lot of attention for his book
rehashing last year's argument that "IT Doesn't Matter." Last week we
had two
different posts explaining why Mr. Carr's thesis was wrong. Now, Wired Magazine
has let Carr speak for himself, and he does a dreadful job trying
to defend his position. It is definitely true that many people
misunderstood his thesis concerning the commoditization of IT.
However, the industry execs he mentioned in the article did
understand his thesis and responded with valid points. Carr's problem
is that he thinks that those who are arguing against him don't believe
that commoditization is happening. He's wrong. Everyone knows that
technology is being commoditized. That's the process of technology
advancement and competition. It's how the world works. So, by giving
examples of how the companies that criticize him are commoditizing
products he doesn't help his own argument. The point that he's wrong
on isn't that products become commoditized, but it's when he believes
the world ends with commoditization. Once a product is commoditized
he seems to believe that all power to profit is gone. As we explaine
d last week, that's not true at all. The power of
commoditization is that it becomes a cheap input, rather than a final
output. It becomes the building block of more innovation. What the
smart company realizes (and Mr. Carr seems to miss) is that
commoditization drives innovation, rather than kills it. By
completely misunderstanding the arguments that show his thesis is
wrong, Mr. Carr does himself a huge disservice. It would be great to
see him actually debate the points raised against him. Instead, he
just trots out a straw-man argument (that companies are commoditizing
IT products). Everyone agrees with him that this is happening, so
arguing about it is pointless. What he's confused about is that
companies (and individuals) know how to use commoditized technology to
create new opportunities.
Broadlook--#1 CRM Software Solution--Empowers your CRM Software and fill your CRM Software with contact management relationships.
Broadlook--#1 CRM Software Solution--Empowers your CRM Software and fill your CRM Software with contact management relationships.06/18/2004 03:03 AM Whichever CRM software your company uses, you need to look at the
Broadlook Suite of Software which should seamlessly integrate with
whichever CRM software you are using. BroadLook is an integrated set
of applications designed to harness the Internet as a powerful
real-time data source--the data from which can be exported into your
CRM software. [PRWEB Jun 18, 2004]
Adobe to buy Macromedia in $3.4 billion stock deal - Computer Software - Internet Software - Software - Internet - Company Announcements - Earnings - M&A
marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B3B04AC26-E1ED-4FA3-8
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site | 3 links
Print Manager Plus Wins W2KNews Top Award for Best Print Management Software, Best Price, Best Quality in the Industry American-British Company Software Shelf Receives Software Award
Print Manager Plus Wins W2KNews Top Award for Best Print Management Software, Best Price, Best Quality in the Industry American-British Company Software Shelf Receives Software Award05/31/2004 02:14 PM Software Shelf International, Inc., an American and British software
development and marketing company today announced that its flagship
product, Print Manager Plus(R), has won the coveted Sunbelt W2KNews
Top Award for Print Management Software. The award is presented at
Microsoft's Tech.Ed 2004 for Best print management software, Best
price, and Best quality in the industry. The Award was won as a result
of voting from over 500,000 W2K News subscribers consisting of Windows
NT/2000/2003 Administrators, MIS Managers, MCPs, MCSEs and IT
professionals around the world. Print Manager Plus solves the problem
of the hidden cost of printing in organizations. According to
Datamation document costs consume up to 15% of a company's revenues.
Print Manager Plus reduces these costs. [PRWEB May 26, 2004]
Sixth Sense Software Releases New Versions of Macintosh Point of Sale Software
Sixth Sense Software Releases New Versions of Macintosh Point of Sale Software09/21/2004 02:49 AM Sixth Sense Software Co. Inc. has released Version 6 of its Macintosh
point of sale software, Sixth Sense POS for retail and wholesale
operations, and Sixth Sense Cafe for restaurant and food service
operations. [PRWEB Sep 21, 2004]
Priosoft adds CSC Software as private labeler of Priority One Plus Construction Management software.
Cygnus Software Integrates Their IncomeMax Needs Analysis and Financial Planning Software with Act4Advisors
Cygnus Software Integrates Their IncomeMax Needs Analysis and Financial Planning Software with Act4Advisors06/22/2005 03:00 AM Cygnus Software Inc., a provider of practical, insurance and financial
planning sales solutions, and Allied Financial Software, provider of
customized ACT! software, have partnered to provide their users the
ability to automatically populate an IncomeMax financial planning case
with customer information stored in a Act4Advisors contact management
database. [PRWEB Jun 22, 2005]
Babya Software Groups Updates Digital Asset Management Software
Akamai Software Releases New Version of SwordSearcher Bible Study Software
Akamai Software Releases New Version of SwordSearcher Bible Study Software08/12/2004 02:23 AM Akamai Software has released version 4.5 of SwordSearcher, a Bible
study application for Windows 98/ME/2000/XP. SwordSearcher provides
users with many tools to enhance Bible study, with an intuitive
interface that is easy to learn and use, for both devotional and
in-depth study. [PRWEB Aug 12, 2004]
LandlordMax Software Inc. Releases a Brand New Version of its Award Winning Software
LandlordMax Software Inc. Releases a Brand New Version of its Award Winning Software09/07/2004 02:47 AM LandlordMax continues to build on its award winning property
management software by releasing its latest major version, LandlordMax
V1.08. This new version has been greatly influenced by the feedback
and comments of its users, mainly through the company's Idea
Initiative Program. The results of this Idea Initiative Program can
really be seen in the latest version of LandlordMax's accounting
section of the software, where major enhancements are evident. In
addition, the software now also boasts over 100 distinct reports.
Already thriving with sales in multiple countries across the world,
LandlordMax has been recognized and sold to small and large investors,
property managers, as well as banks. The latest release is already
proving to be more successful than anticipated as measured by the
general buzz and the increasing number of downloads of the software.
[PRWEB Sep 7, 2004]
My Software Library Launches Online Resource Center And Software Store
My Software Library Launches Online Resource Center And Software Store12/29/2004 03:27 AM Global software retailer and information source, My Software Library,
launched its new online resource center and software store this month.
The site, located at www.mysoftwarelibrary.com caters to a growing
population of adults and parents who aren't as technically savvy as
the generation that follows them. [PRWEB Dec 29, 2004]
Software Link Joins Best Software’s Business Partner Advisory Council
Parallel Technologies Releases New USB Software -USB Info™ - The Ultimate Software Utility and Tool for USB Devices
Parallel Technologies Releases New USB Software -USB Info™ - The Ultimate Software Utility and Tool for USB Devices04/07/2005 02:41 PM USB Info allows the user to view, browse, explore, benchmark, test,
and troubleshoot their USB Devices, all in one comprehensive and
feature rich software utility. USB Info is the most comprehensive and
feature rich software utility for USB Devices -- no other software
currently available has all the features and capabilities of USB Info.
[PRWEB Apr 7, 2005]
AEwebworks Dating Software Development Ltd. Releases a Brand New Version of its Award Winning Software
AEwebworks Dating Software Development Ltd. Releases a Brand New Version of its Award Winning Software09/13/2004 03:06 AM AEwebworks continues to upgrade its dating software with fast-growing
list of supported features. aeDating 3.0 incorporates most of the
benefits of earlier versions and offers principally new abilities to
dating industry entrepreneurs. Now aeDating comes with more design
templates, more countries zip and postal codes support, and credits,
banners rotation and plug-in systems. This new version has been
greatly influenced by the feedback and comments of its users, and
research conducted by AEwebworks Research Group. The latest release is
already proving to be more successful than anticipated as measured by
the general buzz and the increasing number of sales of the software.
[PRWEB Sep 13, 2004]
ImageLink Incorporated Continues to Expand Software Division with Hit Inspector Web Traffic Analysis Software
REAL Software Introduces Resources to Help Visual Basic Developers Convert Their Software to Linux and Mac OS X
REAL Software Introduces Resources to Help Visual Basic Developers Convert Their Software to Linux and Mac OS X07/21/2004 10:53 AM REAL Software, Inc., announced today the availability of resources
that help Visual Basic developers migrate their applications to Linux
and Macintosh. The resources include a new white paper, "Porting
Visual Basic Applications Cross-Platform to Linux and Mac OS X, A
Guide for Visual Basic Developers" and a conversion utility, called VB
Project Converter, that performs the mechanics of moving Visual Basic
projects to REALbasic.
SOA Software Named as a Finalist for Network Computing's 11th Annual Well-Connected Awards; SOA Software Servi
MCG Releases TakeCharge Software - A Breakthrough in Software Development Makes Cash Transactions a Thing of the Past
MCG Releases TakeCharge Software - A Breakthrough in Software Development Makes Cash Transactions a Thing of the Past08/12/2004 02:23 AM TAKECHARGE is a software program that allows large and small merchants
to process credit, debit, gift, EBT cards, and electronic checks
through their computers. The program has multi-threaded, multi-user,
and multi-merchant capabilities, in addition to the ability to
automatically process recurring transactions. The software is written
in Java and can run across almost all computer operating systems.
[PRWEB Aug 12, 2004]
SkySof Software Releases PDF Maker DLL for Software Developers - a Powerful ActiveX DLL for Creating and Editing PDF Files and much more
Software Support Expert Publishes Telecom Software Book
Software Support Expert Publishes Telecom Software Book07/31/2004 02:10 AM Kundan Misra, co-founder of Meadoweb - leading provider of IT and
software educational support - has written the industry standard book
on telecom network management. [PRWEB Jul 31, 2004]
Perl/Unix Software Developer for Web Hosting and Software company
Dynamic Answers - Software Factory Located In Lilburn, GA - Wins Medical Print-on-demand Software Contract
Dynamic Answers - Software Factory Located In Lilburn, GA - Wins Medical Print-on-demand Software Contract12/24/2004 12:19 PM Pritchett & Hull Associates, a well-known medical patient education
publisher chose Dynamic Answers to design and deliver their new
print-on-demand system for web-based patient ed materials. Hospitals
and home health care centers will now have an easy-to-use solution for
printing fresh patient care handouts from an internet browser. [PRWEB
Dec 23, 2004]
Celerus Networks® Unveils All-In-One Wi-Fi Management Software Suite in a Free Software License Package – Offer Makes Wi-Fi More Affordable than Ever
SkySof Software Releases PDFViewer OCX - a Powerful ActiveX Control for Software Developers Which Allows Their Applications to Display and Interact With PDF Files
Software Company Announces Program To Give Away Software
Software Company Announces Program To Give Away Software06/05/2005 11:39 PM Software company that caters to small businesses offers free software
for download [PRWEB Jun 4, 2005] Grok Description matches for On Software Commoditization GrokA matches for On Software Commoditization
Microsoft steps up efforts to nab Unix migrations
Microsoft steps up efforts to nab Unix migrations09/27/2004 08:49 AM Hoping to throw some tacks in the road to slow Linux momentum,
Microsoft during the next year will redouble its efforts to woo more
corporate users migrating from Unix to the open source OS.
Microsoft to Take on Unix/Linux in Supercomputing Space
Microsoft to Take on Unix/Linux in Supercomputing Space06/23/2004 03:45 PM After a bit of hemming and hawing, Microsoft has decided definitively
to jump into the supercomputing space with a new Windows Server SKU.
Called Windows Server 2003 High Performance Computing (HPC) Edition,
it's due out in the latter half of 2005.
Microsoft: No New Sybari Sales for Unix, Linux
Microsoft: No New Sybari Sales for Unix, Linux06/22/2005 02:16 AM The company completes its purchase of Sybari and announces plans to
discontinue new sales of the enterprise anti-virus product for Unix
and Linux platforms.
Microsoft To Launch Windows Services For Unix 3.5 Next Week
Microsoft To Launch Windows Services For Unix 3.5 Next Week01/12/2004 12:42 AM As LinuxWorld Expo approaches, Microsoft will try to upstage gains
made by its open source nemeses next week by launching Windows
Services For Unix 3.5.
Windows Services for Unix 3.5, which is currently in beta testing and
will be officially launched next week, is updated for the latest round
of Windows offerings, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP.
Microsoft nixing official Virtual PC support for UNIX, Linux
Microsoft: No New Sybari Sales for Unix, Linux (Ziff Davis)
Microsoft: No New Sybari Sales for Unix, Linux (Ziff Davis)06/22/2005 02:36 AM Ziff Davis - The company completes its purchase of Sybari and
announces plans to discontinue new sales of the enterprise anti-virus
product for Unix and Linux platforms.
Microsoft Drops Anti-Virus Support for Domino on Unix
Microsoft Drops Anti-Virus Support for Domino on Unix06/22/2005 02:47 AM On the same day that Microsoft announced it completed its purchase of
anti-virus software vendor Sybari Software, the company also revealed
that it plans to discontinue immediately new sales of Sybari's Antigen
for Unix and Linux.
Microsoft Windows Services for UNIX ahora es gratis (pero sigue sin ser libre)
Can GNU ever be Unix?07/30/2004 05:14 AM When AT&T balkanized its Unix holdings in 1993, two different
companies ended up walking away with pieces of the original Unix.
Novell originally bought it all, then decided to keep the Unix source
code and sell the Unix trademark -- the name, in other words -- and
the Single Unix Specification standards to the X/Open Company. The
Open Group, as it is now called, has since learned to use these assets
profitably by offering qualification testing and certification for
operating systems. If your OS meets certain requirements, passes the
qualification tests, and you pay the fees, you get to call it Unix.
Should GNU/Linux get certified?
In Bed with Unix
In Bed with Unix02/10/2004 02:51 AM I picked up a copy of O’Reilly’s Learning Unix for Mac OS X Panther the other day. I’ve only
really read through the first few chapters but it’s interesting stuff.
Before Apple jumped into bed with Unix, and OS 9 died a slow death, my
knowledge of Unix and the command line amounted to precisely bugger
all, and, more significantly, it scared the bejesus out of me (where’s
the icons? where’s my desktop? what did I do??).
Those days have now gone though, and I’ve become really impressed at
the flexibility and power of the Unix system. The other day I set up
an alias in my .tschrc file to connect and
download a remote MySQL database — woohoo!
SCO Sues IBM Over Unix03/13/2003 10:22 AM SCO Group, owner of the intellectual property rights to the Unix
operating system, has sued IBM for "no less than $1 billion," charging
that IBM "made concentrated efforts to improperly destroy the economic
value of Unix, particularly Unix on Intel, to benefit IBM's new Linux
services business."
Unix Gems For Mac OS X
Unix Gems For Mac OS X07/06/2004 08:21 PM In this article, I'll expose you to some truly useful programs that
you may not know about. Then I'll show you how to incorporate them
into your daily work. By Kevin O'Malley, O'Reilly Network (via
MyAppleMenu)
On Software Commoditization
The following phrases have been identified by the grok system as matching this entry: microsoft servcies for unix 3.5
