It’s All About The Cloud! Cloud! Cloud! Cloud!
Any day now, I’ll create a spoof of Steve Ballmer chanting the importance of cloud computing. In just months, we’ve witnessed an increasing trend in computing where developers and small businesses are consolidating their IT infrastructure and outsourcing it to the likes of Amazon (EC2). Why is cloud computing becoming a hot topic in technology today? I think I have an easy answer:
Cost effective access to unlimited computing power
Do you have a server farm in your shed or back office? Do you have the latest in high-performing blade servers that are ready to host demanding applications and web sites? Do you have vast amounts of bandwidth to power your global reach?
If you’re a consultant, developer or small business owner, there’s a strong likelihood that you lack the technological resources of an enterprise. Now, thanks to cloud computing, the data center is now virtual and available for any tasks you can throw at it.
This website is powered by Amazon’s multi-billion dollar IT infrastructure. It lives on one of thousands of servers within the company’s vast network of server farms. The only limits are defined by the server you launch and configure. The Digg effect? What’s that? Amazon EC2 is truly a dream come true.
Cloud computing is one of the most exciting developments in technology that I’ve personally witnessed in the last decade. It puts the power of the enterprise in the hands of smaller operations — For pennies a day. I cannot think of a better way to launch new companies, develop new Internet applications or create the ‘next big thing’ in technology.
Imagine all the possibilities of cloud computing and Amazon EC2:
1. Web hosting
2. Software development
3. Telecommunications (Asterisk PBX)
4. Storage
The future of computing and the Internet is “in the cloud”.
Note: I am not endorsed by Amazon Web Services.
How-To Guide on Asterisk and Amazon EC2 Coming Soon
Update: Please follow this post for the latest regarding the release of the Asterisk / Amazon EC2 How-to guide
I am excited to announce the upcoming availability of my new How-To guide on Asterisk and Cloud Computing. Created for Amazon’s EC2 platform (part of Amazon Web Services), it will teach anyone with an AWS account and server to setup their very own PBX “in the cloud” in one hour or less!
With this guide, open source telephony aficionados will be able to tinker with, deploy and manage a world-class telecom solution for their home or business. Setup extensions, voicemail, phone numbers and more! With Asterisk and Amazon EC2, there’s no limit to what you can achieve with a world-class computing and telephony platform.
This guide is based on months of evaluation and testing of Asterisk on Amazon EC2. All the kinks and showstoppers have all been addressed in this simple, easy-to-use guide. Don’t waste hours trying to figure all of this stuff out on your own! Get the guide as soon as its available!
Keep checking back for updates to learn of the guide’s availability.
A Teary Farewell: Bill Gates Has Left The Building
Credit: REUTERS/Robert Galbraith
It’s official: Bill Gates has retired from Microsoft. Five years ago, he began a slow and transitional path to this day when he handed his day-to-day responsibilities to now CEO, Steve Ballmer. I have many fond memories of Bill and Microsoft. I made many friends at the company, gained the respect of Bill himself and had the pleasure of learning about life, business and success from an incredible individual.
Regardless of whatever opinion you might have of Bill and Microsoft, he certainly deserves the honor and recognition for his contribution to our modern world. He, along with many other role models, helped define my passion for many interests over the years. I am especially grateful for all the wonderful experiences I’ve had with Microsoft over the years. Bill was supportive the entire way.
By Daisuke Wakabayashi
REDMOND, Washington (Reuters) - Bill Gates said a teary goodbye on Friday to Microsoft Corp, the software maker he built into the world’s most valuable technology company based on the ambitious goal of placing a computer on every desk and in every home.
He leaves Microsoft, which he co-founded with childhood friend Paul Allen in 1975, to focus on his philanthropic organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world’s largest charity, funded in part by his vast fortune.
At an employee event at Microsoft’s scenic headquarters campus here, Gates joined Chief Executive Steve Ballmer on stage to deliver a short speech and field questions from employees.
“There won’t be a day in my life when I won’t be thinking about Microsoft, the great things that we’re doing and wanting to help,” said Gates, who wiped away tears as the group of employees rose to give him a standing ovation.
Ballmer, a Harvard University classmate who joined Microsoft at Gates’ behest, got choked up as he tried to describe Gates’ impact on the company and society at large.
“There’s no way to say thanks to Bill. Bill’s the founder. Bill’s the leader,” said Ballmer. “This is Bill’s baby.”
Gates will leave behind a life’s work developing software to devote energy to finding new vaccines or to microfinance projects in the developing world. He will remain chairman of Microsoft and work on special technology projects.
Ballmer spoke about how he contemplated quitting Microsoft a month after joining the company and return to Stanford University business school. Bill passionately implored him to stay and laid out the vision of the company.
(via Reuters)
Seesmic Video Comments Now Live!
I’m pleased to let everyone know that Seesmic video comments are now live on ronaldlewis.com! Now, you can express yourself visually rather than just typing!
To get started, just choose the Seesmic comment option below the “submit” button under the comment section. Enjoy!
EC2 Consulting: Referral program for Amazon EC2
To help accelerate my Amazon EC2 consulting goals (at least 10 clients per month to start), I am considering a referral program which will pay $50-$100 per paying referral. This is a great and easy way for someone to make extra money referring potential clients to my services.
If you’re not aware of Amazon EC2, there’s a lot of information available here. In a nutshell, it’s a phenomenal, mass utility computing platform which utilizes Amazon’s multi-billion dollar IT infrastructure to power web applications and more.