Author: Amy Larsen DeCarlo

As Principal Analyst for Security and Data Center Services at Current Analysis, Amy assesses the managed IT services sector, with an emphasis on security and data center solutions delivered through the cloud including on demand application and managed storage offerings.

COVID-19: The Digital Divide Drives Inequities in Virtual Learning

by Amy Larsen DeCarlo, posted in Cloud Enable
A. DeCarlo
A. DeCarlo

Summary Bullets:

  • With 872 million students relying on some form of virtual learning this academic year, lack of access to reliable technology for some is translating into an academic disaster for millions.
  • While the pandemic drags on, observers are urging a concerted effort to fill in technology gaps to support all students as schools work to find a safe path back to physical school.

COVID-19 sent billions of students into a new virtual reality as schools in 192 countries closed their doors. At the pandemic’s peak, 1.6 billion students were impacted. Even the most well-funded school systems struggled to adjust, with technology platforms that faltered. In poorer systems, the lack of technology and connectivity meant many students’ education for the year effectively ended in March. Continue reading “COVID-19: The Digital Divide Drives Inequities in Virtual Learning” →

AWS Continues Its JEDI Protest After the Pentagon Declares Microsoft the Winner (Again)

by Amy Larsen DeCarlo, posted in Cloud Enable
A. DeCarlo
A. DeCarlo

Summary Bullets:

  • After a multiple-month JEDI contract re-evaluation process, the Pentagon reached the same decision it had 11 months ago and awarded Microsoft the deal.
  • AWS immediately re-sounded the alarm that the procurement process was inherently inequitable, filing a new protest with the court.

The JEDI battle lines are still as tightly drawn as when Microsoft was declared the winner in October 2019. Amazon didn’t waste any time to raise its continued objections after the Department of Defense (DoD) disclosed it was once again awarding the sought-after multi-billion Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) contract to Microsoft. Posting a blog titled “JEDI: Why we will continue to protect this politically corrupted contract award,” AWS outlined some of the issues with both the initial award and the re-evaluation processes. Continue reading “AWS Continues Its JEDI Protest After the Pentagon Declares Microsoft the Winner (Again)” →

COVID-19: Some Countries Come Under Fire for the Potential Misuse of Contact Tracing Apps

by Amy Larsen DeCarlo, posted in Cloud Enable, Internet of Things, IT Leader, Mobilize, Network, Secure
A. DeCarlo
A. DeCarlo

Summary Bullets:

  • As more countries roll out contact tracing apps to notify citizens when they have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, concerns are emerging about how this data could be used.
  • Human rights organization Amnesty International called out the apps from Bahrain, Norway, and Kuwait for not anonymizing end-user data.

Amnesty International is issuing a warning that some of the new COVID-19 contact tracing apps may not just be an invasion of privacy but potentially put lives at risk. Contact tracing – the process of finding and notifying people who have interacted with an infected person so they can be tested and quarantine – is vital to allowing businesses, educational institutions, and governments to resume operations that are closer to normal even as the virus continues to spread. Continue reading “COVID-19: Some Countries Come Under Fire for the Potential Misuse of Contact Tracing Apps” →

COVID-19: IBM Helps Clients Protect their Digital Assets and Keep Newly Remote Operations Online During the Pandemic

by Amy Larsen DeCarlo, posted in Secure
Amy Larsen DeCarlo – Principal Analyst, Security and Data Center Services

Summary Bullets:

• IBM is mapping its COVID-19 support efforts around seven major technology and business concerns relevant to clients during the outbreak, with business continuity and IT security being two key areas.

• Company executives think the move by so many organizations to remote work will accelerate major post-pandemic transformation projects.

The rapid shift of brick and mortar operations by enterprises and governments to a remote work model has placed technology companies front and center in the fight for business to survive. IT vendors and service providers are helping clients with everything from standing up new collaboration systems and providing critical connectivity to delivering AI-based tools to support customer communications with fewer call center resources. As one of the world’s largest providers of technology and professional and managed services, IBM has been leading a massive effort to help clients transition to and manage remote operations. Continue reading “COVID-19: IBM Helps Clients Protect their Digital Assets and Keep Newly Remote Operations Online During the Pandemic” →

COVID-19: Hyperscalers Ramp Up, Clamp Down to Meet Soaring Demand

by Amy Larsen DeCarlo, posted in Cloud Enable

 

Amy Larsen DeCarlo – Principal Analyst, Security and Data Center Services

Summary Bullets:

• Hyperscale cloud providers report a surge in demand for both their on-demand infrastructure services and productivity and collaboration services

• Past experience is so far helping guide capacity planning but there are still some limitations that are impacting performance as some users and applications involved in critical healthcare and emergency services get priority

The COVID-19 pandemic is driving businesses in virtually every field to deploy a remote workforce model overnight. This shift comes with immediate need for cloud-based productivity and collaboration applications. Organizations are also looking to virtualize other elements of their infrastructures, and thus requiring more cloud capacity to support these changes. Continue reading “COVID-19: Hyperscalers Ramp Up, Clamp Down to Meet Soaring Demand” →

Cloud Rising: Hyperscale Providers Play a Crucial Role in the Race to Connect During the COVID-19 Outbreak

by Amy Larsen DeCarlo, posted in Cloud Enable
A. DeCarlo
A. DeCarlo

Summary Bullets:

  • COVID-19 has driven organizations to shift to more virtual and remote operations, highlighting flaws in our connectivity, as well as challenges with our current collaboration and other business applications.
  • While still at a relatively nascent stage, edge computing is beginning to play a role in enabling latency-sensitive use cases such as telemedicine applications for remote diagnostics that could potentially help address future global issues like the coronavirus outbreak.

The COVID-19 outbreak is driving an overwhelming shift to virtual operations for many traditional enterprises and educational institutions. The mass migration to a remote workforce and distance learning exposes technology gaps and inspires some deeper thinking on ways in which organizations can apply innovation to their models. Can more work be done remotely on a longer-term basis? How can students with limited Internet access be connected in a cost-effective and efficient way? What transformational use cases can emerging technologies drive forward that could help resolve the pandemic and address other complex problems around the world? Continue reading “Cloud Rising: Hyperscale Providers Play a Crucial Role in the Race to Connect During the COVID-19 Outbreak” →

IBM Makes a Leadership Shift

by Amy Larsen DeCarlo, posted in IT Leader
Amy Larsen DeCarlo – Principal Analyst, Security and Data Center Services

Summary Bullets:

• Rometty, IBM’s first female CEO, is retiring after four decades at the company

• Her retirement was widely anticipated: the company’s previous two CEOs retired at age 60; Rometty is 62.

Ginni Rometty is ending her eight-year tenure as IBM’s chief executive this year. IBM named Arvind Krishna, currently senior vice president of cloud and cognitive software, as the new CEO. Jim Whitehurst, formerly the CEO of IBM’s newly acquired Red Hat, will take over as president. Rometty will stay on as executive chairman until the end of 2020. Continue reading “IBM Makes a Leadership Shift” →

Amazon Stays in the JEDI Fight with Filing to Stop Microsoft’s Work on the $10 Billion Project

by Amy Larsen DeCarlo, posted in Cloud Enable
Amy Larsen DeCarlo – Principal Analyst, Security and Data Center Services

Summary Bullets:

• Two months after Amazon filed a protest with the courts over the JEDI contract award to Microsoft, the company asked a judge to suspend work on the project

• Amazon wants the court to halt work on JEDI while it considers whether the bid process was fair

In the latest episode of the DoD Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) contract saga, Amazon Web Services (AWS) petitioned the U.S. Federal Claims Court to suspend work on the cloud engagement while the Claims Court evaluates whether the contracting process was fair. The move comes two months after Amazon initially filed suit in Federal Court arguing the contract was not awarded fairly. In a November video, AWS CEO Andrew Jassy pressed the Pentagon to “shine a light on what really happened.” Jassy claimed multiple aspects of the evaluation process were deficient and subject to error. Continue reading “Amazon Stays in the JEDI Fight with Filing to Stop Microsoft’s Work on the $10 Billion Project” →

Verizon Payment Security Research Exposes Execution Issues

by Amy Larsen DeCarlo, posted in Secure
A. DeCarlo
A. DeCarlo

Summary Bullets:

  • Verizon’s annual Payment Security Report captures a snapshot of organizations struggling to continue successful controls and best practices over time.
  • The evidence shows those who do are rewarded with a better fortified defense against breaches.

Fifteen years after the payment card industry settled on a single data security standard with PCI DSS, there are indications that too many organizations’ security practices haven’t risen to the level of maturity which would have been anticipated at this point.  In Verizon’s annual survey of payment card industry security practices, only 37% of the 302 surveyed enterprises sustain full compliance with the 12 specifications outlined in PCI DSS consistently over time.  Effectively, most organizations are focusing on meeting the basic requirements rather than developing consistent and effective security practices – not unlike a procrastinating student who is just looking to pass the test.  Just 18% check to see if they are meeting PCI DSS specifications more often than what the standard mandates. Continue reading “Verizon Payment Security Research Exposes Execution Issues” →

DXC Technology Considers Divesting Non-Core Units After Reporting a Multi-Billion Quarterly Loss

by Amy Larsen DeCarlo, posted in Cloud Enable
Amy Larsen DeCarlo – Principal Analyst, Security and Data Center Services

Summary Bullets:

• In the same month DXC announced two new acquisitions, the company said it is may sell off three non-core business units

• DXC wants to invest the proceeds to strengthen its core IT outsourcing business

Less than two months after assuming the role of President and CEO at DXC, Mike Salvino made waves when he told financial analysts on an earnings call the company is considering the sale of non-core business units. Saviano said executives are looking seriously at divesting three organizations: Workplace & Mobility; U.S. State and Local Health Human Services; and Horizontal Business Process Services. This comes as DXC posted dismal Q2 FY 2020 earnings that saw revenues slide 3.4% versus the same quarter a year ago. Continue reading “DXC Technology Considers Divesting Non-Core Units After Reporting a Multi-Billion Quarterly Loss” →