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Genetics play a big role in how we all develop and it’s not too hard to speculate that “good genes” also helps products prosper. When it comes to NonStop systems, they have participated in hybrid computing throughout their history so embracing hybrids today will not be a daunting challenge for NonStop … Ever since they first showed up on Los Angeles freeways, hybrid cars have aroused a strange mixture of curiosity as well as optimism. Rushing headlong down the high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, or car-pool lanes as they are sometimes called, they generated considerable envy among the less fortunate still ensconced in vehicles with more conventional powertrains. Yet for many, these cars’ boxy, often-ugly appearance was a turn-off for many likely purchasers, including the likes of yours truly. Margo grew up in Poland where there were few options apart from the Trabant, so there was little opportunity to look forward to anything other than little boxes, leaving her with little a...

It is June and HP Discover is happening again, ipso facto, I am off to Las Vegas, participating alongside Richard. Discover is an opportunity to network, and I figure being in the V Bar that is strategically located at the entrance to the Conference will likely be where you will find me - I will find a spot from which to watch people as they pass by. maRunga, the cloud burst solution from Infrasoft, will not be demonstrated at any of the stands at the Conference. However, Peter Shell, Managing Director of Infrasoft, PTY Limited, will have his laptop with him, and I am sure he will be only too happy to give a demo and presentation. This newest offering is from the company that brought you uLinga, which is installed and running at many major customers’ shops. Just this week, after a meeting between Infrasoft engineers and IR technical staff, we saw a demonstration of the Prognosis screens showing maRunga in action, giving users a view of how this application bursts into private...

Plans are made, tickets are booked, and Mother Nature plays havoc… Yeah, I was booked on a flight to Baltimore on Monday, October 29. Who knew? Of course the flight got cancelled and plans had to be changed. Could have been a lot worse, I know… Click on Richard's picture and check the T Shirt he's wearing. Yes that's him behind the helm of Chardonnay II off Santa Cruz, California. I have been getting nostalgic lately, looking at what happened over the years – how technology changed our lives and our careers evolved trying to catch up. Oh, yes, I remember 1989 Tandem Computers Annual Report – and for those who long ago have forgotten the specifics, I was featured in it, with an artist-rendered likeness. The SNAX/CDF product had been released, and for me, having been a part of this then modern development project felt fantastic! I was a part of something significant, it mattered, customers awaited it ready to deploy! Fast forward to 2012 – yup, 23 years later...

Some days I look at what happened over the years, and sadly, I can’t say that all that happened was planned, but for sure there was always a goal. My goals are always set way high, just in case I achieve them, so when we first looked at the NonStop managed clouds demo all I could think of was just how cool it would be to partner with HP, get the “Sydney boys” (Managing Director, Peter Shell, Chief Architect, Neil Coleman, and Development VP, Dave Finnie) involved, and come out with a world class solution for those who can’t afford to lose their transactions in the clouds. Richard gave me this look that said “in your dreams”, but unless you have dreams you just stay put, and do not get any closer to your goals. So we started talking with the HP guys demonstrating the product, Justin in particular (that’s Justin Simonds), Richard wrote a few posts to the NonStop community blog promoting the effort, we sure admired what they’ve done, and we really liked them and their enthusiasm....

This post is a tad of history, it’s about InfraSoft, friendships, and how business is all about people. The picture on the left was taken in late February, 2002. The Plan Team was meeting in Sydney to come up with the roadmap for the next 18 month. The idea was to always lay out plans for the next 18 months, and then in 12 months we would meet again, see if the plans still valid, and create a next 18 months plan. This worked well: we would have representatives of Sales, Product Management, Development and QA, Customer Support, and Management. The rules of engagement were simple: we were there to come up with the best plan we could, and it had to include new product features, with the caveat that anything new could be pursued with baby-steps as we would be often venturing outside of our usual scope – “the next big thing” – yet, there had to be time and resources planned for process improvement, code streamlining, test libraries’ improvements and automation. With all of us ...

It’s great to be able to choose, but if there are few options available, it may not prove wise. Fortunately, when it comes to NonStop, the community has come to appreciate the greater product diversity now on offer … I have always liked to keep my options open. In today’s economy, I suspect, I will have few detractors as after all nothing seems guaranteed and there’s every chance that plans we initiate, full of confidence as is so often the case, will change and having options is important. Even though it’s now mid-June, what transpired at HP Discover remains fresh in my mind and one of the lasting impressions I have held onto is of the importance of really understanding all that is on offer today. In the last post I wrote of how I participated at this year’s event as a guest of HP, as a member of the blogging community. However, in the lead-up to the event and following an exchange with the Connect leadership, I volunteered to lead the new Cloud SIG. Clouds? The NonStop communi...

There continues to be new products coming to market and for the NonStop community, when it includes the NonStop server, this is good to hear – investments being made in NonStop by parties apart from HP is definitely a topic that’s always well received! I love to grill! I love to cook in general, but I really like to grill. While I am the junior partner in our household when it comes to cooking, as soon as there’s any talk of barbecues I am the first one to head to the butchers to pick up the meat. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, as being an Australian it is all part of our heritage. When it came time to landscape my house in Sydney and to hollow out a couple of terraces it was only natural to erect a brick retaining wall, and yes, within a bend of the wall a multi-grill barbecue was installed. And there were many opportunities to entertain the NonStop community – during the very first training session involving Tandem personnel from all over the world working on NonStop ...