Writing Archive

159 posts

Management Platform, Sum of Technologies (part 1).

Since no one attempted to disprove statement I made in my last post (Management platform, Open source or bust. 09/15/2005) I will assume that every one think that Open Source Management Platform is a brilliant idea (just for the records, I can not claim ownership of this particular idea, but it does not make it any less brilliant). Today I will try to create “shopping list” of other Open Source projects which could be used as a building blocks for such Platform. But of course, Java This is not per-say open source project, but none of the less choice of “the language” will play major role in selection of Open Source projects available for consideration. In my mind, there is only one answer to this – Java. Despite relentless attempts by Mr. Gates, enterprise networking landscape is as diverse as ever. And the only way to avoid porting nightmare is to do Java. It might not be 100% “write once, run anywhere”, but for none-GUI applications it is damn close. Last thing to consider in regards to “the language” is what version of Java to use? It is very tempting to go along with Java 5.0 but I think we need to stick with 1.4. Though Java 5.0 provides bunch of new functions/features none of them are “must have” kind and I have a feeling that its proliferation in the “enterprise world” is not that wide yet (just a couple years ago I run into customer who still used 1.1.8) Built to be customizable There are at least two level of customization which need to be addressed: ability to add new functional modules (plugins), ability to implement new functions by combining basic functions provided by plugins. Many Open Source (and closed source) applications implement support for plugins in one way or another. I think JBoss does it best. JBossMX is clean room implementation of Sun JMX API. It is available as a part of JBoss server source distribution. One additional benefit of using JBossMX as a “container” is ability to do “cross-plugging”. It should be possible to plug JBoss modules into the Platform and Platform modules into JBoss! With such a flexible container as a JBossMX it will be a shame to require to do any Java codding to implement “new functions”. Also if we are trying to build Platform which could be “customized” by end user it is not reasonable to expect such an end user to know how to program in Java. What we need is nice scripting language. It should be: well known ( we do not wont to invent our own and then expect people to learn it)

Media Organizer, Media Devices Remote Access all in one application

Imagine yourself sitting in BART and downloading songs to your PDA from your home entertainment center, amazing isn't it, and its very much possible and happening now. You can do all this at SimpleCenter.com. All you do is download their beta version to your PC and create an online free account and you are done! And now you are ready to share and access your pictures, music, movies, podcasts, and other media devices right through the web and within one simple application at mySimpleCenter. And there is no need to upload or download your pictures or music or movies or any other media running at home or office anywhere. And the bottomline, keep running those devices at home in order to be able to access them remotely (just plain logic).

More Agility in Offshore Outsourcing

We are moving forward everyday. And one of the biggest factor in this economy today is to save on cost from all possible angles and come out as a winner. Despite some major bans and threats to offshore outsourcing business, things are moving forward. And they are moving forward in a better way for the ailing economy to forsee profits and bring in some hope. Any busines today wants to save on its expenses. Money saved is money earned. No one will spend $100 when they can get the same work and quality off $20 or even less at times. The difference between here and there is not even a mile away when it comes to communication and exchange of information keeping the physical distance apart.

My book. Open Source Project Management.

I've decided to create a separate blog for my book, Open Source Project Management, as the title suggests, the book is on open source and the project management practice in the open source world. Through this blog I want to focus on the subject of this book and little away from this blog. Although the subjects covered here are broader in open source world and include the business perspectives and does include project management per se but I still wanted to keep project management related thoughts on my book in a separate space which I strongly feel should be there. And this way I can get one-on-one response on my book. Although you are most welcome on this blog and read what else I have to say in other areas apart from the book's subject.

Myths & Misconceptions about Agile

Many organizations and teams across industries and throughout the world are using Agile methodology to get the advantages of faster product delivery, shortened feedback loop, and increased collaboration between teams.  This doesn’t mean, however, that the move from traditional to agile project management is an easy one.  As with any new approach and methodology, there are hurdles in adoption — a prevalent one being the need to overcome a number of myths and misconceptions about what an agile approach involves.

New Destination - Mars! Are we spaced out?

This article published at WIRED definitely brings out a good question. Are we spaced out? Also, it brings out where the new information age may lie. Development of applications and their IT innovation is not limited but still a whole new scope lies beyond the realm of the usual IT world. The exciting and new challenges might be seen there. May be in next 30 years or so we have a new platoon of IT outsourcers specializing off-planet-shoring!! You never know. Nevertheless its interesting to read whats surrounding us. Thanks to WIRED!

Offshore Project Management : The Business to Technical Communication (Part II)

As a project manager there are many things going through PM's mind. Many tasks - knowledge bank - technical and as well as business wise. If one understands correctly not all the information which he/she has in his/her knowledge bank is supposedly meant for every stakeholder. Otherwise there will be a zillion questions from business - "Why are we doing it this way?" or "Why weren't our department included as part of this discussion?" or "This does not meet our requirements" or "That's not the way we do business here?" or "Who'll do all this documentation?" and many more. The bottom-line is some information hiding is necessary and is fruitful in the long run.

Open Source bulk buyouts!

In the financial world of bulls and bears, we are encompassing a similar stream of cases with the information technology world. Big players eating and gulping the smaller players and wiping out the stream of innovation and creativity. This phenomenon not uncommon and its been happening for centuries in the form of different events not necessarily buyouts. But what's the fate of these companies, what's going to get at the end of the day when all these major players buy out those tiny innovative engines and kill that creativity for their own profits and benefits. I for self don't know. May be there's a way out of all of this. But for now there doesn't see to be any. In a recent story published by Business Week it speculates that Oracle is preparing to buy JBOSS, ZEND and Sleepycat Software. The whole IT community to Larry Ellison is like Costco Wholesale. He's buying in bulk - hopefully he's getting better discounts and good deals on those buyouts. What's next Oracle?© Manoj Khanna/Open Source World/rapidblog.com 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Powered by Dextrus Prosoft, Inc.

Open Source Code tomorrow and Open Source today

In a story titled "Ingres predicts the end of open source", Dave Dargo is being interviewed, and his views are expressed as if the end of the open source is coming fairly soon. Where as its already argued a several times that a new model of open source is into penetration. Companies today are realizing that keeping the source code closed is not going to fetch them a lot of flexibility, and moreover the new regulations and mandatory implementations make life tougher for any application management and support department if the vendor for that application is not cooperating with the modification of source code (which rarely is the case as we know it!).

Open Source initiatives by big Corporations

In a recent development IBM & Novell have joined hands together towards contributing code to an open source initiative to build a user centric, online identity management system. Quite similarly Eclipse IDE has been long supported by the consortium of big corporations (including IBM). Now it may sound quite repetitive to read IBM's name again and again but its slowly but not so quitely making its way into the open source world. In a recent buyout of some open source milestone companies by Oracle, it appears Oracle is also headed open source way. But for the so called bought out open source start-up/established companies their future is now at the mercy of these big corporations. And it appears that for those open source companies it would never be the same again.

Open Source Initiatives: Project Participations & IT Grants

We are pleased to be part of this growing community of open source. At the core we are indebted towards the large technology community which has offered numerous opportunities and has created many careers in past close to a century now. Since the early 1990s there has been a growing trend towards community based development. And over the past several years it has being going stronger and stronger. And its still growing stronger and lot of bigger enterprises have started to buy-in into the concept of Open Source development. And not far behind is everyone's favorite company 'Microsoft'...sort of. Times do get changed.

Open Source. To be or not to be.

There is a big debate about whether to consider using open source softwares - across the industry be it government - state or local, corporation large or mid-sized. The past two decades have been a thrilling expeirence for some companies who made billions on top of what what they could actually make. The illiteracy of the ignorant mind and the colored contours of the fancy e-world did most of the harm. Money spent and the money saved are two different issues.

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