Minnov8

Showcasing Minnesota Technology Innovation

Archives for December 2009

Steve Bendt Interview: A Chat About Windows 7 Social Media and Life at Microsoft

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Two of the Minnov8 Gang took the opportunity this week to get together with former Twin Citian Steve Bendt.  As you’ll recall, Steve had been a senior social media manager at Best Buy, and a cofounder of its Blue Shirt Nation employee social network, but left earlier this year for a new opportunity with Microsoft in Redmond, WA.

Graeme Thickins and Tim Elliott sat down with Steve for coffee the morning after he arrived back in Minneapolis for a holiday family visit.  What ensued was a 30-minute+ discussion on a whole raft of topics related to Steve’s new role, the Windows 7 rollout, hints of future plans, other MS initiatives we asked Steve to weigh in on (though of course he couldn’t speak officially for the company), and Steve’s personal experiences in making his big career move.

Show notes:

Listen to, or download, the interview with Steve Bendt

Podcast: Download (23.2MB)

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Twin Cities Firm Joins Ranks of Public Cloud Computing Providers

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Though the likes of cloud industry leaders Amazon Web Services and Rackpace may not yet have noticed, a Minnesota company has been quietly trying to do them one better. VISI, Minnesota’s largest data center services and managed hosting provider, formally announced on December 17 a public beta of its ReliaCloud cloud computing service, whereby any business can now apply to try it out — whether it’s located here in Minnesota or anywhere.

The first offering, dubbed “Cloud Servers,” allows business users to establish an account online. They can then quickly and easily set up one or more computer servers that run in one of  VISI’s data centers and are accessible to them and their users “in the cloud” — meaning via any Internet browser anywhere in the world.  Customers of the service thereby avoid the expense and work of having to purchase and maintain their own computers servers at their own site.  “It’s a pay-as-you-go model,” said Gary Elfert, director of marketing at VISI, which is headquartered in Eden Prairie and has its original data center in downtown St. Paul. The pricing model for these Cloud Servers is by the hour, starting at 5 cents.

Why would anyone be crazy enough to enter a market that is already dominated by notable heavyweights like Amazon?  “Though there are some large players already in the public cloud computing marketplace, it’s still a nascent business, and a rapidly growing one,” said Antonio Piraino, Research Director at Tier 1 Research, in VISI’s press announcement.  “There’s certainly room for a competitive offering such as ReliaCloud.” His firm has projected that cloud computing services will be a $1-billion market in 2011. …  [Read More…]

Minnov8 Gang 61: Mobile & the Groovy Kids

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Today’s show covers mobile developments for certain, but we also talk about several other things like yesterday’s Social Media Breakfast (SMBMSP), venture capital in Minnesota, cloud computing initiatives by Visi, and much more.

This Week’s Show Hosts: Steve Borsch, Tim Elliott, Graeme Thickins and Phil Wilson.
Music by Straight 8’s and the tune is, “Ann Bowman”

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The Podcast

Podcast: Download (Duration: 56:08 — 32.6MB)

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Discussed during the show:

 

For 2010: Apple iPad, 300,000 iPhone Apps & More

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ipadIf you’ve been paying attention to technology rumors, an Apple tablet (i.e., “iPad”) is at the top of many people’s list for most likely rumor to become reality next year. But when I read that iPad prediction along with the number “300,000” as a base for iPhone applications in 2010 as well as an acceleration in something called “socialityc” applications for fusing traditional business applications with social and collaboration software and analytics — and these predictions had come from the well respected, global technology analyst firm IDC — I sat up and took notice.

Why should you care? You might not if you were unaffected by the recent economic downturn or aren’t experiencing any disruption, new opportunities or benefits from the internet or web, but if you have an interest in technology and the opportunities it will represent in 2010, read on.

In their free “IDC Predictions 2010: Recovery and Transformation” (download the PDF) the firm predicts modest growth in the information technology and telecommunications area (and back to 2008 pre-downturn spending levels), and this report is the broad overview prior to their annual “predictions season”, a time of multiple report releases and webinars which, undoubtedly, drives a lot of their revenue in the first quarter.

There are two broad themes for this set of predictions for 2010: The obvious one is the “recovery” theme and the other a more interesting focus on the “transformation” occurring in technology.  …  [Read More…]

Minnov8 Gang 60: Staying Ahead of the Storm in 2010

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MainThis week’s show is about possibilities with tablets, predictions made by an analyst firm, and a hodge-podge of stuff discussed by the Minnov8 Gang.

This Week’s Show Hosts: Steve Borsch, Tim Elliott, Graeme Thickins and Phil Wilson.
Music: Endlouz and the tune is, “Bad Advice” (Disclaimer: This was NOT chosen as an indictment on the commentary by the Gang!)

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The Podcast

Podcast: Download (Duration: 56:32 — 32.8MB)

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Discussed during the show:

+ Clove (by Spice Apps)
+ Analyst Noise on the Apple Tablet
+ IDC predictions for 2010
+ Minnebar
+ Mary Meeker’s Internet presentation at Web 2.0 Summit (video)
+ Jolicloud, Google Chrome OS
+ Social Media Breakfast Minneapolis/St. Paul (SMBMSP)
+ Don Ball and his new collaboration workspace concept (announcement; pictures; pricing)
+ Overnight Website Challenge (please note the AWESOME faux dot matrix printer feed on the page…nice job nerds!)
+ Chuck Olsen (@Chuckumentary) in Copenhagen and here is TheUptake
+ 91st PGA Tournament at Hazeltine in Chaska and hundreds of Tiger Woods jokes.

Classroom of the Future?

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classroom-futureReinventing education in a time of accelerating change is more important than ever before, especially if you’re at all interested in your kids and our future workforce being technologically savvy and possibly more so than any other workforce in the world.

Normally I wouldn’t do a story on an interesting initiative with a marginally innovative technology perspective, but I’ve been writing for nearly six months for Scholastic, Inc. and their Administrator area online with a blog called “Accelerating Change.” As a consequence, I’ve been deeply involved in K-12 education technology study which has given me a unique perspective and I remain focused on uncovering true innovation or even incremental steps along the way toward true reinvention of education.

The PR gang over at Padilla Spears Beardsley, a group of folks whose quality public relations I’m continually impressed by, sent over some information on a Classroom of the Future initiative and their client, Tierney Bros, whose involvement in this worthwhile endeavor is worthy of note:

“People entering the workforce today are expected to have stronger technology experience and capabilities than ever before. Teachers today face the challenge of keeping pace with the latest technological advances – such as interactive presentation and conferencing technologies – with often limited resources.

For the fourth year in a row, Tierney Brothers is helping prepare the next generation of workers by offering a Tierney Brothers “Classroom of the Future” Technology Grant in both Minnesota and Wisconsin. This unique opportunity gives every school in Minnesota and Wisconsin the chance to receive $15,000 worth of technology, integration and training for their school. Students taught in these classrooms will learn using AV technology similar to systems Tierney Brothers, a leading provider of digital projectors, flat panel displays, systems integration, large format printers, graphic and engineering supplies, and audio and visual communication solutions has integrated into John Deere, Land O’Lakes, Wells Fargo and other businesses.”

Certainly a laudable initiative (especially with our State budget shortfalls) and an obviously smart thing for Tierney Bros to do since they’re in the business of selling this sort of gear in to K-12 education, but I’m doubtful these technologies are truly making classrooms future-ready and instead are putting a shiny new cover on a musty old book.

…  [Read More…]