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Data Center Managers See Green, Battle Virtualization Hangovers in ‘08
NetworkWorld.com, ComputerworldUK, CIO India 12.14.2007
Data center managers who championed virtualization and green computing in 2007 now face the task of delivering the benefits they promised – something industry watchers say will be no small feat. According to Steven Harris, director of data center planning an design at consultancy Forsythe Technology, the amount of power that data centers consume has doubled in the past five years and it is project to double again in five years. |
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Strategies for Justifying CMDB ROI
SearchDataCenter.com 12.12.2007
Change is a constant in data centers -- and a constant problem at that.. And that's the attraction of configuration management databases (CMDBs); they promise to make critical configuration dependencies more obvious, lay the foundation for orderly change and eliminate unpleasant surprises. "Determining an ROI around CMDBs and ITIL is hard, because we're talking about productivity gains," said Jay Long, manager of IT service management at Forsythe. Forsythe's IT service management director Michael Tainter offers his perspective on the server reduction benefits that often accompany CMDB implementation: "Companies can se the ROI from virtualization because servers are pulled off of the data center floor." |
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Disaster Recovery, Convergence and Security Top 2008 Networking To-Do Lists, Survey Finds
SearchNetworking.com 12.05.2007
Disaster recovery, voice deployment and security will be three of 2008's big priorities as IT managers make their New Year's resolutions. Those areas came to light in the results of a SearchNetworking.com survey that polled more than 1,200 readers, including network operations staff, IT managers, network engineers, consultants and executives. Joel Pogar, technology consultancy Forsythe's director of network solutions, said this focus was consistent with the attitudes of CIOs he had talked to. |
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Companies Expected to Proceed with Caution in ’08 IT Spending
ITBusinessEdge.com 12.04.2007
Patrick Zelten, vice president of professional services for Forsythe Solutions Group answers questions. Question: Does much tech spending usually occur in the first quarter? Zelten: Most companies are on an annual budget cycle, so Q1 is typically the time when you’d see larger, capital-intensive, more strategic projects launched. The projects typically have been approved by the board, the CEO or the CFO, and those would be multi-million-dollar-type projects like a new data center or a new IP telephony phone system. So (in Q1), they’ve got the money, they’re ready to go. |
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Industry IT Spending May Outpace Others
Investment News 12.03.2007
"Many of the same hot topics in 2007, including security, data centers and IT optimization, will require significant spend[ing] in 2008," said Michael Conley, senior vice president of emerging technologies at Forsythe Solutions Group, an IT consulting firm in Skokie, Ill. |
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Organizing Your Data Center: What to Consider When Getting Your Data Center in Order
Processor.com 11.16.2007
The typical SME data center built in 1997 did not look a whole lot different from the data center built in 1987 or even 1977. Until about 1999 or 2000, designers of data centers did not take into consideration new server form factors. Assuming you have the means to map your physical data center, either through adding additional server rooms or by expanding your current one, you can organize its layout so that it serves your needs effectively now and in the future. “Even the smallest server room can benefit from a good floor plan layout,” says Steven Harris, director of data center planning and design at Forsythe Solutions Group. |
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Insider Reports Thin Provisioning Risks
ByteAndSwitch.com 10.26.2007
This is hardly the first time thin provisioning, the technique whereby applications consume storage only as they write blocks or groups of blocks to a particular volume, has been issued a warning label. Guest author Tim Arland of Forsythe Solutions Group makes a similar point in his latest column, “How Can I Use Thin Provisioning Safely?” (See Forsythe Authored Articles) where he discourages users of OLTP apps from deploying the technology. |
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Gov. Schwarzenegger Shoots Down Data Breach Bill
CRN.com 10.17.2007
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's veto last week of a proposed data breach security law was the right move in the eyes of many solution providers. One troublesome aspect of AB 770 is that retailers would have been required to dispose of consumers' personal information within 90 days, as opposed to PCI, which simply says this should be done within a reasonable time frame, according to Pamela Fredericks, director of security advisory services at Forsythe Technology, Skokie, Ill. |
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Mobile Medicine: Technologies Boost Efficiency, But Demand Dose of Protocol
Registration required to access entire article.
The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area 10.05.2007
The marvels of mobile technology are yielding significant efficiencies for medical professionals these days. "The quality of health care is based on the need to push information close to the patient. There's also the need to make sure the data is protected," says Clyde Hewitt, a principal consultant with Forsythe Solutions Group. |
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Plotting Security Strategy in a Virtual World
CRN.com 09.21.2007
The wave of hype around server virtualization technology has already receded as solution providers and their customers bury their heads in their SANs and work with mature and maturing technologies from VMware and several competitors. Paul Adamonis, director of security solutions at Forsythe Solutions Group, a Skokie, Ill.-based solution provider, agreed that it will take a major breech to bring security to the forefront. |
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Cyber Criminals Now Lurking in Social Networking Communities
CRN.com 09.17.2007
Social networking Websites are becoming favored targets for cyber criminals taking advantage of human nature and using increasingly sophisticated toolkits to seek financial gain, according to a study by security vendor Symantec. Paul Adamonis, director of security solutions for Forsythe Solutions Group, a Skokie, Ill.-based solution provider, said the multiple threats arising from this stolen information are potent. |
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Finding Help When Moving Your Data Center
Processor.com 08.24.2007
Data centers need to move from time to time. But when you’re moving, should you hire a moving company to conduct the move or have data center or IT employees do it? Fred Latala, director of data center relocation services at Forsythe Solutions Group, says when moving a data center, SMEs need to be aware of the implications of their OEM warranties and maintenance contracts. Violation of these contract provisions may result in the client paying time and material charges for any repairs.” |
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Do You Need Application Acceleration?
Processor.com 08.17.2007
At its most basic, application acceleration is the use of IP networking techniques to enhance the performance of applications running on an IP network (LAN or WAN). Ray Nahorniak, director of network solutions services delivery at Forsythe Solutions Group, says companies that consolidated their data centers took an application performance hit because applications once served to branch office end users over a LAN must now travel much longer distances over a WAN. This, he says, has resulted in performance delays for these applications. |
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A Look at ITIL V3
Procesor Magazine 08.03.2007
“A lot of people are expecting a lot of change between V2 and V3. They think it’s going to look different. The reality is that’s not true, “ says Mike Tainter of Forsythe Solutions Group. |
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Application Acceleration Starts with Best Practices
SearchNetworking.com 08.01.2007
Application acceleration, though maturing at a rapid clip, is still getting its share of buzzword hype. SearchNetworking.com recently sat down with Ray Nahorniak, director of network solutions services delivery for Forsythe Solutions Group, an IT infrastructure integrator, to discuss who needs application acceleration and what benefits it can bring to the table. |
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Storage Just Got More Interesting
Article available to registered AFCOM members only.
AFCOM's Data Center Management Magazine 08.01.2007
Archiving used to be file and forget. Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure as well as new archiving capabilities have changed that, putting data center managers on the spot not only for the data but for a plan to find it fast. The case for separate archiving and backup systems is strong, but archiving is not for everybody. “Both approaches are correct, depending on the maturity of the company and where they are in their archiving scenario,” said Gary Brown, storage director, east area, Forsythe Solutions Group, Skokie, IL. “There’s not a lot of functionality around backup packages. They all have archiving features, but no flexibility to do the things you need to do with archiving.” |
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Application Acceleration is Hot
Internet Telephony/TMC.com 07.05.2007
Among the many technologies driving IT ever-forward, application acceleration solutions continue to exhibit strong growth. Ray Nahorniak, Forsythe’s director of network solutions services delivery, answers questions about application acceleration, the benefits of using this technology and the outlook for this market segment. |
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NBA Reveals the Bigger Picture
CRN 06.25.2007
VARs are quickly realizing the worth of Network Behavior Analysis (NBA). Chris Thatcher, director of security solutions at Forsythe Solutions Group, notes that “NBA lets us zero in very quickly on both the problem and its source.” It is more than just another tool in the toolbox, but a technology that saves time in triangulating the source of malicious or illegal network behavior. |
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Eight Security Tips That Every CIO Should Know
InterGovWorld.com 06.19.2007
How you follow up in the immediate aftermath of a crisis can affect not only how the event is perceived, but also how successfully you’ll avoid trouble in the future. It’s not so much what occurred that matters, says Mike Tainter, IT service management practice director at Forsythe Solutions Group Inc. in Skokie, IL. It’s “how it was handled and communicated afterward. That’s what really matters, “ he says. |
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Data Leakage: VARs Can’t Just Be Plumbers
CRN Tech 06.15.2007
Data leak prevention (DLP) goes beyond simply locking down key information. Paul Adamonis, director of security solutions, notes that “DLP projects over time have evolved to include both security and storage technologies. Data in motion still needs to be protected and kept from going out, but it’s increasingly being coupled with data classification initiatives and the need to identify who’s accessing what files at which point in time. DLP has become an all-encompassing policy around data classification and protection.” |
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Storage Rethinks Power Strategies
Storage Magazine 05.30.2007
Storage Users should begin putting power consumption higher on their priority lists. “If power and cooling isn’t on your roadmap,” says Alan Grantham, storage solutions architect at Skokie, IL-based Forsythe Solutions Group, “you’re not thinking ahead.” |
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Retrofitting Old Data Centers May Be Ill-Advised
SearchDataCenter.com 05.23.2007
With the rising power and cooling demands in today’s data centers, retrofitting decades-old server rooms is becoming less and less feasible, said Steven Harris, director of data center planning and design for Skokie, IL-based IT consultancy Forsythe Solutions Group. Building new may be the way to do. |
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Security 360 – Industry Consolidation
SearchSecurity.com 05.21.2007
PODCAST: Paul Adamonis, director of security solutions, speaks with Andy Jones, a researcher with the UK-based Information Security Forum, about how to navigate industry consolidation by developing a buying strategy. (Runtime: 25:01). |
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Five Tips for Building an Incident Response Plan
Computerworld.com 05.16.2007
According to Michael Tainter, Forsythe director of IT service management, one of the five tips for building an incident response plan is to assign key roles to specific team members in advance. |
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More Than Storage: A Rundown of Services Offered By Storage Companies
Steven Harris, Director, Data Center Planning and Design
Processor.com 04.27.2007
As storage needs become more complex—necessitating expertise in compliance regulations, purging schedules, and warehousing predictions—storage service firms have stepped up, broadening their offerings. According to Steve Harris, director of data center planning at Forsythe Solutions Group, using a consulting firm can also help an SME to determine where storage fits within the larger technology strategy. |
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It Pays To Be Prepared (TechWeb)
TechWeb 04.20.2007
What have insurers learned from the 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina disasters, and how have their business continuity/disaster recovery programs evolved as a result? Michael Croy, Forsythe Solutions Group business continuity/disaster recovery expert answers these questions and more. |
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It Pays To Be Prepared (Insurance & Technology)
Insurance & Technology 04.20.2007
Insurers are leveraging lessons learned from past disasters and technology such as data replication and virtualization to prepare both IT and employees for a disaster. Michael Croy, Forsythe Solutions Group business continuity/disaster recovery expert answers questions. |
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ITIL V3 Is Almost Here: What Should You Expect?
SearchCIO.com 04.11.2007
“ITIL V3 will add more clarity and consistency to IT processes, and it will help companies to achieve better alignment between business needs and goals and IT processes,” said Mike Tainter, IT service-management practice manager at Forsythe Solutions Group Inc., a unit of Skokie IL-based technology provider Forsythe Technologies. Forsythe uses the ITIL framework internally and has implemented many ITIL projects for clients. |
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Make Savvy Security Purchases
Processor Magazine 04.06.2007
“For the SME, I think there’s safety in going after a recognized name in the market, as long as they have an SME focus,” says Paul Adamonis, director of security solutions for Forsythe Solutions Group. |
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Primer: Project Management Certification
Baseline 03.28.2007
“As a hiring manager, when I look at an individual with that PMP behind their name, that gives them an edge on a candidate who does not have that,” says Sue Stuefen, director of project management for Forsythe Solutions Group, an information technology consultancy. |
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Employers Say Flu Shots for Workers Worth Cost
Amarillo Globe-News 02.25.2007
Michael Croy, director of business continuity and disaster recovery for Forsythe Solutions Group, said businesses spend a lot of money every year to offer free flu shots, install hand sanitizers and clean heating and air conditioning filters. |
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ITSM & ITIL Best Practices: An Overview & Guidelines
Processor Magazine 02.23.2007
ITIL has been around since the 1980s, yet Michael Tainter, ITSM practice manager at the Forsythe Solutions Group, notes that while the majority of businesses have budgeted money for ITIL projects, many are still in the early stages. “They’re still just trying to figure out what ITIL is,” he say. |
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The Evidence Is In the Email
SearchCIO.com 02.05.2007
James Geis, director of integrated solutions development for Forsythe Technology Inc., recommends that a retention policy examine why information is created in the first place, how the information is relevant, and whether the information is a legal or a business record. |
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Natural-born IT Productivity Killers
InfoWorld 02.05.2007
Chuck Kirchner, IT Strategy director for Forsythe Solutions Group explains how common strategies for boosting production can be counter-productive. |
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Inorganic Growth
SearchCIO.com 02.02.2007
“Lack of documented processes and procedures delays – probably doubles – the time it takes to get people aboard and working,” says Mike Tainter, IT service management practice manager at Forsythe Technology. |
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Are You Water-Ready?
Processor.com 02.02.2007
“Until about 10 years ago, water-cooled mainframes were the predominant technology,” says Steve Harris, director of data center planning and design for Forsythe Solutions Group. |
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Forsythe: The ABCs of Strategic Planning
Information Today 02.01.2007
According to Fred Latala, director of data center relocation services for the Forsythe Solutions Group, 2007 may be the year of the data center. Steven Harris, director of data center planning and design at Forsythe, explains that 7 years ago, "we were all concerned about spending enough to protect ourselves for Y2K.” |
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Listen to Mike Conley on Tech Talk with Craig Peterson
Tech Talk With Craig Peterson 01.23.2007
AUDIO: Mike Conley, vice president of key accounts at Forsythe Solutions discuses technology trends for 2007. Tech Talk with Craig Peterson is rated the #1 radio show in the Boston Market, helps you learn the secrets of everyday technology that you need to know. |
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Are Business and IT Working Together?
Processor.com 01.19.2007
Patrick Zelten, vice president of consulting services at Forsythe Solutions offers insight on how business groups and IT types can collaborate more effectively. |
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Servers Strain Under 4-Gig FC
ByteandSwitch.com 01.05.2007
Tim Arland, principal consultant for Forsythe Solutions points out in the latest Byte and Switch “Ask the Expert” feature, many server backplanes can’t keep up with a 4-Gbit/s FC HBA. |
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