Read our analysts’ opinions and perspectives on some of the latest ideas and developments in the IT industry:
Opening up mainframe data, one utility at a time
Freeform Dynamics recently caught up with VirtualZ, an often overlooked vendor of connectivity tools that[...]
View MoreAI and analytics? Been there, done that
In a recent article, I covered a discussion I’d previously had with a company called[...]
View MoreEnterprise AR redux: Will Apple succeed where Microsoft floundered?
When Scandit announced its integration with Apple’s Vision Pro mixed reality headset, I experienced a[...]
View MoreCloud Storage Revisited: What has the last decade taught us?
It is clear that cloud storage has become an important component of modern IT infrastructure.[...]
View MoreGenerative AI in analytics: Enhancing the user experience without overreach
As scepticism creeps more and more into the generative AI discussion, I’ve been trying to[...]
View MoreGenerative AI tooling: Is the user the weakest link?
One of the challenges I’ve had with generative AI is figuring out where the real[...]
View MoreIT Sustainability: Passive vs Active Gains
In the 20 odd years that I’ve been following developments in ‘Green IT’, the industry[...]
View MoreThe convergence of OT and IT
Having worked in both operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) environments for years, I’ve[...]
View MoreCanon comes out of the closet on information management
When I received an invitation to attend another Canon industry analyst event, I was in[...]
View MoreMainframe skills; time to flip the telescope around?
The more I learn about the world of mainframes, the more I find myself drawn[...]
View MoreMitigating AI Risks: 5 Essential Steps for Secure Adoption
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are finding their way into industries worldwide as[...]
View MoreBreaking Free From Vendor Lock-in with Managed Services
As organisations become more intertwined with their key IT vendors, they may find themselves in[...]
View MoreS/4HANA Migration: Is Selective Transformation the Answer?
The last big market survey carried out by Freeform Dynamics on SAP migration was completed[...]
View MoreIT transformation fatigue? Time to bust those big bang blues
As an industry analyst, you always want your questions answered openly, confidently and convincingly when[...]
View MoreObservability and Security: Thoughts on the Cisco-Splunk Acquisition
The tech world is now trying to work out exactly what the news of Cisco’s[...]
View MoreThe IT Sustainability Paradox
IT leaders today often find themselves grappling with a perplexing situation. On one hand, they[...]
View MoreMainframes and workload placement: Time for a dose of objectivity?
When Tony Lock and I interviewed Reg Harbeck, Chief Strategist at Mainframe Analytics Ltd, it[...]
View MoreFrom clipboards to smart data capture; how software-defined scanning is changing the game
When I first heard about ‘smart data capture’, I couldn’t help thinking back to a[...]
View MoreThe Untapped Potential of Liquid Cooling in Modern Data Centres
Ever since IBM sold off its x86 business to Lenovo back in 2014, I’ve been[...]
View MoreWhat are you doing to ensure your IT suppliers work for you?
Navigating the Complex IT Supplier Landscape in 2024 It is a truism that IT evolves[...]
View MoreTaking the next step in mainframe observability
Despite their frequently less visible role, mainframes remain indispensable in supporting the critical operations of[...]
View MoreThe mainframe skills crunch; an outsider vs insider perspective
During my career, I’ve worked hands-on with a great many operating systems, programming languages, mainstream[...]
View MoreTaking IT Cost Tracking and FinOps to the next level
A CIO I interviewed recently told me candidly: “It’s always a bit nerve wracking when[...]
View MoreMainframe Skills: Challenge or Opportunity?
People in mainframe circles have been talking about skills development and succession planning ever since[...]
View MoreChallenging the traditional boundaries between IAM and UEM
It’s always refreshing to engage with vendors who aren’t bound by the rigid category definitions[...]
View MoreIT Governance for Today and Tomorrow: Minimum Viable Principles
Introduction The traditional one-size-fits-all approach to IT governance, particularly in relation to data, is becoming[...]
View MoreMaking IT sustainability more objective and actionable
I’ve heard a lot of pitches from technology companies on how they can help customers[...]
View MoreGoodbye Bryan – Rest in Peace
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our friend and colleague,[...]
View MoreIt’s Time to Raise the Bar on Observability
Observability has come a long way in the last 30 years
View MoreCan contributing to open source get you a job?
Could voluntary work on open source projects be a stepping stone to employment?
View MoreTape is back on the main menu
The news that another of the big players in global file systems, Hammerspace, has integrated[...]
View MoreWhat does “Investment in Generative AI” actually mean?
I’ve found myself in a number of conversations recently where the discussion has turned to[...]
View MoreWhy laptops and other edge devices are being AI-enabled
Why do we need dedicated AI engines in laptops, and especially in the ultrathin laptops[...]
View MoreWhy Intel has joined the race for the AI-enabled laptop
A new AI battlefield is opening up, not among all the GPU ‘farms’ in data[...]
View MoreBroadcom swings its axe at VMware
What a difference a week can make. The dust had barely settled on Broadcom’s $69bn acquisition of[...]
View MoreBroadcom finally swallows VMware: what now?
The news that Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware has finally gone through, after more than a[...]
View MoreCustom chatbots and model gardens: putting Private AI to work
Part 2: More to think about It’s essential to decide where to run your Private[...]
View MoreUnderstanding the rise and role of Private AI
Part 1: AI hype vs fear and doubt The leakage of proprietary IP and other[...]
View MoreCan steel fences halt the march of cyber?
Cyber: for some, it’s a prefix that conjures up images of Dr Who’s silvery cyborg[...]
View MoreA straightforward look at SAP master data automation
If you’re knee-deep in the world of SAP and data management, you almost certainly know[...]
View MoreCIO perceptions of vendor AI marketing
With all the recent press coverage, it’s not surprising to see IT vendors clamouring to[...]
View MoreTime to sound the alarm as AI hype catches fire
One of the most worrying things that’s coming out of recent research
View MoreIt’s time to look again at IT and Software Asset Management
In the realm of IT administration, it’s all too easy to get stuck in familiar[...]
View MoreAn AI crash is coming: don’t let it drag you down
All the signs are there that an AI crash is coming: overinflated claims and dodgy[...]
View MoreWant to become a data-driven organisation? Start thinking differently about change management
Need a strong data strategy? Look for a CDO who’s a change manager and data[...]
View MoreJust because it’s innovative, doesn’t make it good!
One of my hobbyhorses at the moment is how words and adjectives that ought to[...]
View MoreThe key to future IT success is a switch to managing services, not systems
For most of the history of commercial IT, system design has focused on meeting the[...]
View MoreAre tech vendors pulling their weight on fixing fragmented IT?
Many organisations have silo’d data and fragmented IT systems, but
View MoreDigital identity: the many images of you
More and more of the topics we deal with at Freeform Dynamics now also relate[...]
View MoreTrust: easy to lose, hard to recover
Here are just a few of the topics that my fellow Freeformers and I have[...]
View MoreDealing with the growing problem of edge and IoT sprawl
Amidst all the hype regarding the massive growth potential for IoT
View MoreTo maximise potential, mainframers must reach out and engage
The team here has always had immense respect for the mainframe community
View MoreDoes application modernisation mean what you think it means?
Most people in IT probably think they know what application modernisation is
View MoreKubernetes and the open-source maintainer question
While much of October's KubeCon-CloudNativeCon North America
View MoreVMware’s breadth and depth impresses, but is it still a safe bet?
At the recent VMware Explore conference in Barcelona
View MoreDigital identity and opening up the smartwallet
When an 80 year-old relative asks you how she can use her phone to both[...]
View MoreWhat’s up with Google’s plan to supplant SMS and drive mobile e-commerce?
Ask most people what RCS stands for, and you’ll probably get a blank look.
View MoreLike a teenager, Kubernetes looks almost grown-up, yet still a bit awkward and confused
Platform: that’s the key word that sprung to mind after attending Kubecon
View MoreHP Inc’s Poly opportunity: look beyond devices and software to a real collaboration strategy
Could its takeover of workspace collaboration specialist Poly
View More‘Traditional’ is not a dirty word
Sometimes ‘new’ and ‘disruptive’ really doesn’t make sense
View MoreSinging the key management blues
We need cryptographic keys, but who is going to manage them?
View MoreHybrid working isn’t turning out as expected
Last year, as companies recognised both the value of face-to-face interaction
View MoreCitrix and Microsoft: who’s really leading the transformation agenda?
Citrix loves Microsoft and Microsoft loves Citrix
View MoreStriking a balance between risk and innovation: Lessons from an autonomous ship
Back story to a different kind of voyage
View MoreIs the commodity server bandwagon running out of steam?
The term “paradigm shift” gets flung about far too much in IT, but we may[...]
View MoreOne SSD to ruler them all
Why the new EDSFF storage format is hot stuff – and what else you need[...]
View MoreWhy does ransomware still work?
As someone who first encountered ransomware during the last millennium
View MoreRansomware teaches the importance of data protection
Several years ago, around the time that ransomware attacks started making the front pages
View MoreHaving trouble overcoming the S/4HANA confidence gap?
As John Lennon and Yoko Ono didn't quite sing
View MoreGot a strong story to tell? Don’t settle for a place in the chorus
Have you lost your voice? Or is the market just not hearing you?
View MoreHas Windows 11 strengthened the case for Chromebooks?
Analyst Opinion: I was left with two overriding thoughts
View MoreForget the ‘free’ software, the real value of open-source is the collaboration
Analyst Opinion: It’s a cliché, but why are we still reinventing wheels?
View MoreWhich is worse: noise, or the sound of silence?
Analyst Opinion: If you’re one of the many people who find offices too noisy
View MoreGoogle Calendar auto-adds shared meeting notes
Analyst Opinion: If, like me, you often find yourself hunting for notes
View MoreIs it a Suite, Package, Bundle or Platform?
People have been selling collections of products and tools for centuries, and with the advent[...]
View MoreIs ‘suite’ becoming a dirty word?
How much attention do you pay to the pros and cons of software and service[...]
View MoreWindows 11: could this ‘feel good’ update actually help IT pros?
Much has been written about Windows 11, and many YouTube videos have been published. If[...]
View MoreWhere vendors too often go wrong: SMBs need enterprise-grade IT too
For far too long now, many vendors seem to have assumed that the IT requirements[...]
View MoreRemember when Agile was treated with suspicion?
Throwback Thursday: When we researched the topic of Agile development back in 2008
View MoreIs IT investment handled better now than a decade ago?
Throwback Thursday: People like to think that the way IT works with business has changed
View MoreFrom virtual desktops to Chromebooks and the work-anywhere web
Throwback Thursday: If there’s one thing our report from eight years ago reminds us
View MoreThe allure of the log-in-anywhere desktop
How can organisations simplify desktop management if we all still want our own devices?
View MoreThe SMB solution selection challenge
It's all too easy for smaller businesses to get caught out
View MoreHow to boost supplier commitment without spending more money
Time to tune into those non-revenue goals
View MoreEven data fragmentation has gone virtual
Throwback Thursday: If there’s one thing our report from eight years ago reminds us
View MoreData governance in software testing
Throwback Thursday: this week we're going back to 2008
View MorePrivate cloud in contexts old and new
Throwback Thursday: What a difference a decade can make
View MoreMobile moments and the past left far behind
Throwback Thursday We have looked at many reports from years ago that show that, whilst[...]
View MoreRemember when cloud was going to kill the IT channel?
Throwback Thursday: taking a regular stroll in the Freeform Dynamics archives.
View MoreHas the data centre of the future already arrived?
Throwback Thursday: Predicting the future back in 2012
View MoreEffective IT recovery in small/midsize businesses, 10 years on? Maybe tomorrow…
Throwback Thursday: this week we're going back to 2011
View MoreThe #WFH ‘New Normal’ is nothing of the sort
Analyst Opinion At least, not yet. The world is still in the very abnormal grip[...]
View MoreBusiness performance management still chasing the real-time dream
Throwback Thursday: This week we are going back to 2007
View MoreHow have attitudes to risk and resilience changed?
Throwback Thursday: Looking back to June 2008
View Morex86 Server virtualisation check point
Throwback Thursday: This week we are heading back to 2010
View MoreWhy I’m uneasy about the Salesforce Slack acquisition
Analyst Opinion: Most coverage on the Salesforce acquisition of Slack has focused on the industry[...]
View MoreLinux on the Desktop
Throwback Thursday: The first thing that struck me when I re-read our ‘Linux on the[...]
View MoreWe need to start prioritizing workforce health and wellbeing
Analyst Opinion: “This has been a shot in the arm for those who have long[...]
View MoreThe authentication arms race continues
Throwback Thursday: This week we are heading back to 2006
View MoreSocial interaction in the digital workplace
Analyst opinion: As workplaces increasingly pivot to virtual presence, how can we stay connected?
View MoreIT Support, now and then
Throwback Thursday: Comparing IT support in 2020 with IT support in 2006
View MoreThe #WFH extended talent opportunity
Analyst Opinion: The rise of the virtual “workplace” – implications for inclusivity and Generation Z
View MoreMake the camera work for you, not against you
Analyst Opinion: Hands up anyone who expected not just to spend 2020 at home, but[...]
View MoreThe pandemic and productivity: a Covid-19 conundrum
Analyst Opinion “I’ve never been more productive!” With so many people getting their first experience[...]
View MoreAre you ready to pay the ‘mental debts’ of Covid-19?
Analyst Opinion It’s easy to predict many of the pains that are going to hit[...]
View MoreAI without tears: the drive for automation and self-service
Analyst Opinion In the post-pandemic, post-Brexit world, businesses of all sorts face a range of[...]
View MoreHow Covid-19 can sicken your AI apps too
Analyst Opinion AI might not be the first thing you think of when you start[...]
View MoreOutsourcing: a clear look at a cloudy subject
Analyst Opinion “Wasn’t cloud just another name for outsourcing back then?” joked another guest in[...]
View MoreData protection is too complex for RTO and RPO to be singular
Analyst Opinion I think we can all agree that protecting data is important – perhaps[...]
View MoreConsent and GDPR: get the basics right!
Analyst Opinion Why do companies find it so hard to get their heads around even[...]
View MoreFor business AI, focus on psychology, not technology
Analyst Opinion There’s no doubt now that AI works, and it can work very well[...]
View MoreDevOps needs more perspective and humility
Analyst Opinion DevOps started as a grass-roots movement led by practitioners. The motives were pure,[...]
View MoreToday’s hybrid clouds look more closed than open
Analyst Opinion We’ve had convergence towards hybrid clouds and ‘universal’ applications, but now we are[...]
View MoreKubernetes catches up with operational reality
Analyst Opinion With Kubernetes now established in many organisations as the container orchestration platform of the future,[...]
View MoreMea culpa: Trendy isn’t the same as important
Analyst Opinion I hate it when you realise that your point of reference has been[...]
View MoreNew financing models target IT’s acquisition challenges
Analyst opinion The availability of funding – or rather, the lack of it – is[...]
View MoreThreat vs trust: the overlooked power of words
Analyst Opinion Words have power – in particular, your choice of words modifies how your[...]
View MoreGrowing fast, OpenStack shakes off old misconceptions
Analyst opinion One of the most interesting things about the recent Open Infrastructure Summit – the new[...]
View MoreHard drives that do their own data processing
Analyst opinion It’s getting hard these days to find places where container technology doesn’t feature,[...]
View MoreCybersecurity needs both psychologists and generals
Analyst opinion Many cybersecurity professionals like military analogies. Indeed, some security pros are ex-military. But[...]
View MoreBeware the application complexity monster
Analyst opinion How many new applications, tools, devices, and cloud services have you introduced into[...]
View MoreHow Brexit-friendly are your SaaS contracts?
Analyst opinion If you think Brexit will be advantageous for the UK economy and the[...]
View MoreSix months on, GDPR is a qualified success
Analyst opinion Anyone hoping that we would by now have greater clarity on GDPR will[...]
View MoreHow long will your New Year stay Happy?
The Freeform Dynamics fortune-telling kit has been dusted off for 2019. Here some of the[...]
View MoreGoogle Chrome: It’s more than a browser
Chrome has come a long way, but the journey might only just be starting I[...]
View MoreDon’t ignore the complexity of hybrid multi-cloud
Analyst opinion Many vendors will argue that moving to cloud brings consistency and simplicity, thanks[...]
View MoreOpen source is growing up – and here’s how
Analyst opinion If you’re among those who still think that open source is just for[...]
View MoreThe mainframe returns – as a platform for large-scale Linux
Analyst opinion There are several ways to build large scale Linux server environments, with x86[...]
View MoreLast call for a European public cloud?
Analyst opinion Europe’s self-described No.1 ‘hyper-scale cloud provider’, OVH, held its 6th annual customer conference[...]
View MoreIndustrial IoT makes your people more important, not less
Analyst opinion The recent Industry of Things World conference in Berlin offered insights into the[...]
View MoreGoogle has got serious about Enterprise IT
Analyst opinion Google has made a complete about-face on the enterprise. It took so long[...]
View MoreCloud Foundry’s growth highlights open source success and the cracks in commercial licensing
Analyst opinion Open source has crested the hill of enterprise acceptance. There’s no longer the[...]
View MoreWhen modern meetings don’t work
Analyst opinion Once upon a time, pretty much every meeting had a minute-taker – someone[...]
View MoreIs IBM relevant to today’s mainstream?
Analyst opinion When IT vendors talk about the market, they tend to focus on how[...]
View MoreDevOps is wasted unless the business goes Agile too
Analyst opinion When analysts and journalists write about Agile and DevOps, the focus is typically[...]
View MoreWhat can Chromebooks offer the enterprise desktop market?
Analyst opinion If you’re an IT professional managing a large desktop estate or an end[...]
View MoreA conference room for the future
Analyst opinion In some ways, the recent completion of Plantronics’ $2 billion purchase of Polycom[...]
View MoreWorkplace software as an occupational hazard
Analyst opinion The US Department of Labor has updated its Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system.[...]
View MoreMillennial versus Mature – who’s the real IT security risk?
Analyst opinion Passwords have been the mainstay for securing applications, devices and the data they[...]
View MoreYour PC is rooted and jailbroken: deal with it!
Analyst opinion One of the defining characteristics of the modern digital workplace is a PC[...]
View MoreCloud storage is hot
Analyst opinion But do people know what they mean when they talk about it –[...]
View MoreXero highlights the role of the modern software ecosystem
Looking beyond the technology I recently caught up with Gary Turner, co-founder and managing of[...]
View MoreGrowth mindset lets Microsoft love Linux
Analyst opinion Timed to coincide with the RSA security conference, Microsoft has announced Azure Sphere,[...]
View MoreRoutes to AI goodness
Analyst opinion It’s all too easy to conflate the kind of AI being hyped in[...]
View MoreTime to dump the all-flash scepticism
Analyst opinion When we surveyed several hundred IT professionals on the topic of All-Flash Arrays,[...]
View MoreMicrosoft’s challenge for 2018: mindshare & market relevance
Analyst opinion Microsoft’s revenues are up, but compared to its biggest competitors — Amazon, Apple,[...]
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