Microsoft, HP Together on Cloud

In a recent development, HP and Microsoft have tied up for a three-year engagement to help companies move to cloud computing. The two companies aim to simplify technology environments for businesses of all sizes and plan to invest $250 million.

The tie-up aims to build joint solutions based on industry standards and utilise existing data center investments, all managed through a common framework. This approach will enable customers to integrate private or public cloud computing models as their business requires. The two companies will collaborate on the Windows Azure platform, with HP and Microsoft offering services, and Microsoft continuing to invest in HP hardware for Windows Azure infrastructure.

With this strategic partnership, HP and Microsoft will collaborate on an engineering road map for data management machines; converged, pre-packaged application solutions; comprehensive virtualisation offerings; and integrated management tools.

Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft, said, “This agreement, which spans hardware, software and services, will enable business customers to optimise performance with push-button simplicity at the lowest possible total cost of ownership. Our extended partnership will transform the way large enterprises deliver services to their customers, and help smaller organisations adopt IT to grow their businesses. Microsoft and HP are betting on each other so our customers don’t have to gamble on IT.”

HP and Microsoft will deliver the new infrastructure-to-application model as integrated offerings for large, heterogeneous data center environments as well as through solutions designed for small and mid-size businesses. According to the companies, these new solutions are available immediately, with new offerings being introduced throughout the next three years.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Shashi Tharoor gets 6L Twitter followers

In soccer, it is bend it like Beckham. In cricket, it is scoop it like Dilshan. Now, among Indians in virtual world the brouhaha is all about tweet it like Tharoor.

With his delightfully humerous and insightful comments on travelling cattle class, new visa rules and call to work on Gandhi Jayanti that tickled his fellow Cabinet colleagues the wrong way and stirred up controversy, the minister for foreign affairs has won the hearts of half-million followers in the virtual world and many more outside.

Adding yet another feather to his leaf, he scaled a milestone in Twitter on Wednesday as the number of Shashi Tharoor followers crossed the 600,000-mark.

And now, the US-based firm Twitter itself has praised the minister. ‘‘We’re always excited to hear about the new ways in which the world of communication is changing thanks to the clever new uses of Twitter by different folks in all areas of the world, including politicians like Tharoor. The simplicity and flexibility of Twitter allows for much creativity by users,’’ Twitter co-founder and creative director Biz Stone told TOI.

According to statistics on twitterholic.com, from just 26 followers and three tweets in March 23, 2009, the minister has come a long way with more than 6 lakh followers till January 14, 2010.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Year 2010 to witness three more eclipses

Besides Friday’s solar eclipse, three more eclipses will occur during 2010.

According to A B G Siddharth, Director, Birla Science Centre here, there will be partial eclipse of the moon on June 26 followed by a total solar eclipse on July 11, this year. The solar eclipse, however, will not be visible in India.

The last eclipse during the year will be on December 21, a total lunar eclipse, which will also be visible from India.

In any given year there are a minimum of two eclipses.

This year, there are in all four eclipses.

Friday’s eclipse will begin at 11.30 am and cover 77 per cent of the sun at 1.32 pm. It will be over by 3.15 pm.

Inclement weather is likely to play spoilsport.

While in Hyderabad, the eclipse will be partial as it covers 77 per cent of the sun, it will be annular at the extreme tip of south near Kanyakumari where one can see the peripheral ring with the sun being covered 92 per cent and a ring like formation will appear.

Siddharth cautioned the people that the eclipse should not be seen with X-ray films or through smoked glasses or photographic films but should be seen only through certified solar eclipse special goggles or certified solar filters.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Airtel brings Twitter via SMS in India

Soon, the Twitter birdie would be chirping, we mean, tweeting on Indian mobile phones through SMS. Bharti Airtel has got into a four week exclusive deal with Twitter to offer update notifications as SMS to Airtel Subscribers. Twitter is a free micro-blogging service that allows users to update their status messages in 140 characters.

Back in 2008, Twitter was available in India through SMS but the notifications service was discontinued due to high costs. Twitter has been raging mania amongst youngsters just like Orkut of yesteryears. The main attraction is the presence of celebrities and known public figures on Twitter.

Airtel bagged an exclusive four weeks deal with Twitter for sending and receiving updates via SMS. Airtel subscribers can try out the Twitter notifications by sending this shortcode SIGNUP to number 53000. Existing Twitter users who wish to link their Airtel Number to Twitter account need to send START to 53000 for activating their device. More details about Twitter on Airtel can be accessed at this exclusive page – http://airtel.in/twitter/.

New users:
Send SIGNUP to 53000

Existing Twitter Users to link their Device to their account:
Send START to 53000

Twitter is accessible through mobile web over Data connection (GPRS). But the question is why only Airtel? In a blog post at Official Twitter Blog, Biz Stone, Twitter Co-founder said, “We worked quickly to establish full SMS service in India with the largest operator because organic growth in the region has been unusually strong and there is huge potential for positive impact.”

At the moment, Twitter notifications via SMS service is available in U.S., UK, Canada, New Zealand and now in India. So, after the four weeks period, other telecom operators would be able to provide Twitter notifications via SMS to users. Till then, Airtel servers would be bombarded to handle the SMS traffic. If you suffer from SMS congestion, please bear with avid Twitter users. That’s all we got to say.

Popularity: 15% [?]