Enterprise software is going beyond the line in matters of size and scalability; small companies depend on custom tailored software to manage their business rules, and large enterprises with onsite engineers, deal in a daily basis with the challenge to keep their systems up to date and running with the top edge technology.

In both cases the investment made in software systems to assist a given business is elevated, regardless if it was purchased from another company or if it was built and maintained by the own, it’s never going to stop being critical to update the current systems and platforms.

            Any enterprise software owner/designer/programmer must be aware of the market tendencies of operating systems, web technologies, hardware specs, and software patterns and brands; because of the raging nature of the IT industry it takes an eye blink to get obsolete.

Let’s recap about VB6 to VB.NET era, a transition with a lot of new technology, specs and a lot of new capabilities that promise the programmers to take their applications where it seems to be previously impossible like web services and remote facilities, numerous data providers are accessible with a common interface, and more wonders were presented with the .NET framework, however all this features can get very difficult or near to impossible to get incorporated in legacy applications. At this moment it was mandatory to get that software translated to the new architecture.

Initially the idea was to redesign the entire system using those new features in a natural way but this implicates to consume large amounts of resources and human efforts to recreate every single module, class, form, etc. This process results in a completely new application running over new technology that needs to be tested in the final environment, and that will impact the production performance because it has to be tested in the real business challenges. At the end, we got a new application attempting to copycat the behavior of the old programs and huge amount of resources spent.

Since this practice is exhaustive for the technical resources and for the production metrics, the computer scientists research about the functionally equivalent automated processes were used to create software that is capable to port one application from a given source platform to a different, and possibly upgraded one. During this translation process, the main objective is to use as much inherent constructions as possible in the newly generated code to take advantages of the target technology and to avoid the usage of legacy components. In case that the objective is to include a new feature found in the target platform, the application can be migrated and then the feature can be included more naturally than building communication subprograms to make that new capability to get in touch with the old technology.

This process is widely promising because it grants the creation of a new system based on the previous one, using minimum human efforts by establishing transformation rules to take the source constructions and generate equivalent constructions in the desired technology. Nevertheless, this will require human input, especially in very abstract constructions and user defined items.

All the comparisons done before to measure the benefits between redesign and migration, points to identify the second practice as the most cost-effective and fast, but now another metric becomes crucial. The automated stage is done by computers using proprietary technology depending on the vendor of the migration software, but how extensive the manual changes will be? Or, how hard will be to translate the non-migrated constructions?

The quality metrics of the final product will be redefined because a properly designed application will be translated with the same design considerations. This means that a given application will be migrated keeping the main aspects of design and the only changes in the resulting source code will be minor improvements in some language constructions and patterns. This makes the new quality metrics to be: maximize the automation ratio, minimize the amount of manual work needed, generate more maintainable code and reach the testing stage faster.

 As mentioned previously, the migration process is now an ally of every company while attempting to get their software systems revamped. It’s imperative to determine the rules to measure the process throughput, in order to compare all the options the market offers for this purpose, but, how it comes to be described the rules to compare a process where every single vendor employs proprietary technology that contrast from one to another?

After eye-witness the whole process, the ideas impressed in the user’s mind will decide the judgment made to some specified migration tool, and how it performs; but to make sure this judgment will be fair, here are some concepts, ideas and guidelines about how the migration process should be done, and the most important, how it should be measured.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·        <!--[endif]-->Time:

Human efforts are precious; computer efforts are arbitrary, disposable and reusable. An automated process can be repeated as many times as necessary, as long as their design considerations allow the algorithms to accept all the possible input values. Migration processes can be done with straight one-on-one transformation rules resulting in poorly mapped items that will need small adjustments, but regardless of the size of those efforts, those must be human, so these single reckless rules may become hundreds of human hours to fix all this small issues; remember, we are dealing with large enterprise software products, meaning that a single peaceable imperfection can replicate million times. Another possible scenario will be complex rules that searches for patterns and complex structures to generate equivalent patterns on the other side, but as many AI tasks, it may take lots of computer efforts, because of the immense and boundless set of calculations needed to analyze the original rules and synthesize new constructions. For the sake of performance, the user must identify which resources are most valuable, the time spent by people fixing what the tool’s output provided; or computers time that will be employed by more complex migration tools to generate more human-like code.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·        <!--[endif]-->Translation equivalence:

Legacy applications were built using the code standards and conventions for the moment, the patterns and strategies used in the past have evolved ones for good other to became obsolete. During an automated software migration process there must be a way to adapt arcade techniques to newer ones; a simple one-on-one translation will generate the same input pattern and the resulting source code will not take advantage of all the new features on the target platform. A brilliant migration tool should detect legacy patterns, analyze its usage and look for a new pattern in the target platform that behaves the same way. Because of the time calculations explained previously, a faster tool will only mean non-detailed and superficial transformations that will be a poor replica of the original code or in the best scenario a code wrapper will fix all the damage done. Functional equivalence is the key to a successful migration, because the whole concept of software migration is not only about getting the software running in the target platform, it’s about adaptation to a new set of capabilities and the actual usage of those capabilities.

With that on mind, a comparison between different tools can be clearer now. Leaving aside the competitiveness of the market, the readers should identify the facts from the prevaricated marketing slogans, and appraise the resources to be spent during a migration process. Saving a couple of days of computer time may become hundreds of human hours, which at the end will not cure the faulty core, will just make it run.

Visix, Inc. has released version 1.87 of their AxisTV Signage Suite digital signage software. This latest update includes a new Microsoft Power BI widget, major speed enhancements, simplified content scheduling and other updates for a better user experience.

Will Davidson and his Minecraft creation, modeled off the Santa Cruz Mission; Credit: Steve Henn

Minecraft is a deceptively simple video game. You're dropped into a virtual world, and you get to build things. It's like a digital Lego set, but with infinite pieces.

Its simplicity makes it a big hit with kids, like 10-year old Will Davidson. Last year, Will built a Spanish mission for a school report. He modeled his off the Santa Cruz Mission. "I made a chapel over here," Davidson says. "I also have a bell tower."

After he turned in his report, he added a few things. Like skeleton archers. "And zombies ... and exploding things, and spiders, that try to kill you," he said.

Minecraft is popular with kids because they're free to create almost anything, says Ramin Shokrizade, a game designer.

Also, kids aren't manipulated into clicking buttons to buy add-ons within the game. In other games, designers give players a special power for free at first, then take it away and offer it back at a price.

Zynga, the creator of Farmville, calls this fun pain, according to Shokrizade. "That's the idea that, if you make the consumer uncomfortable enough, and then tell them that for money we'll make you less uncomfortable, then [they] will give us money," he says.

Kids, Shokrizade says, are especially susceptible to this — and Minecraft has a loyal following, in part, because it doesn't do it.

Susan Linn, from the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, agrees. She says a big reason she likes Minecraft is because after you purchase the game upfront, that's it.

"Parents don't have to worry that their kids are going to be targeted for more marketing," Linn says. "How forward-thinking!"

But Linn is worried. Microsoft bought Mojang, the company that created Minecraft, on Monday for $2.5 billion, and she says that any time a large company spends billions to acquire a smaller company, executives are bound start looking for new ways to get even more money out of it.

Like all manufacturers, bakers and snack producers know that their success (and profitability) depends on more than just regularly introducing new products. Controlling overhead, operating and equipment costs is a major part of the equation.

Salt-free water softeners

The US headline business activity net balance fell to 30 per cent in October from 41 per cent in June and was the lowest for two years, an S&P Global survey found. Despite this, firms were still more optimistic than the global average net balance of 24 per cent. Inflation expectations were a bit above the global average. At 37 per cent, the manufacturing net balance was the highest for a year.

Parallels RAS Now extends the integration and delivery of applications from Azure Virtual Desktop to application delivery on Windows 365 Cloud PCs

The "Call for speakers and workshop facilitators" page has been created. [21 Jan 2008]

When it comes to management software for restoration contractors, DASH beats every competitor hands down!

For more details please see attached the Request for pre-qualification.

Related Stories

• Life-Cycle Support and Technical Consultative Services for the OSCE Integrated Notification Application (INA) Software
• Request for pre-qualification in relation to the planned tender for the provision of Life-Cycle Support and Technical Consultative Services for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Conflict Prevention Centre (CPC) Integrated Not
• Selection of Microsoft-designated Large Account Reseller (LAR) for provision of Microsoft Software and Related Services

Background

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is an international non-profit organization with its Secretariat in Vienna, Austria; detailed information about the work of the OSCE and its presence is available at www.osce.org

Risk Management at the OSCE

The Department of Management and Finance (DMF) provides services in the area of finance, budget, information and communication technology, procurement and assets management, as well as in maintaining the system of internal control and a supporting risk-based approach to management decision-making that facilitates achieving OSCE´s objectives. This is achieved through proactive identification, evaluation and control of major, security and operational risks across the OSCE.

In 2008, the OSCE implemented a web-based Enterprise Risk Management software that supports the collection of risks across the OSCE and reporting on them.

At present, the OSCE is satisfied with the current software solution but interested to learn about alternative products, their technical capabilities, and related pricing information.

Requirements

In view of the above, the OSCE is interested to receive feedback from the market on the following requirements:

1. Product name;
2. Service options - cloud based vs. on premises;
3. Functional capabilities including:
• Multiple browser;
• Enable the OSCE to manage risk in a structured way and assist with embedding the ownership, management, review and reporting of risks to stakeholders;
• Provide full mapping of risks, controls, ownership, risk status, control status;
• Access real-time interactive dashboards and reporting tools allowing to get to the data that is needed promptly for further analysis and/or decision-making;
• Customize reports and their format;
• Customize naming of the fields to be consistent with the OSCE naming convention;
• Operate two sets of naming for the fields to allow for differing terminology for security and operational risks;
• Create drop-down lists with standardized sets of risks and controls;
• Register cross-cutting risks;
• Possibility to include audit recommendations, tracking, compliance and other business functions.  Possibility to cross-link the data (e.g. audit recommendations to the new controls proposed).
4. Technical requirements;
5. Data migration from existing platform to a new solution;
4. Availability of technical support function and related cost. If initial support is provided for free, please specify the timeframe;
5. Possibility of data exchange (integration) with Oracle ERP;
6. Demo access;
7. Success stories (e.g., implementation and usage in the international organizations and agencies e.g., UN, World Bank, etc.;
8. Pricing and licensing information.

The feedback on the above requirements is required by the OSCE to evaluate the quality of current system and support the decision making process toward new system.

Request for Information procedure

Interested Vendors wishing to participate in the pre-qualification process are requested to submit relevant pre-qualification documentation by email to Yury Golovkov at yury.golovkov@osce.org by 28 August 2016 22:00HRS CET.

All responses will be rated against the mandatory requirements and pre-qualification criteria. At the end of the evaluation process, Vendor will be notified where its response rated as acceptable or not.

OSCE Disclaimer

The OSCE reserves the right to accept or reject any pre-qualification documentation, and to annul or to suspend the pre-qualification and subsequent tender process and reject all solicitations at any time and without reason prior to the date of Contract Award, without thereby incurring any liability or responsibility to affected participants of this pre-qualification or tender process.

END.

Related Stories

• Request for Information (RFI): Enterprise Risk Management Software

Related Stories

• Provision of Printing and related Services for the OSCE
• Provision of transportation services for OSCE Mission to Serbia
• Provision of Conducting a Survey on the Well-being and Security of Women in South East Europe, Eastern Europe, Turkey and the South Caucasus

Comments

This month's issue focuses on software. 

Owners of the affected trucks will require replacement hardware.

Phil Spencer just confirmed that Microsoft wants to release an Xbox handheld. He also said that the company is still working on an Xbox mobile store and exploring more studio acquisitions.

The post Phil Spencer Discusses Microsoft’s Xbox Handheld and Mobile Store Plans appeared first on Thurrott.com.

The Windows 11 Insider build 22749 is out on the Canary Channel, and it includes the same Narrator improvements that are also rolling out to non-Insiders with this month's Patch Tuesday updates.

The post Microsoft Releases Windows 11 Canary Build 27749 appeared first on Thurrott.com.

Microsoft's gaming division is developing prototypes for a handheld gaming device that won't launch for "a few years," gaming chief Phil Spencer said Wednesday. In an interview with Bloomberg, Spencer said that while Microsoft is actively working on prototypes, the company will first focus on improving its Xbox app performance on existing portable devices and establishing hardware partnerships. The gaming unit wants to be "informed by learning and what's happening now" before introducing its own device, Spencer said. "Longer term, I love us building devices," Spencer said, adding that Microsoft's team "could do some real innovative work."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

TOKYO, Nov. 13, 2024 — NVIDIA has announced a series of collaborations with SoftBank Corp. designed to accelerate Japan’s sovereign AI initiatives and further its global technology leadership while also unlocking […]

The post NVIDIA Supports SoftBank in Building AI Supercomputer, Unveils AI-Driven Telecom Network appeared first on HPCwire.

Microsoft has announced that it will end support for Mail, Calendar, and People apps for Windows by the end of the year. It is migrating users to the new Outlook for Windows app, where they will be able to access their local emails, calendar events, and stored contacts on a single platform — services previously available on three separate apps.

The training company is in discussions with a major computer manufacturing company to bring 10,000 employees onto the platform.

bPembrolizumab, an immunotherapy medication/b, significantly enhanced disease-free survival when added to the standard of care for patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma of the limb.

Discover how pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy drug, enhances disease-free survival in advanced soft tissue sarcoma, offering a promising treatment alternative.

Lakshmi Srinivasa Rao Gogula highlights that SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) is revolutionizing enterprise software by enhancing agility, integration, security, developer empowerment, and sustainability beyond traditional ABAP.

Vision Funds (SVF1 and SVF2) sold investments totalling $1.85 billion for the six-month period ended September 30

Huang said SoftBank was the first to receive its new Blackwell chip designs

1. Phil Spencer Discusses Microsoft’s Xbox Handheld and Mobile Store Plans  Thurrott.com
2. “I think the ball is moving in the right direction." Xbox head Phil Spencer confirms Microsoft mobile game store delay amid Apple, Google regulations in interview  Windows Central
3. Microsoft is still in the market for video game acquisitions  Windows Central

I'm using it all winter, because it's made to withstand the outdoors! READ MORE...

1. How this ‘pop-up’ on Windows laptops and PCs may again lead to Google vs Microsoft tussle  The Times of India
2. Microsoft Edge is trying to forcefully get your Chrome tabs again  The Verge
3. Microsoft Edge has a sneaky new pop-up that tries to copy your Google Chrome data  9to5Google
4. Microsoft is sneakily trying to import tabs from other browsers into Edge  Ghacks
5. Microsoft is, once again, trying to force users into using Edge  MSN

Компания Microsoft представила проект Hyperlight, развивающий гипервизор, предназначенный для встраивания в приложения с целью изолированного выполнения кода, не заслуживающего доверия или требующего особой защиты. Гипервизор оформлен в виде разделяемой библиотеки, обеспечивающей выполнение отдельных функций в легковесных виртуальных машинах (micro-VM) и организующей обмен данными с этими функциями. Код проекта написан на языке Rust и распространяется под лицензией Apache 2.0.

With the aim of enhancing UK’s economy, London is seeking favor from Indian startups and software companies.

Tyto Software, creators of Sahi OS and Sahi Pro, announced launch of Sahi Pro 6.2.0, yet another powerful version to position itself strongly as a ROI-Driven Web Test Automation tool.

U.S. tech giants Microsoft and Google have partnered wherein Office for Android will be supported on Chrome OS-based devices via the Google Play Store.

Microsoft said its Cheyenne datacentre in Wyoming will now be powered entirely by 237 megawatts of wind energy.

Researchers at The Rockefeller University in New York said they discovered two promising new antibiotics by sifting through the human microbiome with the help of a software.

Microsoft on Thursday released tools that can be used by any developer on any platform, the company said in a statement, and added that developers will now be able to use the tools of their choice to create Android, iOS and Windows apps.

Microsoft on Thursday released tools that can be used by any developer on any platform, the company said in a statement, and added that developers will now be able to use the tools of their choice to create Android, iOS and Windows apps.

Back in November 2004, I referenced the historic Microsoft dividend payout in the context of what one could buy with money. I often perform these numeric exercises or reference work by others because it can sometimes be hard for people to comprehend how big numbers are. The influence of Microsoft is simply huge. I referenced how their recent moves affected the stock markets in the antivirus space. Now as Suzanne has pointed out to me, it appears the dividend payout has positively influenced the government's measure of consumer spending. Simply wow.