All posts by Fabian Schneider

VMware

VMware Cloud new offerings

Effective March 31, 2021, VMware Cloud is generally available, and VMware is announcing new offerings that bring a more integrated experience to customers. These offerings include:

  • VMware Cloud Universal: a flexible subscription that simplifies the purchase and consumption of VMware multi-cloud infrastructure and management services.
  • VMware Cloud Console: a single monitoring and management environment for VMware Cloud infrastructure regardless of where it’s deployed.
  • VMware App Navigator: a new offering for assessing and prioritizing app transformation initiatives across an entire application estate based on the value of each app.

VMware Cloud is a distributed, multi-cloud platform that enables organizations to accelerate application modernization across hybrid and native public clouds.

For the announcement, please visit: https://www.vmware.com/company/news/releases/vmw-newsfeed.VMware-Cloud-Accelerates-App-Modernization-through-Modular-Multi-Cloud-Services.8269da95-5c87-41d0-8102-39142868e4bc.html.

For an introduction of VMware Cloud, please visit: https://cloud.vmware.com/community/2021/03/31/distributed-multi-cloud-era-arrived/.

For more information on VMware Cloud, please visit: https://cloud.vmware.com/.

For more information on VMware Cloud Universal, please visit: https://www.vmware.com/products/cloud-universal.html.

VMware

VMware Advanced Cloud Workload Protection with Container and Kubernetes Security

Effective April 7, 2021, expanded cloud workload protection capabilities are available from VMware that deliver security for containers and Kubernetes.

Container security challenges include open-source risks, the ephemeral nature of containers, and misaligned security and DevOps teams. VMware Carbon Black Cloud Container builds security into the continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) pipeline to control and analyze application risks before they are deployed into production.

Kubernetes is an open-source container-orchestration system for automating computer application deployment, scaling, and management.

Expanding the VMware Carbon Black Cloud Workload offering, the new capabilities will enable organizations to better secure containerized applications in Kubernetes environments.

For the announcement, please visit: https://www.vmware.com/company/news/releases/vmw-newsfeed.VMware-Delivers-Advanced-Cloud-Workload-Protection-with-Container-and-Kubernetes-Security.1ae3aed3-f138-42de-9c03-809db9421f80.html.

For an on-demand webinar about securing containers and Kubernetes-orchestrated environments, please visit: https://www.carbonblack.com/resources/securing-containers-and-kubernetes-orchestrated-environments/, or read about the highlights here: https://www.carbonblack.com/blog/securing-containers-and-kubernetes-orchestrated-environments/.

Citrix

Citrix Web Studio generally available

Effective March 1, 2021, Citrix Web Studio is available for all Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service customers.

Citrix Web Studio is an online platform that allows customers to interact in a more convenient and faster fashion compared to the previous Studio console. Customers can expect performance gains of up to 2x. Citrix also introduced new features, such as machine restart schedules. The feature was built for scenarios where the restart schedules can be set around end user’s usage patterns instead of rigid restarts based on set times.

This advanced version brings new improvements and a visual refresh that will help admins simplify their app and desktop management tasks.

For more information on Citrix Web Studio, please visit this preview blog post: https://www.citrix.com/blogs/2020/11/19/administering-your-citrix-virtual-apps-and-desktops-site-just-got-easier/.

For a list of new features, please visit: https://docs.citrix.com/en-us/citrix-virtual-apps-desktops-service/whats-new.html.

Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes Antivirus management and Universal Print

Effective March 15, 2021, Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes Antivirus management and Universal Print capabilities.

Microsoft Defender Antivirus provides your PCs with robust antimalware protection. The new Active Threats page of that antivirus management experience has been rolling out for the past few months and is now available to all customers worldwide.

Universal Print is a Microsoft 365 subscription-based service that allows IT to manage printers directly through the Universal Print portal, without the need for on-premises print servers. For organizations that are committed to Microsoft 365, it replaces the Windows Server print server functionality.

For the announcement, please visit: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/small-and-medium-business-blog/new-in-microsoft-365-business-premium-antivirus-management-and/ba-p/2212333.

For more information on Microsoft Defender Antivirus, please visit: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/business/threats-detected-defender-av?view=o365-worldwide.

For more information on Universal Print, please have a look at this article: https://www.schneider.im/microsoft-universal-print/.

Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 Scheduler Per User available

Effective May 1, 2021, Microsoft 365 Scheduler Per User is available.

Scheduler enables users to delegate their scheduling tasks to a digital personal assistant – Cortana, including scheduling appointments and meetings with internal and external attendees.

To use Scheduler, cc: Cortana in an email with other people and ask to schedule a meeting by letting Cortana know your meeting needs in the body of the email. You can tell Cortana the duration, timing, or location, or simply say “Find a time for us.”, and since Cortana understands natural language, there are no special commands to use.

Scheduler service is available worldwide, but language support will be limited to English.

Microsoft 365 Scheduler can be licensed through Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) and Volume License (VL).

For more information on Microsoft 365 Scheduler, please visit: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/scheduler.

Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 Career Coach available

Effective May 1, 2021, Microsoft 365 Career Coach is available for Microsoft Teams for Education.

Career Coach is a Microsoft Teams app, powered by LinkedIn, that provides personalized guidance to higher education students on navigating their career journey. Institutions can offer a unified employability solution to help every student discover their path, identify and acquire skills, and build their network.

Microsoft 365 Career Coach can be licensed through Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) and Volume License (VL).

For the announcement, please visit: https://educationblog.microsoft.com/en-us/2021/03/introducing-career-coach-in-microsoft-teams-for-education/.

For an informational eBook on Career Coach, please visit: https://edudownloads.azureedge.net/msdownloads/Career_Coach_eBook.pdf.

For a demonstration of the usage of Career Coach, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd5R7HmVcJQ.

On April 22, 2021 from 6 to 9pm Luxembourgish time, you may join the free virtual event: “Higher education Reimagined”, during which Career Coach will be presented: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/training-and-events/events-calendar#/events/HigherEducationReimagined.

SAP, Software Asset Management, USU

USU’s innovative SAM solution for SAP Digital Access

Effective March 15, 2021, USU Software Asset Management (SAM) includes powerful features for estimating SAP Digital Access as the SAM industry’s first solution to do so.

Software Asset Management (SAM) is the business strategy for maximizing savings and assuring compliance by actively controlling and automating the purchase, utilization, and deployment of software licenses and Online Services.

The solution simulates the logic of SAP’s own Digital Access Estimation Tool to produce a comparable analysis and accurately predict the number of document licenses required as part of Digital Access. With the results of all systems on one console, you get full visibility into how many digital documents were created by whom in Digital Core. USU Software Asset Management considers important factors in the calculation, such as the exclusion of non-chargeable financial follow-up documents, something that SAP’s own tool was previously unable to do.

SAP customers must decide between two SAP licensing models: switching to Digital Access, which charges per digital document, or sticking to Indirect Access, which charges for third-party use of SAP data. The USU Software Asset Management solution provides an automated way to find out which model offers the more favorable conditions for reducing and avoiding costs.

The SCHNEIDER IT MANAGEMENT Framework SAM Managed Service uses USU software and is the sophisticated and efficient method, which guides you step-by-step to your optimal SAM implementation.

Feel free to contact us for further information on how to make use of the SCHNEIDER IT MANAGEMENT Framework SAM Managed Service for considerable budget savings and your optimal licensing portfolio.

For the announcement, please visit: https://www.usu.com/en-us/company/press/usu-announces-industrys-first-solution-to-analyze-sapr-digital-access-excluding-subsequent-documents/.

For additional information on SAP Digital Access, please visit: https://blog.usu.com/en-us/shedding-light-on-digital-access.

For an informational sheet on SAP Digital Access adoption, please visit: https://news.sap.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/DA_Offer_External-Master_V11_050619.pdf.

Oracle Java

Oracle Java 16 available

Effective March 16, 2021, Oracle Java Development Kit (JDK) 16 is available including 17 new enhancements to the platform – known as JDK Enhancement Proposals (JEP).

This release brings a variety of features e.g. for improved networking, memory management, productivity, addressing future-incompatible code and much more.

Oracle delivers Java updates every six months to provide developers with a predictable release schedule.

For the announcement including information on new features, please visit: https://www.oracle.com/news/announcement/oracle-announces-java-16-031621.html.

For download options, please visit: https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/javase-downloads.html.

VMware

VMware Tanzu – Hybrid Cloud & Multi-cloud

Many enterprises are evaluating hybrid and multi-cloud architectures as part of their application modernization strategy. VMware has long supported customers in these journeys through strong relationships with public cloud providers. VMware Tanzu editions include several capabilities to help enterprises manage the inevitable security, compliance, and governance changes that come up during such datacenter transformations.

With VMware Tanzu, you can run and manage modern apps on any cloud, continuously delivering value to your customers. VMware Tanzu enables you to simplify multi-cloud operations and free developers to move faster with easy access to the right resources. VMware Tanzu enables development and operations’ teams to work together in new ways that deliver transformative business results.

For a solution brief on VMware Tanzu and the differentiation between its editions, please visit: https://d1fto35gcfffzn.cloudfront.net/tanzu/VMware-Tanzu-Solution-Brief-0121.pdf.

For more information on VMware Tanzu and how to integrate it into your cloud practices, please visit: https://tanzu.vmware.com/partners/cloud-infrastructure.

For more information on VMware Cloud, please visit: https://cloud.vmware.com/.

Please contact us for more details and to request a quote.

Oracle Database, Software Asset Management, USU

USU earns License Management Certification for Oracle Databases from ITAM Review

Effective March 4, 2021, USU (formerly Aspera), leading specialists in Software Asset Management (SAM) solutions, are being internationally recognized with ITAM Review’s “Certification for Management of Oracle Database Licenses”.

ITAM Review is the industry’s leading analyst and provides a global community for IT Asset Management (ITAM), SAM and licensing professionals. The certification primarily assists in qualitatively assessing Oracle license management tools. This ensures Oracle customers that the certified solution has the functionality required to manage Oracle licenses in an optimal way.

The USU Oracle solution for SAM enables customers to gain visibility into their licenses and minimize their licensing costs, even in complex database environments. The solution uses Oracle-verified methods for data collection and delivers intelligent reporting for optimized license management.

The SCHNEIDER IT MANAGEMENT Framework SAM Managed Service uses this USU software and is the sophisticated and efficient method, which guides you step-by-step to your optimal SAM implementation.

Feel free to contact us for further information on how to make use of the SCHNEIDER IT MANAGEMENT Framework SAM Managed Service for considerable budget savings and your optimal licensing portfolio.

For the announcement, please visit: https://www.usu.com/en-us/company/press/usu-certified-for-oracle-database-license-management-by-itam-review/.

For an overview of USU Software Asset Management (SAM), please visit: https://www.usu.com/en-us/solutions/usu-software-asset-management/.