Today, Houston-based iland Internet Solutions announced they have joined the VMware service provider program to delivery cloud computing services. By joining the program, iland’s customers will benefit from VMware’s virtualization solutions leveraging the cost effective and reliability of the products platform. Please see the announcement below in full. Thank you.

ILAND INTERNET SOLUTIONS JOINS VMWARE SERVICE PROVIDER PROGRAM

TO DELIVER CLOUD COMPUTING SERVICES ACROSS ONE COMMON PLATFORM

Key Highlights:

- iland will now have access to VMware’s proven and reliable virtualization solutions enabling users to deploy a broad set of applications to the cloud without rewriting.

- iland’s customers benefit from VMware virtualization solutions by doing more with less during tight, economic times

- VMware Service Provider Program (VSPP)enables iland to deliver scalable virtualization solutions and service offerings that are affordable and reliable

Houston, TX (February 24, 2009) -iland Internet Solutions, a leading global provider of Virtualization and Cloud Hosting Services featuring Hosted VMware VI Enterprise solutions, Managed Colocation and High Speed IP Bandwidth announced today its participation in the VMware Service Provider Program (VSPP). This relationship will provide iland’s customers access to new virtualization-enabled solutions, applications and services with proven reliability, broad application coverage and unique mobility features.

This additional flexibility will allow iland customers to more effectively utilize their hardware resources through VMware virtualization solutions, enabling customers to do more with less during tight, economic times. Instead of paying for a dedicated set of servers to run an application, the new cloud-computing model allows customers to dynamically scale their hardware requirements to match the needs of the application. If capacity demand rises, additional server and storage resources can be provisioned automatically.

Unlike other compute clouds that require applications to be built specifically to a single cloud computing platform and require complete rewrites of existing applications, iland’s VMware solutions enable millions of existing applications to run simultaneously in a VMware-based infrastructure cloud without modification. For any size organization, this application compatibility can provide the flexibility to run applications where it makes the most sense, whether on premise or in the cloud.

“We’re working with VMware to help ensure our clients have access to the latest technology in cloud hosting,” states Brian Ussher, President of iland Internet Solutions. “iland can now leverage the large range of applications that run on the VMware platform as well as the 1,000+ appliances in the VMware Virtual Appliance Marketplace. Now, deploying new applications to the cloud or on premise is fast, easy and affordable.”

“VMware welcomes iland to the VMware Service Provider Program,” said Geoff Waters, director of emerging channels, VMware. “iland’s expertise in virtualization and managed IT services is a valuable addition to our program, which includes more than 100 services partners worldwide. We look forward to accelerating the ability of iland to deliver our latest technology to customers, and to help ensure more affordable and reliable application hosting and infrastructure services.”

Hibernia Atlantic remains committed to deploying the historic new cable network for Northern Ireland’s Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) and the Department Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (DCENR) for the Republic of Ireland as part of Project Kelvin.  

This project is a joint €30 million initiative between DETI and DCENR and is partly funded through the EC INTERREG IVA programme. The new cable will link Armagh, Ballymena, Belfast, Coleraine, Londonderry, Omagh, Portadown and Strabane to Europe and North America.  In addition, the cable will also provide links to Letterkenny, Castleblayney, Dundalk, Drogheda and Monaghan. This build marks another key milestone in Hibernia Atlantic’s history, as the communications company is the first to deploy a cable from North America to this region. 

This remains very exciting news and as such, Hibernia has just announced their committment to build a Telehouse in Londonderry to support this project.  Below is a copy of the release in full as it was issued on February 19, 2009:

HIBERNIA ATLANTIC TO BUILD TELEHOUSE IN LONDONDERRY

SUMMIT, NJ & DUBLIN, IRELAND- February 19, 2009- Hibernia Atlantic, the only diverse transAtlantic submarine transport cable provider and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Columbia Ventures Corporation, today announces that it will build the Project Kelvin telehouse in Derry City.

Hibernia Atlantic has taken the commercial decision to move this project forward and situate the telehouse in Londonderry.

Derek Bullock, Vice President of Network Operations Hibernia Atlantic, said “Project Kelvin will bring many benefits and opportunities to the whole of Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland. For commercial expediency we have decided to move the telehouse to Londonderry.

“A cable landing station with a Point of Presence (PoP) will be located in Coleraine. The services throughout Northern Ireland will remain the same, offering Northern Ireland and global companies alike, a new wealth of capacity and the ability to directly and securely connect to Canada, US, UK and mainland Europe.

“After engaging with the business community and politicians in the North West this is a way forward which will enable all of Northern Ireland to benefit from this project. One of the key objectives of Project Kelvin is to improve International Telecommunications infrastructure between Northern Ireland and North America and Northern Ireland and Mainland Europe and hence fuel development in Industry, Commerce and Trade for the region. ”

Please visit www.hiberniaatlantic.com for more information or e-mail pr@jaymiescotto.com

On February 10^th, 2009 I attended the SocComm event in New York organized by Jeff Pulver.  There were many interesting speakers at the event who focused on the emergence and use of Social Media in communications. 

Jeff’s introduction was fascinating, as he showed a video where he taped teenagers and our children of today discussing how they communicate with their friends and family.  The three main ways they communicate with their friends are through social networking sites like Facebook, text messages (SMS) and e-mails.  When asked about communicating with their parents, it was on the phone or preferably in person.

What an interesting dichotomy to think that day to day contact is taking place over the ‘net’ whereas relationships with parents are in person or on the phone, a more personal approach to communications. 

This got me thinking, in our business world, how do YOU communicate?  Personnally, I use twitter (@ilissanyc), Facebook (for both personal and personal professional contacts), LinkedIn for professional networking, e-mail – everyday and all day, instant messenger and Skype.  Yes, I use AIM and Skype for business still – and it has always proven to be a remarkable tool to communicate with clients, partners and co-workers. 

Recently, one of my clients requested to have a Skype conference call.  It was a little choppy for starters, first getting us all connected and secondly hoping and praying that our Internet connections wouldn’t fail us, because then the whole ‘bridge’ would by tricky to patch back together again.  Unfortunately, my cablevision Internet connection appeared to be the worst offender; one of the factors attributing to our pending change in service providers. 

So why do we communicate more through the ‘net’ than in person?

1.  E-mail is easier and quicker.  No need to put on a cheerful voice or figure out what to say in 20 seconds or less on an answering machine.  E-mails are basically the written form of ‘leave me a message.’

2.  Instant Messenger is a direct conversation via ‘e-mail’ but the person is on-line and actively responding, a ‘live’ converstation using our mad typing skills!  With 2 letter short-hand, a conversation could easily read as follows ‘Hi’ ‘u K?’ ‘Yup’ ‘TY’ – very informal, but conversational all at the same time.

3.  Facebook – I will call it the ‘Facebook’ phenomena.  One of the speakers at SocComm pointed out the fact that Facebook forces people to use their real identities, so that you are properly yourself.  Back in the initial days of AOL chat rooms, anyone could be well… anyone.  So the fact that it’s simple, fun, and you are indeed ‘yourself,’ makes it a tool that is useful and interesting to use.  You can send e-mails, have direct ‘instant messenger’ conversations, communicate among a group of people, set-up ‘private clubs’ or groups, it takes our real world and mimics it electronically and allows us all to be involved whenever we choose to be and as often as we’d like to be – from the comfort of our computer, laptop or cell phone device.

4.  LinkedIn is another social media tool that has taken remarkable shape.  It allows you to build a business community, showcasing your business talents and relays your professional experience in as much detail as you choose to share.  By connecting with other professionals that you know, or would like to know, you can create interesting conversations and share meaningful information among your industry to a group of like-minded professionals who opt-in to receive the information.  It’s not a tool that forces people to read your news postings, updates, answers to questions, but one that people choose to read, which has a higher value than simply sending an e-mail requesting them to ‘check out this article.’

5.  Twitter.  Most people struggle to understand what and how this tool can be used effectively, and honestly, I often times feel the same way.  One way to look at twitter, defined as a micro blog, it’s a unilateral chat room of people that you choose to follow and those that choose to follow you.  Another way to look at it is a group of people who are vying to share information or observation and just want to be heard, taken seriously or not.  Most information shared on Twitter is very interesting and includes links to websites, however, the more people you follow, the more tweets you have and honestly, who can keep up with it?  There are people on twitter following tens of thousands of people – I can bet you they are NOT reading all of the tweets.  It’s a way to ‘try’ to connect to a greater group of people.  I actually use Twitter to follow trends, see what people are tweeting about and to share information about my clients.  Good news often gets picked up and read via my tweets, the less mundane is ignored.  Perhaps

6.  Skype – well, we use it at home for personal use (calling family and friends that are far way) and for business to keep costs down on conference calls.  To know why you’re using it helps with any frustrations you may have with the quality of the tool.

I can continue with my social media observations and sharing of these tools, and I will – in another blog.  My next blog on this topic will be about how businesses, especially B2B, can benefit from social marketing, and how I can help prove of its viral strong-hold, especially among communities.  So until then, keep typing and keep skyping! 

Your comments are appreciated! 

SocComm – The Social Communications Summit is a ground-breaking new event that will explore the state of social media.  Social media has appeared  to take storm over the Internet with Twitter breaking news and having the news mention Twitter as a news-breaking tool to Facebook, LinkedIn, Digg and more.    With all of these online, social media tools, where is this all going and how are we getting there?

The Social Communications Summit – February 10 2009 in New York City, spearheaded by Jeff Pulver, will explore the state of Social Communications, where things are headed in the future and where the money is today and will be tomorrow.

According to the SocComm website (www.soccomm.com) and the Press Release about the event, the topics will span across: Media / Internet / Communications / Entertainment, something Jeff calls the “MICE” space. SocComm will have a mixture of individual talks, on-stage interviews / conversations and a number of group chat sessions.

Due to Jeff Pulver’s industry leadership as he established the VoIP industry years ago with the Voice On the Net (VON) conferences and brands, no doubt SocComm will be the beginning of something big. 

Registration is open for SocComm. To register, click here. The cost is US$ 495 for the standard registration and US$ 695 for the special VIP Registration.

Since I will be live tweeting this event, I hope to see you there or simply follow me at http://twitter.com/ilissanycand on February 10, 2009 follow search for the SocComm hashtag: #sc09

Fantastic news for a truly great company.   Tiscali International Networks (TINet) has announced that they will become a separate company and entity from Tiscali.  BS Private Equity, a private equity firm based in Italy has acquired the International group, which focuses on wholesale IP/MPLS network services.   TINet has seen a tremendous amount of growth in the past few years and with the advent of new technologies, the growing requirements of businesses and the needs of Service Providers to get access to more bandwidth and IP addresses, this news is exciting – not just for TINet but for the industry as a whole.

By becoming its own entity, TINet now has the opportunity to move more quickly and swiftly in reaction to the needs by their customers and the industry.

Not only is this a win-win for TINet and the industry, but also gives us all hope.  With the global economic situation, there are still companies looking to buy and invest.  Congratulations – more to come!

The original announcement is below:

Cagliari, Milano February 3rd 2009
Tiscali and BS Private Equity SpA and BS Investimenti SGR announce to have agreed the acquisition by the latter of the activities held by Tiscali International Network BV, subsidiary of Tiscali SpA, for a total Enterprise Value of ca EUR 47 million, including a potential EUR 7 million earn-out. Closing is conditional upon signing of the
final agreement and approval of the relevant antitrust authorities.

TiNet offers to customers world-wide wholesale IP-MPLS connectivity through a global network covering 3 continents and with over 100 points of presence. In 2008 TiNet had a turnover of over EUR 35 million – compared with a turnover of ca EUR 28 million with the same perimeter – and an EBITDA of ca EUR 10 million
(corresponding to an EBITDA margin of 28%).

Following the acquisition, TiNet will continue to offer IP services to the Tiscali Group.

Investor Relations Barabino & Partners
Chiara Dorigotti / Lisa Nanu Stefania Bassi s.bassi@barabino.it
+390230901 253/209 Paola Paletti p.paletti@barabino.it
ir@tiscali.com +39 02 7202 3535
Press Office Image Building
Mara Baldessari, Simona Vecchies
+39 0289011300 Email: tlc@imagebuilding.it