;)
The information about the release can be found at http://www.openbsd.org/47.html.
The song was written, arranged, and sung by Bob Kitella. Guitar by Tim Campbell. Keyboard by Bob Kitella and Jonathan D. Lewis. Bass, additional programming, mixing, and mastering by Jonathan D. Lewis. The song can be found at http://www.openbsd.org/lyrics.html#47.
The official "unofficial" website for this release can be found at http://www.openbsd47.com.
If you would like more information about the OpenBSD project, please visit their website at http://www.openbsd.org. A direct donation to the project can be made at http://www.openbsd.org/donations.html.
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Every six months OpenBSD releases a new version of the operating system, typically on May 1st, and November 1st. But this May, OpenBSD 4.7 will have an official release date of May 19, 2010. What is so special about this release?
It is no secret that SEBO is a supporter and sponsor of the project, and every release is a good thing because of all of the great technological enhancements that come with the releases, but what makes this release so special to us is that our own Director of Information Technology has written the song that will be provided for this release.
Bob Kitella will be turning 47 years old on the same day that OpenBSD 4.7 is released, and he also shares the birthday with Theo de Raadt who will be turning 42. We are all happy that Bob will be around for this event because he almost didn't make it to his 46th birthday when he suffered a heart attack on April 29, 2009.
We are bound by the cone of silence at the moment, so we can't share too much information about OpenBSD 4.7 right now, but it is rumoured that Bob may also be singing the song.
As we get closer to the release date, more information will be provided, but we are hoping that this release breaks some records in product sales and donations because of how much this project means to Bob, and SEBO.
For more information about the project please visit www.openbsd.org.
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Although it pains myself and all Canadians to break the consecutive Gold Medal winning streak of our Canadian Junior Hockey Team, lets put things into perspective shall we.
In the history of the World Juniors Hockey, the USA won Bronze back in 1986 and 1992, Silver in 1997 vs Canada, Gold in 2004 vs Canada, Bronze in 2007, and played one hell of a game to win the Gold vs Canada in 2010. That is 6 medals in total.
In the history of the World Juniors Hockey, Canada has won Silver in 1977, Bronze in 1978, Gold in 1982, Bronze in 1983, Gold in 1985, Silver in 1986, Gold in 1988, 1990, 1991, and 1993 through 1997, Silver in 1999, Bronze in 2000 and 2001, Silver in 2002 through 2004, Gold in 2005 through 2009. and a Silver in 2010. That is 26 medals in total. OH Canada, need I say anything more? Be Proud!
I am proudly wearing my jersey. Team Canada, you boys played one hell of a game tonight, and came back in the 3rd to tie it up and head to over time, and kept this country on the edge of our seats. Thank you so much for some great hockey, and doing us proud. This is the most wonderful time of the year isn't it :)
And not to take anything away from the USA for some amazing hockey tonight. You boys played well, were well organized, disciplined, focused, and incredibly fast! Nice Win USA! I look forward to watching you next year!
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It is with great sadness that we must say goodbye to our friend and colleague Shannon Dergousoff who passed away today.
We were fortunate to have Shannon as a contractor to SEBO in our early days when we created the company, and Shannon proved to be a valuable resource who represented our company with the highest degree of ethics and integrity.
Everyone who had the pleasure and honour of knowing Shannon will feel the loss, but we will keep her spirit alive with our memories. We extend our deepest sympathies to Shannon's family on their loss.
Goodbye Shannon, and Thanks again for everything.
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SEBO Systems, QHR Technologies and Clinicvault unite to create CLOUDWERX DATA SOLUTIONS INC.
SEBO Systems Inc. (“SEBO”) is very pleased to announce today that it has entered into a joint venture with QHR Technologies Inc. (“QHR”) (TSX-Venture: QHR) to create Cloudwerx Data Solutions Inc. (“Cloudwerx), a new company dedicated to providing data hosting and data storage services and solutions to a variety of service sectors.
QHR currently provides data hosting and data storage services through its subsidiary Clinicvault Inc. (“Clinicvault”) which complements SEBO’s existing data hosting and managed services division.
Clinicvault and SEBO have signed management agreements with Cloudwerx and, effective immediately, Cloudwerx will begin to operate these respective business units and commence efforts to migrate the combined customer base into Cloudwerx.
SEBO will continue to provide professional IT consulting services, commercial data storage and IT products along with Telecommunication services independently of Cloudwerx.
View the public press release at www.qhrtechnologies.com.
Highlights:
• Professionally managed Data Centre operations in Calgary, AB and Kelowna, BC
• Enhanced product and service offerings with rapid introduction of new technologies
• Multi-sectored customer base including Healthcare, Petroleum, Financial and Hospitality
• Multiple EMR vendor hosting for Healthcare Practitioners
Specific to the healthcare sector, combining our existing customer base will enable Cloudwerx to manage over 500,000 patient records with over 600 system users utilizing a variety of EMR and EHR software. We remain EMR agnostic, working with various EMR software vendors to enable them to provide hosted and on site solutions to their various customers.
Cloudwerx will maintain hosting operations in datacenters in Calgary, AB and Kelowna, BC and transition customers from Clinicvault’s Lethbridge, AB hosting facility. The availability of two primary datacenters in two distinct geographic centres will enable Cloudwerx to offer enhanced data protection and business disaster/continuity services to customers.
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Hitachi Data Systems has just released a new product that will change the way we manage our operations and infrastructure. The Hitachi IT Operations Analyzer will provide you a cost effective management solution that will monitor your environment, identify problems, and provide root cause analysis to assist in problem resolution.
This product has been over 2 years in the making, and what makes this different from competitive products like Solar Winds, Tivoli, etc., is that it was designed with ease of use and simplicity in mind. Here are some of the key features of the product:
- Agentless Architecture
- Multiplatform and Multivendor
- Unified Interface
- Simplified Network View
- Root Cause Analysis
- User-Defined Alerting
Hitachi is so sure that you will see the benefit and value of this product, that they are offering a Free 30 Day Trial. Dowload the product today and in no time, you will start seeing how the IT Operations Analyzer will let you take back control of your environment!
Please contact us for more information on how SEBO Systems Inc. can help you with all of your data needs.
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Every once in a while, we stumble across something unique, that warrants spreading the word about it.
Yesterday, while I was having Dim Sum, a good friend of mine told me about Kiva, which is an online community that exists for the purpose of lending money to needy people around the world that would not normally be able to get a loan from the big banks.
The concept is quite simple – you buy Kiva credits, then look at the list of people that are requesting a loan through local field partners, pick the ones you want to lend money to, and loan money to them in $25 increments. As the loans are being repaid, you can then re-loan, or withdraw your cash. You can pick the sector, geographic location, etc., that you want to loan to. Kiva calls the recipients of the loans the “entrepreneur”.
So we all become members of a “micro-lending” organization, share the risk with multiple people on a case by case basis. Where this differs from charitable donations is that your recipients are not asking for a hand out – they are hard working people, asking for a loan to help them help themselves. So, it is almost like a perpetual donation that has the power to continually change lives. If the loan defaults, and you view this as a donation anyway, you still have played a role in changing lives.
Something worth mentioning at this point is that this is not a money making venture – you don’t make any interest on the loan. There is also no guarantee that loans will not default, obviously, and given the state of the present economy, the odds are probably higher that your loan will default, but if you do this expecting to lose, then anything else is gravy. Since Kiva started in 2005, they have had a default rate of 2.2%, which is very low if you compare it to North American statistics.
So what’s the point of this whole thing? In theory this is like making a donation, but rather than donating to an organization and hoping that your charity is getting to your desired recipient, you are in control of where your money is going. When you loan to an entrepreneur, you are one of multiple members that also have loaned money to fulfill the loan request. You don’t just give the money away, you actively manage it, since the money is repaid, and you get to re-lend it again.
Here are some interesting statistics, in spite of a worldwide economic crisis. In the past week:
- $1,111,375.00 was lent
- 15,574 lenders made a loan
- 5,108 new lenders joined
- 3,434 entrepreneurs were financed
- 1 loan was made every 16 seconds
At a time when we are going to be seeing economic times as bad as the 1930's, Kiva presents the opportunity that you hear about, but never believe - "One person can make a difference!".
Here are a few links to more information about Kiva:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiva.org
http://www.kiva.org/
http://www.kiva.org/about/risk/overview
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For the first time in the history of the United States of America, an African American has become the President Elect. Barack Obama will be remembered in the history books as the 44th President of the United States of America. At a time when the American people are engaged in 2 wars, an economic crisis, and the worst global rating of popularity in history, Barack has brought a message of hope and unity to the American people.
On a global scale, this is probably what was needed for the Americans to regain respect in the global theatre, and is something that clearly demonstrates the desire and necessity for change.
The road ahead for stability will no doubt be filled with challenges, and as Canadians, we look forward to what the future holds.
Our congratulations go out to President Barack Obama for running a winning campaign that not only inspired the popular vote of the American population, but the entire planet.
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Last week, I was reading a blog entry at Canadian EMR that was posted by Tom Stogdale. It was a comment in response to an article titled "Login - Logout: Is it costing you Time & Efficiency in your Exam Room?". After reading the article, I posted a lengthy comment because I felt that there were things mentioned that needed some clarification, but they have not posted my comments yet, so I am posting them here because I feel that everyone needs to be informed in order to make a decision to deploy this type of technology.
As the videos below this article will show, we have extensive experience in deploying Sun Ray in an ASP/hosted model, so we know what we are doing, and what we are talking about when it comes to running a secure datacenter, and deploying Sun Ray technology. I am going to quote Tom's comments, with my responses below.
TOM: There are numerous solutions that deliver the same capability referenced in the video. Sometimes referred to as "persistent sessions," but also as "follow-me computing," among a host of other references.
BOB: It is true that there are similar types of technology that offer "Smart Card" or "Token" based solutions, however the key difference is that in order to "hot desk" between workstations, thin clients, etc. a session disconnect/reconnect is required. With the Sun Ray, when you "Hot Desk", your session is resumed (not reconnected). The other solutions are more focused on "single signon" or security, not about streamlining workflow. Also, the "card readers" are an add-on to a PC, so you are trying to compare a "thick client" device to something that is integrated, and was designed to be a secure thin client. It is not the same.
TOM: * Technical Compatibility - Does the complete solution "fit" with the EMR to be used, as well as other technologies and applications in use in the environment.
BOB: The Sun Ray Terminal requires a Sun Ray Server (SRS) to get it's intelligence. Without the SRS, it is a "dumb terminal". Once it has a connection to the SRS, it is basically an X-station attached to a Solaris server. From that point, it can be connected to Windows devices using RDP (via the Sun Ray Windows Connector), or other flavors of Unix using X, or an X session on the Sun Ray server itself. The Sun Ray is an Ultra Thin Client device, which has USB ports and a serial port. Certain devices do not work well with Sun Ray (USB Scanners, Microphones for dictation software, some USB Printers), and this is related to availability of device drivers for Solaris, and/or limitations of what can be carried over an RDP session. If for example you want to use Dragon Naturally Speaking for dictation, this will not work over a Sun Ray terminal. The Sun Ray terminal does not have an operating system (unlike most Thin Client devices), however there are ways around USB limitations, one of which is a network attached USB hub.
TOM: What about its impact on remote accessibility? Does it support flexibility in multi-factor authentication, which seems to be continually evolving in various markets in Canada.
BOB: The user does not connect to the Sun Ray terminals when gaining remote access (from home or external to the clinic). For the most part, remote access is achieved by remotely connecting directly to your application server, so whatever multi-factor authentication that is supported by the application server will work regardless of the desktop technology. Also, we have several users that have a Sun Ray terminal at home, and connect via a VPN connection to the datacenter to gain access to their application server.
TOM: * The "complete" solution - Have you considered all facets of your professional and personal life in looking at the solution? For example, if you use a PDA or Smartphone that synchronizes with your desktop applications (think Palm, BlackBerry, etc.), how is this supported given that the solution is based on thin-client technology?
BOB: This is a valid statement, and as previously stated, there are certain devices or peripherals that do not function well or at all using a Sun Ray. If your PDA's are not capable of wireless synchronization, then you may require a local desktop or laptop at your clinic, for things like PDA Syncrhonization, dictation, USB scanner support, etc. As Tom recommends, it is a good idea to have the discussion with the EMR vendor to find out any caveats or limitations.
TOM: * Network Bandwidth - Have you considered the impact on bandwidth requirements? Some studies have indicated that use of thin-client technology may require massive amounts of bandwidth?
BOB: I am not sure which studies Tom is referring to, but having actually deployed Sun Rays in a colocated or ASP model, we have clinics that have 20+ concurrent users running over an ADSL or Cable internet connection. If the quality and reliability of your internet connection is good, the performace will be good, and you will have a good "end user experience". If you have a poor or unstable internet connection, you will not be a happy user. This is true regardless of any technology in a remote environment (desktop, thin client, ultra thin client, etc.). And if you are running in a pure ASP model, plan on having a backup connection in case your primary connection experiences problems.
TOM: * Support - Is the solution - the total solution including all considerations above - supported by the EMR vendor, or would you be creating a finger-pointing quagmire by implementing the technology which the EMR vendor doesn't themselves support?
BOB: We work closely with vendors, and there is no finger pointing. At the end of the day, it is all about customer support and satisfaction - if we can't mutually work towards the same common goal with the vendor, we do not engage in a partnership with them. If anyone is experiencing finger pointing with their solution providers, it may be time to shop around!
TOM: * Cost - What is the cost of the total solution? Not just the workstation, but the total solution, including supportability.
BOB: When you add up all costs for licensing, management, consulting, support, power consumption, etc., you will see that the total costs are cheaper using Sun Ray in a managed service offering. Sun Ray has been around for several years, and is a proven technology - you probably have not heard about it until now.
Please contact us for more information on how SEBO Systems Inc. can help you with all of your data needs.
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In today's increasingly virtualized server world, the ability to dynamically load balance your storage systems, maintain great performance and meet your service level agreements is a must. Not to mention the requirement to do this in a simple and cost effective way.
With the new Hitachi Adaptable Modular Storage 2000 family, you can optimize your application performance, reduce your administrative costs and simplify your storage - all at once.
Easy to set up and administer
* Eliminates requirements to set preferred paths from hosts to storage
* System self balances workloads across both controllers
* “Single pane of glass” to integrate and manage multiple Hitachi systems
* Simplified RAID group placement using SAS backplane architecture
* Helpful documents and web portal
Unsurpassed Reliability and Data Availability
* 99.999 percent data availability with no single point of failure
* Nondisruptive microcode updates
* Hot swappable major components
* Dual-battery backup for cache
* Flexible drive sparing with no copy back required after a RAID rebuild
* In system and remote site data replication options
* RAID-6 dual parity support for enhanced reliability when using large SATA and SAS drives
Cost-effective performance
* Full-duplex, 3Gbps SAS drive interface that can simultaneously send and receive commands or data on the same link
* 16 concurrent disk I/O paths provide up to 4800MB/s of total system bandwidth
* Hitachi Dynamic Load Balancing Controller automatically balances loads to eliminate bottlenecks for outstanding performance
Tremendous scalability
* Ability to add capacity, connectivity, and performance as needed
* Concurrent support of large heterogeneous open systems environments with up to 512 virtual server ports and 2048 LUNs
* Scale performance to 400,000 IOPS
* Data-in-place upgrades from AMS2100 to the AMS2300 or the AMS2500
* Mega LUNs, up to 60TB, enable set-it-and-forget-it provisioning
Highly Flexible Systems
* Intermixed SAS and SATA drives can share the same tray to save cost
* Multiprotocol support for both Fibre Channel and iSCSI host interfaces
* Combine with Hitachi High performance NAS for simultaneous block and file access
You can read the full story from Hitachi Data Systems.
Please contact us for more information on how SEBO Systems Inc. can help you with all of your data needs.
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