Robert J. Mullins

Big data is going to have a big impact on IT spending globally as the Gartner research firm forecasts that it is going to create a demand for 4.4 million big data-related jobs globally, 1.9 million of them in the United States. Gartner forecasts total IT spending to rise by 3.8 percent in 2013 to […]

Microsoft has invited reporters to the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco Oct. 29 for the official launch of the Windows Phone 8 operating system for smartphones, along with devices from Nokia and other smartphone makers that will run the new OS. The launch event follows by just three days Microsoft’s launch of the […]

Although Microsoft has irritated some of its OEM partners by introducing its own Surface tablet computer, that hasn’t stopped them from developing a huge number of their own products running the new Windows 8 operating system. During a conference call Oct. 18 to discuss Microsoft’s financial results for its fiscal first quarter that ended Sept. […]

Samsung is going to begin selling a notebook computer running Google’s Chrome operating system that is powered by an ARM processor, features an 11.6-inch screen, battery life of 6.5 hours and carries a list price of $249. Google unveiled the Samsung Chromebook at an event in San Francisco Oct. 18. Bearing a resemblance to the […]

Microsoft has disclosed that it has completed the acquisition of MarketingPilot, a provider of integrated marketing solutions and that the company said will be incorporated into the Microsoft Dynamics CRM software package that implements customer relationship management programs. MarketingPilot solutions “allow organizations to better understand their customers, manage and streamline marketing operations, and create automated […]

SANTA CLARA, Calif.—There was a lot of talk at the Storage Network World conference here about how steadily falling prices for solid state drives and Flash memory threaten the viability of hard disk drives in the computer industry. While breakout sessions on SSD and Flash memory technology dominated the schedule during the conference Oct. 16-19, […]

A check with Microsoft’s supply chain partners in Asia indicates that the production of Windows 8-based devices will briefly surge this fall before tapering off, with sustained high volume production unlikely to kick in until the second half of 2013, according to industry analysts. Cautious adoption of Windows 8 by businesses is the likely reason […]

Microsoft has finally revealed pricing for the Surface tablet computers that will go on sale Oct. 26 but are available for online preorder now, starting at $499, a price in line with that of Apple’s iPad, the king of the tablet hill. Microsoft on Oct. 16 posted on its Website specifications and pricing for the […]

I discovered how sophisticated the practice of Web-based advertising is when I updated my Facebook page with a status report that mentioned by home state football team, the Green Bay Packers. Instantly, all the ads changed to ones for NFLGear.com, Packers fan sites and an invitation to friend Aaron Rodgers. Is this robust ecosystem in […]

Cisco Systems is going to detail its strategy for developing technology to enable software-defined networking (SDN) in the cloud and how it will support the OpenStack Foundation for open-source cloud while simultaneously developing proprietary technology that it believes will give it an edge in the market. Cisco will be joining scores of other companies and […]