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12.21.2012What Can Rendering Service Market Get From Cloud Computing?
12.20.2012Penetrating the Japanese Social Gaming World With the Help of Japanese Social Gaming Companies
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10.31.2012
A research paper estimates that the big data market in Japan could reach 1,000 billion Yen by 2020 and lead to smart cities that minimize waste and improve efficiency.
A Critical Application
A typical example of processing such volumes of data in real time is provided by an application in Japan that provides real time earthquake warning to citizens. This kind of application was simply not possible earlier at the scale that cloud computing and big data can provide. As this application improves, it will use more diverse data to improve the quality of its prediction.
How Governments are Getting Involved
With cloud computing approaching maturity (though there is still some distance to go) and companies beginning to get serious mileage out of the technology, government began to get involved to see if there were efficiencies and benefits they could tap. If there is one thing that governments have in plenty – and I don’t mean red tape – it is data. There are mountains of data with the government and till very recently, it simply filed it away without being able to do very much with it. Cloud computing of course has given new capabilities to data management and value extraction. This is where big data comes into its own. Properly harnessed, the information hidden in big data will give citizens –
As all of these and other scenarios come true, big data and cloud computing could have an impact on our lives that would be as great as that of the Internet itself.
Unlike private companies where the data driven culture has firmly taken route and the implementation of decisions and directives is rapid, work in the government is far more deliberate and many facets of the problem and the proposed solution are examined and thought through before a decision is taken. Governments also have to contend with privacy and security issues.
Technologies Required
Managing Big Data requires companies to be able to handle Real Time Analysis and Streaming of data – with massive amounts of data simply flowing in, there has to be a very large I/O capability and parallel processing that uses rules based algorithms to manage the data streams. Typically, this kind of data could be from sensors (think of surveillance cameras), social media sites, video records, communication records. This has to be handled, tagged, classified and stored as it comes in otherwise it would be impossible to locate a data item of interest. This massive, multiprocessor based handling is in reality only possible with cloud based systems.
Map Reduce Frameworks – at this level of processing, a master server maps the data (distributes it) to many different servers, collect their processing results and ‘reduce’ it to a final summarized result. These servers are based on Hadoop and related technology. They provide the capability to process data streams in parallel and move them to distributed servers. They rely on Hadoop Distributed File System to store the data in a manner that is fault tolerant. At this stage, the data can be used to provide output in the form of business analytics, log analysis, web search engine output and so on. Depending on the quantity of data coming in, the map server can call in additional servers or release the ones that are not needed. This capability is native to cloud applications and hence the server is ideally suited to run in the cloud.
In Summary
There are several components that work together to be able to create an effective application cluster. It all starts with a well planned information strategy that then leads to an information infrastructure where the appropriate technology is used to build systems that can handle such applications. There have to be policies that control the management, use and protection of the data a phased execution plan. Obviously, such a complex application cannot be delivered all at once, there is iterative development that continuously refines the application and creates new opportunities. Big data opens up possibilities of applications that were in the realm of fantasy a few years earlier. However, the kind of processing that is needed can only be available in the cloud. Truly, big data is an idea whose time has come.
Our articles are written to provide you with tools and information to meet your IT and cloud solution needs. Join us on Facebook and Twitter.
About the Guest Author:
Sanjay Srivastava has been active in computing infrastructure and has participated in major projects on cloud computing, networking, VoIP and in creation of applications running over distributed databases. Due to a military background, his focus has always been on stability and availability of infrastructure. Sanjay was the Director of Information Technology in a major enterprise and managed the transition from legacy software to fully networked operations using private cloud infrastructure. He now writes extensively on cloud computing and networking and is about to move to his farm in Central India where he plans to use cloud computing and modern technology to improve the lives of rural folk in India.
10.30.2012
Cloud computing has made its name heard in almost all leading industries ranging from software to automobiles. Hence it is rather a shame for any business enterprise to say that they do not have a cloud-based strategy for their business models. For professionals engaged in video editing, a cloud-based strategy is proving to be quite an asset. Having to move their physical video data onto different computers to perform various stages of editing, costs involved in storage options, transit time and other factors accumulate to hand a severe blow to traditional video editing processes. However the story is different in a cloud-based video editing software.
The benefits mainly include ease of access to the source video files anywhere on the planet via an internet connection. You need not carry the video file to all locations as it would always be available online. There is also no need to install the necessary software tools on all the computers that you are going to work on as a cloud computing model offers Software as a Service option wherein you can utilise the software tools on the cloud to perform the necessary video editing. Even if multiple personnel are to access the video at various stages of editing, all the necessary software tools can be uploaded into the cloud and made available to each professional engaged in the editing process.
It is by far emerging as the best way for customers to quickly edit and share video streams. However, cloud computing as a model for professional video editing capability still has some glitches to resolve that can be prevented by timely planning and choosing reliable resources. Some of the key issues pertaining to cloud based video editing options are as follows:
Upload speeds: Even though cloud computing provides a way to edit your videos online, there is a major need for the source video file to be uploaded into the cloud based editing platform. Video files created by professional cameras and codecs often have huge sizes and hence a highly powerful and fast internet connection with tremendous upload speed and bandwidth is required.
Unreliable internet connection: If your ISP provides you with connectivity to the internet that often disrupts owing to some technical faults, then your business model could be severely affected because any cloud based service including video editing service requires the full-time availability of online resources. Without it, you will be stuck like a pole on ice.
Price of storage: Since video files need larger space on the cloud, storage prices need to be very flexible or else you may have to reduce the scale of business happening over a period to accommodate a limited number of video files.
But as you are aware all of the above described issues are not really a problem of cloud computing. It is more of a matter of selecting resources that are used in the process. Cloud computing as a feasible model for ab video editing business does make a lot of sense. Looking at the bright side, it is possible for editing raw footage shot in India at studios in the USA without any difficulty. And professional editing staff can work on the video from anywhere on the planet.
Not only that, cloud computing can provide a collaboration platform for video editing professionals to review the work they have done and hence improve on their productivity as well as skills. For movie studios, cloud computing provides a way to screen movies at different locations or studios for adding inputs to the video from various sources. This is critical in the creation of the final movie video.
Movie distribution via the cloud is also a phenomenal way to cut down on costs of making tapes. The ability to stream videos on multiple channels as well as integrate video uploaded on multiple channels like mobile cameras, handy cams, professional cameras, etc is also made possible.
In short, cloud computing does make for an exciting business model for professional video editing and it is quite simple to solve the minor glitches I mentioned before and once it is done, video editing becomes more easy and streamlined than ever before.
Our articles are written to provide you with tools and information to meet your IT and cloud solution needs. Join us on Facebook and Twitter.
About the Guest Author:
Mandira Srivastava is a fulltime freelance writer who specializes in technology, health and fitness, politics, and financial writing. Equipped with degree of mass communication and having worked for both private and corporate clients, I have experience meeting a wide range of writing requirements and styles.
10.29.2012
In the corporate world, the jargon that is making waves among business managers is “energy efficiency”. In other words, business executives are actively searching for ways to reduce or minimize their consumption of energy. This single desire is in tandem with the idea of saving our planet through the use of green energy that will not endanger the human population. So, here is the good news: Cloud computing can eventually help companies to save on the cost of energy according to the following processes highlighted below.
In the words of Urs Holzle, Google’s Senior Vice President for technical infrastructure, “Google’s servers refresh 20 billion pages a day, process over 100 billion search queries a month, provide email for 425 million Gmail users and process 72 hours of video uploaded per minute to YouTube. And yet we’re able to do all that work with relatively little energy, compared to other industries.”
He stated that data centers, including Google’s utilize only between 1.1 and 1.3 percent of global energy, compared to transportation industry which gulped about 25 percent of the world’s energy. The ability to save energy is attributed to the practice of moving to the cloud by small and medium-sized businesses, including some Governmental agencies.
Check out this interesting statistics: Holzle explained that a report produced by Carbon Disclosure Project authoritatively confirmed that cloud computing can help companies save on their energy expense to the tune of $12.3 billion by 2020. Interestingly, it is also believed that about 85.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide will be saved during the same period. Nothing more can prove the energy-efficiency capability of cloud technology than the robust figures described above, and this trend is expected to continue as more and more businesses move their IT structures to the cloud.
A typical example of a governmental agency that has gained immensely from using cloud computing is U.S. General Services Administration. The agency has cut the rate of servers’ energy consumption by a whopping 90 percent and drastically reduced its carbon emissions by 85 percent. In financial terms, the agency has been able to save a total of $285,000 every year on its energy costs.
Running in-house IT structure, as research shows, consumes a lot of energy. Sometimes companies will have to set up alternative energy sources in order to guarantee uninterrupted services or operations. Hence, the headache of going into alternative power generation can as well be turned over to cloud computing service providers, who will make sure their clients’ business operations are not affected by unexpected power outage.
Apart from providing enviable protection to clients’ data and information, cloud computing also gives business managers the opportunity to diversify and innovate. This is because they do not need to worry about maintaining in-house IT infrastructure and personnel anymore; their attention can now be completely centered on how to develop their businesses for greater profitability and continuity.
Business administrators stand to gain much by experimenting with cloud computing, meaning they need to make this wise decision in order to save on their energy costs, personnel expenses and data-protection procedures. For the fact that cloud computing encourages eco-friendly business practices, there is every possibility that to protect our earth, businesses will have to completely switch their IT systems to the cloud to contribute to the current anti-global warming activities going on in almost every corner of the globe.
The dream of every business owner is to cut the costs of running his or her business with the expectation of maximizing his/her profitability. Cloud computing does not only guarantee more profits, it also engenders a better environmental condition that is good for both human players, governmental agencies and other stakeholders in the habit of saving our world from pollution and degradation.
Our articles are written to provide you with tools and information to meet your IT and cloud solution needs. Join us on Facebook and Twitter.
About the Guest Author:
Jerry Olasakinju, a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) degree holder, is a passionate researcher and writer whose interest in everything computing is unparalleled. He blogs about his literary works at http://jerryolasakinju.blogspot.jp/
10.26.2012
Dating can be hard enough, but dating someone of a different culture can make it even more complicated. For most of the Western world, the Japanese culture appears to be very mysterious and complex. Japanese men are known for being reserved and direct while Japanese women are recognized as being highly supportive of their men. A brief discussion of how dating goes about in Japan can dispel a lot of these misconceptions.
Not so different after all
It might surprise some that Japan’s dating culture is really no different from other countries. Like in most Eastern countries, dating in Japan can go at a slower pace compared to the West; much time is allotted to getting to know each other well. And just like in other Eastern countries where modesty is still an important value in society, men are expected to make the first move and “lead the way” on dates and developing the relationship lest the woman appear as being too aggressive. Also because there is a heavy emphasis on modesty, public displays of affection are frowned upon. Apart from the modesty factor though, Japanese men have also traditionally been distant and unaffectionate, thus in Japanese society there is not much public display of affection.
And like in most cultures, chivalry is much appreciated. Although “ladies first” is not traditionally part of the Japanese culture, women are also charmed when men open doors and pull out chairs for them.
Although Dutch treat is a common dating practice in Japan, women also welcome it when men offer to, and actually pay for the meal. Gift giving is also high on the dating must-dos in Japan. Depending on the era a woman grew up in, she could expect a really expensive gift or, for the younger generation, a sweet token of admiration would suffice.
Again like the rest of the world, the concept of “actions speak louder than words” is heavy in Japan. A woman could say one thing and then mean another, it is important to recognize what she truly mean to avoid misunderstandings. On many occasions, too, women are not upfront about being in a relationship while flirting with another man. It is important to specifically ask about this in order to get the answer.
The Japanese dating process
The typical dating scenario in Japan begins with group dates. People get to know each other through friends, and get to know each other better among friends. This helps ease the pressure from being on one-to-one dates and also manifests how the Japanese desire to acquire their friends’ acceptance of the person they are interested in.
After a series of group dates, two people could decide to see each other on an individual basis, if they like each other well enough. This, however, is limited to dates in public places, and although there may be a holding of hands, public displays of affection such as hugging and kissing are not desirable. At this point, two people are not yet considered dating, but merely getting to know each other some more. It is not until two people acknowledge each other in kokuhaku that they begin to consider each other as boyfriend and girlfriend.
The concept of kokuhaku
Kokuhaku is a significant part of the Japanese dating process. It refers to the confession of love or like of one person, usually the guy, for another. It is at this point, when acknowledged by the other party, that two people are considered to begin dating and are boyfriend and girlfriend. After the kokuhaku, two people may start seeing each other in private, as well as engage in physical intimacy.
Online dating in Japan
Like the rest of the world, online dating has penetrated the Japanese culture. Here are some sites that Japanese have relied on for finding a special someone.
JapanCupid.com
JapanCupid.com is one of Japan’s largest online dating sites that aims to match up Japanese people and Westerners. With thousands of members joining every week, JapanCupid.com has a large database where one is sure to find what he or she is looking for. Joining is easy and free, and allows members to create a profile, search their database and start making contact with other members. They do have subscription packages that allow members to do more, like send emails and instant messages and have a paying member’s profile become more visible than non-paying members. The Platinum subscription even allows members to create a video profile and exchange video messages with other members. It also provides for translation services so a profile can be reproduced in other languages. And like all other online dating sites, JapanCupid.com has online chat rooms open to subscribed members.
JapanDatingsite.Com
JapanDatingsite.com is hosted by one of the pioneers in online dating, WordFriends.tv. Based on the site profile provided by JapanDatingsite.com, it does not just limit itself to the Japanese setting since it defines itself as an “online community for international singles”. As in all other dating sites, regular membership is free and offers basic profile and database search services and initiate initial contact with other members. The premium membership, on the other hand, allows members to send emails and instant messages, initiate video chats, join groups, and receive weekly matches. A unique feature of the site is its Travel section where members share details of upcoming trips and arrange to meet up or provide assistance.
SoulmatesJapan.Com
SoulmatesJapan.com is an online dating site for those who are on the lookout for a more serious and meaningful relationship, and to prove their point they not only hired Japanese and English staff to monitor activities of members, they also have an optional feature of having members provide a proof of identity. They do not show members’ personal information anywhere on the site but they tag members who have proven their identity so that other members can know and feel secure. Among Japanese online dating sites reviewed, SoulmatesJapan.com is also the only site that supports a blog or e-zine that allows members to post articles on the various aspects of Japanese dating. SoulmatesJapan.com also prides itself on being the Japanese online dating site that is Japanese-owned and run.
Match.com
Match.com is one of the leaders and pioneers in the online dating industry so it is no surprise that it has become quite popular in Japan as well. Being a global dating site for twelve years now, Match.com has millions of member all over the world. Match.com has also evolved through the years to provide its members with up-to-date services based on industry trends and technology. Among all the sites reviewed, Match.com is the only one that provides a complete selection of services that include daily matches, free-writing sections for members, an online magazine, mobile access and even professional writers to create members’ profiles. Match.com is also the only site to have a guarantee that its member will find a match within six months, otherwise they give the member an additional six months of free membership.
Just like the rest of the world, all that the Japanese men and women want is to find that special someone to spend the rest of their lives with. Whether they do it face to face or online doesn’t matter, the Japanese culture is always going to be at the heart of it all and will always influence the way they go about dating, courtship and marriage.
Our articles are written to provide you with tools and information to meet your IT and cloud solution needs. Join us on Facebook and Twitter.
About the Guest Author:
Rodolfo Lentejas, Jr. is a fulltime freelance writer based in Toronto. He is the founder of the PostSckrippt, a growing online writing business dedicated to producing top quality, original and fresh content. To know more about him, please visit www.postsckrippt.ca. Like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest.
