Cloud Communications

Cloud Communications Feature

September 14, 2010

Jack Daniel Distills a Cloud Communications Conversation

By Erin Monda, TMCnet Contributor

Recently I was able to interview Jack Daniel, the community development manager at Astaro. Jack has a fairly impressive background, as he serves on the National Information Security Group’s (NAISG) board of directors and the Boston Area Windows Server User Group Steering Committee. In 2010 he was recognized by Microsoft (News - Alert) as a MVP and in another, recent honor, he was named one of the “Top 10 Sexy Infosec Geeks of 2009” – which is pretty complimentary!

Jack’s storied background made him an ideal candidate to interview on the topic of cloud communications. He and I chatted about the benefits of the upcoming development of a comprehensive 4G wireless infrastructure.

Erin: What is the most significant trend in communications today? Why?

Jack: Cloud computing.  It is beginning to change the way things work on the Internet and in business- in both subtle and significant ways.

Erin: How is your company leveraging the growth of social media to enhance your own business?

Jack: We are using social media to improve communication with our user community, and to gather feedback about our products and company.

Erin: What are your thoughts on the viability of mobile video chat or conferencing?

Jack: I like the idea, but I don’t believe adequate mobile bandwidth is reliably available yet.

Erin: Which wireless operating system (Android (News - Alert), iOS4, Microsoft, etc.) will see the greatest success over the next three years?  Why?

Jack: Android, because it is the most open and flexible.

Erin: Some have suggested wireless networking will soon replace wired networks in the enterprise.  Do you agree? Why or why not?

Jack: As wireless has become more secure and reliable, adoption has grown, but wired (or fiber) connections are not going away.  We now take gigabit Ethernet for granted on the desktop, wireless is not delivering that kind of speed reliably (yet)

Erin: What impact has the growth of cloud-based services had on your business?

Jack: We are using and deploying cloud-based services internally and for our customers, it is allowing us to worry less about availability and capacity.

Erin: If you had the opportunity to decide the Net neutrality (News - Alert) debate, how would you rule?

Jack: Wild west, wide open, fully neutral.  I don’t mind paying more for more bandwidth or usage, but I want all traffic treated equal.

Erin: You are exhibiting at ITEXPO (News - Alert) West 2010.  What is the most exciting thing attendees will see at your booth?

Jack: Of course we’ll be showing our Astaro Security Gateway (News - Alert) product at our booth, but we’ll also have some newer products as well. For example, Astaro RED has gotten a lot of attention over the past few months and Astaro Wireless Security which will be officially released right around the time of the conference. We hope to engage in conversations with attendees to better understand the challenges today’s businesses face when trying to secure their networks.

Erin: What are some of the benefits of attending ITEXPO?

Jack: One of the main benefits of attending ITExpo is the diverse group of attendees at the conference and exhibition. The attendees are high level employees at their organization so they have deep insight into their organizations’ challenges making it possible to have meaningful conversations about their needs. Additionally, the keynote addresses will attract people interested in technology, and will also help further our conversations with attendees.  

Erin: What is the one technology development that will have the greatest impact in 2011?

Jack: While the launch may seem subtle, the significance will not be. 4G wireless will finally begin to truly fulfill the promises of mobile computing.

To find out more about Astaro, visit the company at ITEXPO West 2010. To be held Oct. 4 to 6 in Los Angeles, ITEXPO is the world’s premier IP communications event. Visit COMPANY in booth #440. Don’t wait. Register now.


Erin Monda recently graduated from W.C.S.U. with a degree in professional writing. She primarily writes about network technologies, including cloud computing, virtualization and network optimization, however she also has a focus on E911 technologies and legislation.

Edited by Erin Monda
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