Predictive Modelling

Predictive modeling is a process used in predictive analytics to create a statistical model of future behavior. Predictive analytics is the area of data mining concerned with forecasting probabilities and trends.
A predictive model is made up of a number of predictors, which are variable factors that are likely to influence future behavior or results. In marketing, for example, a customer's gender, age, and purchase history might predict the likelihood of a future sale.
In predictive modeling, data is collected for the relevant predictors, a statistical model is formulated, predictions are made and the model is validated (or revised) as additional data becomes available. The model may employ a simple linear equation or a complex neural network, mapped out by sophisticated software.
Predictive modeling is used widely in information technology (IT). In spam filtering systems, for example, predictive modeling is sometimes used to identify the probabilitythat a given message is spam. Other applications of predictive modeling include customer relationship management (CRM), capacity planning, change management, disaster recovery, security management, engineering, meteorology and city planning.

Quality function deployment (QFD)

Quality function deployment (QFD) is the translation of user requirements and requests into product designs. The goal of QFD is to build a product that does exactly what the customer wants instead of delivering a product that emphasizes expertise the builder already has.

QFD was created by Japanese planning specialist Yoji Akao in 1966 as a way to help product planners look at new (or in-development products) through the lenses of customer, company and technology. QFD is achieved by linking the needs of the end user to subsystems or specific elements of the product creation process -- from design and development to engineering, manufacturing and services.

Visual representations of market needs are key components of QFD, and graphs and matrices are typically deployed to track the process. For instance, Six Sigma QFD requires the customer to document his needs and wants in his own words so that a "House of Quality" matrix can be built. The customer meets with the manufacturer to prioritize requirements so the manufacturer understands priorities and can translate them into engineering and business process requirements. The manufacturer then establishes design criteria to ensure the customer's requirements are met.

Digg

Digg is a social networking websitefeaturing user-submitted news stories. Digg features links from across theInternet, ranging from widely known news sources to obscure blogs. Digg also builds its own list of popular stories that are going viral across the Web. A

To use Digg, users submit stories, and the Digg community votes on which ones they like the best. Every story has a "Digg button," and as the story collects positive votes, the story is cross-pollinated across other channels.

Digg's most popular stories are located in the "Top News" section of the website. "Top News" can feature anything from serious news to fun content. Users can also customize their own news feeds by using "My News" interface, allowing users to select information based on the people they follow, stories they've already read and stories that are trending across the Digg community.

Digg is also organized into categories based on topics such as technology and business, and users can sort content by News, Images and Videos. Users can also vote down stories that they don't like or don't consider relevant using the "Bury" button.

Digg was founded in the fall of 2004 and was launched that December. It gained fast popularity and was one of the 100 most trafficked sites on the internet. Since its redesign in 2010, Digg has seen a decline in users, as many complained that they preferred the old design.

MORE INFO:
> Social media tips: Arm yourself for the social revolution

Data Center Infrastructure Management



Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) is the convergence of IT and data center facilities functions within an organization. The goal is to improve the efficiency of energy use, optimize equipment layouts, support virtualization and consolidation, develop more strategic planning and enhance the overall availability of the data center. DCIM typically relies on software tools for real-time systems analysis, control and planning.


When properly implemented, DCIM can provide a holistic view of the facility from the rack or cabinet level to the cooling infrastructure to the building's energy utilization. DCIM tools can also help administrators locate and identify relationships between the facility and IT systems which may compromise data center resilience. DCIM tools can be used to measure energy use and facilitate energy conservation tactics that can reduce data center operating expenses. Some organizations will couple DCIM with computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis to optimize air flow and systems placement to further reduce cooling expenses.


Energy-monitoring sensors and supporting hardware must be installed along all points of the power infrastructure so the DCIM software can accurately aggregate and analyze power usage effectiveness (PUE) and cooling system energy efficiency. However, some vendors offer software-only DCIM tools that can integrate with existing monitoring hardware. Converged infrastructure platforms such as Cisco Systems' Unified Computing System (UCS) frequently include DCIM tools as part of the converged infrastructure package.

Google Drive

Google Drive is a freemium cloud storage service that is integrated with the company's other services and systems -- including Google Docs, Gmail, Android, Chrome, YouTube, Picassa, Google Video, Google Analytics and Google+.
Google Drive, which enables a seamless browser-based interface between the user's files and applications, competes with SkyDrive, Microsoft's cloud storage service, which is similarly integrated with that company's applications and systems. Other competing services include Apple's iCloud, Dropbox, Mozy's Stash, SugarSync and Yandex.
To get started with Google Drive, the end user downloads a small application to one or more computing devices. A Google Drive folder will appear along with other folders in each device's file system. Files added to one folder are available through a Google Drive web app or the Google Drive folder on each device. Changes made to one file in a Google Drive will be synchronized across all Google Drives.
As of this writing, Google offers five gigabytes storage for free and larger amounts at low rates -- 25GB for $2.49 per month, 100GB for $4.99 per month and a terabyte (TB) for $49.99/month. Google Drive is available for Windows, Macintosh and Android systems.


MORE INFO:
> Microsoft SkyDrive changes target Dropbox, Google
> See a video introduction to Google Drive

Consumer device

Consumer device is an industry term for Internet-capable mobile computers that are marketed to individuals, not businesses. For example, the iPhone, iPad, Droid smartphone, Wii and Xbox are all considered to be consumer devices.

One of the key differences between a consumer device and an enterprise device, besides ownership, is how the device is managed. A consumer device is managed by the individual who bought it. The owner decides what programs to run on the device and who is granted access to use it.

The device's owner is also responsible for backing up data and upgrading software. If the device is damaged or lost or its security is compromised in some way, the device's owner is responsible for arranging and paying for technical support. When the device reaches its end of life (EoL), the owner decides whether or not to replace it -- and what to replace it with.

More Info:> Consumerization of IT and enterprise evolution

IT Showback

An IT showback system is a method of tracking data center utilization rates of an organization's business units or end users. IT showback is similar to IT chargeback, but the metrics are for informational purposes only, and no one is billed.
IT showback is gaining popularity among companies with virtual or cloud-based infrastructures, in which resource utilization can be granularly tracked with the proper software. An IT showback system can reduce the accounting and political problems associated with IT chargeback (e.g., setting rates for resources), while promoting a culture of cost awareness in regards to IT assets.

Memory Map

A memory map is a massive table, in effect a database, that comprises complete information about how thememory is structured in a computer system. A memory map works something like a gigantic office organizer. In the map, each computerfile has a unique memory addressreserved especially for it, so that no other data can inadvertently overwrite or corrupt it.
In order for a computer to function properly, its OS (operating system) must always be able to access the right parts of its memory at the right times. When a computer first boots up (starts), the memory map tells the OS how much memory is available. As the computer runs, the memory map ensures that data is always written to, and read from, the proper places. The memory map also ensures that the computer's debuggers can resolve memory addresses to actual stored data.
If there were no memory map, or if an existing memory map got corrupted, the OS might (and probably would) write data to, and read data from, the wrong places. As a result, when data was read, it would not always pertain to the appropriate files or application programs. The problem would likely start out small and unnoticeable, worsen with time, and become apparent only after considerable damage had been done to stored data and programs. In the end, some or all of the applications would fail to run, and many critical data files would be ruined.