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		<title>www.visionapp.com: News</title>
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		<description>Latest News from visionapp</description>
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		<lastBuildDate>Wed, 09 May 2012 20:56:00 +0200</lastBuildDate>
		
		
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			<title>Smooth Sailing for Sunset+Vine with ASG Digital Archive for Digital Assets Archiving</title>
			<link>http://www.visionapp.com/germany/info-center/news-pr/detail/smooth-sailing-for-sunset-vine-with-asg-digital-archive-for-digital-assets-archiving.html</link>
			<description>Leading sports production company uses ASG Digital Archive to preserve America’s Cup footage for...</description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Atempo, an ASG Company and leading provider  of cross-platform data protection and archiving solutions, announced today that  sports production company Sunset+Vine deployed ASG Digital Archive (ADA),  an advanced file archiving platform, to effectively manage and preserve High  Definition (HD) coverage of sporting events.
Established in 1983, Sunset+Vine is the leading independent supplier of popular sports programs to a  portion of the biggest broadcasters in the UK. The company&rsquo;s main UK production  contracts include horse racing for the BBC (The Derby and The Grand National),  NFL for Channel 4, Aviva Premiership Rugby for ESPN and UEFA Europa League  football for Channel 5. More recently, Sunset+Vine signed a 2-year contract to  produce a weekly magazine program leading up to the 34th America&rsquo;s  Cup in 2013.
Tasked with recording HD footage from  the America&rsquo;s Cup World Series, consisting of 12 worldwide regattas leading up  to the 34th America&rsquo;s Cup, Sunset+Vine was faced with the challenge  of managing and storing a growing amount of digital data. Over the 2-year  contract, the team captured 30 hours of HD footage from each event, as well as  ENG material shot specifically for the weekly magazine show. Additionally, the  team had archived and acquired footage from news agencies and teams from all  over the world, making a total of up to 300TB of data, transcoded in various  formats including HD ProRes 422 for editing and MP4 and AVC-Intra 100 for  delivery.
In order to edit the live satellite  feed and provide broadcasters with the footage they need quickly, Sunset+Vine  has 100TB of primary storage on Tiger Technology&rsquo;s metaSAN and a cloud storage  solution from Limelight. However, taking into account the requirement to  preserve HD footage for the long-term, the increasing costs for the cloud  service and reduction in space and performance of the metaSAN, Tom Bucknall,  technical manager at Sunset+Vine was faced with finding a file-archiving  solution to manage the digital data more effectively. With help from Digital  Garage, a specialist broadcast, post production, audio and education solutions  provider, Sunset+Vine deployed ADA.
&ldquo;ADA meets the needs of the America&rsquo;s  Cup project and allows us to centrally manage media files with ranging levels  of access,&rdquo; said Bucknall. &ldquo;The ability to seamlessly access archived files  through CatDV will enable our production team to work with archived data  directly. Digital data can be easily archived to tape for long-term storage and  effortlessly retrieved when needed, providing significant cost savings and optimizing  our existing storage resources.&rdquo;
Using ADA&rsquo;s storage management capabilities,  Sunset+Vine has the ability to move America&rsquo;s Cup footage once it has been  edited, from the metaSAN to a 14TB Nearline Axus RAID storage device for  temporary archiving and quick retrieval. Once the Nearline device reaches 10TB  capacity, the oldest data is automatically migrated for long-term preservation  to a low-cost Spectra&reg; T120 LTO-5 tape library, making room for new data and optimizing  performance. ADA&rsquo;s transparent integration with CatDV, Sunset+Vines&rsquo;s media  asset management solution, enables editors to seamlessly archive and retrieve  their assets via CatDV&rsquo;s user interface.
ADA also archives the specific and varying metadata recorded at  each America&rsquo;s Cup regatta as they take place, including the reel number,  cameraman and date, allowing Sunset+Vine to easily search and quickly retrieve  footage as requested.
&ldquo;Broadcast and production companies like Sunset+Vine are faced  with data-intensive environments, whereby media rich files are required to be  safely stored for the long-term while remaining easily accessible for future  use,&rdquo; said Hilarius Dressen, general manager for ASG EMEA. &ldquo;ASG&rsquo;s ADA is  designed to simplify the data management process and easily integrate into  project workflows. It addresses the growing demand for robust, feature-rich and  fully-integrated digital content archiving solutions in the media and  entertainment space.&rdquo;
About  Sunset + Vine Sunset+Vine was established in 1983 and  is the leading independent supplier of sports programming to broadcasters in  the UK. It is also a world leader in International Advertiser Funded  programming, producing over 2000 hours annually. Sunset+Vine is part of The Tinopolis Group, which is home to  some of the most successful and creative media companies in the UK.
Sunset+Vine&rsquo;s main UK production  contracts include Channel 5&rsquo;s Cricket coverage, the BBC&rsquo;s Horseracing, Chanel  4&rsquo;s athletics, and ESPN&rsquo;s rugby coverage. Internationally the company produced  and distributed the world&rsquo;s most watched weekly sports show &ldquo;Gillette World  Sport&rdquo; (shown in 180 countries), The Volvo Ocean Race and The Dubai World  Cup.&nbsp; The producers have won over 35  Broadcast Awards for their innovative production, including 5 BAFTAS and nine  Royal Television Society Awards.
About  Digital Garage Digital Garage is a specialist  Broadcast, Post Production, Audio and Education solutions provider. Founded in  2001, Digital Garage is a service and technology led systems provider,  supplying high levels of pre and post sales support with its technology  solutions to the creative industries and education. One of the first Apple  Solutions Experts (Video), and currently in the top 3 Avid Premium Resellers in  the UK, Digital Garage has pioneered tapeless workflow integration for some  years, and has developed strong links with major broadcast manufacturers as a  direct result.
About  Atempo, an ASG Company A recognized innovator in enterprise IT  software solutions, ASG Software Solutions has been optimizing 85 percent of  the world&rsquo;s most complex IT organizations for over 25 years. We create and  deploy unique software solutions that reduce cost, mitigate risk and improve  service delivery throughout the IT lifecycle.&nbsp;  Atempo&rsquo;s technology enables ASG to preserve and protect your digital  information simply and effectively, across any infrastructure, on any platform,  over long periods of time. Atempo serves thousands of customers around the  world through a sales and support network of over 200 resellers and partners,  and is part of ASG&rsquo;s comprehensive solutions to help you solve today&rsquo;s  challenges, such as cloud computing and big data, while driving your business forward  by providing insight and control across cloud, distributed and mainframe  environments. Learn more about Atempo at www.atempo.com.]]></content:encoded>
			
			
			<pubDate>Wed, 09 May 2012 20:56:00 +0200</pubDate>
			
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			<title>Four Cloudy Resolutions To Transform Your IT Environment</title>
			<link>http://www.visionapp.com/germany/info-center/news-pr/detail/four-cloudy-resolutions-to-transform-your-it-environment.html</link>
			<description>With 2012 already two months upon us, it is not too late to make resolutions for this year. 
For...</description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[With 2012 already two months upon us, it is not too late to make resolutions for this year. 
For all of us in the world of IT, this means resolving to abandon bad   habits, inefficient processes and inflexible architectures that often  get in  the way of business priorities.
With the growing viability of cloud computing, let’s all resolve to:
1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Learn and benefit from successful  concepts and actual deployments   2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Continue to automate our IT  environments for maximum efficiency   3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Take advantage of the very best  of “as-a-service”   4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Orchestrate our clouds to perform  in tune to business needs
Cloud Orchestration will be a key success factory in 2012
What´s the good of business applications  from the cloud if you can´t  combine them as you need or wish to? What´s the use  of the coolest “  X-as-a-Service” if they can´t talk to each other?
In the words of Forrester Research ...
&quot;As companies quickly adopt a  variety of  cloud resources, they’ll increasingly have to address working with   several different cloud solutions, often from different providers. By  the end  of 2012, cloud customers will already be using more than 10  different cloud  apps on average. Cloud orchestration will become  a big topic and an opportunity for service providers.&quot; From &quot;10 Cloud Predictions For 2012&quot;, posted by Holger Kisker on December  13, 2011
If you  are interested in accelerating the implementation of cloud  services while  mitigating the potentially related risks, ASG  CloudFactory takes care of your Cloud  Orchestration and ensures that  all your cloud services are in tune – easy, fast  and at precisely known  cost!
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			<pubDate>Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:37:00 +0100</pubDate>
			
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			<title>Leaving the cloud – A few important points</title>
			<link>http://www.visionapp.com/germany/info-center/news-pr/detail/-6a698203f0.html</link>
			<description>Leaving the cloud – A few important points 
The industrial association BITKOM is predicting that...</description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Leaving the cloud – A few important points 
The industrial association BITKOM is predicting that the total revenue made by cloud computing in Germany will rise to EUR&nbsp;13&nbsp;billion by 2015. After a brief period of hesitation, more and more companies here in Germany are starting to adapt. The new service model has made its way onto the agenda of many responsible persons within the IT sector.
Yet there is one question which, for many companies, remains unanswered: Is it possible to return to the ground after a journey to the clouds? Sceptics fear that they will store their data in the cloud, only to find they can no longer access it in the event of a fundamental change in strategy.
I'm in the cloud, get me out of here!
Is this just an exaggerated need for security or a reasonable doubt? If a company claims that they may wish to extract their data from the cloud in the future, surely the appropriate question is ‘why?’ The amount of data circulating globally is rising rapidly. IDC predicts that by 2020 there will be 35 zettabytes of information saved to different memory devices around the world. In 2009, the number was still only 800,000&nbsp;petabytes. In light of this, it is clear that a retreat from the cloud makes little sense, even from a purely infrastructural standpoint. Generally, those switching to a cloud system are attempting to save on storage costs. If they remove their data after a few years, however, they will be faced with new, expensive investments in storage resources. This process could be likened to an end user who, after saving his data on a 500-GB hard drive for years, suddenly decides to get rid of it and save his data to the old and familiar 3.5-inch diskette – almost impossible and hardly modern!
Whoe'er would form eternal bonds
Therefore, it does not make much sense to wonder what would happen should one wish to quit the cloud. However, it is certainly worth wondering what would happen if the company wished to change providers in the event that they should become unhappy with the services on offer. The option of changing providers should be kept open by every company if they don't wish to form those eternal bonds mentioned above. Another provider may seem more attractive at a later time due to a better price model or service offer. Perhaps the current provider will disappoint with technical problems or contractual difficulties. Companies must prepare themselves in good time for such eventualities in order to remain flexible later on. Responsible parties should therefore ask themselves the following questions even before they decide on a concrete cloud provider: Does the provider offer the necessary latitude and allow the customer to switch services, even right at the beginning of the service? In a worst case scenario, will the provider offer information and support? Are there white paper's and best practices available for support in the event of a provider switch? Are the necessary interfaces for accessing data from the provider and automatically exporting it available? And above all else: Which data formats are in use, and are standards used that support moving data from one provider to the other if necessary?
This list alone can be a great initial help for separating the wheat from the chaff. If these questions are answered to your satisfaction, it shows that the provider is willing to give support even in the event of a switch. This qualifies the provider as a potential business partner, in comparison to companies that are closed off and uncooperative and that will win only a small number of customers. Because the most important argument in support of the cloud is flexibility. And this should influence your choice of provider as much as any other factor. 
Rainer Zeitler, Vice President Enterprise Solutions Engineers EMEA, ASG Group
&nbsp;
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			<pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:37:00 +0100</pubDate>
			
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			<title>ASG Software’s CloudFactory Accelerates ROI for Enterprises and Service Providers</title>
			<link>http://www.visionapp.com/germany/info-center/news-pr/detail/asg-softwares-cloudfactory-accelerates-roi-for-enterprises-and-service-providers.html</link>
			<description>Game changing upgrade for ASG’s comprehensive cloud service orchestration suite  
Naples, FL...</description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Game changing upgrade for ASG’s comprehensive cloud service orchestration suite&nbsp; 
Naples, FL – (December 13, 2011) ASG Software Solutions (ASG), a recognized innovator in enterprise IT software solutions and cloud service orchestration, today announced next generation updates to its CloudFactory offering. These updates include integration with ASG’s Enterprise Automation Management Suite (EAMS) to monitor and manage &nbsp;cloud environments; integration with ASG’s IT Service Management technology which provides an ITIL-based approach to managing services through a service catalog; an Amazon-like user interface; aggregation of both on-premise and public services; as well as the delivery of both SaaS and IaaS services. With its simplified management of complex cloud environments, increased XaaS functionalities and improved self-service user interface, CloudFactory facilitates a customer’s ability to tackle challenging cloud initiatives.&nbsp; 
As the cloud computing market continues to grow, there is increasing demand for a solution to help organizations navigate through these challenging environments. CloudFactory is a proven solution servicing more than half a million enterprise users in global organizations and is preferred by leading service providers to monetize their cloud services. Building on a ten year proven track record, CloudFactory leverages virtualization technologies from partners like Microsoft, Citrix and VMware, and offers a ready-to-use cloud service. In addition, enterprises can speed up cloud transformation of services and applications, onboarding of users and service automation ROI.&nbsp; 
The next generation release of CloudFactory includes:
·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Monitoring of complex hybrid cloud environments: The integrated dashboards provide users with a single-pane-of-glass view to their personalized cloud services. Administrators benefit from a cloud meta CMDB to control connected hybrid cloud platforms.
·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Managing cloud elasticity: With the integration of ASG’s Enterprise Automation Management Suite (EAMS), the solution is able to identify when a pre-defined capacity threshold is met and will automatically deploy additional compute or storage capacity in a private, public or hybrid cloud. 
·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Amazon-like interface and service catalogue: The user-friendly interface makes it easy to order and manage assets, including public and private cloud services, according to users’ roles and permissions.
·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Leverage existing investments: CloudFactory integrates leading application provision technologies in virtualized desktop environments, including Microsoft, Citrix, VMware and Quest. Customers have the ability to bridge the traditional gaps while transforming their endpoint computing environments. 
·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Improved IaaS functionality: Customers have the choice to adopt best-fit virtualization technologies in a single orchestration solution, supporting all market leading hypervisor technologies, including VMware vSphere ESXi, Citrix XenServer, Microosft Hyper-V and KVM (Linux-based). With integrated Zimory cloud management and openQRM data center management, CloudFactory offers best-of-breed IaaS services, covering platform, storage and networking demand for leading platforms such as HP Cloud System Matrix, VCE vBlock Infrastructure Platforms and Netapp/Cisco Datacenter Solution Flexpod. 
“CloudFactory goes beyond helping customers improve their time-to-market or reduce costs,” explains Arthur Allen, CEO of ASG Software Solutions. “We created a technology-independent cloud service broker and orchestration suite that automates and simplifies the delivery of applications as cloud based services for everyone – whether a remote sales person is looking to access a company’s CRM or a developer requires a ‘sandbox’ to test innovative new technology – CloudFactory offers enterprises a comprehensive and cost effective solution to plan, deploy, control and optimize their IT infrastructure. Our sophisticated modules guarantee a fast and easy creation, delivery and management of cloud environments while leveraging existing investments.”
 ASG Software Solutions offers complete, end-to-end, cloud orchestration solutions for private, public and hybrid clouds. The initial version of CloudFactory was created by visionapp, a German company acquired by ASG in April 2011. ASG has continued to incorporate new functionality into the CloudFactory modules, creating a comprehensive cloud orchestration suite that provisions multi-vendor environments and automates almost any application delivery type – eliminating vendor lock-in. ]]></content:encoded>
			
			
			<pubDate>Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:12:00 +0100</pubDate>
			
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			<title>SMEs are not at all skeptical when it comes to cloud computing</title>
			<link>http://www.visionapp.com/germany/info-center/news-pr/detail/smes-are-not-at-all-skeptical-when-it-comes-to-cloud-computing.html</link>
			<description>A commentary from Rainer Zeitler, Vice President Enterprise Solutions Engineers EMEA, ASG...</description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[A commentary from Rainer Zeitler, Vice President Enterprise Solutions Engineers EMEA, ASG Group:
For years market observers could hardly believe their eyes. Large   corporations were early adopters of cloud concepts, especially in terms   of implementing internal private clouds in their enterprises. But small   and medium-sized enterprises, which are very strong economy drivers,   were not at all convinced that this trend could lead to success.   According to official theory SMEs stood to benefit the most from the   cloud because they could source their IT services without having to make   exorbitant investments in their IT infrastructures.
Enterprises in countries with emerging economies reacted as analysts   had expected. They took advantage of cloud services in huge numbers.   These users did not have sufficient capital to make major investments,   yet the cloud gave them access to considerable IT power which they   otherwise would never have been able to afford. These enterprises   recognized this opportunity to drive their growth. Did the SMEs in   Europe miss their chance to do the same?
The answer is quite simple: No. European SMEs are not newcomers in   terms of IT – they have many years of in-depth experience with this kind   of technology. And part of this experience was the recognition of the   fact that for many years IT providers had promised them all kinds of   amazing developments and benefits that turned out to be nothing but   empty promises – the revolutionary trends proclaimed by the IT industry   and market researchers were quite often bubbles that vanished just as   quickly as they had appeared.
There are many reasons why an enterprise may be reticent when it   comes to new technologies, and many businesses would rather examine both   the pros and cons very carefully rather than assuming the role of an  IT  pioneer. Many doubts and questions were addressed to providers quite   early, and these worries were absolutely justified: How mature is the   technology? How secure is data transmission via the Internet? How high   is the availability of data centers in reality? What legal and   compliance issues must be taken into consideration? How expensive is the   deployment and integration of cloud services?
Cloud providers needed to provide compelling answers to these   questions. And they had to learn how to put together a service offering   that was marketable. &quot;Be prudent, and think about possible consequences   right from the start.&quot; This was apparently the maxim that shaped the   thinking of small and medium-sized enterprises for quite some time. And   this hesitant attitude was understandable in most cases. Today the   initial worries have been forgotten, and the efforts by vendors and   organizations to establish a high degree of IT standardization show that   providers realize they need to offer more than just attractive   technological and commercial advantages – they also need to focus on the   people and organizations who are affected by new IT trends and provide   them with concepts that will help them successfully come to terms with  a  paradigm shift like cloud computing from the very beginning. No,  there  is no need for worry today, and both sides have learned how to  come to  grips with such revolutionary changes. Various surveys  conducted by  market analysts show that only a very small number of  enterprises want  to maintain the status quo in their IT – the great  majority are  extremely interested in cloud computing and are eager to  source their IT  services from the cloud. A recent study by Techconsult  shows just how  fast the current pace of change really is. Industrial  and service  businesses, which form the two core segments of the SME  market, have  been making more intensive use of cloud offerings within  only a few  short months. And it is also SMEs that are taking huge steps  toward  adopting cloud computing more quickly.
And you can be sure that these steps are not being taken on the basis   of alluring promises – SMEs have many years of experience in sourcing   their IT from external providers and they know what they are talking   about. Often medium-sized system houses, with a local or   industry-specific orientation, have been providing small enterprises   with the solutions they need. However, until recently service providers   have been doing this with dedicated environments. Now it is much easier   and faster to satisfy customer requirements with cloud delivery  models.  What's more, this leads to lower prices and more variety in the  services  offered. Everyone is a winner with this type of managed  cloud.
Those enterprises that want to keep parts of their IT in their   internal data centers can do so, and they have the option of sourcing   new applications from the cloud and integrating them in their existing   systems. New perspectives now arise for such enterprises – in the past   many scenarios were simply too expensive because the cost of personnel   to manage additional systems was extremely high. Not to mention the   costs involved in implementing a secure IT environment.
ASG-visionapp offers the CloudFactory, a modular solution that can be   precisely configured to meet the requirements of both types of cloud   users in the SME segment. Furthermore, we also have the consulting   competence to help enterprise customers adapt to the new roles and   responsibilities that accompany cloud computing.
Rainer Zeitler, Vice President Enterprise Solutions Engineers EMEA, ASG Group]]></content:encoded>
			
			
			<pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:30:00 +0100</pubDate>
			
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			<title>Indispensable: Change management in the Cloud</title>
			<link>http://www.visionapp.com/germany/info-center/news-pr/detail/indispensable-change-management-in-the-cloud.html</link>
			<description>The use of cloud computing is changing the structure of companies for good. The move to an IT model...</description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[The use of cloud computing is changing the structure of companies for good. The move to an IT model that provides centralised access to applications and data not only increases productivity and flexibility, it is also changing the way we work. For digital natives – this means employees under 30 – that’s no problem. After all, they have been living in the cloud for years with Facebook, Twitter and other social media applications. Users who have been working within heterogeneous system environments for many years, with their extensive rights and freedom, will need to do a bit of rethinking, however. And not only them. IT departments will also need to rethink the way they work to ensure that the cloud principle functions as it should. 
User needs a helping hand
People generally tend to interpret all changes negatively at the start. In cloud computing environments, personal computers are replaced with thin clients, and e-mail environments, with their “fat clients”, are converted into more cost-effective models with VDI terminal servers. Information is accessed via the network, directly and online, which means the user’s experience with, and utilisation of, IT changes dramatically. Data access is dependent on the Internet connection, and the freedom of users to make their own user-specific adjustments reaches its limits – something that is definitely favoured by IT administrators. This also means that their “own” applications are replaced by cloud applications. As a result, long-term, local installations make way for utilisation based on time and requirements. Users are afraid of losing their freedom and the right to install whatever they want on their PCs. For many, this is equivalent to replacing user interests with the interests of senior management. Something else that shouldn’t be underestimated is the feeling of security created by having data stored “locally” on users’ own computers, instead of being out there somewhere in the cloud. 
Cloud computing obviously isn’t so clear-cut. But these apprehensions exist and must therefore be taken seriously by companies running cloud projects. Cloud projects have no chance of success without a change in management strategy. Users must be informed early on about upcoming changes through sufficient information so that they can prepare themselves – and the earlier the better. This will give employees the necessary feeling of security. And the stronger this feeling is, the greater the willingness to change. Without this, it’s possible that resistance may even bring the project to a untimely end.&nbsp; 
Companies implementing cloud solutions should, for example, involve employees early on during the pilot phase to ensure that the inhibition threshold in dealing with the cloud can be reduced. This turns those affected into participants, thereby enabling them to act as multipliers and pass on their – positive – experiences. Demo environments are obviously essential as well as in-depth training with the new system. It may also be helpful to highlight additional benefits: simplified mobility, working anywhere with any end device, or desktop personalisation and the integration of birthday calendars generate a “want-to-have” feeling, which can help to ensure the success of a project.&nbsp; 
The silo mentality is passé
Project success also depends on the willingness of IT departments to rethink the way they do things. They are used to viewing individual areas as silos, a way of thinking and working that must be banished in the era of cloud computing. Networked thinking is required! Desktop specialists need to talk with server managers, projects need to be implemented and executed across all areas. In the age of the cloud, it’s about providing a service made up of different components, which means interdisciplinary competences need to be developed. All of this provides companies with new and exciting opportunities for further development. 
Changes during cloud projects should not be limited to the technology; people must be factored in from the very beginning – on both the user and administrator fronts. Only then will in an investment in cloud solutions pay off.
Marina Walser, Chief Marketing Officer, visionapp AG
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			<pubDate>Wed, 06 Jul 2011 22:32:00 +0200</pubDate>
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			<title>visionapp CloudFactory now available</title>
			<link>http://www.visionapp.com/germany/info-center/news-pr/detail/visionapp-cloudfactory-now-available.html</link>
			<description>Modular cloud factory for building, provisioning and managing private, public and hybrid clouds</description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Eschborn, 31 May 2011: visionapp CloudFactory is now available: Private, public or hybrid cloud structures can now be built, provisioned and managed quickly and easily on a uniform platform – either at the own data center or through an external provider. 
The building-block system is geared to companies of all sizes in all sectors. visionapp CloudFactory consists of three core modules – CloudCockpit, CloudRobot and CloudShaper – as well as additional modules and services that cover the key areas of cloud operation.
CloudShaper is the backend that manages the automated and flexible provision of server, operating system and application based on the virtualisation platform. Tried-and-tested parameter and package templates for platform and computer roles, meanwhile, ensure a high level of automation. Compliance officers benefit from ITIL-compliant release management. The tamperproof logging of the cloud environment, including patch management, coupled with rapid emergency recoveries relieve the administrators of a great deal of work. This last involves an easy-to-use rollback function to a specific former state.
The visionapp CloudFactory component CloudRobot comes into play in the automated and workflow-based provision of applications and services. This module is in overall charge, supplying everything down to the processes based on standardised interfaces. Single software items such as purchased and rental licences can be easily managed with this tool. CloudRobot also stands out through its extreme flexibility when configuring cloud applications and also handles contract management. Further functions include precise reporting on use-based accounting models, intelligent self-services for user, partners and customers, and multi-client capability.
The CloudCockpit module is the modern frontend. Designed to the very latest standards of user-friendliness, it provides convenient access to applications and service. Corporate data can be accessed from anywhere and any department – always with maximum security. It provides everything for a personalised, intuitive and easily adaptable workstation. The integrated single-sign-on function ensures highest security. At the same time, access is managed with precision through authentication of end devices.
Besides these three core modules, visionapp CloudFactory contains a range of further modules for tailoring clouds precisely to the individual needs of companies and service providers:
CloudCompounder integrates and manages public cloud services. Hybrid clouds are managed from a management console and services aggregated in the CloudCockpit.CloudAggregator provides the logic for automating, managing and provisioning public cloud services, as well as integrating public cloud offers.CloudExpander expands the private cloud with software from visionapp partners. Integration is in line with the process detailed in the CloudGuidebook.
Further modules are the CloudAdvisor, CloudGuidebook and CloudWarehouse services.
CloudAdvisor identifies experienced visionapp employees to provide competent assistance and pass on their collective experience of ten years to customers and partners on the cloud market in implementing, supporting and operating cloud platforms.The CloudGuidebook provides tried-and-tested architectural recommendations and installation instructions for cloud environments based on visionapp CloudFactory. Integration of established technology suppliers such as Citrix, Microsoft and VMware is also supported.CloudWarehouse supplies software-as-a-service applications such as White Label and other well-known brands. Private cloud customers choose from a library of business applications.
“With the visionapp CloudFactory, visionapp has a very attractive offering that provides a very good coverage of cloud requirements both in medium-sized businesses and large enterprises,” says Steve Janata, Senior Analyst at Experton Group AG, in the new Cloud Vendor Benchmark 2011. 
visionapp has been part of the Allen Systems Group (ASG) since mid-April. The modules of visionapp CloudFactory are ideally complemented by a number of products in the ASG portfolio, for example, asset management functions and service desk management.
“visionapp CloudFactory makes it easier than ever for companies to go into the cloud. The modular principle leaves the decision to the IT managers themselves, which special functions they need so that they can easily integrate it into their existing ecosystems. The extremely positive feedback shows us that we have correctly identified and acted on the wishes of our customers for flexible solutions,” says Jens Schneider, Senior Vice President Portfolio Management of visionapp AG.
Further details on the visionapp CloudFactory can be found at www.visionapp-cloudfactory.de.
About visionapp AG
visionapp, an ASG company, has been an active player in the cloud computing market for more than a decade. Spun off from the Allianz Group in 2006, the international IT provider supplies software and services for private, public and hybrid cloud solutions. Companies of all sizes and in all industries can build, maintain and manage clouds quickly, simply and efficiently using the visionapp CloudFactory modules. They benefit from the flexible, integrated and reliable approaches for front-end, back-end and control solutions for cloud computing and thereby reduce IT costs, automate operational processes and increase ease of use. visionapp’s well-designed technology and extensive expertise, such as in the highly sensitive banking sector, make it an experienced and innovative provider for cloud projects. More than 20,000 clients rely on the public, private and managed private solutions. visionapp is headquartered in Eschborn near Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and has additional branches in Munich, Ettlingen, Vienna and London. The international market is handled by a network of partners. 

Press Contact
visionapp AGUlrike BeringerTelefon: +49 (0)-89-244 179 011 E-Mail: ulrike.beringer@visionapp.com
LEWIS PRKatharina ScheurerTelefon: +49 (0) 89 1730 1926E-Mail: visionappGermany@lewispr.com]]></content:encoded>
			
			
			<pubDate>Tue, 31 May 2011 19:28:00 +0200</pubDate>
			<enclosure url="http://www.visionapp.com:80/uploads/media/visionapp_CloudFactory_Verfuegbarkeit_eng.pdf" length ="180984" type="application/pdf" />
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			<title>After the acquisition: New responsibilities at visionapp</title>
			<link>http://www.visionapp.com/germany/info-center/news-pr/detail/after-the-acquisition-new-responsibilities-at-visionapp.html</link>
			<description>Staff changes on the Board of Directors and Supervisory Board</description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Eschborn, 19 May 2011: Allen Systems Group (ASG) has completed its acquisition of visionapp AG, a leading supplier of private, public and hybrid cloud solutions. ASG thus holds 100 percent of the stock in visionapp AG. Changes to the Board of Directors and Supervisory Board of visionapp AG accompany this acquisition.
The Supervisory Board has been restructured as a result of the changes in ownership. Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Andreas Creutzmann, as well as Supervisory Board members Richard Seibt and Michael Pohlschmidt have resigned from their posts, handing over their tasks to the newly appointed Supervisory Board, which is made up of the following individuals: Arthur L. Allen, Chairman and CEO of ASG, will be the new Chairman of the Supervisory Board. The position of Deputy Chairman will be held by Derek Eckelman, Executive Vice President and Legal Counsel of ASG. Ernie Scheidemann, Executive Vice President and CFO of ASG, has been appointed as a new member of the Supervisory Board.
The sale of the shares of three members of the Board of Directors, Gallmann, Krick and Zirn, has also led to changes on the Board of Directors of visionapp AG. CEO Jürgen Gallmann and COO Jörg Krick have resigned from their positions on the Board of Directors. They will be available to serve the company in an advisory capacity for the next two to three months and will ensure that business activities transition over to ASG in a smooth fashion, after which they will leave the company. CFO Jan Zirn will initially continue to serve as a member of the Board of Directors. The new Chairman of the Board of Directors of visionapp AG is Richard Vance, Executive Vice President of Operations at ASG. For the time being, he will be responsible for the operational business of visionapp AG together with Jan Zirn. 

About ASG
ASG provides mission-critical enterprise information technology  management software solutions to large enterprises and medium-sized  businesses in a variety of industries. ASG has a global presence with  approximately 1,100 employees in 65 locations in 28 countries to serve  the needs of our multi-national customers. ASG’s highly diversified  global customer base consists of more than 3,200 clients, including such  blue-chip names as American Express, Coca-Cola, General Electric,  Toyota, Wells Fargo and Verizon. ASG’s customers include over 50% of  both the Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 and represent a broad range of  industries, including finance, healthcare, government and education,  manufacturing, food and beverage, retail, telecommunications,  transportation and utilities industries.&nbsp; Learn more at http://www.asg.com.
About visionapp
visionapp has been active in the cloud computing market for more than  a decade. Spun off from the Allianz Group in 2006, the international IT  provider supplies software and services for private, public and hybrid  cloud solutions. Companies in all industries and of all sizes can build,  provide and manage clouds quickly, simply and efficiently using the  cloud factory modules. You can benefit from our flexible, integrated and  reliable backend, management and frontend approach for cloud solutions  and thereby reduce your IT costs, automate your operational processes  and increase ease of use. visionapp’s well-designed technology and  extensive know-how, for example in the highly sensitive banking sector,  make it an experienced and innovative provider for cloud projects. More  than 20,000 clients rely on the public, private and managed private  solutions. visionapp AG has its ever-expanding headquarters in Eschborn  near Frankfurt am Main and has additional branches in Munich, Ettlingen,  Vienna and London. The international market is supported by a network  of partners. For more information, visit http://www.visionapp.com.

Press Contact
visionapp AGUlrike BeringerTelefon: +49 (0)-89-244 179 011 E-Mail: ulrike.beringer@visionapp.com
LEWIS PRKatharina ScheurerTelefon: +49 (0) 89 1730 1926E-Mail: visionappGermany@lewispr.com]]></content:encoded>
			
			
			<pubDate>Wed, 25 May 2011 15:34:00 +0200</pubDate>
			<enclosure url="http://www.visionapp.com:80/uploads/media/PI_Personalien_final_EN.pdf" length ="105542" type="application/pdf" />
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			<title>New chances in the cloud: System integrators link on- and off-site</title>
			<link>http://www.visionapp.com/germany/info-center/news-pr/detail/new-chances-in-the-cloud-system-integrators-link-on-and-off-site.html</link>
			<description>Cloud computing is quickly moving from dream to reality. Large companies are already gradually...</description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[Cloud computing is quickly moving from dream to reality. Large companies are already gradually transferring their IT to the cloud. In a first step, a company’s own IT is condensed and converted from services offered by virtualised systems to a private cloud. Thus, entire departments are made independent and begin ordering IT services from the cloud—with support coming from the very top in a manner of speaking – all while the IT staff continues to work on the conversion process. What results are hybrid forms: The earliest pioneers were Google Docs and the customer service application Salesforce, which were used primarily on their own, as well as services offered by Dropbox or Amazon's server capacities. A variety of cloud offerings have come about in the meantime while a corresponding demand for such services has continued to grow. Oftentimes, these hybrid forms are referred to as “hybrid clouds”. One can only actually speak of a “hybrid cloud”, however, when both private and public clouds are integrated with one another as opposed to instances where old storage facilities are simply reproduced in slightly altered form. 
This, however, leads to a problem: How does data from an on-site program enter a cloud application and vice-versa? IT veterans can remember a time when mainframe programs ran alongside DOS programs on PCs. These two were so rigorously separated from each other that a number of records had to be entered in two times or more. Copy-and-paste functionalities have simplified this process since then, yet they still require a great deal of work that ends up eating away at any cost advantages offered by the cloud. Because the “cloud” actually offers complete automatisation from the backend up to and including the provision of applications—all maintenance-free, simple and browser-based—this cannot be the answer. When it comes to the blending of on- and off-site applications, considerations such as compliance and transparency must be unequivocally taken into account. Who booked which server? Who is storing which data where? How do things look with regard to authorisations, cost controls and—last but not least—transparency? In short: The interdependencies considered noteworthy with well-integrated, on-site IT only increase once again with cloud computing.
As a result of all of this, a new working area for some part of the IT industry that offers a number of positions can now be found: the system integrators. From this point onward, their field of work is no longer defined by the limits of a company but take on a whole new dimension instead. System integration of the future translates to the combination of internal and external IT. Using their first-hand knowledge, experts migrate your customers into private, public or hybrid clouds as desired and, in the process, help to integrate existing hardware and software infrastructure in such a manner that minimal friction loss occurs. In other words, system integrators are those that are able to think deeply about a company’s IT infrastructure and know which wheel to turn when, as well as how a solution can best be integrated into an existing ecosystem. Finally, customers want to save on costs with the help of cloud computing while increasing their efficiency—something that does not require the deletion of all existing systems. Demand is high at present: A paradigm shift is well under way, then, because what users want to continue to use various cloud for various activities in the long-term? The goal is a combined cloud, integrated using clever IT solutions and the expertise of the system integrators. &nbsp; 
Hilarius Dreßen, Senior Vice President Global Channels, visionapp AG]]></content:encoded>
			
			
			<pubDate>Thu, 19 May 2011 21:00:00 +0200</pubDate>
			
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			<title>Allen Systems Group (ASG) Completes Acquisition of visionapp AG</title>
			<link>http://www.visionapp.com/germany/info-center/news-pr/detail/allen-systems-group-asg-completes-acquisition-of-visionapp-ag.html</link>
			<description>Combined Solution Offers Customers Easy On-Ramp to the Cloud</description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[NAPLES, FL – May 10, 2011 – Allen Systems Group (ASG) announced today that it has completed the acquisition of visionapp AG, a leading software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and cloud platform provider.&nbsp; Headquartered in Germany, visionapp enables more than 25,000 businesses worldwide to reap the full value of cloud computing.
Recognizing that the integration of cloud-based applications with existing applications and databases is one of the key barriers to cloud adoption, ASG is combining its solutions portfolio with the visionapp’s technology to provide customers an easy on-ramp to the cloud.
&quot;visionapp is the market-leading cloud orchestration company worldwide. The visionapp technology aggregates all types of clouds. Adding visionapp to the ASG portfolio provides our customers with immediate access to cloud computing from a provider that’s been doing this for over 10 years,&quot; said Arthur Allen, President and CEO of ASG. &quot;We will continue to execute on our commitment to offer innovative technology solutions that help our customers manage complex IT environments, and we now have a cloud platform to deliver it on.&quot;
visionapp provides complete cloud computing solutions for private, public and hybrid clouds. By using visionapp’s CloudFactory, customers can create, supply and operate highly scalable and secure cloud infrastructures quickly, simply and efficiently. To date, more than 250,000 desktops – across a wide spectrum of industries - rely on visionapp’s solutions in the private cloud environment.
&quot;We look forward working with ASG to help our combined customer base gain the full benefits of cloud computing,&quot; said Juergen Gallmann, visionapp’s Chief Executive Officer. &quot;In addition, the access to ASG’s solutions portfolio provides tremendous value to our visionapp customers.&quot;ASG provides mission-critical enterprise information technology management software solutions to Global 5000 businesses worldwide.
About ASG
ASG provides mission-critical enterprise information technology management software solutions to large enterprises and medium-sized businesses in a variety of industries. ASG has a global presence with approximately 1,100 employees in 65 locations in 28 countries to serve the needs of our multi-national customers. ASG’s highly diversified global customer base consists of more than 3,200 clients, including such blue-chip names as American Express, Coca-Cola, General Electric, Toyota, Wells Fargo and Verizon. ASG’s customers include over 50% of both the Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 and represent a broad range of industries, including finance, healthcare, government and education, manufacturing, food and beverage, retail, telecommunications, transportation and utilities industries.&nbsp; Learn more at http://www.asg.com.
About visionapp
visionapp has been active in the cloud computing market for more than a decade. Spun off from the Allianz Group in 2006, the international IT provider supplies software and services for private, public and hybrid cloud solutions. Companies in all industries and of all sizes can build, provide and manage clouds quickly, simply and efficiently using the cloud factory modules. You can benefit from our flexible, integrated and reliable backend, management and frontend approach for cloud solutions and thereby reduce your IT costs, automate your operational processes and increase ease of use. visionapp’s well-designed technology and extensive know-how, for example in the highly sensitive banking sector, make it an experienced and innovative provider for cloud projects. More than 20,000 clients rely on the public, private and managed private solutions. visionapp AG has its ever-expanding headquarters in Eschborn near Frankfurt am Main and has additional branches in Munich, Ettlingen, Vienna and London. The international market is supported by a network of partners. For more information, visit http://www.visionapp.com.

Media Contact
Katja Schroeder+1 (917) 652-6049kschroeder@mangumconsulting.com]]></content:encoded>
			
			
			<pubDate>Tue, 10 May 2011 15:11:00 +0200</pubDate>
			<enclosure url="http://www.visionapp.com:80/uploads/media/visionapp_PI_ASGClosing_0511_Final_en.pdf" length ="150689" type="application/pdf" />
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