Why firms will take a shine to Chromebooks - ZDNet UK

With the appearance of the first Chromebooks — cloud-based laptops running the Chrome OS — ZDNet UK tracked down Google's Chrome for business expert, Rajen Sheth, to find out why he thinks this technology should matter to firms.

The week before Microsoft's major IT conference, Google announced the first production Chromebook models from Samsung and Acer.

For a monthly fee, you get laptop hardware and a browser-based operating system, Chrome OS, locked down to the cloud.

Partnerships with VMware and Citrix mean support for virtualised Windows applications, and Google says this concept offers better security and far lower management costs than running the real thing — an approach aimed straight at the heart of Microsoft's strategy.

We asked Rajen Sheth, group program manager for Chrome for business, exactly what organisations get with a Chromebook and why they'd consider switching from Windows.

Q: How does the Chromebook approach differ from thin computing or Sun's plan for the network computer — or just a netbook running a browser?
A: I think this is larger than the launch of just a couple of hardware platforms and a new operating system. It's a fundamental transformation in business computing.

There are three big trends that have revolutionised server-side computing in the past few years. First, the cloud — companies have gone from not even thinking about cloud applications to everybody having a cloud strategy. Secondly, the browser is many times faster in just the past few years. Clients in the browser can be richer than on the desktop. Finally, [there is] desktop virtualisation, moving applications off the desktop and onto the server so they can be accessed everywhere.

What's missing? The desktop. The benefits of the cloud stop there. Desktop management is very, very tough. Gartner reckons management for a desktop costs between $3,000 and $5,000 (£1,900 and £3,100) per year and higher for a laptop. The desktop takes administrative resource from the moment you buy it. Cloud is very simple to set up and administer. It updates itself all the time. You don't have to keep doing it.

And security. The desktop is very, very hard to secure from viruses and loss of laptops. People go through so much to try to recover that data, yet 60 percent of corporate data still resides on people's desktops. Chrome OS is transformational in simplicity for users and administrators, in security — it turns things like antivirus on its head — and in speed.

But when a business buys a Chromebook, what are they getting that's different from buying a notebook and running any browser on it?

The ultimate bottom line is that the total cost of ownership [of a Chromebook] can be less than half of what people pay right now.

The enterprise package is a combination of a Chromebook, the web-management console and full workplace support. Subscriptions start at $28 with constant software updates and, every three years, new hardware. Originally we were thinking a shorter term but a lot of our customers said there is definitely a fixed cost to moving to new hardware. Three years works well for them.

Dell will lease you a laptop for $30 (£17) a month but you're just getting the hardware. You have to get antivirus, you have to get backup software, you have to have management software. The ultimate bottom line is that the total cost of ownership [of a Chromebook] can be less than half of what people pay right now.

What is simpler to manage on a Chromebook than on a Windows notebook?
In a typical enterprise, adding an employee is a task that takes hours. With Chromebook, it's literally a matter of seconds. We're planning to make set-up a lot easier.

That's just for setting up a user, not for creating policies. What management features do you have in Chrome — is that as rich as in Windows?
Right now, it's user and user management as well as authentication management and application management — deploying applications across your domain and pushing them to your desktops. Policy management for Chrome includes what the desktop looks like and does, and what people can do to the device. That's just the start.

There are a lot of different things we could add down the line...

Ancelotti sacked in Goodison corridor by ruthless Chelsea - The Independent

Chelsea sacked their Double-winning manager Carlo Ancelotti in a corridor at Goodison Park minutes after the club's 1-0 defeat to Everton yesterday.

It came as little surprise that Ancelotti was dismissed by the club he had led to the Premier League and the FA Cup just a year ago; his failure to maintain a sustained challenge to Manchester United, at home and in Europe, ultimately cost him his job. However, the speed of the sacking and the shabby way it was delivered were unexpected, the blow delivered not by owner Roman Abramovich but by the Chelsea chief executive, Ron Gourlay, immediately after Ancelotti had given a press conference to the media following the defeat to Everton. The Italian then joined the rest of the staff and players on a private plane for the flight back to London to say his goodbyes.

Ancelotti, 51, parted company with the players late last night at the club's training ground in Cobham, Surrey, where their cars had ben left before the trip to Merseyside. He then took some close members of staff out for a drink. He last night said: "I received the news of my sacking before the flight. I accept and I respect Chelsea's decision. I spent two fantastic years in this club. I think I did a good job. Now, I think about my future. I would prefer stay in England and in Premier League."

Earlier he had been told that results this season had not been good enough, after Chelsea finished second to Manchester United in the Premier League but trailed the champions by nine points. Chelsea also lost both legs of their Champions League quarter-final to United. A club statement said: "This season's performances have fallen short of expectations and the club feels the time is right to make this change ahead of next season's preparations."

Ancelotti, who is due to start a holiday in Italy today, will receive a pay-off of around 6m, as he has one year left to run on a three-year contract. His Italian assistants Bruno Demichelis, Luigi Lasala and Giorgio Ciaschini have also left the club and will be seeking compensation.

It is believed Chelsea will insist on a clause in compensation that will prevent him from working for any other Premier League club for 12 months.

The next move will depend in part on Guus Hiddink, who acted as caretaker manager in 2009. The Dutchman is currently employed by Turkey who have a key Euro 2012 qualifier in Belgium on 3 June 3. Hiddink is understood to be prepared to return as director of football, working with a coach underneath him and has suggested Marco van Basten, the former Holland and Ajax manager, and Frank Rijkaard, who has worked previously at Barcelona and Galatasaray.

Chelsea are also very interested in Andre Villas-Boas, the Porto coach who has won the league, cup and Europa League in his first season at the club, at the age of 33. Villas-Boas previously worked at Chelsea as a scout during the reign of Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese prodigy recently revealed he has a 13m buy-out clause in his contract, which would be well within the financial means of Abramovich.

Didier Deschamps of Marseilles is another candidate, while there is also speculation that a move for Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp is being considered. Rafael Benitez, the former Liverpool and Internazionale manager, has made it clear to Chelsea via third parties that he would be very interested in the job, and has been playing up his understanding with their 50m striker Fernando Torres.

Whoever comes in will have a hard job replacing Ancelotti, who was widely respected in the English game. Under his leadership Chelsea won the Premier League last season and Ancelotti's free-scoring team broke the record for the most league goals in a Premier League season with 103 and followed it by beating Portsmouth 1-0 to add the FA Cup.

However, Ancelotti's failure in the Champions League, losing both legs of a last -16 tie to Internazionale, was a blot on his copybook. The seeds for this season's failure were sown last summer, when Chelsea released five senior professionals – Michael Ballack, Joe Cole, Ricardo Carvalho, Juliano Belletti and Deco. Ballack told The Independent last year that Ancelotti did not want him to leave, although publicly the manager has always said he agreed with the decision.

The main arrival was the Brazilian midfielder Ramires for 17m, even though Ancelotti would have preferred to have signed the German player Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Ancelotti's position was further undermined in November when Abramovich intervened to sack the manager's right-hand man Ray Wilkins. In addition he promoted in Wilkins' place the little known Michael Emenalo to be his eyes and ears at the training ground. Chelsea promptly went on a run of nine league games which included four defeats, four draws and one victory, which effectively knocked them out of the title race. They dropped back to being 15 points behind United and although they managed to reduce the gap to three, they were still never quite in United's class. His fate was effectively sealed when Chelsea were knocked out of the Champions League by United when they lost 2-1 at Old Trafford on 12 April.

He looked stressed and distracted when he spoke to the media yesterday following the defeat at Everton. Asked what he planned to do now, when his fate had yet to be decided, he replied: "Relax. I am now on holiday, I just don't know how long that holiday is going to last."

A fairly low-key game at Goodison, in which Everton's Seamus Coleman was sent off in the 53rd minute, was settled by Jermaine Beckford's superb individual goal with 16 minutes to go.

 

Celebrities will have to prove "harm" in defamation cases - Mirror.co.uk

CELEBS would have to prove "harm" to win libel cases in a shake up of defamation laws announced yesterday.

The overhaul would also crack down on "libel tourism" – stopping overseas claimaints using our courts.

Under the changes, anyone suing for libel would have to prove they had been caused "substantial harm". There would also be greater protection for people who expose issues of public interest.

Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke said the Bill was a "step in the struggle to get the right balance between freedom of speech and protection of reputation".

The Government is also looking at banning the media from naming anyone arrested before they are charged.

Asia Keeps Close Eye on Japan's Nuclear Problems - Wall Street Journal

BY PATRICK BARTA IN BANGKOK AND BRIAN SPEGELE IN BEIJING

Problems at nuclear power plants in Japan over the weekend are being watched closely across Asia, where governments are contemplating dozens of new nuclear reactors despite opposition from environmental groups that have long argued the facilities are unsafe in a region prone to natural disasters.

China, Vietnam, Thailand and other Asian nations have more than 100 nuclear plants on the drawing boards as part of a regionwide effort to diversify energy sources beyond their traditional reliance on oil, natural gas and coal. The plants are viewed as a critical part of Asia's scramble to keep up with demand as energy ...

Nick Clegg must find a backbone if he wishes to redeem himself - Mirror.co.uk

The ring of steel erected to protect Nick Clegg in the city of Sheffield is a measure of how unpopular he and the Lib Dems have become.

What was until last May's election a party of protest is now a party protested against as it props up the cut-happy Conservatives.

Mr Clegg sold his principles for a chauffeurdriven Jag so, if he wishes to redeem himself, the Deputy PM must find a backbone. And he can start by telling David Cameron he will not back unfair cuts and NHS privatisation.

If he does not, the Liberal Democrats should expect to hide behind steel barriers for the rest of this Parliament.

Prof Robert Winston on "extraordinary" birth of white baby to white parents - Mirror.co.uk

LEADING fertility expert ­Professor Robert Winston says the birth is "extraordinary".

"This is unbelievably rare and one of the first cases I've heard of in the UK," Lord ­Winston says. "The fact it's ­happened before in the same family – albeit generations ago – is significant.

"The genetic differences between black and white ­people are much slighter than we think. I can only think there's been a mild mutation.

"It may also be that the part of Africa the parents are from – Congo – is inherent to a certain genetic instability. There's been very little research.

"Events like this just go to show how ­similar we all are."

Pro-Gaddafi forces continue shelling Misrata - Xinhua

TRIPOLI, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi have been shelling the rebel-held city of Misrata, 150 km from the capital Tripoli, according to Al-Jazeera TV.

The shelling started in early morning and is still continuing, using mortars and artillery.

Fierce fighting between the opposition and forces loyal to Gaddafi has raged for weeks in Misrata, the country's third largest city, which lies on the coast in the western part in the country.

Pro-government forces in Misrata shelled a medical clinic Sunday, killing one person and wounding 15 others, according to a doctor who was not identified for security reasons.