Computerworld: Patrick Thibodeau

Chief data officer may go the way of chief electricity officer

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 10:15:00 GMT

The U.S. Commerce Department plans to hire a chief data officer , whose job will be to make more of the department's data publicly available. Whoever takes the job will be part of an exclusive club.

Obama's options for tech immigration take shape

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Wed, 20 Aug 2014 20:38:00 GMT

When President Barack Obama takes executive action on immigration, he's expected to give final approval to a rule allowing spouses of H-1B visa holders, now barred from working in the U.S., to get jobs.

Obama's options for tech immigration take shape

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Wed, 20 Aug 2014 19:47:00 GMT

IT outages are an ongoing problem for the U.S government

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 20:46:00 GMT

Fully 70% of federal agencies experienced downtime of 30 minutes or more in a recent one-month period.

As sharks circle, IBM prepares its x86 exit

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 19:59:00 GMT

Once IBM completes its x86 server line sale to Lenovo, the latter will immediately take a solid third place ranking in worldwide revenues in the market.

With SmartThings buy, is Samsung embracing an open Internet of Things?

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 20:14:00 GMT

In acquiring SmartThings, Samsung is gaining a philosophy, platform and development community for the Internet of Things. It may also be betting that open standards -- open platforms -- will be the key to winning this market.

Ferguson's tiny IT operation in the maelstrom

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 19:47:00 GMT

Ferguson, Mo., the city now in the midst of protests over a fatal police shooting, runs the type of IT department that gets almost no attention.

Wyoming to close data centers in cloud shift

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 10:15:00 GMT

The state of Wyoming is planning to discontinue most of its data center operations and move its physical equipment to commercial colocation facilities.

White House's new IT engineer is sharp, witty, and blunt

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 20:10:00 GMT

If the White House learned one thing from the Healthcare.gov debacle, it was that the government needs clear-thinking people who can see a problem for what it is. Mikey Dickerson may just be that person.

School system CIOs are sold on Chromebooks

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 21:28:00 GMT

The popularity of Chromebooks in school districts may be the main reason they're seeing strong year-to-year growth.

10 things about (the Internet of) things

Mon, 11 Aug 2014 04:05:00 GMT

Floating things, flying things, finding things and fashion things are all part of the Internet of Things. Prepare for a hyper connected future.

HP's new lifeline for OpenVMS gets a thanks from users

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 16:32:00 GMT

The decision by HP to license OpenVMS source code to a new engineering firm is getting mostly positive reaction from the likes of user groups such as HP-Interex France.

HP gives OpenVMS new life

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 17:24:00 GMT

Hewlett-Packard has changed its direction on OpenVMS, giving the operating system -- and users -- something of a reprieve.

Congress okays upgrade of VA's 29-year-old software

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 19:50:00 GMT

An agreement in Congress to allocate $17 billion to the Department of Veterans Affairs includes money for a major tech upgrade.

French fight the death of OpenVMS

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 10:30:00 GMT

An OpenVMS user group in France has posted an 'open letter' to Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman urging her to reconsider HP's decision to begin pulling support for the system.

A new tool for disasters: The personal antenna

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Fri, 25 Jul 2014 19:39:00 GMT

New York start-up goTenna has created a portable antenna that could come in handy when cellular service is unavailable.

State Dept. database crash leads to passport, visa delays

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Thu, 24 Jul 2014 20:16:00 GMT

A State Department database crash has delayed the issuing of passports and visas worldwide.

California sees IT shifting to IBM-built cloud

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Thu, 24 Jul 2014 19:50:00 GMT

California is moving its IT services to a cloud, on-demand, subscription-based service that state officials believe may meet as much as 80% of its computing needs.

For half, STEM degrees lead to other jobs

sharon_machlis@computerworld.com (Sharon Machlis) — Thu, 24 Jul 2014 10:25:00 GMT

The truth, when it comes to computer employment data, is almost always ugly.

U.S. Senator blasts Microsoft's H-1B push as it lays off 18,000 workers

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 19:01:00 GMT

U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions delivered a scathing attack on the use of highly skilled foreign workers by U.S. corporations that was heavily aimed at Microsoft.

Microsoft now leads in tech layoffs

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 20:12:00 GMT

Microsoft's planned 18,000 job cuts, or 14% of its workforce, is the biggest tech layoff announced this year, surpassing Hewlett-Packard's announcement in May that it was cutting 16,000 jobs.

Among IBM users, Apple agreement gets praise, questions

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 11:08:00 GMT

The IBM-Apple partnership resonates with users who like the idea of connecting Apple's mobile platform with IBM's back-end data, but some observers have questions about the deal and there's no certainty the partnership will succeed.

Pennsylvania, a 'Fortune 20' state, consolidates IT

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 18:17:00 GMT

Pennsylvania has signed a seven-year deal with Unisys to consolidate the state's data centers and create an on-demand, cloud computing environment

IBM and Apple ties go way back

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 10:23:00 GMT

IBM and Apple have a history of working together that dates back more than 20 years.

Money talks, and that's all quantum maker D-Wave has to say

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 10:01:00 GMT

The quantum computing technology developed by D-Wave gets ongoing scientific debate, but it's also getting money, $28 million last week, bringing its total funding to about $150 million.

Court case offers a peek at how H-1B-fueled discrimination works

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 20:53:00 GMT

Outsourcing firm Infosys is being sued by for 4 IT pros who allege it discriminates against U.S.workers.

The top 10 paying IT jobs: IT careers can prove fruitful

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 10:56:00 GMT

IT management positions generally pay quite well, but a new survey finds that so do a lot of other IT jobs.

Obama has big options for green card, H-1B reform without Congress

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 10:25:00 GMT

With Congress refusing to move on immigration reform, President Barack Obama has options that could have broad impacts on immigration generally, and on the H-1B and green card visa systems in particular.

An H-1B whistleblower tries again for justice

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 19:25:00 GMT

H-1B whistleblower Jay Palmer has filed a new complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor, alleging that senior executives at Infosys 'retaliated against him by denying him work, bonuses and promotions and terminating him.'

Microsoft backs open source for the Internet of Things

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 18:35:00 GMT

Microsoft has joined what began as a Linux Foundation effort to create an open platform for the Internet of Things. It's a move that may be a telling sign regarding Microsoft's plans for home automation, and even for the Xbox.

China has the fastest supercomputer, but the U.S. still rules

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 10:30:00 GMT

China continues to hold the top spot in the Top500 supercomputer list, but the U.S. still dominates, with 90% of the systems on the list made by U.S. vendors.

How a private Dell works with customers, and sees its rivals

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 10:46:00 GMT

Dell held its user conference here last month in a beach hotel next to a calm ocean with no threat of storms. For a company that wants to be known as the strong, silent type, the location may have been perfect.

If immigration reform is dead, so is raising the H-1B cap

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Fri, 27 Jun 2014 10:59:00 GMT

In a speech Wednesday on the House floor, Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) declared immigration reform dead.

A new industrial age is being built on sensors, 3D printing and the cloud

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 10:31:00 GMT

There's a new industrial revolution in the offing that will rely heavily on Internet of Things technologies, the cloud and low-cost design and fabrication tools.

Many comments on new H-1B rule, but few are 'unique'

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 16:20:00 GMT

Splunk, best known for creating systems that analyze machine-generated data, has created a tool for analyzing comments filed at Regulation.gov.

Microsoft, insurer, may make home automation inexpensive -- even free

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 20:11:00 GMT

If home automation can reduce insurance claims due to fire, water damage and theft, insurers may become advocates for Internet of Things technologies.

IT hiring rises where it counts

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 20:56:00 GMT

Hiring at companies that are mostly users of technology is on the rise, according to Computer Economics.

U.S. looks to create an 'Internet of Postal Things'

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 18:44:00 GMT

The Internet has so far delivered mostly bad news to the U.S. Postal Service, but the agency now hopes an emerging Web application -- the Internet of Things -- can help it improve efficiency.

Readers rant about IT worker who trained H1-B replacement

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 20:05:00 GMT

The story of A. B. and the training of the IT worker's H-1B replacement struck a chord with Computerworld readers. It provided an opportunity for them to vent, argue and share their views about the visa and its impact on U.S. workers.

Roads in the future will need data standards as well as signs, says DOT's CIO

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 19:53:00 GMT

Engineers, auto makers and U.S. transportation officials who gathered at the White House's SmartAmerica conference this week showed various systems and technologies that may be used to make driving safer and more efficient.

Meet Diesel, a cute dog and organic robot

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 19:36:00 GMT

Diesel, a Labrador Retriever, appears to live in a perpetual state of glee and is unbothered by the electronics-packed vest he is wearing.

Cantor, a reliable 'yes' vote for raising the H-1B visa cap, is unseated

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 21:44:00 GMT

Rep. Eric Cantor, the House majority leader who lost a primary bid Tuesday for re-election, was a reliable "yes" vote for increasing the H-1B visa cap. The man who beat him, David Brat, won't be.

This IT worker had to train an H-1B replacement

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 19:10:00 GMT

This is the story of an IT worker who was replaced by a worker on an H-1B visa, one of a number of visa holders, mostly from India, who took jobs at this U.S. company. Computerworld is not going to use the worker's name or identify the companies involved to protect the former employee from retaliation.

Will Apple's Internet of Things vision hurt a beautiful idea?

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Fri, 06 Jun 2014 10:30:00 GMT

Apple's just announced approach to home automation involves Homekit, an iOS 8 framework and network protocol for controlling devices in the home. But will it play nicely with others?

Five reasons why China is attacking U.S. tech

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 10:54:00 GMT

China's blistering attacks on U.S. tech firms is more than quid pro quo over cyberspying charges. It's a signal of China's growing confidence in its own technology capabilities.

EPA urges efficiency, many data centers still far from it

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 10:58:00 GMT

The White House plan to cut carbon dioxide pollution by 30% seeks to meet its goals, in part, through efficiency improvements. This could put further pressure on data centers to improve efficiency, many of which are powering servers that are doing very little work or none at all.

Cyber-physical systems readied for demos by White House-led team

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Tue, 27 May 2014 10:27:00 GMT

A White House-led effort to show that the Internet of Things can save lives and create jobs is about to put on a big show.

The philosophy of IoT: Will it help or hurt?

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 26 May 2014 10:47:00 GMT

As the Internet of Things evolves, will it free up human potential? WIll everyone benefit -- or just a few? And how will it change the way people use technology. A conference in July hopes to find some answers.

A wireless network for gadgets set to arrive in San Francisco

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Wed, 21 May 2014 15:02:00 GMT

The San Francisco Bay Area and south to San Jose will soon have what may be the nation's first dedicated Internet of Things network. It may change the way you think about the future of the IoT.

An H-1B cap hike would mean a grim future for workers

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 19 May 2014 10:15:00 GMT

If Congress approves comprehensive immigration reform, it will likely more than double the cap on H-1B visas. What happens then sounds dystopian for workers.

Frustration, anger over new H-1B rule finds voice on U.S. site

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Thu, 15 May 2014 19:12:00 GMT

The U.S. is collecting comments on whether to allow certain H-1B spouses to work, and the prevailing theme is one of frustration.