Blog posts from rackspace blog

3582 blog posts:

Rackspace joins AWS Security Hub as the first consulting MSSP partner
Mar 04, 2020
Cybersecurity remains at the forefront of the IT agenda, which means businesses are expecting more-convenient ways to consume security tools. While the availability of cloud native security tools directly within public cloud is indeed convenient, many businesses don’t have the expertise to use them to their full potential. These same businesses are also finding it […] The post Rackspace joins AWS Security Hub as the first consulting MSSP partner appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace joins AWS Security Hub as the first pure MSSP partner
Mar 04, 2020
Cybersecurity remains at the forefront of the IT agenda, which means businesses are expecting more-convenient ways to consume security tools. While the availability of cloud native security tools directly within public cloud is indeed convenient, many businesses don’t have the expertise to use them to their full potential. These same businesses are also finding it […] The post Rackspace joins AWS Security Hub as the first pure MSSP partner appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
RelationEdge to Fully Integrate with Rackspace Brand
Feb 17, 2020
Today, we are officially announcing our decision to fully integrate RelationEdge, a Salesforce Platinum consulting partner, into the Rackspace brand. This branding change represents our commitment to our customers and partners to better leverage our full range of services and offer a seamless, unified experience across our portfolio. About the RelationEdge Acquisition RelationEdge was originally […] The post RelationEdge to Fully Integrate with Rackspace Brand appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Two elite Rackspace executives recognized on CRN’s 2020 Channel Chiefs list
Feb 10, 2020
As an exciting way to start off the new year, Rackers Lisa McLin and Michael Stephens have been named on CRN’s 2020 list of Channel Chiefs. This annual list recognizes the top vendor executives who continually demonstrate exemplary leadership, influence, innovation and growth for the IT channel. Lisa began at Rackspace as a staff accountant […] The post Two elite Rackspace executives recognized on CRN’s 2020 Channel Chiefs list appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Program update with Rackspace Channel Partners
Jan 31, 2020
Looking back at 2019 Last year was a fanatical year for the Rackspace channel team. Thanks to strong investment, continued focus and support from leadership, and outstanding effort from the entire team, Rackspace earned double-digit revenue growth. Specific key investments included: Hiring more partner sales managers in territory; Hosting myriad technical workshops led by Channel Technology […] The post Program update with Rackspace Channel Partners appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Looking ahead to 2020 – Joel Friedman, Rackspace CTO, offers his predictions for the upcoming year
Dec 26, 2019
As we enter 2020, hybrid and multi-cloud will continue to gain traction, as will software as a service (SaaS). Security remains a tough nut to crack, and edge computing will gain ground, but I predict more modestly than the current hype may suggest. Prediction 1: Hybrid/multi-cloud remains ascendant Smart organizations have locked onto the benefits […] The post Looking ahead to 2020 – Joel Friedman, Rackspace CTO, offers his predictions for the upcoming year appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
2020 Cloud Predictions: Tolga Tarhan, Rackspace SVP, GM AWS Services
Dec 24, 2019
Simply put, there is no stopping the cloud in 2020. Barriers to the cloud will shrink while complex use cases for the cloud will expand. Cloud will continue to grow as technology creates more and more use cases that demand the scale, processing capability and flexibility that only cloud can provide. Whether you’re cloud mature […] The post 2020 Cloud Predictions: Tolga Tarhan, Rackspace SVP, GM AWS Services appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
6 Tips to Improve Your Users’ Salesforce Experience
Dec 19, 2019
As a Salesforce administrator, you’re in the trenches every day making sure your company’s users are sufficiently trained on how to use the platform. While at this point in your career you’re likely quite comfortable with Salesforce, remember that most tools take some getting used to at first. With so many options and capabilities, Salesforce […] The post 6 Tips to Improve Your Users’ Salesforce Experience appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Audit Your Brand Experience for Consistency — And Why It Matters
Dec 17, 2019
Does your brand look and feel the same for a customer who likes your Facebook page as it does for another customer reading your email newsletter? What about for a customer who purchases a product on their mobile device versus one who visits your website from a computer?  Your customers should have the same brand […] The post How to Audit Your Brand Experience for Consistency — And Why It Matters appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Is Your Digital Transformation Set Up to Fail? 4 Warning Signs to Watch Out For
Dec 12, 2019
According to McKinsey, 70% of complex, large-scale change programs don’t ever reach their goals. Given the time, energy, and money that companies spend on large transformation programs, the fact that the majority of them fail is discouraging, to say the least.  However, there are some powerful lessons to be learned here. How can we study […] The post Is Your Digital Transformation Set Up to Fail? 4 Warning Signs to Watch Out For appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Matt Stoyka Shares His Best Relationship Advice For Startups
Dec 12, 2019
As Rackspace’s Chief Relationship Officer, Matt Stoyka funnels his energy into optimizing our company’s relationships with customers and partners alike. In his prior role as founder and CEO of RelationEdge (which was acquired by Rackspace in 2018), Matt quickly discovered that relationships were central to everything he wanted to accomplish. In order to grow and […] The post Matt Stoyka Shares His Best Relationship Advice For Startups appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Re:Invent 2019 is Over: It’s Time to Get to Work!
Dec 11, 2019
Many organizations, after catching their breath from another packed AWS re:Invent, are eager to act on what they’ve learned. At the same time, trying to sift through all the new products and services can be overwhelming. Here are three key areas where Rackspace can help: transformation, security and cost optimization. Expert guidance on transformation During […] The post Re:Invent 2019 is Over: It’s Time to Get to Work! appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Optimize Spend Across Apps, Data, Security and Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Services
Dec 03, 2019
Are you under-pressure to be more transparent about how your cloud strategy is delivering value to the business? Or perhaps you’ve acquired new businesses and want to avoid duplication of costs. You see the opportunity to go to the cloud rather than rely on legacy infrastructure and services.? When your business moves to the cloud […] The post Optimize Spend Across Apps, Data, Security and Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Services appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Report: Enterprises Turn to Managed Services to Optimize Public Cloud 
Nov 26, 2019
By now the benefits of public cloud are well-known: increased agility and opportunity for innovation, reduced operating costs.   But as public cloud adoption continues to grow, so do difficulties with migration, modernization and ongoing operations. Integrating emerging technologies, such as advanced data analytics, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, has also proven to be an enduring challenge for enterprises, which often […] The post Report: Enterprises Turn to Managed Services to Optimize Public Cloud  appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace at AWS re:Invent 2019: Expanded Capabilities and a Lego-Building Contest
Nov 25, 2019
Join Rackspace at AWS re:Invent 2019! Come to win the LEGO EV3 Intelligent Brick; stay to learn how our comprehensive professional and managed services capabilities can help you harness the power of AWS for innovation and growth. We’re excited that our capabilities will expand with the completed acquisition of Onica, a pure-play AWS consultancy known […] The post Rackspace at AWS re:Invent 2019: Expanded Capabilities and a Lego-Building Contest appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Reduce Costs of VMware Cloud on AWS for Storage-Heavy Workloads
Nov 19, 2019
While VMware Cloud on AWS delivers unique hybrid capabilities to the market, limited native storage options have limited its usefulness for organizations with storage-heavy workloads. Since storage is directly tied to hosts, the only way to scale storage is to add hosts — and that can increased costs by 35 percent or more for high […] The post Reduce Costs of VMware Cloud on AWS for Storage-Heavy Workloads appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Proactive Database Administration: Not Your Average “Fully Managed” DBaaS
Nov 14, 2019
Considering organizations’ mass movement to the cloud over the past decade, it’s no surprise that in our data-heavy world they’re also looking very closely at which database-as-a-service (DBaaS) vendors they select to manage, scale and secure their precious data. Businesses know they must be in the cloud or be left behind, without the agility or […] The post Proactive Database Administration: Not Your Average “Fully Managed” DBaaS appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Containers: Conversations Today Are No Longer If, But How
Nov 12, 2019
I recently asked an organization to describe its container strategy and was told they didn’t have one yet, “but it doesn’t matter, because the competition is light years behind on this technology.” I hope this incorrect assumption isn’t a common one, because it could be costly for those who hold it. As a director of […] The post Containers: Conversations Today Are No Longer If, But How appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
IDC Names Rackspace a Leader in Asia/Pacific Managed Cloud Services
Nov 11, 2019
With customers at the heart of everything we do, Rackspace delivers unbiased solutions to help enterprises thrive in our complex, hybrid and multi-cloud world. That’s why I am proud to announce that once again, our efforts have gained recognition. IDC MarketScape: Asia/Pacific (Excluding Japan) Managed Cloud Services 2019 Vendor Assessment has named Rackspace a leader […] The post IDC Names Rackspace a Leader in Asia/Pacific Managed Cloud Services appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Modernize Your Data, Applications, Cloud — And Your Organization 
Nov 05, 2019
To unlock all the benefits of the cloud — faster time to market, agility, scale and optimized economics — continuous modernization must be part of a holistic digital transformation.    That’s because digital transformation is not just about technology; it’s about business processes and organization. Aligning those processes to your goals — such as delivering new products and services faster and superior customer experiences — is foundational to leading in this everything-as-a-service era.???  It also means getting the right data to […] The post Modernize Your Data, Applications, Cloud — And Your Organization  appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Successful Migration Leads to Ongoing Google Cloud Platform Innovation
Oct 24, 2019
Traffic for wellness ecommerce company Spiraledge regularly spikes during summer and the holidays, peak buying seasons for its yoga and swimming-related brands. With its legacy backend systems, the company was forced to plan out server allocations and other issues weeks in advance, making it difficult to quickly or effectively respond to fluctuating traffic conditions. To […] The post Successful Migration Leads to Ongoing Google Cloud Platform Innovation appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Selects Armor to Deliver Best-in-Class Security for Hybrid Cloud Environments
Oct 22, 2019
SAN ANTONIO – October 22, 2019 – Rackspace today announced that it has selected Armor, a top global provider of cloud security-as-a-service solutions, to deliver best-in-class security for hybrid cloud environments to customers worldwide. Armor’s next-generation cloud security platform, Armor Anywhere, will be integrated into Rackspace’s comprehensive portfolio of security services for all major private […] The post Rackspace Selects Armor to Deliver Best-in-Class Security for Hybrid Cloud Environments appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Why You Need a Multi-Layered Security & Compliance Strategy
Oct 21, 2019
Security and compliance have always been high priorities for The Macaluso Group, a technology-driven healthcare company focused on patient access programs. Its proprietary cloud-based financial payment solutions made it an industry leader, but as TMG continued to add more products, company leaders found its traditional data center couldn’t provide enough flexibility, scalability or security to […] The post Why You Need a Multi-Layered Security & Compliance Strategy appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Struggling with Employee Resistance to Change? Matt Stoyka Has Some Tips
Oct 18, 2019
Matt Stoyka knows a thing or two about change. As Rackspace’s Chief Relationship Officer and founder of RelationEdge, Matt has been leading business transformation efforts for decades and championing others to do the same — but that’s not to say it’s always easy.  In fact, successful business change is extremely difficult, as it requires three factors […] The post Struggling with Employee Resistance to Change? Matt Stoyka Has Some Tips appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Ways to Get a Handle on Compliance Requirements 
Oct 17, 2019
Compliance: it’s complicated, expensive… and absolutely critical.   The practice of compliance refers to adhering to the laws, policies and regulations that apply to how a business collects, shares and secures data. Set by government agencies or industry organizations, they don’t always have the force of law, but failure to comply can lead to legal liability.   And while companies have been complaining of “compliance fatigue” for years now, requirements seem to keep growing […] The post 5 Ways to Get a Handle on Compliance Requirements  appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Accelerate Your Transformation Ambitions and Business Value
Oct 10, 2019
Every organization today knows it must modernize its IT to avoid disruption; doing so is table stakes at this point. For those who want more than simply not becoming obliterated by a born in the cloud upstart — for those who prefer to lead in this new everything-as-a-service world, business and IT operations must be […] The post Accelerate Your Transformation Ambitions and Business Value appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Prioritize Threats and Reduce Alert Fatigue
Oct 08, 2019
Digital transformation is underway within most organizations. This means cloud adoption is growing, trends like Bring Your Own Device are becoming more commonplace and the mobile workforce is a reality. While all of these changes are great for agility, productivity and business velocity, they do introduce new challenges for the internal security team — one […] The post How to Prioritize Threats and Reduce Alert Fatigue appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Power Your IT Needs at Every Stage of the Cloud Journey
Oct 02, 2019
Managing cloud infrastructure and applications in-house may seem like the most straightforward approach to IT management, but with technology evolving at an unprecedented rate, organizations taking the DIY approach are likely to feel the burden of keeping up and self-management. That burden can be quite significant if IT teams are managing data centers or multi-platform […] The post How to Power Your IT Needs at Every Stage of the Cloud Journey appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Cybersecurity from Inside Out: How We Keep Customers Secure
Oct 01, 2019
For all the stories we see on the news about the breadth and depth of cybersecurity breaches — millions of users compromised, billions of social security numbers, passwords and bank accounts stolen, ready to be weaponized at any moment — it can be underwhelming to learn that one of the biggest threats of all also […] The post Cybersecurity from Inside Out: How We Keep Customers Secure appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Successful Migration Allows British Heart Foundation to Boost Fundraising, Outreach Goals
Sep 27, 2019
Sept. 29 is World Heart Day, which promotes “healthy heart equity for all” and celebrates Heart Heroes – people who encourage a heart-healthy life. World Heart Day has taken on deeper meaning for me this year, as I’ve worked closely with Rackspace customer the British Heart Foundation, whose mission is to create a world free […] The post Successful Migration Allows British Heart Foundation to Boost Fundraising, Outreach Goals appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Defining the Right Cloud and Digital Strategies for Growth
Sep 24, 2019
The digital transformation of McKesson, one of the nation’s largest and oldest health care companies, illustrates the importance of defining the right cloud strategy when embarking on such a complex and important journey. McKesson serves more than half of all U.S. hospitals and delivers a third of all medications used daily in North America, with […] The post Defining the Right Cloud and Digital Strategies for Growth appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Is Your AWS Environment Well-Architected? Rackspace Can Help
Sep 23, 2019
Having experts review the architecture of your digital platform ensures your organization is receiving maximum business value from that platform. AWS developed its Well-Architected Framework to help cloud architects build secure, high-performing, resilient and efficient infrastructure for applications. It also offers customers a consistent way to evaluate those architectures. taking into account technical, financial and […] The post Is Your AWS Environment Well-Architected? Rackspace Can Help appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Heroics Don’t Scale: Understanding When to Seek a Strategic IT Partner
Sep 19, 2019
While many businesses still tend to run their own IT, the challenges facing these internal teams is increasing. IT departments continue to get asked to do more with less. While larger organizations can afford more deeply staffed departments, many smaller businesses run lean, with employees wearing many hats. As workloads increase, so do resolution times. […] The post Heroics Don’t Scale: Understanding When to Seek a Strategic IT Partner appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Six Key Ways to Accelerate the Value of Cloud
Sep 17, 2019
Two-thirds of those responding to Gartner’s 2018 Digital Business CIO survey say they’re pursuing “transformation,” but based on discussions with clients about their actual digital business initiatives, Gartner believes that figure is closer to one in ten. If you think this may be true for your company, you are vulnerable to digital disruption. As Gartner […] The post Six Key Ways to Accelerate the Value of Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Frost & Sullivan Names Rackspace Top Asia-Pacific Managed Cloud Services Provider 4th Year Running
Sep 03, 2019
For the fourth year in a row, Rackspace has been recognized as the Asia-Pacific Managed Cloud Services Provider of the Year by Frost & Sullivan as part of its Best Practices Awards, held annually in Singapore. Accepting the award on behalf of Rackspace last week was an honor. In the  past five years, I have […] The post Frost & Sullivan Names Rackspace Top Asia-Pacific Managed Cloud Services Provider 4th Year Running appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Hybrid Cloud Strategy Benefits Worth the Added Complexity
Aug 27, 2019
Organizations are moving to cloud-first business models to drive growth by delivering products and services faster, creating exceptional customer experiences and optimizing operations, but cloud-first doesn’t mean public cloud only — or even cloud only. With 80 percent of enterprise workloads still yet to migrate to public cloud, many companies are concluding that certain mission […] The post Hybrid Cloud Strategy Benefits Worth the Added Complexity appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Analyst Firm’s Assessment Adds Weight to Trusted Advisor Status 
Aug 26, 2019
SambaSafety is the leading provider of driver risk management software in North America. And while it’s been in existence for more than two decades, it only recently transitioned its infrastructure and data to public cloud.   By collecting, correlating and analyzing motor vehicle records and other data sources, SambaSafety identifies driver risk and enable its customers to modify their drivers’ behavior, reduce accidents, ensure compliance and lower […] The post Analyst Firm’s Assessment Adds Weight to Trusted Advisor Status  appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Braze Relies on Rackspace’s ObjectRocket for MongoDB Expertise
Aug 23, 2019
Braze has an enviable problem: managing its exponential growth. The company develops customer engagement software that businesses use to manage their customer-facing messaging across multiple channels. Braze’s customers can optimize their marketing and engagement by using push notifications, email, mobile, SMS and web-based campaigns. Braze elevates customer experience and engagement for dozens of well-known brands, […] The post Braze Relies on Rackspace’s ObjectRocket for MongoDB Expertise appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Expert Partner Enables Cybersecurity Firm’s “Seamless” Migration 
Aug 19, 2019
Jungle Disk, a cybersecurity company that protects the data and business intelligence of tens of thousands of small businesses around the globe, looks to Rackspace to manage its public cloud infrastructure, freeing its own talent to innovate for Jungle Disk customers.   The company has experienced multiple migrations. Most recently, with the assistance of Rackspace, it moved back into […] The post Expert Partner Enables Cybersecurity Firm’s “Seamless” Migration  appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
SAP’s Migration Factory Certifies Rackspace for HANA Migrations
Aug 14, 2019
The old adage “Never touch a running system” still contains a kernel of truth. Especially with mission critical solutions like SAP’s Enterprise Resource Management solution, SAP ECC, and its Customer Relationship Management software, where the core business processes of most large enterprises are executed, concerns about downtime, data losses, time and cost to adapt custom […] The post SAP’s Migration Factory Certifies Rackspace for HANA Migrations appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Data Challenges, Global Expansion Prompt Search for Strategic IT Partner
Aug 12, 2019
Synchronoss, a software company that serves tech, telecom and media companies, was facing a massive data challenge — like 300 terabytes a day massive. That volume comes from the company’s wildly successful mobile content transfer service, which allows millions of subscribers to seamlessly and safely transfer their personal data whenever they upgrade to a new […] The post Data Challenges, Global Expansion Prompt Search for Strategic IT Partner appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
A Fresh Look for Rackspace’s Open Cloud Academy
Aug 09, 2019
The Open Cloud Academy is always working to improve, and thanks to recent feedback from alumni, we’re excited to announce a series of upgrades. Since 2013, Rackspace’s Open Cloud Academy has helped prepare students to enter the fast-growing field of information technology with hands-on technical training. We began by offering courses, focused on Linux System […] The post A Fresh Look for Rackspace’s Open Cloud Academy appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
SSRF Attacks: Difficult to Detect But Largely Preventable
Aug 08, 2019
The security of Rackspace and our customers is of the utmost importance to us, and so, when a cybersecurity breach makes the news, we always want to put it in context, and offer recommendations when appropriate. First, a reassurance: it is possible to have a secure cloud environment, provided cloud users understand the threat landscape […] The post SSRF Attacks: Difficult to Detect But Largely Preventable appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Accelerating the Value of Cloud, Anywhere: Rackspace at VMworld
Aug 07, 2019
Hybrid and multi-cloud will be the hot topics of conversation at VMworld 2019, as organizations increasingly come to understand that they must be able to run applications and access data everywhere and anywhere for the best user experience and business value. That often means enabling both public and private clouds, with access to on-premise and […] The post Accelerating the Value of Cloud, Anywhere: Rackspace at VMworld appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace’s Asia Presence Expands with Hong Kong Office
Aug 07, 2019
In Asia, the digital revolution is creating seismic change in the way industries such as retail, travel and hospitality, banking and manufacturing operate. More than ever, the potential for growth and innovation in the region demands business leaders adopt the world’s leading technologies to thrive in this increasingly complex, multi-cloud world. That’s why we’re proud […] The post Rackspace’s Asia Presence Expands with Hong Kong Office appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
We’re Growing, Come Join Us! Rackspace Partner Program Update
Aug 06, 2019
Delivering Fanatical Experience for our partners is the foundation of Rackspace’s Channel strategy, and that means we’re always working on improvements and upgrades to better serve you. As we head deeper into the second half of 2019, I’m excited to share the innovative new resources we’ve been developing and invite you to join us. Leverage […] The post We’re Growing, Come Join Us! Rackspace Partner Program Update appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Welcomes TaskUs, First Neighbors to “Castle” HQ
Aug 01, 2019
When Rackspace founder Graham Weston had the idea to redevelop the empty and decrepit Windsor Park Mall into a new corporate headquarters, most people “pretty much thought I was crazy,” he told the New York Times in 2012. By then, however, it was clear that his vision to turn the mall into unique and quirky […] The post Rackspace Welcomes TaskUs, First Neighbors to “Castle” HQ appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Hiring Our Heroes Boosts Focus on Military Spouse Employment
Jul 26, 2019
Hiring Our Heroes, a program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation that connects veterans, service members and military spouses with meaningful employment opportunities, announced Friday that it is expanding its popular fellowship program to military spouses. The news came from Mark Rydell, a general manager with Booz Allen Hamilton who is based in San […] The post Hiring Our Heroes Boosts Focus on Military Spouse Employment appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Why ERP and CRM Integration is Key to Improving Customer Experience
Jul 25, 2019
With customers taking an increasingly digitally-driven path to purchase and demanding more personalized customer experiences, smart companies are making solid use of their customer data. By doing so, they’re tapping into a profitable opportunity: 86 percent of buyers say they’re willing to pay more for a great customer experience. But too many companies are still […] The post Why ERP and CRM Integration is Key to Improving Customer Experience appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
FedRAMP Will Drive Transformational Change in Federal Government
Jul 24, 2019
Here at Rackspace we firmly believe that FedRAMP — the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program — is the foundation that U.S. government technical superiority will be built on, by providing a common framework that allows innovative technology to be made rapidly available for government use. FedRAMP was established in 2011 to provide a standardized […] The post FedRAMP Will Drive Transformational Change in Federal Government appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace’s ObjectRocket Portfolio Offering Expands with Complete MongoDB Licensing
Jul 23, 2019
SAN ANTONIO – Rackspace’s ObjectRocket portfolio offering has been certified as a worldwide cloud provider of MongoDB, a leading open source general purpose database platform. With this certification, Rackspace has joined a select group of cloud providers to ensure end-to-end management and support for customers on current and future versions of MongoDB, with the ability to […] The post Rackspace’s ObjectRocket Portfolio Offering Expands with Complete MongoDB Licensing appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace: We Don’t Warehouse Shoes or Sell Linens
Jul 22, 2019
I’m a marketer. That means I look at spam marketing email a little more closely than the normal person. I read it. I read it to get new ideas and to understand what works and grabs my attention (I have a very short attention span, so the bar is pretty high). Every few days, I […] The post Rackspace: We Don’t Warehouse Shoes or Sell Linens appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Why Smart SMBs Rely on Microsoft and Rackspace for Security Services
Jul 16, 2019
Every business today is concerned about its ability to protect itself from cyberattacks and data breaches, but the pressure on small and medium-sized businesses can be even more acute. That’s because many lack some of the most basic protections, such as email encryption or two-factor authentication. According to a survey conducted last year by YouGov […] The post Why Smart SMBs Rely on Microsoft and Rackspace for Security Services appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
From ‘Day 1’ to Ongoing Optimization: Building a Multi-Layered Security Strategy on AWS
Jul 15, 2019
The average cost of a data breach was almost $4 million in 2018. Given today’s advanced threat landscape, smart organizations know they must make the security of their digital environments a top priority and the financial risks of not doing so continue to increase. But the landscape is not all grim. While companies are facing […] The post From ‘Day 1’ to Ongoing Optimization: Building a Multi-Layered Security Strategy on AWS appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace and Tech Mahindra Partner to Lead with New Go-To-Market Strategy
Jul 11, 2019
SAN ANTONIO – Rackspace today announced a strategic partnership with Tech Mahindra Ltd., a leading provider of digital transformation, consulting and business reengineering services and solutions, which will enable cross-selling to the Tech Mahindra customer base, joint product and services offerings, and improvements to Rackspace’s internal business applications and processes.  With this partnership, Rackspace will execute […] The post Rackspace and Tech Mahindra Partner to Lead with New Go-To-Market Strategy appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Expands Application Modernization Expertise, India Footprint
Jul 01, 2019
The average organization manages more than 300 applications. According to Gartner, application management consumes more than a third of most organizations’ IT budget. Application modernization can serve as the backbone of companies’ digital transformation efforts, boosting efficiency, agility, scalability and interoperability. But most organizations simply don’t have the in-house resources to properly create and execute a […] The post Rackspace Expands Application Modernization Expertise, India Footprint appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Questions for VP of Strategy and Operations, Americas Tracy-Ann Palmer
Jul 01, 2019
5 Questions for VP of Strategy and Operations, Americas Tracy-Ann Palmer Tracy-Ann Palmer is a connector and pioneer. Whether it’s people or ideas, if she sees connections and new paths that need to be ventured down, she says it’s in her DNA to make them happen. That’s how she ended up launching and leading both […] The post 5 Questions for VP of Strategy and Operations, Americas Tracy-Ann Palmer appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
27,000 hours, 11 Countries: Countless Lives Impacted by Racker Time and Talent
Jun 28, 2019
Every year, Roosevelt High School Family Specialist Francisco Martinez keeps an eye out for students who’d like to attend prom but can’t afford it. He connects them with “Project Prom,” one of the more unique partnerships hosted by Rack Gives Back, Rackspace’s employee-led volunteer organization. Roosevelt High School is one of seven inner-city public schools […] The post 27,000 hours, 11 Countries: Countless Lives Impacted by Racker Time and Talent appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
A Warm Handoff: Rackspace CSO Welcomes Replacement Before Retiring
Jun 19, 2019
Rackspace Chief Security Officer Brian Kelly, who has spent the better part of four decades serving in intelligence and security roles in private industry and for the federal government, is set to retire at the end of this month. Before moving to the private sector, Kelly enjoyed a distinguished career in the Air Force, retiring […] The post A Warm Handoff: Rackspace CSO Welcomes Replacement Before Retiring appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Accelerating Innovation Through Integration: Rackspace Partners with MuleSoft
Jun 18, 2019
Organizations rely on hundreds of cloud and on-premise applications, tools and databases — and not surprisingly, integrating them is complex and time consuming, making it one of the biggest business and technology challenges they face today. Yet how a company integrates its applications and data to deliver superior customer experiences, business agility and business results […] The post Accelerating Innovation Through Integration: Rackspace Partners with MuleSoft appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Open Cloud Academy Schools Local Girl Scout Troops in Cybersecurity Basics
Jun 07, 2019
Johnny Carrera holds a black Tesla coil wand over an upside-down pie pan. “Now we’re going to talk about networking,” he tells the group of Junior Girl Scouts who stand in a ring around him. Their green vests are crowded with badges. “And how information goes from your computer out into the world.” He presses […] The post Open Cloud Academy Schools Local Girl Scout Troops in Cybersecurity Basics appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
When It Comes to FedRAMP Authorization, Rackspace Is a Name You Should Know
Jun 05, 2019
As I write this, I am a little over a month removed from government service. Prior to coming to Rackspace, I spent 13 years working in the Department of Defense/intel world, working across almost all parts of IT, from research and development to operations, spearheading our cloud migration strategy and execution. Time and again I […] The post When It Comes to FedRAMP Authorization, Rackspace Is a Name You Should Know appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What are “Carrier Hotels” and Why Are They Valuable to Your Business?
May 28, 2019
60 Hudson Street in New York City occupies an entire city block in Manhattan — a pretty valuable bit of real estate. Originally known as the Western Union building, this 1930 art-deco-style beauty once served as the technological center of the global telegraph system. Today, it serves as the modern version of a technological epicenter, […] The post What are “Carrier Hotels” and Why Are They Valuable to Your Business? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
SOAR Allows Cybersecurity Talent to Focus on Highest Value Tasks
May 21, 2019
The cybersecurity industry needs relief — and it may be here, thanks to SOAR technology. In 2018, the cybersecurity workforce gap reached 2.9 million globally, according to a 2018 study, with a shortage of almost half a million skilled personnel in North America alone. At the same time, cyber threats continue to grow in sophistication and cost, leading […] The post SOAR Allows Cybersecurity Talent to Focus on Highest Value Tasks appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Five Rackspace Leaders Named 2019 Women of the Channel
May 20, 2019
CRN recognized five top Rackspace leaders today as part of its Women of the Channel list for 2019: Vice President of Channel Sales and Channel Chief Lisa McLin Channel Operations Director for North America Judy Vansell Global Partner Leader Vicki Patten Azure Strategic Alliance Manager Dena Marean Regional Partner Manager Lacey Rondon The Rackspace Partner Program […] The post Five Rackspace Leaders Named 2019 Women of the Channel appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Notice of MDS Vulnerabilities
May 15, 2019
On 14 May 2019, Intel released information about a new group of vulnerabilities collectively called Microarchitectural Data Sampling (MDS). These vulnerabilities could potentially allow sophisticated attackers to gain access to sensitive data, secrets, and credentials that could allow for privilege escalation and unauthorized access to user data. Our highest priority is protection of the Rackspace […] The post Notice of MDS Vulnerabilities appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace and Telos Team Up to Accelerate the FedRAMP Journey
May 14, 2019
SAN ANTONIO – May 14, 2019 – Rackspace today announced a new program that provides affordable FedRAMP compliance for SaaS providers, Rackspace Inheritable Security Controls (RISC), powered by Telos® Corporation’s Xacta. Leveraging the power of FedRAMP inheritance and Rackspace’s existing Joint Authorization Board (JAB)-authorized platform-as-a-service, RISC significantly shortens the time and reduces the cost required […] The post Rackspace and Telos Team Up to Accelerate the FedRAMP Journey appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How We’re Knocking Down Silos at Rackspace  
May 13, 2019
I’ve spent most of my career in tech — Hewlett Packard, HPE, Dell, DXC — and for much of that time, I’ve been aware of Rackspace’s famed culture: the all-hands-on-deck customer service, the deeply embedded service ethos, the servant leadership. So it’s been one of the highlights of my career to be asked to lead […] The post How We’re Knocking Down Silos at Rackspace   appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Earns “Best for Vets: Employers” Spot for Second Time
May 10, 2019
??We are beyond honored that Military Times has selected Rackspace for its Best for Vets: Employers 2019 list. More than 200 employers across the country — more than have ever participated in the survey — vied to be included on the list, wrote Military Times editor George Altman, providing in-depth data on their culture, recruiting, […] The post Rackspace Earns “Best for Vets: Employers” Spot for Second Time appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What Is Managed Cloud?
May 04, 2019
At some point, most busy, successful people — and busy, successful businesses — find it wise to focus on what they do best and let specialists do the rest. That’s a big part of the appeal of what we at Rackspace call managed cloud. The post What Is Managed Cloud? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace VP Lisa McLin Wins Woman of the Year Gold Stevie
May 03, 2019
Please join us in congratulating Vice President of Channel Sales and Channel Chief Lisa McLin for winning a Gold Stevie for Woman of the Year in the Business Services Industries category of the American Business Awards. “Brains, determination and grit – that’s what we look for in our Woman of the Year,” one ABA judge […] The post Rackspace VP Lisa McLin Wins Woman of the Year Gold Stevie appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Don’t Wait to Seek Migration Expertise for SAP HANA
May 03, 2019
For more than 25 years, I’ve been helping companies maximize their investment in SAP, one of the most popular and comprehensive enterprise resource planning solutions available. This is a critical time for companies that rely on SAP, as the 2025 deadline for migrating every traditional SAP solution to HANA — SAP’s in-memory, hybrid database management […] The post Don’t Wait to Seek Migration Expertise for SAP HANA appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Service Blocks Explained for Business Leaders
May 02, 2019
The world today expects everything as a service. Whether it’s ordering a ride, buying groceries or choosing what to watch on television, customers expect to be able to pick out exactly what they need, have it delivered when they need it, without paying for anything more than that. Utilizing the cloud should be no different, […] The post Service Blocks Explained for Business Leaders appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Dell Technologies Recognizes Rackspace as Global Cloud Leader
May 01, 2019
We are thrilled to announce that Dell Technologies honored Rackspace yesterday as its Global Alliances Partner of the Year, for commitment to our mutual customers, continued focus on innovation and our strategic partnership. The recognition is the latest validation that Rackspace is a true cloud leader, meeting customers wherever they are on their transformation journey, […] The post Dell Technologies Recognizes Rackspace as Global Cloud Leader appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Aeroméxico Thrives with Rackspace and Red Hat
Apr 30, 2019
Conferences are valuable because they offer face time with customers, partners and industry colleagues, allowing us to share and learn a great deal in a short amount of time. We’re looking forward to Red Hat Summit 2019 for that very reason. This year, we’re featuring the story of Aeroméxico, which in three short years has […] The post Aeroméxico Thrives with Rackspace and Red Hat appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Questions for Newly Appointed Rackspace CEO Kevin M. Jones
Apr 25, 2019
Over his three-decade career, Kevin M. Jones has successfully transformed businesses to industry-high levels of both growth and profitability. Now he brings that global leadership experience to Rackspace as Chief Executive Officer. Most recently, Kevin led the successful transformation of MV Transportation, the largest privately held transportation contracting firm in the U.S. As CEO, he […] The post 5 Questions for Newly Appointed Rackspace CEO Kevin M. Jones appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Kevin M. Jones Appointed as Rackspace Chief Executive Officer
Apr 24, 2019
SAN ANTONIO – April 24, 2019 – Rackspace announced the appointment of Kevin M. Jones as Chief Executive Officer, effective as of today. Mr. Jones most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of MV Transportation, Inc. As CEO of Rackspace, Mr. Jones will be responsible for the company’s global strategy and operations, spanning the U.S. […] The post Kevin M. Jones Appointed as Rackspace Chief Executive Officer appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Google Cloud Names Rackspace its 2018 Global Migration Partner of the Year
Apr 10, 2019
We are honored that Google Cloud named Rackspace its 2018 Global Migration Partner of the Year during last night’s awards ceremony at Next ‘19, Google Cloud’s annual flagship conference, held in San Francisco. Rackspace SVP & GM of Cloud and Infrastructure Services Prashanth Chandrasekar called the recognition “the latest validation of Rackspace’s disruptive, integrated and […] The post Google Cloud Names Rackspace its 2018 Global Migration Partner of the Year appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace, KDDI and iret: Creating a Multi-Cloud Collaboration in Japan
Apr 09, 2019
Rackspace is proud to announce the joint signing of a memorandum of understanding between Rackspace, KDDI Corporation and iret, Inc. toward the provision of world-class quality multi-cloud professional and managed services in Japan. Migration from legacy IT to the cloud is fueling growth in Japanese markets, as a growing number of mid-market and enterprise organizations […] The post Rackspace, KDDI and iret: Creating a Multi-Cloud Collaboration in Japan appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Keep Critical Databases Highly Available in the Cloud
Apr 08, 2019
Highly available databases are often the true heart of an organization. They’re key to just about every function of modern business processes: billing, online transactions processing, reports and analytics and therefore need to work, and work all the time. That’s why more than 15,000 organizations worldwide use Oracle RAC database clusters to run their most […] The post How to Keep Critical Databases Highly Available in the Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Questions for Rackspace SVP of Corporate Development Jesse Burros
Apr 02, 2019
Former investment banker Jesse Burros, who established and led the cloud services investment banking practice at BMO Capital Markets, joins Rackspace this week as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development. He brings with him a more intimate view of Rackspace’s financial and market positions than most new hires, having served as an advisor to Rackspace on […] The post 5 Questions for Rackspace SVP of Corporate Development Jesse Burros appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Appoints Jesse Burros as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development
Apr 02, 2019
SAN ANTONIO – April 2, 2019 – Rackspace today announced it has hired Jesse Burros as senior vice president of corporate development. Burros, who brings nearly 15 years of corporate development and investment banking experience, will be responsible for leading the company’s mergers and acquisitions strategy and execution, as well as Investor Relations. “Jesse is […] The post Rackspace Appoints Jesse Burros as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Hitesh Bhardwaj Named Rackspace Asia’s First AWS Ambassador
Apr 01, 2019
Amazon Web Services recently selected Singapore-based Racker Hitesh Bhardwaj to be an AWS Partner Network Ambassador. The accolade reinforces Rackspace Asia’s in-house technical prowess and expertise. Hitesh brings in-depth AWS knowledge and a passion for solving companies’ challenges with technology, making him a natural fit as an expert and ambassador. He has attained multiple AWS […] The post Hitesh Bhardwaj Named Rackspace Asia’s First AWS Ambassador appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Named a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality
Mar 28, 2019
For the second year in a row, Rackspace scored 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, keeping us on the list of companies named “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality.” “Making this list shows our commitment to fostering a diverse, engaged workforce,” said Rackspace Chief People Officer Laura Sue D’Annunzio. “Rackers, […] The post Rackspace Named a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Questions for VP & General Manager of Rackspace Government Solutions Ray Kalustyan
Mar 27, 2019
The arrival of Ray Kalustyan marks an increased focus and investment in Rackspace Government Solutions. As Vice President and General Manager of RGS, Ray will be responsible for accelerating the growth of this rapidly-expanding practice, which Rackspace integrated as part of its acquisition of Datapipe in 2017. While he spent the majority of his 39-year […] The post 5 Questions for VP & General Manager of Rackspace Government Solutions Ray Kalustyan appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Three Steps to Jump Start a Data-Driven Culture
Mar 25, 2019
We’ve all heard the phrase “data-driven” — after all, we live in the age of data. But what does it actually mean? How does an organization transform from a gut-based, instinct-driven culture to one based on data and insights? I’m not talking about using data to support decisions that have already been made, but rather using data […] The post Three Steps to Jump Start a Data-Driven Culture appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Questions for EVP & Americas Managing Director Sandy Hogan
Mar 19, 2019
Sandy Hogan is a high impact business leader with a customer-first philosophy and proven success boosting sales and market share in technology industries, and we are thrilled she is bringing her talents to Rackspace. Sandy joins our executive leadership team as Executive Vice President and Americas Managing Director, where she will be responsible for all […] The post 5 Questions for EVP & Americas Managing Director Sandy Hogan appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Appoints Sandy Hogan as Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Americas
Mar 19, 2019
SAN ANTONIO – March 19, 2019 – Rackspace today announced it has hired Sandy Hogan as executive vice president and managing director of the Americas. Hogan, a technology industry veteran with nearly 20 years of experience, will focus on executing a customer-centric, go-to-market approach aimed at accelerating revenue and customer growth throughout the Americas. Hogan […] The post Rackspace Appoints Sandy Hogan as Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Americas appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
This is What Happens When You Exceed Customer Expectations
Mar 12, 2019
For the third straight year, Rackspace has been placed in the Leaders quadrant of Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud Infrastructure Professional and Managed Services. Our trajectory remains strong: we moved materially to the right this year, based on our Completeness of Vision and with only a single vendor edging above us along the Ability […] The post This is What Happens When You Exceed Customer Expectations appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace a Leader in Gartner’s 2019 Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud Infrastructure
Mar 12, 2019
SAN ANTONIO – March 12, 2019 – Rackspace has been positioned by Gartner, Inc. in the Leaders quadrant of its 2019 Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud Infrastructure Professional and Managed Service Providers, Worldwide for the third year in a row. Gartner’s assessment, performed by the firm’s IT industry analysts, evaluates service providers based on the completeness of […] The post Rackspace a Leader in Gartner’s 2019 Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud Infrastructure appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
We’re Here So You Can Be Great
Mar 06, 2019
What comes to mind when you think of Rackspace? Perhaps racks of servers in a data center. Hopefully go-the-distance customer service. Maybe cloud, our focus in recent years. Or maybe, you’re not quite sure. That’s understandable. After all, Rackspace has evolved almost continuously over the past two decades, adding a huge array of technology and […] The post We’re Here So You Can Be Great appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace and Pure Storage Accelerate the Value of Cloud through Block Storage Solution with Ultra-Fast Performance
Feb 26, 2019
SAN ANTONIO– February 26, 2019–Rackspace today announced that it is aligning efforts with Pure Storage, the data solutions leader that helps innovators build a better world with data, to help accelerate the value of customers’ hybrid-cloud environments with the launch of the new Ultra-Fast Performance Rackspace Block Storage solution. This collaboration makes Rackspace the largest global […] The post Rackspace and Pure Storage Accelerate the Value of Cloud through Block Storage Solution with Ultra-Fast Performance appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Our 2019 Sitecore MVPs Turn Technical Expertise into High-Value Business Outcomes
Feb 15, 2019
Sitecore Experience Platform is an industry leader for a reason. It offers a comprehensive suite of marketing tools, a holistic view of customer data and machine learning-generated insights to personalize experiences across channels. With that level of sophistication, however, comes a certain amount of complexity. Managing your Sitecore platform on-premises means continual attention to planning, […] The post Our 2019 Sitecore MVPs Turn Technical Expertise into High-Value Business Outcomes appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Open Cloud Academy Now Accepts GI Bill for Tuition
Feb 13, 2019
I’m thrilled to announce that Open Cloud Academy, which offers students the skills necessary to enter the IT workforce, now accepts GI Bill funds for tuition. For 75 years, the GI Bill has helped millions of veterans pay for college, graduate school and other training programs. Qualifying veterans and their family members can use the […] The post Open Cloud Academy Now Accepts GI Bill for Tuition appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Enterprise Health Cloud
Feb 06, 2019
“Cloud-based data insights and digital experience creation will dictate which healthcare firms will thrive.” – Forrester Wave Report If you’re a healthcare CIO looking to implement patient-centric solutions, you likely know that means starting with a great digital experience. You’re not alone. Recent market data underscores just how important a patient-centric approach has become; interventional medical care is […] The post How to Get the Most Out of Your Enterprise Health Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by Red Hat Delivers Benefits of Cloud, IT Stability
Feb 05, 2019
For many IT organizations, stability can be an elusive goal. Frequent cloud platform upgrades are disruptive, while compliance and certification requirements that require extensive, costly testing procedures are financially onerous. Yet they’re often required, even when workloads or applications don’t require the latest features. Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by Red Hat, based on OpenStack Platform […] The post Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by Red Hat Delivers Benefits of Cloud, IT Stability appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Our Award-Winning Infrastructure Roots Support Everything We Do
Feb 04, 2019
Artificial intelligence, machine learning, containers, serverless architecture — all are exciting, sexy technologies with the potential to fundamentally change how companies do business. Yet all those technologies are only as good as the infrastructure that supports it. That’s why we’re honored to be named — for the second year in a row — one of […] The post Our Award-Winning Infrastructure Roots Support Everything We Do appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
This is What a Successful Migration Strategy Looks Like
Jan 31, 2019
I recently wrote about the three steps smart enterprises take to guarantee successful application migrations to the cloud; today I want to offer a real-world example of what a successful complex migration looks like, and how this Rackspace customer realized the promises of digital transformation: cost savings, increased agility and decreased time to market for […] The post This is What a Successful Migration Strategy Looks Like appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How Feeding America Uses Technology to Turn Food Waste into Nourishment
Jan 30, 2019
One of the best parts of my job is learning about the companies we serve. That’s why I was moved to read recently about Feeding America, a hunger relief organization that rescues food that would be wasted, using the latest technological tools to reroute it to hungry Americans. Radius, VMware’s news and thought leadership site, […] The post How Feeding America Uses Technology to Turn Food Waste into Nourishment appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
HIMSS Sponsorship Deepens Our Commitment to Healthcare Industry
Jan 28, 2019
If you’re in the healthcare industry or follow it, you’ve probably heard that it’s at an inflection point. I don’t know how long inflection points are supposed to last, but “point” sure makes it sound like a short period of time. Yet the inflection point talk in the industry has been going on for years […] The post HIMSS Sponsorship Deepens Our Commitment to Healthcare Industry appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Delivers End-to-End Management for AWS Database Services
Jan 17, 2019
SAN ANTONIO – January 17, 2019 – Rackspace today announced the launch of Rackspace Managed Database Services for Amazon Web Services, a suite of services designed to accelerate customers’ ability to leverage adoption of Amazon Aurora, Amazon Redshift, AWS Glue and Amazon Athena. As an AWS Partner Network Premier Consulting Partner with nearly 20 years of experience managing complex database […] The post Rackspace Delivers End-to-End Management for AWS Database Services appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Disaster Recovery Explained for Business Leaders
Jan 15, 2019
As business leaders, it’s part of our job to prepare for the unexpected, and that includes our IT systems. While severe weather-related outages and cybersecurity breaches make the news, even the smallest disruptions – from power outages to software viruses to equipment failures – can impact your IT systems, and ultimately, your customers. That’s why […] The post Disaster Recovery Explained for Business Leaders appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
3 Steps to Simplify Application Migration to the Cloud
Jan 14, 2019
Migrating enterprise applications to the cloud is now mandatory for companies that wish to lead in this digital world. Enterprise applications that used to support 100 to 1,000 internal users may now support up to a million or more — an increase driven by opening these applications and their data to customer- and value chain-facing […] The post 3 Steps to Simplify Application Migration to the Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
As Rackspace Celebrates 20 Years, One Thing Stays The Same
Jan 07, 2019
Last month marked 20 years since three Trinity University classmates founded a startup called Rackspace which offered a single product, Linux managed hosting. It was one of the first technology companies in San Antonio. In those 20 years, what was a private company went public and then private again. Rackspace has been a springboard for […] The post As Rackspace Celebrates 20 Years, One Thing Stays The Same appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How Private Cloud Fits into Cloud Ecosystems
Dec 20, 2018
Anyone working in the cloud today knows that it is about more than just selection a cloud or managed services provider and working with them to transform their IT to a cloud model. A complete cloud implementation involves a number of elements — a set of “building blocks” — that come together to form a […] The post How Private Cloud Fits into Cloud Ecosystems appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
2019 Cloud Predictions
Dec 19, 2018
As 2018 winds to a close, it’s a natural time to take stock of where we are and look ahead to what’s on the horizon for modern infrastructure, aka public and private “cloud.” We’re nearing the end of a year where the industry has truly matured: according to analysts, it is several hundred billion dollars […] The post 2019 Cloud Predictions appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Successfully Host Your Business Online in China
Dec 19, 2018
Many companies seeking to expand their global reach naturally look to China. With more than 1.3 billion people, 700 million of whom are internet users, the country represents arguably one of the largest growth opportunities on the planet. While the challenges associated with expansion into Chinese markets are great, they aren’t insurmountable. This post explains […] The post How to Successfully Host Your Business Online in China appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Our Take on New AWS Tools, Services and Capabilities
Dec 17, 2018
One of the benefits of having Rackspace manage your AWS environment is that we take on the burden of sifting through the hundreds of features AWS rolls out each year. We test drive them so we can recommend which should be adopted, depending on each customers’ needs. Below are a selection of some of our […] The post Our Take on New AWS Tools, Services and Capabilities appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Actionable Insights from AWS Well-Architected Reviews
Dec 14, 2018
Chris Buckley and Steve Robins contributed to this report. AWS developed its Well-Architected Framework to help cloud architects build secure, high-performing, resilient and efficient infrastructure for applications. The framework also offers customers a consistent way to evaluate those architectures. Rackspace was recently selected as one of just 34 companies worldwide by AWS to be part […] The post 5 Actionable Insights from AWS Well-Architected Reviews appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Finding the Right Partner for Application Modernization
Dec 12, 2018
Forward-looking organizations know they need to modernize their applications; according to Accenture, 85 percent of execs believe legacy IT hinders their ability to move to a digital model. They know that modernizing apps offers improved performance, boosting customer experiences, often lowering costs and increasing security. The problem is, most companies simply don’t have the resources […] The post Finding the Right Partner for Application Modernization appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Six Common Cloud Challenges Felt Across Industries
Dec 11, 2018
Rackspace has always been fanatically obsessed with improving our customers’ outcomes. In 2018, that meant a new focus on understanding the needs of customers in specific industries. We hired industry experts to better meet the unique regulatory, governance and operational needs in financial services, federal, state and local government, healthcare and retail to help Rackspace […] The post Six Common Cloud Challenges Felt Across Industries appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Six Key Reasons to Switch to a Cloud-Based Data Warehouse
Dec 10, 2018
Data warehouses, which aggregate data from multiple sources so it can be analyzed and acted upon, are critical for business growth. Their ability to quickly process the massive volumes of data today’s businesses are collecting allow leaders to confidently implement data-based decisions. However, almost two-thirds of professionals recently surveyed describe the management of their data warehouse […] The post Six Key Reasons to Switch to a Cloud-Based Data Warehouse appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Forging a Manifesto to Protect Humans from Aggressive AI
Dec 07, 2018
Science fiction presents an abundance of cautionary tales about the rise of artificial intelligence, or AI. Whether it’s Skynet taking over our defense systems in the Terminator franchise, or Ava outwitting the genius behind her coding in Ex Machina, we’re essentially told this looming — and, frankly, inevitable — human achievement could result in our […] The post Forging a Manifesto to Protect Humans from Aggressive AI appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How The American Red Cross’ IT Infrastructure Helps Save Lives
Dec 06, 2018
Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. The American Red Cross provides around 40 percent of the nation’s blood and blood components — entirely from volunteer donors. While one donation can save up to three lives, less than 38 percent of the population is eligible to give blood or platelets. That means […] The post How The American Red Cross’ IT Infrastructure Helps Save Lives appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Dive Deep into the Possibilities of Multi-Cloud at KubeCon 2018
Dec 04, 2018
KubeCon is almost here! As the Cloud Native Computing Foundation’s flagship community event marks a return to Seattle next week, Rackspace is excited to participate and support the community as a first-time sponsor of KubeCon + CloudNativeCon North America. Kubernetes and the entire cloud native community have demonstrated exceptionally strong growth in a relatively short […] The post Dive Deep into the Possibilities of Multi-Cloud at KubeCon 2018 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Top Cloud Trends, Challenges at AWS Re:Invent 2018
Dec 03, 2018
In the wake of another jam-packed AWS Re:Invent, we take a look at some of the top trends and challenges facing organizations moving and using the cloud, and how Rackspace and AWS are working to meet them. Go with the next generation One term we heard everywhere was “next gen MSP.” Coined by AWS, this […] The post Top Cloud Trends, Challenges at AWS Re:Invent 2018 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How Rackspace, Telos and AWS are Simplifying the ATO Process
Nov 29, 2018
“By 2019, over 30% of technology providers’ new software investments will shift from cloud-first to cloud-only.” The government, like most technology providers, wants to move quickly to Software as a service cloud solutions, but heightened security and compliance requirements are a high-risk barrier to entry for potential SaaS providers. All IT systems deployed for the U.S. government must have an […] The post How Rackspace, Telos and AWS are Simplifying the ATO Process appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Infrastructure as Code: Seems Easy, But Best Left to Experts
Nov 28, 2018
Infrastructure as code, or IaC, is one of the foundational elements of cloud computing. It enables the “elasticity” of the cloud: the ability to spin up, configure and dispose of hundreds of machines in a matter of minutes with the push of a button and at no great cost. IaC helps enable innovation, change and […] The post Infrastructure as Code: Seems Easy, But Best Left to Experts appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Platform Considerations Once You’ve Chosen a Private Cloud
Nov 26, 2018
Public clouds are the right choice for many organizations, and across a wide variety of use cases. Certain requirements, however — often some combination of regulation and compliance, security, data proximity, ease of migration, application suitability and cost — can make private cloud the right choice. Once that decision has been made, organizations are wise […] The post Platform Considerations Once You’ve Chosen a Private Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Colocation: A Launch Pad for Digital Transformation
Nov 19, 2018
When seeking a roommate, what do you look for? Someone who parties with felons and has a fondness for starting fires in the living room? How about someone who’d pay their rent on time, but would stay holed up in their room? Ideally, you probably want someone who’s reliable and shows potential to become a […] The post Rackspace Colocation: A Launch Pad for Digital Transformation appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Know More, Live Better Through Emerging Healthcare Technologies
Nov 16, 2018
One of the tricky things when it comes to writing about the technological evolution of the healthcare industry is to balance my enthusiasm for improvements in patient focus, increases in data availability and advancements in analytical capabilities with the understanding that we’d probably rather not be patients in the first place. I think we can […] The post Know More, Live Better Through Emerging Healthcare Technologies appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Brave New World of Financial Services
Nov 15, 2018
The financial services and retail industries are being disrupted from all sides, with new contenders on the market, non-traditional players competing for wallet share, and ever-increasing regulatory constraints. Consumers are demanding something new from their service providers – they want context, they want targeted experiences, they want assurance, and they want to feel like their […] The post The Brave New World of Financial Services appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Signs Application Technical Debt is Holding You Back
Nov 14, 2018
How are IT directors supposed to invest in the future when they’re still paying for the decisions of the past? The challenge The problem holding most organizations back is technical debt, or the true, long term costs of implementing quick, decent enough solutions because the right solution would have taken longer and cost more. While […] The post 5 Signs Application Technical Debt is Holding You Back appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Data Centers on Life Support: Healthcare Realizing Digital Transformation
Nov 13, 2018
The data center is dead… at least according to the analyst experts at Gartner. Okay, so a healthcare veteran like me shouldn’t be so cavalier about throwing that word around, but health care organizations getting out the data center business is the new, cold reality. The industry has embraced cloud adoption in an effort to […] The post Data Centers on Life Support: Healthcare Realizing Digital Transformation appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Transformation: Rackspace and the Texas Conference for Women
Nov 09, 2018
The Texas Conference for Women, like Rackspace, is in the business of transformation. As a woman in leadership at Rackspace, I am fortunate to be part of a company where service is at the heart of our culture, for our customers, our communities and our employees. We are dedicated to developing the next generation of […] The post Transformation: Rackspace and the Texas Conference for Women appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Next Generation of Digital Transformation [Videos]
Nov 08, 2018
By now almost everyone understands the advantages of cloud deployments. Infrastructure as a Service is no longer the story. It’s the new normal for businesses of all sizes, across industries. The next phase in the process of digital transformation is not about infrastructure or connectivity; it’s about an improved customer experience through service innovation, continual […] The post The Next Generation of Digital Transformation [Videos] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Get the IT Services You Need (Without Paying for the Ones You Don’t)
Nov 07, 2018
As we look for ways to better serve our customers, we try to learn from other companies that excel at that discipline — and also from those that don’t. Consider, for example, cable TV companies. Why are they losing so much business? One reason is that they keep forcing customers to buy big, expensive bundles […] The post How to Get the IT Services You Need (Without Paying for the Ones You Don’t) appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
RelationEdge Launches in UK to Help Customers Better Market, Sell and Service Their Clients with Salesforce
Nov 07, 2018
London – 7th November 2018 – Rackspace owned RelationEdge, a Salesforce Platinum Consulting Partner, today announced its expansion into the UK to help deliver stronger business outcomes for customers by improving processes that leverage the Salesforce platform. The rapidly growing application services portfolio is key to Rackspace’s strategy to deliver IT as a service, as […] The post RelationEdge Launches in UK to Help Customers Better Market, Sell and Service Their Clients with Salesforce appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
“Process First. Technology Second®”: Partner with Rackspace for Application Modernization
Nov 06, 2018
The average organization manages more than 300 applications, while application management consumes, according to Gartner, more than a third of most organizations’ IT budget. If you’re reading this, you know applications can be the determining factor in your company’s ability to drive innovation and growth. You also know that too often, your budget gets sucked […] The post “Process First. Technology Second®”: Partner with Rackspace for Application Modernization appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Teams with VMware to Deliver the Future of Multi-Cloud
Nov 05, 2018
SAN ANTONIO – Nov. 5, 2018 – Rackspace has expanded its Private Cloud as a Service portfolio to deliver the future of multi-cloud. Today, with the launch of Rackspace Managed VMware Cloud on AWS, Rackspace is evolving its private cloud portfolio to give customers new ways of deploying workloads across public and private clouds in any location, […] The post Rackspace Teams with VMware to Deliver the Future of Multi-Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Future of Multi-Cloud: Common APIs Across Public and Private Clouds
Nov 05, 2018
The cloud computing value proposition centers on making IT more efficient and agile, enabling the innovation, applications and architecture required to drive business. However, organizations often find their efforts don’t reach cloud’s potential due to numerous challenges. For example, many enterprises find they have surprisingly high cloud costs and more difficult application migration than expected […] The post The Future of Multi-Cloud: Common APIs Across Public and Private Clouds appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
‘The Fifth Trimester’ Highlights Needs of Working Mothers
Nov 02, 2018
If pregnancy is measured in trimesters, the fourth trimester is that window where newborns bring their new parents joy and many sleepless nights. But what is the fifth trimester? According to Lauren Smith Brody, author of a book with the same name, it starts with the birth of the working mother. Speaking to a virtual […] The post ‘The Fifth Trimester’ Highlights Needs of Working Mothers appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Compliance in Cybersecurity: Coming Full Circle with Gina Rocha
Oct 31, 2018
As National Cybersecurity Awareness Month comes to a close, we’re wrapping up our Women in Cybersecurity blog series with Rackspace Managed Security Manager of Compliance and Risk Management Gina Rocha. As part of our blog series on cybersecurity this month, we published a post by Daniel Clayton, senior director of Rackspace Security Operations, who described how […] The post Compliance in Cybersecurity: Coming Full Circle with Gina Rocha appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Red Hat Names Rackspace 2018 North America Managed Service Partner of the Year
Oct 31, 2018
Rackspace was recently honored by Red Hat as the North American Managed Service Partner of the Year. This recognition, announced during the 2018 Red Hat North American Partner Conference, recognizes “the Red Hat partner with the most significant impact on the Red Hat business and who provides exceptional customer satisfaction for cloud infrastructure and solutions.” […] The post Red Hat Names Rackspace 2018 North America Managed Service Partner of the Year appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Flexible, Customizable Next Gen Public Cloud Services Now Available From Rackspace
Oct 30, 2018
SAN ANTONIO – October 30, 2018 – Rackspace today announced it is driving significant innovation as a managed service provider for the world’s leading hyperscale public clouds including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform and Alibaba. Rackspace’s next generation cloud services now provide flexible and highly customizable offers through Rackspace Service Blocks, Managed […] The post Flexible, Customizable Next Gen Public Cloud Services Now Available From Rackspace appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Beyond Compliance: Security Based on Threat Intelligence
Oct 30, 2018
In my role as Senior Director of Rackspace Security Operations, I regularly discuss complex businesses and security challenges with chief security officers and other business security professionals. Abundantly clear from these discussions is that securing an enterprise today is a complicated business. Information technology continues to evolve at unprecedented speeds, challenging businesses to evolve at […] The post Beyond Compliance: Security Based on Threat Intelligence appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Dark Side of Data: Impacts of Innovation on Cybersecurity
Oct 29, 2018
To compete in today’s market, the transformational strategies of most financial services companies are aimed at increasing innovation, improving agility and the digitization of services. FinServ companies must adapt to disruptive change and lower their risk aversion, because opting out could result in their becoming irrelevant in the face of rapidly growing customer demands. The […] The post The Dark Side of Data: Impacts of Innovation on Cybersecurity appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Maximize the Performance of Your Ceph Storage Solution
Oct 29, 2018
The size of the “global datasphere” will grow to 163 zettabytes, or 163 trillion gigabytes, by 2025,  according to IDC. That’s a lot of data – from gifs and cat pictures to business and consumer transactional data. It all represents a huge opportunity for business to create new products, improve their marketing, enhance their customer relationship […] The post Maximize the Performance of Your Ceph Storage Solution appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace and F5 Networks for Enterprise-Class Data Center Transformation
Oct 26, 2018
In response to the ever-increasing pace of business, many enterprises have embarked on digital or data center transformation projects to achieve greater agility, speed, flexibility and economics. One of the greatest challenges in that process is how to deal with the hundreds, if not more, applications companies rely on. Smart organizations realize that a one-size-fits-all […] The post Rackspace and F5 Networks for Enterprise-Class Data Center Transformation appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Open Colleges’ Journey to a Digital and Cloud-First Future
Oct 25, 2018
By continually improving the way students sign up, research and study online, Open Colleges is building the future of online education. This 100-year-old educational institution and Australia’s leading online vocational education provider is using the latest technology to answer students’ needs. Its Learning Management System, or LMS, interacts directly with students, helping keep them on […] The post Open Colleges’ Journey to a Digital and Cloud-First Future appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Your Supply Chain Has (Probably) Been Compromised
Oct 25, 2018
There, I said it. I said it because it’s true. Realistically, your supply chain has probably been compromised at some time or another. Malicious hardware was discovered within several major companies. Or it wasn’t. Either way, this stuff happens all the time. If altered hardware can make it into the largest technology companies and sensitive […] The post Your Supply Chain Has (Probably) Been Compromised appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Five Culture Shifts to Consider When Undertaking IT Transformation
Oct 24, 2018
IT transformation is one of the biggest challenges a company can face. Smart companies realize this in advance and begin company culture changes that will support what’s going to be different in IT. Last week, I blogged about how the right kind of professional services can boost your business, which detailed how we meet customers […] The post Five Culture Shifts to Consider When Undertaking IT Transformation appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Launches Managed Disaster Recovery as a Service
Oct 23, 2018
SAN ANTONIO – Rackspace® today announced it is broadening its existing Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) for on-premises, colocation and multi-cloud environments. By leveraging Zerto’s industry-leading disaster recovery (DR) software, Rackspace will provide managed services for all aspects of disaster recovery planning, testing and management with custom recovery service level agreements (SLA). Rackspace DRaaS for […] The post Rackspace Launches Managed Disaster Recovery as a Service appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Five Myths of Cloud Adoption
Oct 22, 2018
When confronted with complexity and uncertainty, we humans create myths to help us cope. This tendency has been evident from the time of the Greek epic poets to the present day, as writers who struggle with the complications of modern IT frequently respond with oversimplified myths about cloud technologies. I work every day with companies […] The post Five Myths of Cloud Adoption appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Finally, a Truly Secure Approach to Threat Intelligence Exchange
Oct 19, 2018
My wife, who teaches first grade, would be the first to tell you of the many benefits of learning to share. One of the biggest? It helps build lasting trust among young children. Building trust through sharing is equally beneficial for organizations — especially when it comes to cyber-related incident data. In the world of […] The post Finally, a Truly Secure Approach to Threat Intelligence Exchange appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Is Salesforce the Right Solution for Your Company? Answer These 4 Questions
Oct 18, 2018
Regardless of your company’s industry or size, customer relationships are critical to your success. That’s why customer relationship management, or CRM, systems like Salesforce are indispensable to businesses. A CRM helps you manage everything from lead generation and prospect nurturing to interactions with your current customers, all in one centralized system. Whether it’s a small […] The post Is Salesforce the Right Solution for Your Company? Answer These 4 Questions appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How Private Cloud as a Service Can Help Your Security Posture
Oct 17, 2018
Cloud computing has transformed how organizations need to think about securing their data and assets. As businesses continue to adopt cloud-based initiatives to support artificial intelligence, internet of things, big data and more, they remain apprehensive about protecting critical assets. After all, as our Chief Operations and Product Officer David Meredith noted in a post […] The post How Private Cloud as a Service Can Help Your Security Posture appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How (the Right Kind of) Professional Services Can Boost Your Business
Oct 16, 2018
The quickening adoption of cloud technologies was supposed to make IT nimbler, simpler and less expensive. Yet in my daily talks with prospective customers, many say they’re getting only the first of these promised benefits. While .333 is a great batting average in baseball, today’s business leaders need their IT to perform far better than […] The post How (the Right Kind of) Professional Services Can Boost Your Business appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Highlights of Salesforce’s Dreamforce 2018 Conference
Oct 16, 2018
Undoubtedly one of the best parts of Dreamforce is learning of the latest partnerships, acquisitions and new features coming out of Salesforce.  As a Salesforce MVP for RelationEdge, which was acquired by Rackspace earlier this year, I’m one of many RelationEdge employees who attend and lead sessions each year, sharing insights on methodologies for making business changes, […] The post Highlights of Salesforce’s Dreamforce 2018 Conference appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Raising a New Generation of Girls in STEM, Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Oct 11, 2018
Each October 11, International Day of the Girl is celebrated all around the world. Established by the United Nations in 2012, the day brings into focus the needs and challenges girls face around the globe, championing girls’ empowerment and advocating for their human rights. This year’s theme, “With Her: A Skilled Girl Force,” marks the […] The post Raising a New Generation of Girls in STEM, Entrepreneurship and Innovation appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Recognizing Opportunity: Rackspace Security Operations Director Shares Her Journey
Oct 10, 2018
With National Cybersecurity Awareness Month upon us, we’re reviving a popular feature we launched during last year’s activities here at Rackspace, our Women in Cybersecurity blog series. For our latest edition, we’re featuring Christina Galligan, director of Cybersecurity Operations at Rackspace. She oversees both the Customer Security Operations Center, or CSOC, and the Internal Security […] The post Recognizing Opportunity: Rackspace Security Operations Director Shares Her Journey appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Root Cause Analysis in Rackspace Data Centers: From Fixing to Solving
Oct 09, 2018
A few years ago, I planted a beautiful little golden thryallis bush. I placed it in an area with rich soil to provide the proper nutrients. I ensured it received ample sun and water, and it began to grow very well. As it seemed to have settled in nicely, my attention waned. One day, however, […] The post Root Cause Analysis in Rackspace Data Centers: From Fixing to Solving appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Five Trends to Watch in High Performance Computing
Oct 08, 2018
When most folks hear the term high performance computing, they think supercomputers. After all, the definition of high performance computing “generally refers to the practice of aggregating computing power in a way that delivers much higher performance than one could get out of a typical desktop computer,” according to the blog insideHPC. And for decades, […] The post Five Trends to Watch in High Performance Computing appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
“Why Do I Need Rackspace If I Can Just Run ‘cf push’?”
Oct 05, 2018
With each conference, event and customer meeting, we learn more about the challenges our customers face. What is making their job more difficult? How can we help them focus on what really matters, deploying value-add code? Pivotal’s annual SpringOne Platform, which wrapped up last week, provided an opportunity for the Rackspace team to hear more […] The post “Why Do I Need Rackspace If I Can Just Run ‘cf push’?” appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Weakest Link in Healthcare Data Security
Oct 04, 2018
We live in a world with amazingly effective cybersecurity, so bad actors must seek the weakest link when working around technological defenses. Using technology to implement or enhance cybersecurity is an obvious part of any organizational security policy, but even the most robust security solutions can be compromised by simple human error — and that’s […] The post The Weakest Link in Healthcare Data Security appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Breaking Away From Data Center Management
Oct 02, 2018
The continued success of your business requires agility and speed, whether it’s to adopt the latest technology or expand into new regions. Long term capital investments, like lengthy data center leases and the need to continually update physical server technology, can be an albatross around the necks of organizations, hindering mobility and slowing the speed […] The post Breaking Away From Data Center Management appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What’s Changed (and What Hasn’t) in Cybersecurity
Oct 01, 2018
 Quick quiz: In what year was the following news bulletin published? “Security experts are dealing with a virus that is spreading quickly through Windows operating systems… In a twist by virus writers, an email in wide circulation that offers a ‘fix’ actually infects the user’s computer with a different virus.” Sounds like it could have […] The post What’s Changed (and What Hasn’t) in Cybersecurity appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Partner Program Operational Updates
Sep 28, 2018
Since last spring, the Rackspace Partner Network has been transforming the way we do business with our partners. We aspire to provide the support and flexibility partners need so they can better serve their customers, build loyalty and create new revenue opportunities. We take our commitment to our partners so seriously we’ve created a Partner […] The post Rackspace Partner Program Operational Updates appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Private Cloud Offers Strategic Flexibility, Now and in the Future
Sep 27, 2018
Organizations seeking to employ a multi-cloud strategy must demand strategic flexibility from their infrastructure. Why? Because the platform choices organizations make today will determine their agility, economics and competitiveness for the next five to 10 years. It is essential to choose a platform mix which will meet the demands of the business now and in […] The post Private Cloud Offers Strategic Flexibility, Now and in the Future appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Security is a Big Data Problem
Sep 26, 2018
Every morning, you probably follow the same routine: login to your workstation. Accept the corporate monitoring policy. Open your email, read a few, delete some spam. Load your web browser, open the intranet. Browse the internal news, check the latest headlines. Lock the screen and walk down the hall to grab a cup of coffee. […] The post Security is a Big Data Problem appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Pivotal Names Rackspace 2018 Managed Service Provider Partner of the Year
Sep 25, 2018
Since Rackspace introduced Managed Services for Pivotal Cloud Foundry last July, we’ve seen rapid growth of this powerful service among enterprises. These organizations wanted the efficient deployment and increased productivity benefits of PCF, but also needed a comprehensive management solution to further accelerate deployment to the cloud and cloud-native applications. Working directly with Pivotal, Rackspace developed […] The post Pivotal Names Rackspace 2018 Managed Service Provider Partner of the Year appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Named a Top Company for Latinas — Again
Sep 24, 2018
This blog post has been updated to reflect 2018’s results. For the third year in a row, LATINA Style magazine has selected Rackspace as one of the 50 best companies for Latinas, as part of its annual LATINA Style 50 Report. Now in it’s 21st year, the annual survey of the 50 best companies for Latinas to […] The post Rackspace Named a Top Company for Latinas — Again appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Harnessing Data and Analytics to Personalize Customer Experiences
Sep 20, 2018
Most financial services and retail companies spend a lot of time and money creating rich customer stories and personas to improve marketing and sales. These engineered customer stories help target general markets and improve offerings on a broad scale. You probably also spend much of your strategic IT budget on user experience applications, enhancing mobile […] The post Harnessing Data and Analytics to Personalize Customer Experiences appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Trading Gut Instinct for Data Analytics: How SLED Orgs Can Get Started
Sep 19, 2018
As a former U.S. Navy pilot, I was taught early in my military flying career to always trust the data your instruments are providing, especially at night or in foul weather. On a moonless night with no horizon, your inner ear and stomach can convince your brain that your aircraft is turning, climbing or descending, when […] The post Trading Gut Instinct for Data Analytics: How SLED Orgs Can Get Started appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What Does a Wiki Have to Do With Data Center Excellence?
Sep 18, 2018
For more than 15 years, Rackspace has been known for its delivery of Fanatical Support. Many call it our “secret sauce.” But while it might be secret, it’s not by chance. For example, Rackspace has more than 500 processes and policies enabling the fabled support behind our data centers. Once spread through word of mouth as […] The post What Does a Wiki Have to Do With Data Center Excellence? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Linux on Azure? How Microsoft Learned to Love Open Source
Sep 14, 2018
“Microsoft doesn’t play well with Linux.” Like a lot of people familiar with Linux, that’s what I used to think. Who wouldn’t? Even to the most uninitiated enduser, open source computing would seem to serve no other purpose than to undercut the economic viability of a commercial software giant. Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer nearly […] The post Linux on Azure? How Microsoft Learned to Love Open Source appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Enhance Your OpenStack Private Cloud with Load Balancing as a Service
Sep 13, 2018
Rackspace Private Cloud as a Service customers now have new fully-managed options to improve the performance and efficiency of their private cloud with load balancing as a service. Based on the OpenStack Octavia project, our load balancing as a service offer is available in the Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by OpenStack (RPC-O) v17.1 release. In […] The post Enhance Your OpenStack Private Cloud with Load Balancing as a Service appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Changing Healthcare Outcomes with Predictive Analytics
Sep 12, 2018
An analytics executive at a major East Coast hospital told me something a couple years ago that left me dumbstruck at the time, and it’s stayed with me ever since. He told me that predictive analytics was capable of forecasting who might die on any given day in the hospital. In other words, by running […] The post Changing Healthcare Outcomes with Predictive Analytics appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, 2018 Mr. Olympia and Digital Disruption
Sep 12, 2018
One of my childhood idols was Arnold Schwarzenegger. As one of America’s greatest imports via the Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia competitions (Arnold was a seven time-champion), he symbolized true mastery of his art — bodybuilding. What set Arnold apart was his intense dedication, consistency in raising the bar (literally) but probably most importantly, his […] The post Arnold Schwarzenegger, 2018 Mr. Olympia and Digital Disruption appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
San Antonio: Fastest Growing City in Nation, But Sleepy Reputation Lingers
Sep 11, 2018
As the city of San Antonio celebrates its tricentennial this year, the word may finally be getting out. Last year, more than 24,000 new residents moved into San Antonio, an influx greater than any other city in the nation. Long considered the slightly-sleepy, Tex-Mex cousin to Texas’s larger, more cosmopolitan cities, San Antonio may still […] The post San Antonio: Fastest Growing City in Nation, But Sleepy Reputation Lingers appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How Private Cloud-as-a-Service Enables a Successful Multi-Cloud Strategy
Sep 10, 2018
With more than 150,000 customers in 150 countries around the world, Rackspace has a front row seat to the unprecedented and accelerating change facing companies of all sizes, with all the opportunities and threats that change represents. Driven by the rapid pace of technological innovation, these changes empower customers to expect top quality products and […] The post How Private Cloud-as-a-Service Enables a Successful Multi-Cloud Strategy appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
As Phishing Attempts Rise, Remember Email Best Practices
Sep 07, 2018
Rackspace security teams are constantly monitoring the cyber threat landscape. Recently, we’ve observed an uptick in phishing emails fraudulently seeking credentials or redirecting end users to potentially malicious content.   As a reminder here are some best practices when evaluating potentially malicious emails.   Phishing emails vary by sender, subject, graphical appearance and exploitative methods.  Typically, they involve attempts to evoke fear, panic […] The post As Phishing Attempts Rise, Remember Email Best Practices appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Navigating the Complexity of Big Data Transformation
Sep 07, 2018
Businesses must deliver a consistent, high-value experience — or risk losing customers to someone who can. And they’re turning to big data technologies for help. With big data, they can get to know their customers better, learn their habits and anticipate their needs to ultimately deliver a better customer experience. But existing on premise relational database management systems […] The post Navigating the Complexity of Big Data Transformation appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5S for Data Center Operational Discipline: Simple in Concept, Rigorous in Effect
Sep 05, 2018
5S is a Japanese workplace organization methodology based on five seemingly simple tasks: Seiri: sort Seiton: straighten or set Seiso: shine Seiketsu: standardize Shitsuke: sustain Inside Rackspace data centers, we leverage the 5S principles extensively. That’s because data center operations are the backbone of the fanatical, results-obsessed support Rackspace provides our customers. Our highly trained engineers monitor our […] The post 5S for Data Center Operational Discipline: Simple in Concept, Rigorous in Effect appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Improving the Government’s User eXperience
Aug 28, 2018
Welcome to your first day on the job. Here’s your Windows PC. Here’s your ethernet cable. Here’s your hardware token for VPN. Here’s your BlackBerry. Remember new employee onboarding circa 2008? Unfortunately, 10 years later, and this is still the current state of user experience inside of many government organizations. The external user experience for […] The post Improving the Government’s User eXperience appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Improving the Government’s User eXperience
Aug 28, 2018
Welcome to your first day on the job. Here’s your Windows PC. Here’s your ethernet cable. Here’s your hardware token for VPN. Here’s your BlackBerry. Remember new employee onboarding circa 2008? Unfortunately, 10 years later, and this is still the current state of user experience inside of many government organizations. The external user experience for […] The post Improving the Government’s User eXperience appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Smart Cities’ First Task: Get Connected. Then What?
Aug 23, 2018
How deeply should today’s city leaders invest taxpayer dollars in smart city technology? To answer that question, it’s important to remember what’s driving cities to become smarter: the growing ability to use technology to improve residents’ daily lives. That’s done by using electronic data collection sensors to gather information, which can then be analyzed to […] The post Smart Cities’ First Task: Get Connected. Then What? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Smart Cities’ First Task: Get Connected. Then What?
Aug 23, 2018
How deeply should today’s city leaders invest taxpayer dollars in smart city technology? To answer that question, it’s important to remember what’s driving cities to become smarter: the growing ability to use technology to improve residents’ daily lives. That’s done by using electronic data collection sensors to gather information, which can then be analyzed to […] The post Smart Cities’ First Task: Get Connected. Then What? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Questions for Deborah Carter on San Antonio’s Growing Tech Sector
Aug 22, 2018
Those who know Deborah Carter will not be surprised to learn that she’s been named one of the San Antonio Business Journal’s Women in Leadership honorees for 2018; the accolade is just the latest for Carter, an indefatigable champion of San Antonio’s blossoming tech scene who has spent the last decade helping people “find their […] The post 5 Questions for Deborah Carter on San Antonio’s Growing Tech Sector appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Questions for Deborah Carter on San Antonio’s Growing Tech Sector
Aug 22, 2018
Those who know Deborah Carter will not be surprised to learn that she’s been named one of the San Antonio Business Journal’s Women in Leadership honorees for 2018; the accolade is just the latest for Carter, an indefatigable champion of San Antonio’s blossoming tech scene who has spent the last decade helping people “find their […] The post 5 Questions for Deborah Carter on San Antonio’s Growing Tech Sector appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Offers IT Modernization Expertise at VMworld 2018
Aug 22, 2018
It’s time again for VMworld US! Thousands will descend on Las Vegas next week, seeking solutions to some of their thorniest IT challenges. One of the most critical: how to drive digital transformation, getting the right balance between modernizing data centers and extending into the cloud. From virtualized infrastructure to hybrid and public cloud, there […] The post Rackspace Offers IT Modernization Expertise at VMworld 2018 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Offers IT Modernization Expertise at VMworld 2018
Aug 22, 2018
It’s time again for VMworld US! Thousands will descend on Las Vegas next week, seeking solutions to some of their thorniest IT challenges. One of the most critical: how to drive digital transformation, getting the right balance between modernizing data centers and extending into the cloud. From virtualized infrastructure to hybrid and public cloud, there […] The post Rackspace Offers IT Modernization Expertise at VMworld 2018 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Colocation Explained for Business Leaders
Aug 21, 2018
Public cloud has been the belle of the ball for several years now, a now-proven way to reduce IT costs, increase flexibility and speed time to market. Add to that all the sexy new technologies cloud enables, like Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and it’s easy to understand why cloud gets all […] The post Colocation Explained for Business Leaders appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Colocation Explained for Business Leaders
Aug 21, 2018
Public cloud has been the belle of the ball for several years now, a now-proven way to reduce IT costs, increase flexibility and speed time to market. Add to that all the sexy new technologies cloud enables, like Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and it’s easy to understand why cloud gets all […] The post Colocation Explained for Business Leaders appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Common Public Cloud Security Concerns, Answered
Aug 17, 2018
Companies are moving to the cloud faster than ever, and security remains a top concern. One of the most common questions we get at Rackspace, where we offer managed cloud and security services, is which entity is responsible for what aspects of cloud security. This is a critical issue to understand, given the impact a […] The post 5 Common Public Cloud Security Concerns, Answered appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Common Public Cloud Security Concerns, Answered
Aug 17, 2018
Companies are moving to the cloud faster than ever, and security remains a top concern. One of the most common questions we get at Rackspace, where we offer managed cloud and security services, is which entity is responsible for what aspects of cloud security. This is a critical issue to understand, given the impact a […] The post 5 Common Public Cloud Security Concerns, Answered appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Leveraging Technology to Improve the Patient Experience
Aug 15, 2018
Improving the patient experience is a guiding light for modern healthcare organizations.  Along with reducing costs and increasing the overall health of populations, it’s considered one of the pillars the industry must focus on to improve the country’s overall health system performance.   Today’s patients are well informed consumers, and their expectations have helped set the benchmark when it comes to engagement, just as they have done in other areas, such as retail and financial services.  And just as those […] The post Leveraging Technology to Improve the Patient Experience appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Leveraging Technology to Improve the Patient Experience
Aug 15, 2018
Improving the patient experience is a guiding light for modern healthcare organizations.  Along with reducing costs and increasing the overall health of populations, it’s considered one of the pillars the industry must focus on to improve the country’s overall health system performance.   Today’s patients are well informed consumers, and their expectations have helped set the benchmark when it comes to engagement, just as they have done in other areas, such as retail and financial services.  And just as those […] The post Leveraging Technology to Improve the Patient Experience appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What Pro Sports Can Teach Us About Digital Transformation
Aug 14, 2018
Artificial intelligence, automation and big data are all becoming essential parts of companies’ digital transformation — the integration of modern technology into all areas of the business, changing how they operate and deliver value to customers. But what does that look like in practice? The world of sports is a great place to look for […] The post What Pro Sports Can Teach Us About Digital Transformation appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What Pro Sports Can Teach Us About Digital Transformation
Aug 14, 2018
Artificial intelligence, automation and big data are all becoming essential parts of companies’ digital transformation — the integration of modern technology into all areas of the business, changing how they operate and deliver value to customers. But what does that look like in practice? The world of sports is a great place to look for […] The post What Pro Sports Can Teach Us About Digital Transformation appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How Companies are Saving Millions with Pivotal Cloud Foundry
Aug 13, 2018
Enterprise IT development teams across the world have similar frustrations: they want to spend their time writing code and deploying quickly, not putting out fires and waiting around during six month release cycles. Which makes sense; think how many more customer-centric applications and updates could be deployed if developers were able to focus on what […] The post How Companies are Saving Millions with Pivotal Cloud Foundry appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How Companies are Saving Millions with Pivotal Cloud Foundry
Aug 13, 2018
Enterprise IT development teams across the world have similar frustrations: they want to spend their time writing code and deploying quickly, not putting out fires and waiting around during six month release cycles. Which makes sense; think how many more customer-centric applications and updates could be deployed if developers were able to focus on what […] The post How Companies are Saving Millions with Pivotal Cloud Foundry appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Elevate Your Tech to Elevate Your Customers’ Experiences
Aug 08, 2018
I am a Millennial, married to a Gen Xer, born to baby boomers, with Generation Z children, and we are your customers. We’re educated consumers with varied experiences, and the companies that get our business must be able to meet our growing expectations. I want information that’s easy to find on your website, easy to […] The post Elevate Your Tech to Elevate Your Customers’ Experiences appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Elevate Your Tech to Elevate Your Customers’ Experiences
Aug 08, 2018
I am a Millennial, married to a Gen Xer, born to baby boomers, with Generation Z children, and we are your customers. We’re educated consumers with varied experiences, and the companies that get our business must be able to meet our growing expectations. I want information that’s easy to find on your website, easy to […] The post Elevate Your Tech to Elevate Your Customers’ Experiences appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Channel Partner Program Updates
Aug 03, 2018
We’ve been executing innovative new solutions within Rackspace’s improved partner program, and I’m excited to share updates. Launched in April, our enhanced approach to channel gives partners the ability to leverage both self-service and highly dedicated, customized program models to help meet their needs and the needs of their customers. The biggest changes to the […] The post Rackspace Channel Partner Program Updates appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Channel Partner Program Updates
Aug 03, 2018
We’ve been executing innovative new solutions within Rackspace’s improved partner program, and I’m excited to share updates. Launched in April, our enhanced approach to channel gives partners the ability to leverage both self-service and highly dedicated, customized program models to help meet their needs and the needs of their customers. The biggest changes to the […] The post Rackspace Channel Partner Program Updates appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Use Cases Show How Companies Use AWS to Build and Grow
Aug 02, 2018
At its New York Summit last week, AWS suggested companies think of the impressive new services it rolled out as an ever-growing tool set smart companies can use to build and grow. The public cloud giant hosted several customers, each of which presented a fascinating use case. For those who weren’t able to attend, I’ve […] The post Use Cases Show How Companies Use AWS to Build and Grow appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Use Cases Show How Companies Use AWS to Build and Grow
Aug 02, 2018
At its New York Summit last week, AWS suggested companies think of the impressive new services it rolled out as an ever-growing tool set smart companies can use to build and grow. The public cloud giant hosted several customers, each of which presented a fascinating use case. For those who weren’t able to attend, I’ve […] The post Use Cases Show How Companies Use AWS to Build and Grow appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What You Need to Know Before Deploying on Azure Stack
Aug 01, 2018
Azure Stack has earned its buzz. At a time when the majority of enterprises are pursuing a hybrid cloud strategy, Azure Stack offers the only truly consistent hybrid solution on the market. Azure Stack’s “unique cloud capability,” according to Gartner, will “create new opportunities for service providers to extend their portfolios,” while Forrester expects it […] The post What You Need to Know Before Deploying on Azure Stack appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What You Need to Know Before Deploying on Azure Stack
Aug 01, 2018
Azure Stack has earned its buzz. At a time when the majority of enterprises are pursuing a hybrid cloud strategy, Azure Stack offers the only truly consistent hybrid solution on the market. Azure Stack’s “unique cloud capability,” according to Gartner, will “create new opportunities for service providers to extend their portfolios,” while Forrester expects it […] The post What You Need to Know Before Deploying on Azure Stack appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
A Fresh Perspective on Controlling Healthcare Costs
Jul 31, 2018
Controlling costs is a way of life for healthcare providers. I know from my own years of working in hospitals, cost management is always top of mind for senior healthcare leadership, firmly ingrained in their operational psyche. Research backs up this view. A recent survey of healthcare CEOs by the Advisory Board, a health care […] The post A Fresh Perspective on Controlling Healthcare Costs appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
A Fresh Perspective on Controlling Healthcare Costs
Jul 31, 2018
Controlling costs is a way of life for healthcare providers. I know from my own years of working in hospitals, cost management is always top of mind for senior healthcare leadership, firmly ingrained in their operational psyche. Research backs up this view. A recent survey of healthcare CEOs by the Advisory Board, a health care […] The post A Fresh Perspective on Controlling Healthcare Costs appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What You Missed at This Year’s Google Cloud Next
Jul 30, 2018
The Google Cloud Next ’18 conference in San Francisco went off with a bang, with 25,000 registrants, thousands of Googlers, plus even more streaming live, all learning how to advance their business using Google products and the power of the cloud. The overarching takeaway? Google is moving aggressively to add features and functionality to attract […] The post What You Missed at This Year’s Google Cloud Next appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
For SysAdmin Day, Show Your IT Staff Some Love!
Jul 26, 2018
It’s no secret that system administrators — the invisible gears that keep a company moving — can sometimes feel under appreciated. Laboring in the IT department, these hard-working tech professionals are largely unseen, yet they’re the ones responsible for keeping everything up and running. When things are working smoothly, they’re too often unnoticed — but when things go wrong, SysAdmins, as […] The post For SysAdmin Day, Show Your IT Staff Some Love! appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackers Earn Spot on People Magazine’s ‘Companies That Care’ List
Jul 25, 2018
People magazine today named Rackspace to its “Companies That Care” list, which highlights “the top U.S. companies caring for their communities, their employees and the world.” Rackspace ranked 25 in this second annual list, which People compiled with Great Place to Work, a workplace analytics and consulting company, based on surveys of more than 350,000 […] The post Rackers Earn Spot on People Magazine’s ‘Companies That Care’ List appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Maintaining Cost Efficiency in Financial Services: Innovation Versus Operations
Jul 23, 2018
The financial services sector is experiencing a digital renaissance, driving financial institutions to reconsider how much wallet share (and thus investment) their technologies can be expected to deliver. Digital transformation is now a business necessity, and more than two thirds of IT decision makers are planning to increase their cloud use in the coming years […] The post Maintaining Cost Efficiency in Financial Services: Innovation Versus Operations appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Launches Customer Reliability Engineering and Managed Security Services for Google Cloud Platform
Jul 23, 2018
SAN ANTONIO – July 23, 2018 – Rackspace today announced that it has broadened its portfolio of services for Google Cloud Platform (GCP) customers with the launch of its new Customer Reliability Engineering (CRE) program and Rackspace Managed Security (RMS) – Proactive Detection and Response, and RMS – Compliance Assistance for GCP. Rackspace is focused […] The post Rackspace Launches Customer Reliability Engineering and Managed Security Services for Google Cloud Platform appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Microsoft Inspires Partner Focus on Customer Solutions for 2018
Jul 20, 2018
The “power of partnership,” a main theme at this year’s Inspire, Microsoft’s annual partner conference, transformed the event from a series of lectures and presentations into a unique opportunity for partners to collaborate and build solutions together. Traditionally, Inspire focuses on enabling partners and sellers to speak to the latest and greatest in Microsoft’s developments. […] The post Microsoft Inspires Partner Focus on Customer Solutions for 2018 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Chasing Those Elusive Cloud Cost Savings
Jul 19, 2018
I’ve worked in federal IT for 10 years, and enterprise IT for nearly 20. In that time, IT has always been expensive; therefore, finding value has always been critical. But a strange thing happened when cloud became mainstream: cost savings became the de facto justification and impetus for cloud adoption. This is odd and ironic […] The post Chasing Those Elusive Cloud Cost Savings appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Drives Digital Transformation for Delmar International Inc.
Jul 19, 2018
SAN ANTONIO – July 19, 2018 – Rackspace today announced a strategic agreement with Delmar International Inc., a global leader in customs brokerage, freight forwarding warehousing, distribution and supply chain management solutions. Rackspace is focused on delivering true transformation as a service across applications, data, security and infrastructure. The company will spearhead Delmar’s digital transformation […] The post Rackspace Drives Digital Transformation for Delmar International Inc. appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Recognizing Rackspace’s Next-Gen Managed Service Provider Capabilities
Jul 16, 2018
As cloud adoption has reached critical mass, we’ve found that customers require increasingly comprehensive cloud services and support  to keep pace with the demands of their digital transformation to the cloud (often multiple clouds). “Next-generation” managed service providers, or MSPs, have evolved to keep pace with these needs, serving as their customers’ partner and guide […] The post Recognizing Rackspace’s Next-Gen Managed Service Provider Capabilities appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
New Rackspace Application Services for Databases: “Any Database, Any Deployment, Any Service Level”
Jul 13, 2018
Rackspace has been offering enterprise-class database services for more than a decade. Today, we’re taking that service to a new level, with our “any database, any deployment, any service level” approach, which meets customers wherever they are on their digital transformation journey. The new Rackspace Application Services for Databases is the result of diligent work […] The post New Rackspace Application Services for Databases: “Any Database, Any Deployment, Any Service Level” appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Named One of First Microsoft Azure Expert Managed Service Providers
Jul 12, 2018
SAN ANTONIO – July 12, 2018 – Rackspace is a trusted partner for organizations undergoing digital transformation, delivering true transformation as a service across applications, data, security and infrastructure. As an Azure Expert MSP, Rackspace will expand its visibility and reach within the Microsoft partner ecosystem to deliver end-to-end services including support with cloud migration, […] The post Rackspace Named One of First Microsoft Azure Expert Managed Service Providers appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Poka Yoke, Fishbone Diagrams and 5S: How Lean Manufacturing Principles Guide Rackspace Data Center Operations
Jul 11, 2018
Lean manufacturing is generally thought of as a systematic method of waste minimization. Many embark on a path of “lean” to drive out unnecessary costs. However, often missed is the core idea of lean, which is to maximize customer value while minimizing the effort and costs that don’t add value for customers. Lean manufacturing principles […] The post Poka Yoke, Fishbone Diagrams and 5S: How Lean Manufacturing Principles Guide Rackspace Data Center Operations appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The True Costs of Self Compliance for SLED Organizations
Jul 10, 2018
Most government agencies spend roughly 80 percent of their total IT budget to maintain legacy systems, according to the federal Government Accountability Office. Yet too many are turning to “custom-developed solutions that are more expensive, not as functional, take longer to implement and lock the government into the trap of never-ending modernization cycles,” according to […] The post The True Costs of Self Compliance for SLED Organizations appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How Storage Configuration Impacts AEM Performance
Jul 03, 2018
Storage and storage performance are critical components of Adobe Experience Manager, yet too many organizations overlook or misunderstand provisioning for proper storage, leading to poor end user experience, authoring experience and application response times. Enterprises are investing a great deal of money and time on AEM deployments these days, and for good reason: it’s the […] The post How Storage Configuration Impacts AEM Performance appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Modernize Your ERP for a Multi-Cloud World
Jul 02, 2018
In recent years, a growing number of organizations have adopted a multi-cloud strategy due to ongoing demands for cost savings and increased efficiency. In fact, according to IDC this year, more than 85 percent of enterprise IT organizations will commit to multi-cloud architectures. The model of using multi-cloud services to satisfy business requirements comes with […] The post How to Modernize Your ERP for a Multi-Cloud World appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Security Beyond Compliance in the Healthcare Industry
Jun 29, 2018
The rush toward cloud adoption and digital transformation in healthcare has elevated the importance of security, and it goes beyond the basic need to maintain compliance with third-party standards. Compliance requirements provide structure and a minimum level of security to protect organizations, but just meeting these standards is simply not enough. As cybercriminals become more […] The post Security Beyond Compliance in the Healthcare Industry appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Do More Than Automate the Drudgery with the RegTech Revolution
Jun 27, 2018
Imagine instead of doing your job all day, you spent it filling out spreadsheets and checklists about how you do your job. Imagine you still had to do your actual job on top of that, meaning 70+ hour work weeks. This is the reality for many financial technologists, who spend countless hours wrangling those spreadsheets […] The post Do More Than Automate the Drudgery with the RegTech Revolution appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Strengthens AWS Migration Expertise to Support Customers’ Digital Transformation
Jun 27, 2018
SAN ANTONIO – June 27, 2018 – Rackspace today announced it has been named an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Migration Acceleration Program (MAP) Partner to help businesses migrate to AWS. This program seeks to help enterprises accelerate migration to AWS by leveraging designated AWS Partner Network (APN) members to provide consulting support, training, and services credits. […] The post Rackspace Strengthens AWS Migration Expertise to Support Customers’ Digital Transformation appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Two Takeaways from AWS Public Sector Summit 2018
Jun 26, 2018
Rackspace was honored to sponsor the AWS Public Sector Summit this year and spend several days with AWS and public sector technology leaders and partners, all learning and growing together. Rackspace is a relative newcomer to the public sector, but a stalwart of cloud computing. We have a working theory about what it will take […] The post Two Takeaways from AWS Public Sector Summit 2018 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
R_cksp_ce Supports the American Red Cross in its ‘Missing Types’ Campaign
Jun 25, 2018
Someone in the United States needs blood every two seconds. Couple that with the fact that just three percent of Americans donate blood, according to the American Red Cross, and you’ve got the potential for a real crisis. A new survey, conducted on behalf of the Red Cross, illustrates the depth of the problem. It […] The post R_cksp_ce Supports the American Red Cross in its ‘Missing Types’ Campaign appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
It’s More Than Just Email: Maximize Your Investment in Office 365
Jun 22, 2018
At Rackspace, we believe buying Office 365 only to use email is a missed opportunity. That’s why we’re now taking a proactive and consultative approach to Office 365, helping customers with implementation and long-term management in order to improve business productivity and outcomes, and maximize their investment. Rackspace has been offering Office 365 for many […] The post It’s More Than Just Email: Maximize Your Investment in Office 365 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Gridiron Barrier Breaker Offers Rackers Advice on Authentic Leadership
Jun 22, 2018
Jen Welter has notched a lot of firsts in her career, most in the male-dominated field of football. The first female coach in the NFL who enjoyed a decorated 14-year career in women’s pro football before that, Welter also holds a Ph.D. in psychology and a master’s in sports psychology. She now hosts a “Grrridiron […] The post Gridiron Barrier Breaker Offers Rackers Advice on Authentic Leadership appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Digital Transformation From Someone Who’s Lived It
Jun 21, 2018
I’ve had plenty of IT leadership roles — at AIG, Earthlink, American Cancer Society and now at Rackspace. While the organizations have changed, my goal has always been to deliver: systems, applications and solutions that lead to better growth, higher customer retention and improved cost efficiency. Digital transformation is a buzz phrase du jour right […] The post Digital Transformation From Someone Who’s Lived It appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Kubernetes Explained for Business Leaders
Jun 21, 2018
As companies increasingly rely on emerging technologies — not to mention spend more — it’s more important than ever for business leaders to have a deeper-than-basic understanding of those technologies to power their organizations. Yet when technology discussions turn to concepts like “containerization” and “orchestration,” the honest truth is, many line-of-business leaders can find themselves […] The post Kubernetes Explained for Business Leaders appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Announces VMware-based “Pay-As-You-Go” Private Cloud as a Service
Jun 20, 2018
SAN ANTONIO – June 20, 2018 – Rackspace today announced that it has partnered with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) to launch the industry’s first Private Cloud-as-a-Service (PCaaS) powered by VMware, with pay per use infrastructure. This solution is an expansion of Rackspace’s industry-leading managed private cloud portfolio, designed to create the optimal platform for enterprise applications. […] The post Rackspace Announces VMware-based “Pay-As-You-Go” Private Cloud as a Service appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Launches Industry’s First Pay-As-You-Go Kubernetes Private Cloud
Jun 20, 2018
SAN ANTONIO – June 20, 2018 – Rackspace today announced that it has expanded its private cloud-as-a-service portfolio by collaborating with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) to launch Rackspace Kubernetes-as-a-Service (RKaaS) with pay per use infrastructure in a private cloud environment, an industry first. With this offering, enterprises can consume Rackspace Kubernetes-as-a-Service with pay as you […] The post Rackspace Launches Industry’s First Pay-As-You-Go Kubernetes Private Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
State, Local and Educational Orgs Look to Federal Compliance and Security Standards
Jun 20, 2018
In 2017, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a federal agency within the Department of Commerce, removed the word “federal” from the title of its catalog of cybersecurity and privacy controls. NIST recognized that in addition to the federal agencies that rely on its compliance guidelines, state and local governments, academia and even industry […] The post State, Local and Educational Orgs Look to Federal Compliance and Security Standards appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
HPE Names Rackspace 2018 Global Service Provider Partner of the Year
Jun 18, 2018
Hewlett Packard Enterprise has recognized Rackspace as its 2018 Global Service Provider Partner of the Year. The award, which HPE announced today during HPE Discover, the company’s largest annual conference, recognizes its business partners for their “outstanding performance and accomplishments that raise the standard for business excellence and customer satisfaction” while “driving meaningful business results […] The post HPE Names Rackspace 2018 Global Service Provider Partner of the Year appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Government Technology is Finally Modernizing — Are You Ready?
Jun 18, 2018
Government CIOs report that their traditional data centers and legacy applications are holding them back from implementing technology-enabled innovation. They’re also struggling with legacy cultures and contracts and limited access to talent. But the federal government may finally have the beginning of a comprehensive plan to modernize its aging technology stacks, complete with enabling mechanisms […] The post Government Technology is Finally Modernizing — Are You Ready? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Pride Portraits Allow Rackers to Express, Connect and Be Seen
Jun 18, 2018
Rackers Anne and Jessica Navarro had a goal when they came to sit for Pride Portraits. The couple, who met at Rackspace and married in late 2016, are trying to start their own family — not a straightforward proposition for many members of the LGBTQ community. They found little guidance, and more than a few […] The post Pride Portraits Allow Rackers to Express, Connect and Be Seen appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Guides McKesson’s Digital Transformation to the Public Cloud
Jun 15, 2018
After a successful foray into private cloud and some experimentation in the public cloud, McKesson, an American healthcare company, embarked on a cloud-first strategy. With Rackspace’s help, the company, which distributes pharmaceuticals and provides health information technology, medical supplies and care management tools to consumers, has seen savings of almost 50 percent as a result […] The post Rackspace Guides McKesson’s Digital Transformation to the Public Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Uses Lean Six Sigma for Data Center Physical Migrations 
Jun 15, 2018
In the data center industry, physical migrations and consolidations are a necessary evil.   While the electrical and mechanical infrastructure of a data center may last up to 20 years, the network requirements are advancing so fast that an expensive network backbone can become obsolete in less than half that time. Add increased operational complexity and data center sprawl through acquisitions, mergers and technology shifts, and a migration or data center […] The post Rackspace Uses Lean Six Sigma for Data Center Physical Migrations  appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Peak Hybrid: The Top Four Use Cases for Azure Stack
Jun 14, 2018
As organizations continue to expand into both public and private clouds, using each for specific workloads, it is critical that these hybrid cloud solutions work seamlessly together. Because while public and private cloud growth continues, much of today’s momentum is behind these hybrid models. Consider these recent stats from RightScale: 50 percent of enterprise IT […] The post Peak Hybrid: The Top Four Use Cases for Azure Stack appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Defense in Depth — Running Secure Workloads in Azure, Part 2
Jun 13, 2018
In this continuation of our earlier post on securing workloads in Azure, we’ll dive deeper into the network control within Azure and look at a newer security paradigm for an assumed breach and detection once a bad actor has gained access to your environment, plus how to prevent them from doing damage or exfiltrating your data. […] The post Defense in Depth — Running Secure Workloads in Azure, Part 2 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Digitization of Money: Digital Transformation of the Financial Services Landscape 
Jun 12, 2018
Digital transformation is more than a buzz phrase or trend, and certainly more than a singular point-in-time activity — it is a perpetual process, and the term is now ubiquitous in board rooms across all industries.   Financial services are no exception.   From lending to payments, transactions are being “vaporized,” a term coined by author Robert Tercek meaning anything physical that can be information […] The post The Digitization of Money: Digital Transformation of the Financial Services Landscape  appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Launches Colocation Services to Support Enterprises with Digital Transformation
Jun 12, 2018
SAN ANTONIO – June 12, 2018 –Rackspace today announced the launch of Rackspace Colocation, a new service that allows customers to deploy their own hardware in Rackspace data centers. Leveraging resilient critical infrastructure, network and on-ground support services, Rackspace is focused on delivering true transformation as a service across applications, data, security and infrastructure. The […] The post Rackspace Launches Colocation Services to Support Enterprises with Digital Transformation appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
VMware Honors Rackspace for Accelerating Enterprises’ Journey to the Cloud
Jun 11, 2018
Rackspace was honored to be named one of VMware’s Partner Innovation global award winners at its Partner Leadership Summit earlier this month. For “outstanding performance and notable achievements” in 2017, VMware named Rackspace its global and Americas winner in the Integrate Public Clouds category. This is the second time in three years VMware has honored […] The post VMware Honors Rackspace for Accelerating Enterprises’ Journey to the Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How Millennials Are Driving Digital Transformation in Healthcare
Jun 07, 2018
A lot has been said about digital transformation and its effect on all industries, but few are experiencing a more significant impact than healthcare. Despite historically being technological laggards, most healthcare businesses and providers have spent considerable time and resources adopting new technology over the last few years. But what’s been driving this avalanche of […] The post How Millennials Are Driving Digital Transformation in Healthcare appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Wins Managed Cloud Service Provider from NetworkWorld Asia  
Jun 07, 2018
Rackspace’s status as the number one managed cloud provider was reinforced this week when the company won the managed cloud service provider category at the 2018 NetworkWorld Asia Information Management Awards. I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who voted for us; your continuous support of Rackspace drives us to work even […] The post Rackspace Wins Managed Cloud Service Provider from NetworkWorld Asia   appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Azure Site Recovery is the Place to Start for Business Continuity
Jun 06, 2018
For Microsoft Azure users, business continuity and disaster recovery planning, or BCDR, just got a whole lot easier — and more effective. Microsoft released Azure Site Recovery for Azure virtual machines to general availability this week. This new capability is a native Microsoft Azure service that delivers a cost-effective, scalable and reliable replication platform that […] The post Azure Site Recovery is the Place to Start for Business Continuity appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Education is Taking a Bite Out of the Digital Transformation Apple
Jun 05, 2018
With the exponential growth of distance learning and the availability of virtual resources, higher education organizations are seeking solutions for digital transformation, improved security and cost effectiveness to meet the demands of the digitally inclined 21st century student. Infrastructure modernization often begins with the recognition that organizations need to begin a journey into the cloud. […] The post Education is Taking a Bite Out of the Digital Transformation Apple appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What is Azure Stack? [Infographic]
Jun 04, 2018
More than 90 percent of the Fortune 500 uses Microsoft’s public cloud, and it’s easy to understand why: organizations can decrease costs by only consuming and paying for what they use and improve time to market with the ability to quickly scale infrastructure. But for some workloads, public cloud isn’t an option, whether due to […] The post What is Azure Stack? [Infographic] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Three Disaster Recovery, Continuity of Operations Mistakes to Avoid
Jun 01, 2018
In my time as a staffer within the Department of Defense, and as a contractor for numerous government customers, I found almost nothing more widely misunderstood than “DR/COOP.” Whether it was an unwillingness to acknowledge the differences between the two, incorrect assumptions about each or the game of primary responsibility hot potato too often played […] The post Three Disaster Recovery, Continuity of Operations Mistakes to Avoid appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Benefits of Azure Site Recovery with Rackspace Application Services for Sitecore
Jun 01, 2018
Downtime can negatively affect a company’s brand and cost it big money, in the form of lost business. Rackspace customers depend on us to help mitigate outages, maintain business continuity and manage disaster recovery. As a Microsoft Tier 1 partner, we recently received access to a private preview of Azure Site Recovery, a popular business […] The post The Benefits of Azure Site Recovery with Rackspace Application Services for Sitecore appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Repositioning Rackspace: My Goals as the New CMO
May 31, 2018
Mark Bunting is Rackspace’s newly appointed CMO. Read more about Mark and the experience he brings to Rackspace. For more than two decades, I had the privilege of talking about technology on TV via appearances on The Discovery Channel, CNBC, The Learning Channel, Fox and my own series, “Bunting’s Window.” These experiences gave me a […] The post Repositioning Rackspace: My Goals as the New CMO appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Continues Build Out of Executive Team
May 31, 2018
SAN ANTONIO, TX – May 31, 2018 –  Rackspace® announced today that Mark Bunting has been named Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Bunting joins the executive leadership team, led and built out by CEO Joe Eazor over the past year. Under Eazor’s leadership, Rackspace is poised to continue its transformation as one of the industry’s broadest […] The post Rackspace Continues Build Out of Executive Team appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Protect Financial Institutions From DDoS Attacks
May 30, 2018
Financial institutions have always been the targets of criminals, forcing them to implement complex and sophisticated security measures against attacks. The digital frontier only provided new fertile ground for increasingly creative cyber criminals and forces banks to evolve their own counter-strategies and continually increase vigilance against hackers, thieves and cyberterrorism. Because there are ways to […] The post How to Protect Financial Institutions From DDoS Attacks appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
State, Local Agencies Can Strengthen Disaster Recovery through IT Modernization
May 29, 2018
For the city of Beverly Hills, it started with Katrina. While New Orleans is more than 1,900 miles away from the small California city known for gorgeous weather, wealthy celebrities and high-end shopping, the mistakes made by that region’s state and local governments in the wake of the catastrophic category 5 hurricane served as a […] The post State, Local Agencies Can Strengthen Disaster Recovery through IT Modernization appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Achieves AWS Financial Services Competency
May 29, 2018
SAN ANTONIO – May 29, 2018 – Rackspace® today announced that it has achieved Amazon Web Services (AWS) Financial Services Competency status. This designation recognizes Rackspace for leveraging its deep expertise to implement effective solutions that help financial services organizations manage critical issues such as risk management, core systems implementations, data management, navigating compliance requirements, […] The post Rackspace Achieves AWS Financial Services Competency appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Choosing Hyper-V Replica vs. Azure Site Recovery
May 25, 2018
For IT professionals, unplanned service disruptions and data center outages are a fact of life. But luckily for those who rely on Microsoft technologies, Microsoft offers two excellent replication options to support disaster recovery and business continuity strategies. The first, Hyper-V Replica, creates and maintains copies of virtual machines (VMs) in a secondary site. It’s […] The post Choosing Hyper-V Replica vs. Azure Site Recovery appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Healthcare Must Make Disaster Recovery Planning a Priority  
May 24, 2018
The latest security survey confirms what many healthcare executives already know and fear: the healthcare industry has become a top target for ransomware attacks. “Cyberattacks of the last few years have become more ruthless and sophisticated,” wrote ZDNet recently, with ransomware a primary cause for concern. Healthcare is especially vulnerable, due in part to the […] The post Healthcare Must Make Disaster Recovery Planning a Priority   appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Acquires RelationEdge to Broaden Application Services Portfolio for Customers
May 17, 2018
SAN ANTONIO – May 17, 2018 – Rackspace® today announced it has acquired RelationEdge®, a full-service Salesforce Platinum Consulting Partner and digital agency that helps clients engage with their customers from lead to loyalty by improving business process, leveraging technology, and integrating creative digital marketing. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications like Salesforce® are a growing component of many […] The post Rackspace Acquires RelationEdge to Broaden Application Services Portfolio for Customers appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Kubernetes as a Service — Because the Real Value is in Day 2 Operations
May 16, 2018
You know it, and so does your CTO: container technology, and the multi-cloud portability it enables, will accelerate your organization’s digital transformation, improve speed-to-market and likely save money doing it. You know that Kubernetes has become the top choice to manage, automate and scale containers. You also know that your team is already maxed out […] The post Kubernetes as a Service — Because the Real Value is in Day 2 Operations appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Launches Kubernetes-as-a-Service with Fully Managed Operations
May 16, 2018
SAN ANTONIO – May 16, 2018 – Rackspace today announced Rackspace Kubernetes-as-a-Service, a highly-available managed service that transforms the way enterprises can utilize new container technologies, accelerating their digital transformation. Rackspace is focused on delivering true transformation as a service across applications, data, security and infrastructure. With this offering, Rackspace will allow enterprises to consume Kubernetes-as-a-Service […] The post Rackspace Launches Kubernetes-as-a-Service with Fully Managed Operations appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Two Rackspace Leaders Named 2018 Women of the Channel
May 15, 2018
CRN recognized two top Rackspace leaders yesterday as part of its prestigious Women of the Channel list for 2018, Vice President of Channel Sales and Channel Chief Lisa McLin and Azure Strategic Alliance Manager Dena Marean. Lisa McLin Lisa is responsible for strategy and execution, growing partner relationships and propelling organizational revenue, while serving as a […] The post Two Rackspace Leaders Named 2018 Women of the Channel appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackers Giving Back: Mentoring with CyberPatriots Brings Analyst Full Circle
May 11, 2018
Rackspace employees have the expertise to solve some of today’s most complex business IT challenges. In addition to helping customers, many also serve our community with their talents. Rackers are encouraged to use their annual volunteer time to give back in whatever ways are meaningful to them.   A high school teacher changed the trajectory of […] The post Rackers Giving Back: Mentoring with CyberPatriots Brings Analyst Full Circle appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Culture Leads to Spot on Forbes’ Best Employer List
May 10, 2018
We’re honored that Forbes has named Rackspace one of America’s Best Midsize Employers for 2018, the second year in a row we’ve earned a place on the list. With just six weeks under my belt as the company’s chief people officer, I am not surprised Rackspace made the list; our culture is our secret sauce. […] The post Rackspace Culture Leads to Spot on Forbes’ Best Employer List appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Bring Your Cloud Challenges to Rackspace::Solve New York City
May 09, 2018
“Move to the cloud.” For many companies seeking to stay ahead of disruption, increase agility, decrease time to market and keep customers engaged, moving to the public cloud is often positioned as the answer. But public cloud is not necessarily a panacea. The reality is, for most organizations, public cloud will be a key part […] The post Bring Your Cloud Challenges to Rackspace::Solve New York City appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
A Better Option for Your Non-Cloud-Native Workloads
May 08, 2018
More options than ever exist to accelerate digital transformation efforts, yet hurdles like migrating legacy apps remain. That’s one of our key takeaways from Dell Technologies World 2018 last week in Las Vegas. It was a jam-packed week for Rackspace experts who deliver IT as a Service to our customers using Dell, EMC and VMware platforms. […] The post A Better Option for Your Non-Cloud-Native Workloads appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Focus on Zero Trust Leads to Optimism About Future of Security
May 03, 2018
Optimism. That’s what I walked away with after the RSA Conference in San Francisco last month, and that’s new for me. I attend the RSA conference for a lot of reasons. First of all, everyone in the security industry is all there in one place. I get six months of meetings done in three days. […] The post Focus on Zero Trust Leads to Optimism About Future of Security appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Does Your Current Email Strategy Make the Grade? [Quiz]
May 01, 2018
A consistent common denominator among thriving businesses and successful individuals is their reliance on email for productivity and as a dynamic tool for collaboration. From sending confidential data to executing a marketing campaign, for businesses, email simply gets it all done. The down side of such a crucial piece of our daily productivity is that […] The post Does Your Current Email Strategy Make the Grade? [Quiz] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Benefits of Open Source: Red Hat Summit 2018
Apr 30, 2018
Join Rackspace experts to learn more about the possibilities and business benefits of open source IT solutions at this year’s Red Hat Summit May 8-10 in San Francisco. Rackspace experts will be at booth #401, available to talk to customers about their needs and challenges, and share the experiences and insights we’ve gained as the […] The post The Benefits of Open Source: Red Hat Summit 2018 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Colocation: Getting Out of the Data Center and into AWS
Apr 27, 2018
One of the first talks I gave after I started working at Rackspace was to a global financial company based in the UK that had just sunk several million dollars into a data center — but wanted to hear what I had to say about public cloud. You might be thinking to yourself, ‘that seems […] The post Colocation: Getting Out of the Data Center and into AWS appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Simplify App-Migration Out of the Data Center with Rackspace Bare Metal as a Service
Apr 26, 2018
SAN ANTONIO – April 26, 2018 – Today Rackspace announced expansion of its Managed Hosting portfolio to include Bare Metal as a Service functionality. With the addition of six new bare metal instances, Rackspace Managed Hosting customers who use Bare Metal as a Service can now provision infrastructure on-demand and have it delivered in minutes rather than […] The post Simplify App-Migration Out of the Data Center with Rackspace Bare Metal as a Service appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Expands VMware Private Cloud as a Service to Customer Data Centers
Apr 25, 2018
SAN ANTONIO – April 25, 2018 – Rackspace® today extended its leadership in the private cloud market with the launch of Rackspace Private Cloud Everywhere, powered by VMware®, a Private Cloud as a Service (PCaaS) enabling cloud servers and storage to be in most data centers or colocation facilities around the world. With this announcement, […] The post Rackspace Expands VMware Private Cloud as a Service to Customer Data Centers appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Comparing (All The) Costs of Managed Hosting vs. On-Prem DIY
Apr 24, 2018
At Rackspace, companies frequently ask us what to do with legacy applications that weren’t built for the cloud. They know it’s critical to modernize their IT, but cost is a factor. Should they just keep running these applications in on-premises data centers? Refactor and retool to move to the public cloud? Or choose a managed […] The post Comparing (All The) Costs of Managed Hosting vs. On-Prem DIY appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Getting Started with Security: Finding the Best Value for the Budget You Have
Apr 23, 2018
Every business needs to balance keeping costs in line and while getting the value it needs from products and services. But where to draw that line with security? An evolving necessity, security is one of the most critical yet thorny issues organizations of all sizes must tackle. Customers want to believe companies have the right […] The post Getting Started with Security: Finding the Best Value for the Budget You Have appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Questions for Rackspace Chief People Officer Laura Sue D’Annunzio
Apr 20, 2018
Laura Sue D’Annunzio has spent much of her career helping companies and their employees work successfully through major changes; she’s now bringing that experience to her new role as chief people officer at Rackspace. She served most recently as an advisor to CEOs on strategic human resources issues, and as a career coach for MBA […] The post 5 Questions for Rackspace Chief People Officer Laura Sue D’Annunzio appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Names Jay Ferro SVP and Chief Customer Officer
Apr 19, 2018
SAN ANTONIO – April 19, 2018 – Rackspace® today announced Jay Ferro as its new chief customer officer. Ferro brings 25 years of experience as a CIO and CTO overseeing technology strategy and operations, which gives him a deep understanding of Rackspace customers’ needs and challenges. Ferro will help ensure customers get the full value […] The post Rackspace Names Jay Ferro SVP and Chief Customer Officer appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Hires Laura Sue D’Annunzio as Chief People Officer
Apr 19, 2018
SAN ANTONIO – APRIL 19, 2018 – Rackspace® today announced Laura Sue D’Annunzio as its new chief people officer. D’Annunzio brings 28 years of strategy consulting and HR experience to Rackspace, where she’ll lead the company’s HR organization, including talent acquisition, talent management, talent development and employee engagement/culture. She will report to Rackspace CEO Joe […] The post Rackspace Hires Laura Sue D’Annunzio as Chief People Officer appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
More Security, Support with OpenStack Pike, the Latest Rackspace Private Cloud
Apr 18, 2018
The latest release of Rackspace Private Cloud powered by OpenStack, available now, provides customers with the latest bug fixes and security patches, as well as upstream OpenStack support for new private cloud deployments. Backed by Rackspace’s assurance of an enterprise-ready, security hardened and scalable experience, legendary Fanatical Support and our industry-leading 99.99 percent uptime guarantee, […] The post More Security, Support with OpenStack Pike, the Latest Rackspace Private Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Three Tips (and an Invitation) for Modernizing Your IT Infrastructure
Apr 17, 2018
Beginning this week, Rackspace is teaming up with Google and Red Hat to offer free interactive “Modernize IT” workshops in a handful of cities around the country. For those who can’t make a workshop, you can tune into our recent webinar, where I discussed with experts from Google and Red Hat how larger enterprises are modernizing their […] The post Three Tips (and an Invitation) for Modernizing Your IT Infrastructure appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Building a Foundation for Successful Cyber Threat Intelligence Exchange
Apr 17, 2018
Editor’s note: Brian Kelly, who serves as Rackspace Chief Security Officer, is also co-chair of the CSA’s Cloud Cyber Incident Sharing Center Working Group. No organization is immune from cyber attack. Malicious actors collaborate with skill and agility, moving from target to target at a breakneck pace. With new attacks spreading from dozens of companies to […] The post Building a Foundation for Successful Cyber Threat Intelligence Exchange appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
10 Reasons to Upgrade to AEM 6.4 with Rackspace Application Services
Apr 16, 2018
Adobe Experience Manager 6.4 is arguably the most compelling new release of Adobe’s digital experience management platform to come along in years, offering extremely powerful new features. With Rackspace’s industry-leading, fully-managed AEM hosting options, customers can take advantage of AEM 6.4’s new dynamic media, fluid experiences and advanced artificial intelligence features without the expense and […] The post 10 Reasons to Upgrade to AEM 6.4 with Rackspace Application Services appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How Design Thinking is Transforming Businesses Through Technology
Apr 13, 2018
Today’s most successful companies understand the imperative to put consumers at the center of their business. But not all know how to turn customer-centricity into a competitive advantage. Rackspace, with partners Microsoft, Sitecore and SapientRazorfish, recently held a breakfast briefing in Hong Kong for chief marketing officers to share insights on how design thinking generates […] The post How Design Thinking is Transforming Businesses Through Technology appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
‘Crossing the IT Transformation Chasm’ Webinar Series
Apr 12, 2018
There’s a growing divide between businesses actively working to transform their IT environments to meet new needs (think mobile, artificial intelligence, internet of things, machine learning) and those still trying to force old servers to learn new tricks. Though more than 80 percent of IT leaders say innovation is key to their success, according to […] The post ‘Crossing the IT Transformation Chasm’ Webinar Series appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Lays Foundation for Fanatical Channel with Launch of New Partner Program
Apr 11, 2018
SAN ANTONIO – April 11, 2018 – Rackspace® today announced the launch of its new partner program, a critical milestone as the company lays the foundation for a Fanatical Channel TM. The Rackspace Partner Program provides partners with better visibility and access into one of the industry’s broadest portfolio of managed IT services and expertise […] The post Rackspace Lays Foundation for Fanatical Channel with Launch of New Partner Program appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
10 Ways to Save with Google Cloud Platform and Rackspace
Apr 10, 2018
Controlling cloud costs is a leading challenge for enterprises at each stage of their cloud journey. Fortunately, companies utilizing a public cloud can benefit from the strategic partnership between Google and Rackspace. Google Cloud Platform is a state-of-the-art, cost-friendly public cloud, and Google has selected Rackspace as its first managed services provider for GCP, based […] The post 10 Ways to Save with Google Cloud Platform and Rackspace appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Gartner: Rackspace a Leader in Public Cloud Managed Services
Apr 09, 2018
For the second year in a row, Rackspace has earned a place in the Leaders quadrant of Gartner’s 2018 Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud Infrastructure Managed Service Providers, Worldwide. Due to the complex nature and barriers to entry for cloud adoption, we believe it’s critical that managed service providers offer comprehensive capabilities, including professional services, […] The post Gartner: Rackspace a Leader in Public Cloud Managed Services appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Filling the Women in Technology Pipeline
Apr 05, 2018
As a leader at Rackspace, I am a strong believer in investing time and resources to attract and develop the most qualified talent; as a woman in technology, it’s also important to me to encourage young women to pursue non-traditional careers. That’s a big reason I joined the committee that sponsors San Antonio Area Aspirations […] The post Filling the Women in Technology Pipeline appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How Serverless Computing Can Radically Simplify Cloud Use
Apr 05, 2018
If you’re someone who likes to stay up to date with the latest trends in cloud computing, you’ve likely heard of serverless computing, also referred to as “functions-as-a-service.” Despite the name, serverless computing does not mean there are no servers involved. Instead, it refers to organizations not having to manage their own servers, by having […] The post How Serverless Computing Can Radically Simplify Cloud Use appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace in the Leaders Quadrant of Gartner Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud Managed Service Providers
Apr 04, 2018
SAN ANTONIO – April 4, 2018 – Rackspace® today announced that it has been positioned by Gartner, Inc. in the Leaders quadrant of its 2018 Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud Infrastructure Managed Service Providers, Worldwide. The Gartner assessment, performed by the firm’s IT industry analysts, evaluates service providers based on the completeness of their vision and their […] The post Rackspace in the Leaders Quadrant of Gartner Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud Managed Service Providers appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace and Switch Join Forces to Deliver Digital Transformation Services to Customers in Switch’s Tier 5 Platinum Data Centers
Apr 02, 2018
LAS VEGAS – April 2, 2018 – Switch and Rackspace today announced a new agreement to deliver Rackspace private cloud solutions and connectivity to managed public cloud solutions on AWS, Azure and Google in Switch’s highly secure and reliable Tier 5® Platinum data center PRIME locations. The agreement builds on Rackspace’s Fanatical Everywhere and Pay-As-You-Go […] The post Rackspace and Switch Join Forces to Deliver Digital Transformation Services to Customers in Switch’s Tier 5 Platinum Data Centers appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Where to Find Rackspace Experts at OpenStack Summit Vancouver
Mar 27, 2018
Mark your calendars and book your travel as the OpenStack Summit returns to Vancouver! In the three years since the Summit was last held in this world class Canadian city, OpenStack has matured into the leading enterprise platform for private cloud, and many more businesses are consuming it as-a-service, a delivery model Rackspace pioneered. Rackspace […] The post Where to Find Rackspace Experts at OpenStack Summit Vancouver appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Extends Managed Security to Google Cloud Platform
Mar 21, 2018
SAN ANTONIO – March 21, 2018 – Rackspace® announced today that Managed Security and Compliance Assistance for Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is now available for preview to new and existing customers that use Rackspace Managed Services for GCP. Companies using GCP can now benefit from the additional security capabilities provided by Rackspace Managed Security (RMS) […] The post Rackspace Extends Managed Security to Google Cloud Platform appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How Can ‘Postmodern ERP’ Benefit Your Business?
Mar 20, 2018
For many organizations across the globe, 2018 is bringing together transformation and integration across their IT ecosystems. One of the biggest transformational changes IT can expect is that enterprise resource planning, or ERP, will become more integrated as we move into the “Postmodern ERP” phase. According to Gartner, Postmodern ERP is a strategy that automates […] The post How Can ‘Postmodern ERP’ Benefit Your Business? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Check Out Barreleye G2, Zaius at OpenPOWER, OpenCompute and IBM Think
Mar 16, 2018
Rackspace is showcasing brand new Zaius PVT motherboard samples and Barreleye G2 servers at OpenPOWER Summit, Open Compute Summit and IBM Think next week, demonstrating their industry leading capabilities. Zaius/Barreleye G2 OpenPOWER platform was originally announced at the OpenPOWER Summit in 2016 as collaborative effort between Google and Rackspace. Since then we have made steady progress […] The post Check Out Barreleye G2, Zaius at OpenPOWER, OpenCompute and IBM Think appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
SAP on Azure: the Microsoft Cloud Advantage
Mar 15, 2018
Even though making use of the cloud isn’t quite the daring leap it used to be, it can still be an intimidating venture, especially when it comes to hosting mission-critical applications. But the potential benefits of effectively utilizing the cloud have become undeniable, leading many of today’s forward-thinking enterprises to digital transformation by moving workloads […] The post SAP on Azure: the Microsoft Cloud Advantage appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Maintaining Compliance in an Age of Cloud Globalization 
Mar 14, 2018
Cloud computing is global in nature, and that means compliance and data protection must be, too.  The worldwide cloud computing market is expected to reach $160 billion in 2018, a 23 percent increase over 2017, according to IDC projections. With key advantages like speed to market and cost efficiency of storing data around the globe, harnessing the […] The post Maintaining Compliance in an Age of Cloud Globalization  appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How Will Your Organization Harness the Power of Public Cloud for Digital Transformation?
Mar 12, 2018
Companies are making their way from legacy IT infrastructures into the cloud in record numbers, with 2018 shaping up to be the year when enterprises push hard to accelerate innovation cycles and maximize their cloud investments. To do so, many will seek a trusted advisor to help harness the overwhelming power of public cloud. The […] The post How Will Your Organization Harness the Power of Public Cloud for Digital Transformation? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Named “Expert Partner of the Year for Hong Kong” by Alibaba Cloud
Mar 08, 2018
HONG KONG – March 7, 2018 – Rackspace today announced that it has been named Expert Partner of the Year for Hong Kong awarded by Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group. The award recognizes Rackspace’s expertise in designing, building and managing best-practice Alibaba Cloud environments. With 21 Alibaba Cloud Certified Professional – ACP […] The post Rackspace Named “Expert Partner of the Year for Hong Kong” by Alibaba Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Seeking Customers for Beta Managed Bare Metal Compute on Rackspace Private Cloud
Mar 08, 2018
At Rackspace, we make a continual effort to expand the capabilities of your private cloud, often based on direct feedback from customers. That has included requests for higher processing performance for key workloads, a need for bare metal machines to be provisioned quickly and dedicated (i.e. single-tenant) compute resources. To meet those workload needs, we […] The post Seeking Customers for Beta Managed Bare Metal Compute on Rackspace Private Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
End-to-End Management of Amazon Aurora Maximizes Advantages, Keeps Costs Down
Mar 07, 2018
Managing a relational database is a common headache for businesses — but now, it doesn’t have to be. Provisioning for continued growth and protecting against data loss, while also managing associated costs, are primary pain points for many companies. It’s also common that IT teams simply do not possess the technical expertise, required staff or […] The post End-to-End Management of Amazon Aurora Maximizes Advantages, Keeps Costs Down appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
British Medical Journal Relies on Rackspace for Global Presence
Mar 05, 2018
Starting out more than 170 years ago as a print publication, the British Medical Journal is now a global brand, encompassing 60 specialty medical and allied sciences journals with millions of readers. BMJ helps medical organizations and clinicians tackle today’s most critical healthcare challenges through its digital platform, publishing cutting-edge academic research, providing professional development […] The post British Medical Journal Relies on Rackspace for Global Presence appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Security, Compliance Remain Top Concerns for Government Healthcare Providers
Mar 02, 2018
At the annual HIMSS conference next week, healthcare practitioners and IT providers will come together to help determine where the healthcare segment of the IT industry is headed this year. Conference organizers say this year’s focus will be on “holistic healthcare cybersecurity,” and it’s no wonder — patient health data remains the proverbial pot of […] The post Security, Compliance Remain Top Concerns for Government Healthcare Providers appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Modernize ERP for a Multi-Cloud World
Mar 01, 2018
As Enterprise Resource Planning technology grows more complex and cloud offerings mature, IT decision makers now expect to have the flexibility to run applications where they make the most sense. That’s why multi-cloud environments are becoming increasingly popular, allowing IT leaders to choose their hosting environments based on factors such as convenience, cost and operational […] The post How to Modernize ERP for a Multi-Cloud World appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Public Cloud Trends: Three to Watch  
Feb 27, 2018
Public cloud adoption is soaring. As business leaders turn to public cloud to transform their applications and optimize their workloads, leading public cloud providers such as Amazon, Microsoft and Google are flush with demand. Your organization is likely already using public cloud (or multiple clouds) to power parts of your business. Or you’re weighing the […] The post Public Cloud Trends: Three to Watch   appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Container Training at Rackspace: Not Your Mama’s Tupperware
Feb 27, 2018
Is there a hotter technology than containers right now? Companies are incorporating containers into their cloud plans more than ever before, but there are still a lot of folks who are unsure how to use them effectively. In fact, the more I talk about containers with others, the more I realize what we really need […] The post Container Training at Rackspace: Not Your Mama’s Tupperware appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
More Firepower: Cisco and Rackspace Deliver Advanced Security for Multi-Cloud Environments
Feb 26, 2018
For nearly 20 years, our customers have relied on Rackspace to help drive their digital transformations, from out of the data center and into the cloud, with our IT as a service and multi-cloud solutions. All along the way, security has been a top priority. That’s why, for most of those years, we have closely collaborated […] The post More Firepower: Cisco and Rackspace Deliver Advanced Security for Multi-Cloud Environments appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Protecting Sensitive Data with Microsoft Office 365
Feb 21, 2018
Data loss and corruption can be caused by a variety of scenarios — power outages, security breaches as well as malicious insiders or even employees who make simple mistakes. Information protection has become a huge area of focus in response to ongoing high-profile data breaches in the U.S., as well as the updated General Data Protection […] The post Protecting Sensitive Data with Microsoft Office 365 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Answers to Your Most Common Private Cloud Questions
Feb 20, 2018
As the market leader in private cloud with more than one billion server hours of cloud operations under our belt, Rackspace has a valuable perspective, and a good sense of the challenges companies face that lead them to a private cloud solution. Our sales team fields countless questions about private clouds every day. We sat […] The post Answers to Your Most Common Private Cloud Questions appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Augmented Reality Cloud and the Future of Information
Feb 19, 2018
These days, while we see virtual reality all over headlines, it’s less common to find an article on augmented reality or AR — but that all could change in the near future. AR, which involves the integration of digital information with our physical environment in real-time, has been steadily growing over the past few years, finding its way into multiple areas of our lives. From the explosion of Pokémon Go to Snapchat’s meme-worthy dancing hot […] The post The Augmented Reality Cloud and the Future of Information appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
More Insights, Transparency and Control Now Available on Rackspace Private Cloud
Feb 15, 2018
Our customers choose private cloud solutions for a variety of reasons, including performance, greater control, ability to meet regulatory compliance requirements and cost savings. Whatever their primary motivation might be, all are interested in maximizing their investment. At Rackspace, we strive to provide our customers with the tools and capabilities to help them maximize ROI. […] The post More Insights, Transparency and Control Now Available on Rackspace Private Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Intel’s Highest Performance Processor, Now with Rackspace Fanatical Support
Feb 14, 2018
The newest, fastest Intel Xeon Scalable Processor is now available to all Rackspace customers on Dell’s 14th generation PowerEdge server, the R740xd. The newest Intel processor, codename Skylake, offers higher performance, denser virtualization (meaning you can do more with fewer processors) and more flexible storage options. And did we mention higher performance? Skylake now holds […] The post Intel’s Highest Performance Processor, Now with Rackspace Fanatical Support appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Intel’s Highest Performance Processor, Now with Rackspace Fanatical Support
Feb 14, 2018
The newest, fastest Intel Xeon Scalable Processor is now available to all Rackspace customers on Dell’s 14th generation PowerEdge server, the R740xd. The newest Intel processor, codename Skylake, offers higher performance, denser virtualization (meaning you can do more with fewer processors) and more flexible storage options. And did we mention higher performance? Skylake now holds […] The post Intel’s Highest Performance Processor, Now with Rackspace Fanatical Support appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackers Giving Back: How Building a Robot Changed a Life
Feb 13, 2018
Rackspace employees have the expertise to solve some of today’s most complex business IT challenges. In addition to helping customers, many also serve our community with their talents. Rackers are encouraged to use their three days of annual volunteer time to give back in whatever ways are meaningful to them.   Growing up, Rackspace software developer […] The post Rackers Giving Back: How Building a Robot Changed a Life appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackers Giving Back: How Building a Robot Changed a Life
Feb 13, 2018
Rackspace employees have the expertise to solve some of today’s most complex business IT challenges. In addition to helping customers, many also serve our community with their talents. Rackers are encouraged to use their three days of annual volunteer time to give back in whatever ways are meaningful to them.   Growing up, Rackspace software developer […] The post Rackers Giving Back: How Building a Robot Changed a Life appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
UPDATED 02.12.18: Vulnerabilities Affecting Processors by Intel, AMD and ARM
Feb 12, 2018
Updated Feb. 12, 2018 16:00 CST Rackspace has taken significant steps towards applying the main Windows® registry key on cloud and dedicated servers. This key is required to install January and February 2018 Security rollup patches and future Microsoft Security patches. Additional details related to registry keys can be found on the Windows OS Mitigations page. Rackspace […] The post UPDATED 02.12.18: Vulnerabilities Affecting Processors by Intel, AMD and ARM appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Introducing New Rackspace Blog Authors From Datapipe
Feb 12, 2018
When Rackspace acquired Datapipe late last year, our combined forces created one of the world’s leading providers of IT as a service, offering an unmatched portfolio of integrated services across all leading public and private clouds, managed hosting, application management and digital transformation services. One of the best parts of our integration is gaining new Rackers from Datapipe’s impressive team of knowledgeable experts. Over the […] The post Introducing New Rackspace Blog Authors From Datapipe appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Introducing New Rackspace Blog Authors From Datapipe
Feb 12, 2018
When Rackspace acquired Datapipe late last year, our combined forces created one of the world’s leading providers of IT as a service, offering an unmatched portfolio of integrated services across all leading public and private clouds, managed hosting, application management and digital transformation services. One of the best parts of our integration is gaining new Rackers from Datapipe’s impressive team of knowledgeable experts. Over the […] The post Introducing New Rackspace Blog Authors From Datapipe appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
An Easier Way to Adopt Container Technology: As a Service
Feb 09, 2018
Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform brings together Kubernetes and Dockers with Red Hat Enterprise Linux, offering developers and operators tooling that can accelerate development, deployment and scaling of containerized applications. Even better, Rackspace has joined forces with Red Hat once again to provide support, operations and expertise to help enterprises get the most out of […] The post An Easier Way to Adopt Container Technology: As a Service appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
An Easier Way to Adopt Container Technology: As a Service
Feb 09, 2018
Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform brings together Kubernetes and Dockers with Red Hat Enterprise Linux, offering developers and operators tooling that can accelerate development, deployment and scaling of containerized applications. Even better, Rackspace has joined forces with Red Hat once again to provide support, operations and expertise to help enterprises get the most out of […] The post An Easier Way to Adopt Container Technology: As a Service appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Taking a Page from the Hackers’ Handbook: The Power of Human Expertise
Feb 08, 2018
When I was asked by Rackspace in 2015 to build and staff a security operations center that could deliver effective cybersecurity services to our customers, I knew it would be a challenge. After all, breaches of large organizations such as the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Anthem Inc., Ashley Maddison and multiple financial institutions were […] The post Taking a Page from the Hackers’ Handbook: The Power of Human Expertise appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Taking a Page from the Hackers’ Handbook: The Power of Human Expertise
Feb 08, 2018
When I was asked by Rackspace in 2015 to build and staff a security operations center that could deliver effective cybersecurity services to our customers, I knew it would be a challenge. After all, breaches of large organizations such as the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Anthem Inc., Ashley Maddison and multiple financial institutions were […] The post Taking a Page from the Hackers’ Handbook: The Power of Human Expertise appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
#cloudchat25 Recap: Challenges and Strategies for Hosting Video Content
Feb 07, 2018
The web is becoming more of a visual space. While this is an accepted truth for digital natives, those of us who grew up with a dialup connection and a text-based Internet can easily forget how much videography matters to the modern web. Yet producing video content is cumbersome, and hosting it is a challenge […] The post #cloudchat25 Recap: Challenges and Strategies for Hosting Video Content appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
#cloudchat25 Recap: Challenges and Strategies for Hosting Video Content
Feb 07, 2018
The web is becoming more of a visual space. While this is an accepted truth for digital natives, those of us who grew up with a dialup connection and a text-based Internet can easily forget how much videography matters to the modern web. Yet producing video content is cumbersome, and hosting it is a challenge […] The post #cloudchat25 Recap: Challenges and Strategies for Hosting Video Content appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Ways to Consume OpenStack as a Service
Feb 06, 2018
As I described in my earlier post, “Why DIY OpenStack Deployments Fail (and What Can Be Done About It),” I have seen too many organizations that have tried a DIY approach to OpenStack fail.   As a Rackspace sales specialist, it’s not uncommon for me to see a company buy and test a distribution like Mirantis or Canonical, or attempt to deploy their own version of OpenStack. Then they have difficulty scaling it, or a hard time upgrading […] The post 5 Ways to Consume OpenStack as a Service appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Ways to Consume OpenStack as a Service
Feb 06, 2018
As I described in my earlier post, “Why DIY OpenStack Deployments Fail (and What Can Be Done About It),” I have seen too many organizations that have tried a DIY approach to OpenStack fail.   As a Rackspace sales specialist, it’s not uncommon for me to see a company buy and test a distribution like Mirantis or Canonical, or attempt to deploy their own version of OpenStack. Then they have difficulty scaling it, or a hard time upgrading […] The post 5 Ways to Consume OpenStack as a Service appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Moving Workloads from Your Data Center to a Hosted Private Cloud
Feb 05, 2018
How’s this for an eye-popping statistic: of the companies surveyed last year by RightScale for its annual State of the Cloud report, fully 95 percent said they were already using the cloud — most more than one, a mix of public and private. Of those, nearly a third are choosing private clouds for some of […] The post Moving Workloads from Your Data Center to a Hosted Private Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Moving Workloads from Your Data Center to a Hosted Private Cloud
Feb 05, 2018
How’s this for an eye-popping statistic: of the companies surveyed last year by RightScale for its annual State of the Cloud report, fully 95 percent said they were already using the cloud — most more than one, a mix of public and private. Of those, nearly a third are choosing private clouds for some of […] The post Moving Workloads from Your Data Center to a Hosted Private Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Big Exposure Around the Big Game
Feb 02, 2018
Another Super Bowl is nearly upon us. As Tom Brady, Nick Foles, and their respective teams get ready for what looks to be a promising matchup, organizations across the globe are finalizing their marketing efforts to capitalize on a massive, attentive audience. The Super Bowl is notorious for its costly commercials. Luckily, you don’t have […] The post Big Exposure Around the Big Game appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What to Expect from the Rackspace Partner Program in 2018
Jan 31, 2018
Last year, Rackspace invested in our partners through incentive programs, tools and training. As we move into 2018, we are deepening that investment. As part of our commitment to a world class partner program, I’m pleased to announce two strategic hires, Senior Partner Marketing Manager Jolynn Antonacci and Director of Channel Operations Judy Vansell. Judy […] The post What to Expect from the Rackspace Partner Program in 2018 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Why DIY OpenStack Deployments Fail (and What Can Be Done About It)
Jan 30, 2018
As a sales specialist dealing with companies of all sizes, I’ve seen too many organizations fail when trying to architect, deploy and operate OpenStack clouds on their own. That’s why I’m such a strong proponent for consuming OpenStack private clouds as-a-service. OpenStack is an API enabled technology that can be deployed to control large pools […] The post Why DIY OpenStack Deployments Fail (and What Can Be Done About It) appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
#cloudchat 24 Recap: Private Cloud Implementation Stories
Jan 29, 2018
If the attendance in our recent #cloudchat is any indication, there don’t seem to be many folks with private cloud expertise. This could be because the scale and necessity of private clouds is often at the enterprise level. For most, that can be a barrier to gaining valuable experience. Fortunately, we have talented individuals at […] The post #cloudchat 24 Recap: Private Cloud Implementation Stories appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Kicking Off the New Year with Better-Than-Ever Office 365 Support
Jan 25, 2018
In the constantly changing world of business software and productivity applications, Microsoft Office 365 remains the go-to choice for IT decision-makers looking for a comprehensive, cost-effective way to streamline communication and collaboration across their businesses. Rackspace has supported this vision by serving as an Office 365 support expert for more than 100,000 customers over the […] The post Kicking Off the New Year with Better-Than-Ever Office 365 Support appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
New Technologies, Critical Groundwork Bolster Cybersecurity in 2018
Jan 24, 2018
While cybersecurity continues to become more complex and harder to manage, there are bright spots on the horizon in 2018, in the form of new technologies and policies. There are also steps organizations should commit to taking in the months ahead to help keep their data secure. First, the new stuff. Deception technologies Deception technologies […] The post New Technologies, Critical Groundwork Bolster Cybersecurity in 2018 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Understanding Rackspace Private Cloud as-a-Service
Jan 23, 2018
The world is truly embracing the concept of “as-a-service.” As consumers we order cars, food and even household goods from our phones to be delivered, as-a-service, to our front door. We choose TV shows and movies from the comfort of our couch, delivered as-a-service to our TVs, tablets and smartphones. We’ve consumed web-based email as-a-service […] The post Understanding Rackspace Private Cloud as-a-Service appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
#cloudchat Recap 23: Private Cloud Strengths, Best Applications
Jan 22, 2018
Choosing the right private cloud technologies can be a complex task. That’s why this week we took to #cloudchat to let experts weigh in on everything from strengths of the top private clouds to which apps are best suited for the technology. While many struggled to agree on even the definition of private cloud, one […] The post #cloudchat Recap 23: Private Cloud Strengths, Best Applications appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What is Managed Hosting?
Jan 18, 2018
Organizations weighing whether and how to move their IT infrastructure to the cloud are faced with a dizzying array of options. One of those is “managed hosting,” also referred to as managed dedicated hosting, dedicated servers or single tenant hosting. All those names refer to an IT service model where a customer leases hardware — […] The post What is Managed Hosting? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
#cloudchat 22 Recap: When Does Private Cloud Make Sense?
Jan 17, 2018
To kick off the first #cloudchat of 2018, participants contributed to a lively discussion about all things private cloud! From weighing cost considerations, to the expertise needed to maintain, our experts unpacked the situations when a private cloud solution is the best option for a company. Read what folks had to share and stay tuned […] The post #cloudchat 22 Recap: When Does Private Cloud Make Sense? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Readying Your Web Application for the Next Big Event, Part 2
Jan 17, 2018
In my previous blog post, I discussed the importance of load testing and monitoring your application in preparation for a big event. This could be something that was planned, such as a marketing campaign or an online sale, or something unexpected, such as your application going viral. In this post, I’ll discuss additional architectural patterns […] The post Readying Your Web Application for the Next Big Event, Part 2 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Private Cloud-as-a-Service Powers Leading Sports Team Management App
Jan 16, 2018
When TeamSnap needed to move to a secure and stable platform that could handle a customer base growing by an average of 200,000 new users per month, they turned to Rackspace Private Cloud. An an award-winning integrated sports team, club and league management application that simplifies communication and coordination of practices, games and tournaments, TeamSnap already […] The post Rackspace Private Cloud-as-a-Service Powers Leading Sports Team Management App appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
UPDATED: Vulnerabilities Affecting Processors by Intel, AMD and ARM
Jan 10, 2018
Updated Jan. 10, 2018 09:45 CST Updates on specific Rackspace services now available via the Rackspace Support Network. Updated Jan. 5, 2018, 14:30 CST.   On Jan. 3, 2018, Rackspace was made aware of a set of vulnerabilities affecting certain Intel, AMD and ARM processors.   We are addressing the issue as vendor patches are released and workarounds become available. Further details about the security vulnerabilities can […] The post UPDATED: Vulnerabilities Affecting Processors by Intel, AMD and ARM appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Deepen Your Knowledge of OpenStack with Rackspace Training
Jan 10, 2018
Are you interested in getting some OpenStack training, but don’t know where to begin? Many take the first step by doing a Google search. But that returns thousands of articles about different OpenStack topics, from commentary about official OpenStack projects to case studies on companies who have successfully used OpenStack to expand their business to […] The post Deepen Your Knowledge of OpenStack with Rackspace Training appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Do Business Email Right
Jan 08, 2018
Despite the ongoing innovations in business communication applications, one thing has remained the same — email is unwavering in its role as the mission-critical communication tool of choice for businesses around the world. However, not all email services are created equal. Finding the right email solution and the best email service provider to fit your business […] The post How to Do Business Email Right appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Combating Today’s Cyberthreats Requires a Focus Shift
Jan 08, 2018
The cyberthreat landscape continues to change at a rapid pace, with attackers finding their way into some of the world’s largest, most well-resourced organizations. It seems nothing can stop the criminals from continually picking the locks. In many cases, the tactics used by hackers weren’t even especially sophisticated. The malicious actors were simply determined to […] The post Combating Today’s Cyberthreats Requires a Focus Shift appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
National Kidney Registry Teams with Rackspace to Make Miracle Matches
Jan 04, 2018
The National Kidney Registry is in the business of making miracle matches — facilitating kidney swaps between paired donors and paired recipients across the country. It’s all done through a paired exchange donation in which a donor gives their kidney to another recipient in exchange for a compatible kidney for their loved one. The NKR team […] The post National Kidney Registry Teams with Rackspace to Make Miracle Matches appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
CEO: What to Expect from Rackspace in 2018
Jan 02, 2018
As I look back on 2017, I see it as a major turning point in the history of Rackspace, and in our mission to help customers take full advantage of the latest in information technology as a service. During the past year, we at once extended our lead in delivering multi-cloud services and charted a future in which we will continue to enhance the Fanatical Experience that we provide to our customers. […] The post CEO: What to Expect from Rackspace in 2018 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
No Time for Managing Hardware in the Fight Against Hunger
Dec 28, 2017
With the challenge of providing 4 billion meals annually to the one in every eight Americans that struggle with hunger, Feeding America doesn’t have time to worry about managing its IT. The leaders of the non-profit organization need to devote their time and resources to support its nationwide network of food banks. That’s why Feeding America […] The post No Time for Managing Hardware in the Fight Against Hunger appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
#cloudchat Recap: A Future Driven by Artificial Intelligence?
Dec 26, 2017
With 2018 right around the corner, we wrapped up our future-looking #cloudchat series with a conversation on artificial intelligence, or AI, which is software that emulate aspects of human cognition, and can accomplish human-level tasks such as visual perception, understanding and using speech. AI also has the ability to “learn” though only to a limited […] The post #cloudchat Recap: A Future Driven by Artificial Intelligence? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Phishing Attacks: How to Keep Yourself and Your Information Safe
Dec 22, 2017
With the holiday shopping season in full swing, tax season just around the corner and data breaches happening on a regular basis, it’s important to be constantly vigilant on the Internet. One of the most common and successful ways for malicious actors to take hold of your sensitive information is through phishing attacks. A phishing […] The post Phishing Attacks: How to Keep Yourself and Your Information Safe appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How Basic Outfitters Survived the “Shark Tank Effect”
Dec 21, 2017
Entrepreneurs don’t always come away with an investment after getting a chance to pitch their business to a panel of tycoons on the popular Shark Tank business-themed TV reality show. Even so, the visibility often spurs a huge spike in web sales and inquiries. That “Shark Tank Effect” could easily crash the servers of an […] The post How Basic Outfitters Survived the “Shark Tank Effect” appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Music Behind the Tech: Zarek Munoz
Nov 10, 2017
Music and tech make a perfect pair — coding, troubleshooting and focusing on projects are often accompanied by a soundtrack for many in the IT industry. Whether it’s getting into that “flow state” or simply dialing in on a complex problem, listening to music seems to be the method of choice for IT employees looking […] The post Music Behind the Tech: Zarek Munoz appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Named a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality
Nov 09, 2017
For the first time in the company’s history, Rackspace scored 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, adding us to the growing list of companies named as “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality.” “Making this list shows our commitment to fostering a diverse, engaged workforce,” said Emily McQueen, director of Global […] The post Rackspace Named a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Telematics Company Accelerates Past Lift and Shift with Rackspace Professional Services and DevOps Automation
Nov 09, 2017
At a manufacturing plant in Delaware, forklifts zip backward and forward across the warehouse floor, lifting and shifting hundreds of palettes of finished product onto waiting 18-wheelers. As the forklifts move, a plant manager can pop open a laptop to see real-time visual representations of the forklifts’ paths and receive instant alerts if there’s an […] The post Telematics Company Accelerates Past Lift and Shift with Rackspace Professional Services and DevOps Automation appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Readying Your Web Application for the Next Big Event, Part 1
Nov 08, 2017
Often, a big media event can take your operations team by surprise. Sometimes (if you’re lucky), the marketing department may give no more than a few days’ notice. They might assume that because the application hums along nicely today, it should be able to handle drastically increased traffic without any major planning or preparation. Or, […] The post Readying Your Web Application for the Next Big Event, Part 1 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
3 Tips for Building an Effective Google Cloud Platform Operations Team
Nov 07, 2017
Building a cloud operations team isn’t a new concept. But what if you need to build an operations team from the ground up for your applications that are running on Google Cloud Platform? Over the course of eight years at Rackspace, I’ve had the opportunity to build operations teams that have supported thousands of customers. […] The post 3 Tips for Building an Effective Google Cloud Platform Operations Team appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Commonwealth Bank: Using OpenStack as its Integration Engine
Nov 07, 2017
OpenStack’s role in edge computing, scientific research and multi-cloud architectures was highlighted in a morning full of OpenStack Summit keynotes from companies as diverse as AT&T, Huawei, Adobe and Commonwealth Bank of Australia. As I noted in an earlier blog post, another key theme in Sydney, which kicked off yesterday, is the emerging trend of […] The post Commonwealth Bank: Using OpenStack as its Integration Engine appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Power of Us: Embracing Women’s Personal Stories
Nov 07, 2017
As a returning attendee to the annual Texas Conference for Women, I knew to expect an environment of game changers and norm-challengers, but I hadn’t processed the theme of this year’s conference until it was explicitly stated in the welcoming remarks: the power of us. I was one of more than 180 women who attended […] The post Power of Us: Embracing Women’s Personal Stories appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
#cloudchat Recap: AWS Trends and Strategies
Nov 06, 2017
With this year’s AWS re:Invent around the corner, we asked our experts to debate all things AWS in a four-part #cloudchat series. Up first, we asked our #cloudchat experts to weigh in on the AWS trends and strategies they’re seeing — and if our first chat reflects the rest, November is bound to be full […] The post #cloudchat Recap: AWS Trends and Strategies appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Music Behind the Tech: Ana Leasman
Nov 03, 2017
Music and tech make a perfect pair — coding, troubleshooting and focusing on projects are often accompanied by a soundtrack for many in the IT industry. Whether it’s getting into that “flow state” or simply dialing in on a complex problem, listening to music seems to be the method of choice for IT employees looking […] The post Music Behind the Tech: Ana Leasman appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How Rackspace Develops Great Leaders
Nov 02, 2017
Embarking on the journey from individual contributor to people leader is one of the most important career moves you can make. We deeply value great leadership at Rackspace, and that’s why we take leadership training so seriously. In this, the second part in our Limitless Learning series, you’ll learn about Rackspace’s leadership training opportunities. In […] The post How Rackspace Develops Great Leaders appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
A Foundation Board Member on the Evolution of OpenStack
Nov 02, 2017
It’s hard to believe OpenStack was founded just seven years ago. I’ve been working with this open source platform since 2012, when I installed the Essex release from source code. Today, I sit on the OpenStack Foundation board and co-chair the Interop Working Group, which focuses on OpenStack interoperability guidelines. While I won’t be attending […] The post A Foundation Board Member on the Evolution of OpenStack appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Questions for SVP, GM of Professional Services Rachel Cassidy
Nov 01, 2017
Rachel Cassidy leads the evolution of the Rackspace’s technical sales and professional services organization into a trusted advisor role, providing the end to end expertise to lead Rackspace customers successfully through their cloud journey. Prior to Rackspace, she spent a decade at Red Hat, building out the pre-sales and professional services organization as vice president […] The post 5 Questions for SVP, GM of Professional Services Rachel Cassidy appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Rackspace Guide to AWS re:Invent 2017
Nov 01, 2017
This year’s AWS re:Invent is only a month away and just as in years past,  it’s set to be a cornucopia of cutting edge technology, cloud innovation and learning (along with a “small” dash of partying). To help you get prepared for this year’s event, I’m here to provide a little pre-Vegas advice from a […] The post The Rackspace Guide to AWS re:Invent 2017 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
A Guide to Cloud-Based ERP: Building a Case for Change [Webinar]
Nov 01, 2017
Join Rackspace for a five-session webinar event, where our experts will take an in-depth look at the value of expertise in accelerating your cloud journey, keeping your infrastructure up and running, securing your environment and optimizing operations for maximum productivity. Register for the final session, below. Links to the first four episodes, which can now […] The post A Guide to Cloud-Based ERP: Building a Case for Change [Webinar] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How Rackspace is Enhancing Microsoft Private Cloud
Oct 31, 2017
Microsoft held no punches in its latest Server 2016 release adding a slew of new features and improvements to its Hyper-V virtualization platform, which have now been integrated by the Microsoft Private Cloud team at Rackspace. [Download our whitepaper to read about the top 10 new features we are most excited about.] And while the […] The post How Rackspace is Enhancing Microsoft Private Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The First and Last Line of Cyber Defense: Your Experts [Webinar]
Oct 30, 2017
Join Rackspace for a five-session webinar event, where our experts will take an in-depth look at the value of expertise in accelerating your cloud journey, keeping your infrastructure up and running, securing your environment and optimizing operations for maximum productivity. Register for the sessions individually, or all at once.  Links to episodes that have already […] The post The First and Last Line of Cyber Defense: Your Experts [Webinar] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
#cloudchat Recap: Cybersecurity Community and Relationships
Oct 30, 2017
To wrap up our series of cybersecurity-themed chats, we asked the #cloudchat experts to discuss how they build meaningful cybersecurity relationships and communities. This week’s cloud chatters were also asked to describe a successful cybersecurity pro in three words. Our CTO, John Engates, chose careful, consistent and clever – and we can see those themes […] The post #cloudchat Recap: Cybersecurity Community and Relationships appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Steps to Focus Your Cloud Optimization Efforts
Oct 27, 2017
Let me know if this sounds familiar: You’re tasked with optimizing your cloud infrastructure. Cost savings are needed. You focus your attention on your largest monthly expense — a fleet of EC2 instances. You look at metrics and scour logs. The signs are clear. Instances are underutilized. You give the order and instances are resized, […] The post 5 Steps to Focus Your Cloud Optimization Efforts appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Managed Security Services for Dummies Ebook Helps Businesses Evolve Their Cybersecurity Posture
Oct 27, 2017
Looking to better understand how your business can keep pace with the shifting cybersecurity landscape? Download this complimentary Managed Security Service Providers For Dummies ebook, which provides a simple, practical framework to help you navigate security decisions relevant to data center and cloud infrastructure. As the book states: “Dangerous and sophisticated attacks are a daily […] The post Managed Security Services for Dummies Ebook Helps Businesses Evolve Their Cybersecurity Posture appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Music Behind the Tech: Tim Duvall
Oct 27, 2017
Music and tech make a perfect pair — coding, troubleshooting and focusing on projects are often accompanied by a soundtrack for many in the IT industry. Whether it’s getting into that “flow state” or simply dialing in on a complex problem, listening to music seems to be the method of choice for IT employees looking […] The post Music Behind the Tech: Tim Duvall appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Cloud Experts, Book Signings, Free Beer: Rackspace at OpenStack Summit Sydney
Oct 26, 2017
For the first time in its history, the OpenStack Summit is heading Down Under, but as always, Rackspace experts will be there. Scroll down to learn where to find them. Rackspace has been involved in every OpenStack Summit since hosting the inaugural event in Austin more than seven years ago, and as a sponsor this […] The post Cloud Experts, Book Signings, Free Beer: Rackspace at OpenStack Summit Sydney appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Microsoft Azure — The Perfect Home for Your Containers
Oct 26, 2017
It’s impossible to ignore container technology. From blog posts to magazine articles to YouTube videos, we’re awash in information about containers and how they are changing the face of application delivery. Just as virtualization altered the landscape of traditional computing, containerization is poised to make an equal impact. For those new to containers, the elevator […] The post Microsoft Azure — The Perfect Home for Your Containers appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Disable Email HTML for a Safer Inbox
Oct 25, 2017
A recent article in the academic research publication The Conversation argued that displaying incoming email as plain-text is safer than HTML. Unfortunately, most major email providers do not offer this option to their users. I agree that plain-text is a safer way to read email, and at Rackspace, we’ve let our Webmail users disable HTML display […] The post Disable Email HTML for a Safer Inbox appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Top 5 Reasons Rackspace Invested in our Partnership with Google
Oct 25, 2017
Rackspace is now more than seven months into our partnership with Google as its first managed services partner for Google Cloud Platform. Since we began servicing customers in July, more than 100 Rackspace employees currently hold Google technical and sales certifications. We’re now working with customers in both North America and Europe and our managed service […] The post Top 5 Reasons Rackspace Invested in our Partnership with Google appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Don’t Let the Cloud Skills Gap Stop Innovation on Public Cloud [Webinar]
Oct 25, 2017
Join Rackspace for a five-session webinar event, where our experts will take an in-depth look at the value of expertise in accelerating your cloud journey, keeping your infrastructure up and running, securing your environment and optimizing operations for maximum productivity. Register for the sessions individually, or all at once.  Links to episodes that have already […] The post Don’t Let the Cloud Skills Gap Stop Innovation on Public Cloud [Webinar] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Top Questions from Sitecore Symposium 2017
Oct 24, 2017
Sitecore Symposium 2017 was an incredible feat this year. From an expanded curriculum and nearly 3,000 attendees to nonstop activities, breakout sessions and expo demonstrations, it was quite the busy event. As a sponsor, Rackspace Sitecore experts had the chance to interact with Sitecore users from all over the world who are trying to build […] The post Top Questions from Sitecore Symposium 2017 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
#cloudchat Recap: Improving Cybersecurity Resilience
Oct 24, 2017
During the month of October, #cloudchat has focused on all things cybersecurity in honor of National Cybersecurity Month. This week, we teamed up with an army of experts to identify the best ways to improve cybersecurity posture and operational resilience. Our security pros agreed on the value of distributing internal security talent and the importance […] The post #cloudchat Recap: Improving Cybersecurity Resilience appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
A User’s Look at OpenStack Networking, Part 5
Oct 24, 2017
This is the final post of a five-part series covering a user’s view of OpenStack networking. In this series, we’ve looked at some basic concepts, built a network, created a router and set up a security group (firewall rules). Now for the final step. We must allow the world to access our web server by […] The post A User’s Look at OpenStack Networking, Part 5 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How Private Cloud-as-a-Service Simplifies IT Transformation [Webinar]
Oct 23, 2017
Join Rackspace for a five-session webinar event, where our experts will take an in-depth look at the value of expertise in accelerating your cloud journey, keeping your infrastructure up and running, securing your environment and optimizing operations for maximum productivity. Register for the sessions individually, or all at once. Links to episodes that have already […] The post How Private Cloud-as-a-Service Simplifies IT Transformation [Webinar] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Music Behind the Tech: Marlene Rodriguez
Oct 20, 2017
Music and tech make a perfect pair — coding, troubleshooting and focusing on projects are often accompanied by a soundtrack for many in the IT industry. Whether it’s getting into that “flow state” or simply dialing in on a complex problem, listening to music seems to be the method of choice for IT employees looking […] The post Music Behind the Tech: Marlene Rodriguez appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Encrypted Exchange Online Now Available to Rackspace Resellers
Oct 19, 2017
Microsoft Office 365 is the business-class email of choice for many businesses, and we often find it’s the solution our customers demand. With that level of brand recognition and demand, it stands to reason that becoming an Office 365 reseller is a no-brainer. Where some resellers get hung up, however, is when their clients overlook […] The post Encrypted Exchange Online Now Available to Rackspace Resellers appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Build-Operate-Transfer: Helping Customers Operate Their Own OpenStack Clouds
Oct 19, 2017
If you know anything about Rackspace and OpenStack, you know we deliver OpenStack as a managed service, because that provides the best experience for most customers. Now, we’ve taken our services a step further, offering a “build-operate-transfer” model for those who eventually want to run their own private cloud, but just need some expert help […] The post Build-Operate-Transfer: Helping Customers Operate Their Own OpenStack Clouds appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Stop Operating, Start Innovating: IT Innovation Webinar Series
Oct 18, 2017
Join our experts for a five-session webinar event, where our experts will take an in-depth look at the value of expertise in accelerating your cloud journey, keeping your infrastructure up and running, securing your environment and optimizing operations for maximum productivity. Learn directly from Rackspace leaders as they dive deep into today’s most-pressing IT topics. […] The post Stop Operating, Start Innovating: IT Innovation Webinar Series appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace CTO Discusses the Evolution of Fanatical Support
Oct 18, 2017
Rackspace has come a long way from its roots as a traditional managed hosting provider, but one thing has remained constant: the company’s focus on and commitment to Fanatical Support. Rackspace CTO John Engates recently sat down with Laura Stamey from HostingAdvice.com, an authority on web hosting, to discuss Rackspace’s evolution. Engates, a 17-year veteran […] The post Rackspace CTO Discusses the Evolution of Fanatical Support appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Top Reasons to Upgrade to Magento 2 Enterprise
Oct 17, 2017
In our last Magento blog post, we provided insights into getting the most out of the world’s most popular open source ecommerce platform, regardless of where you run it. In this post, we’ll explore why so many of our e-commerce customers are upgrading to Magento 2 Enterprise, and share Rackspace’s legacy as a premier Magento […] The post Top Reasons to Upgrade to Magento 2 Enterprise appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
A User’s Look at OpenStack Networking, Part 4
Oct 17, 2017
In parts one through three of our OpenStack networking series, we covered the basics of networking, built a network that will provide connectivity for any virtual machines we may create and created a router to direct traffic between our private network/subnet and the internet. Now we have our network almost ready to go — but first […] The post A User’s Look at OpenStack Networking, Part 4 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Alaska Telecomm Giant GCI Now a Partner in Fanatical Support
Oct 16, 2017
Rackspace’s new strategic partnership with GCI, the telecomm market leader in Alaska, brings Fanatical Support to that state’s unique and often challenging business environments. Together with Rackspace, GCI, with its long and successful history serving more than 80 percent of the Alaska’s network, telephony and transport needs, can now help customers optimize IT budgets, take […] The post Alaska Telecomm Giant GCI Now a Partner in Fanatical Support appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Singapore Office Latest Rackspace Expansion
Oct 13, 2017
Rackspace celebrated the opening of its Singapore office last week with a get-together for customers and partners, plus a CIO lunch and panel to share our offerings with local media and analysts. Our customers in Asia now have a local Rackspace presence in two major international hubs — Singapore and Hong Kong — making it […] The post Singapore Office Latest Rackspace Expansion appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Music Behind the Tech: Ashley Brooks
Oct 13, 2017
Music and tech make a perfect pair — coding, troubleshooting and focusing on projects are often accompanied by a soundtrack for many in the IT industry. Whether it’s getting into that “flow state” or simply dialing in on a complex problem, listening to music seems to be the method of choice for IT employees looking […] The post Music Behind the Tech: Ashley Brooks appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Top 5 Ways to Keep Your Email Secure with Office 365 [Infographic]
Oct 12, 2017
For most businesses these days, email is almost always the single point of communication and collaboration. And while email is a necessary tool for businesses, it can also make sensitive information and confidential data vulnerable to cybercriminals. Running your business means you’re operating around the clock, but unfortunately, cybercriminals are too. Internally, a small business […] The post Top 5 Ways to Keep Your Email Secure with Office 365 [Infographic] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Unlocking the OpenStack Cloud Expertise of Our Rackers
Oct 12, 2017
For many people, Rackspace and OpenStack are linked together like peanut butter and jelly. Sure, they’re technically separate ingredients, but together, they’re more than the sum of their parts. The same goes for OpenStack and Rackspace. After all, we founded OpenStack with NASA, have been an OpenStack provider longer than anyone, have more than one […] The post Unlocking the OpenStack Cloud Expertise of Our Rackers appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Many Paths to Cybersecurity for Women
Oct 11, 2017
As the overall subject of women in technology remains a complicated one, I wanted to use National Cybersecurity Awareness Month as a chance to shine the spotlight on one slice of tech: cybersecurity, and the women who work there — or more specifically, here at Rackspace. As General Manager of Rackspace Managed Security, I’m both […] The post Many Paths to Cybersecurity for Women appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Limitless Learning and Career Development at Rackspace
Oct 11, 2017
When it comes to training and development opportunities at Rackspace, there is no limit to the number of training courses, e-learning modules or coaching opportunities employees — we call them Rackers — can take through our internal talent development organization, Rackspace University. Whether in Texas, the U.K., remotely, or anywhere else in the world, opportunities […] The post Limitless Learning and Career Development at Rackspace appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Preparing Your Website for the Holiday Rush [Infographic]
Oct 10, 2017
For ecommerce retailers, the holiday rush is all about beefing up websites for peak traffic and tuning up the systems and processes that attract, maintain and allow customers to seamlessly make transactions online. With as much as 30 percent of annual revenue at stake online, it’s never too early to start thinking about how you’re […] The post Preparing Your Website for the Holiday Rush [Infographic] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Getting Ready for Sitecore Symposium 2017
Oct 10, 2017
This year’s Sitecore Symposium kicks off Oct. 16 in Las Vegas, and if you’re among the many marketers, developers, partners and customers who rely on Sitecore for your web content management needs, this is a must-attend conference for you. Each year, the symposium offers excellent opportunities to learn about the latest and greatest Sitecore developments […] The post Getting Ready for Sitecore Symposium 2017 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
A User’s Look at OpenStack Networking, Part 3
Oct 10, 2017
In part three of “A User’s Look at OpenStack Networking,” we will continue setting up our networks by creating OpenStack routers, which route traffic between our private network/subnet to the internet. Last week, in part two, we used OpenStack to build a network to enable connectivity for any virtual machines that we create. Part one introduced OpenStack networking […] The post A User’s Look at OpenStack Networking, Part 3 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
#cloudchat Recap: Cybersecurity in a Multi-Cloud World
Oct 09, 2017
In honor of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we’re examining the ever-evolving security landscape on #cloudchat each week in October. To kick off the four-part series, our #cloudchat experts set out to uncover what cybersecurity looks like in a multi-cloud world. A few themes prevailed, including that security should be at the forefront of planning with […] The post #cloudchat Recap: Cybersecurity in a Multi-Cloud World appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Enabling Epsilon’s Seamless Migration to AWS
Oct 06, 2017
Epsilon calls itself the “first of a new breed of marketing companies,” and it’s undoubtedly an industry leader in data-driven marketing. According to Advertising Age, Epsilon owns the world’s largest CRM network, and the company says it shapes over one trillion real-time digital media decisions across the globe every day. But Epsilon’s success hasn’t come […] The post Enabling Epsilon’s Seamless Migration to AWS appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
‘Rackers Got Talent’ Helps Make Rackspace a Great Place to Work
Oct 06, 2017
For the 3rd year in a row, a group of intrepid Rackers took the stage in front of hundreds of their colleagues to show off talents they don’t normally reveal during work hours. Rackspace’s version of America’s Got Talent is an annual event that encourages Rackers to share their avocations with their peers and colleagues. […] The post ‘Rackers Got Talent’ Helps Make Rackspace a Great Place to Work appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Music Behind the Tech: Daniel Clayton
Oct 06, 2017
Music and tech make a perfect pair — coding, troubleshooting and focusing on projects are often accompanied by a soundtrack for many in the IT industry. Whether it’s getting into that “flow state” or simply dialing in on a complex problem, listening to music seems to be the method of choice for IT employees looking […] The post Music Behind the Tech: Daniel Clayton appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
More Features and Updates with Red Hat OpenStack Platform 11
Oct 05, 2017
Rackspace now supports Red Hat OpenStack Platform 11, with improvements that streamline the upgrades process and help customers get faster access to the latest OpenStack features and security updates. Part of Rackspace Private Cloud powered by Red Hat, which delivers private cloud as a service, Platform 11 continues to mature the OpenStack ecosystem, furthering its suitability […] The post More Features and Updates with Red Hat OpenStack Platform 11 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
AWS Future Insights: Understanding Adoption Trends
Oct 04, 2017
It’s well known that Amazon Web Services is the largest public cloud platform in use today. With 55 percent year-over-year growth and a customer base that pulls in more than 1 million active users a month, Rackspace thought it was time to see what made these businesses turn to AWS. The result was a major survey, which […] The post AWS Future Insights: Understanding Adoption Trends appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
10 Reasons Your Cybersecurity Strategy Needs a Regular Checkup [Infographic]
Oct 04, 2017
When was the last time you assessed your cybersecurity strategy? Given today’s ever-changing security landscape, it’s probably been too long. In this world of constant cyber threats, you can’t afford to be complacent. This is especially true when security complacency is precisely what the bad guys look for when assessing a target. With that in mind, download our new […] The post 10 Reasons Your Cybersecurity Strategy Needs a Regular Checkup [Infographic] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Successfully Migrating Your Database to AWS
Oct 03, 2017
For many years now, databases have been the central repository for our most critical data. They are core to running local applications as well as web-based applications and sites. Databases come in all sizes and shapes. We use words like relational, SQL, NoSQL, columnar, warehouse and even big to describe our data and how it […] The post Successfully Migrating Your Database to AWS appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Report: Rackspace Named a Top Player in Cloud Business Email
Oct 03, 2017
For the second year in a row, The Radicati Group has named Rackspace a Cloud Business Email market “Top Player” in the 2017 Market Quadrant report. The annual report evaluates vendors on a number of features and capabilities and illustrates how they each fit within a given technology market using a four-quadrant matrix. Rackspace is […] The post Report: Rackspace Named a Top Player in Cloud Business Email appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
A User’s Look at OpenStack Networking, Part 2
Oct 03, 2017
Let’s build something with what we learned in part one of our series,“A Users Look at OpenStack Networking.” In this, part two, we’ll use the OpenStack dashboard to create a network, add a subnet onto the network and examine what we built. You may follow along by just reading, but if you have access to […] The post A User’s Look at OpenStack Networking, Part 2 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Data Governance: What Are the Components to Keep Data Secure?
Oct 02, 2017
Data security is more important than ever, and having a strong, up-to-date data governance plan in place is key to keeping your sensitive information safe. In an effort to help you get started with your own data governance plan, I’ve listed some of some of the key components, below. Asset information and classification The steps […] The post Data Governance: What Are the Components to Keep Data Secure? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
#cloudchat Recap: Exploring Private Cloud
Oct 02, 2017
How do you define the term “private cloud”? Why is adoption growing so rapidly? And what about common misconceptions — of those there are certainly plenty. This week’s #cloudchat explored the world of private cloud, and if there was ever a time we needed 280 characters, this was it. Our experts touched on several themes, […] The post #cloudchat Recap: Exploring Private Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Kicking Off Cybersecurity Awareness Month with Rackspace
Sep 29, 2017
October is National Cybersecurity Month, which Rackspace is marking by emphasizing the ways we can work together to strengthen our operations and find new, more efficient ways to combat cyberattacks. Started in 2004 by the Department of Homeland Security, the goal of Cybersecurity Month is to promote vigilance in the face of growing cyber threats […] The post Kicking Off Cybersecurity Awareness Month with Rackspace appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Music Behind the Tech: Dave Wilde
Sep 29, 2017
Music and tech make a perfect pair — coding, troubleshooting and focusing on projects are often accompanied by a soundtrack for many in the IT industry. Whether it’s getting into that “flow state” or simply dialing in on a complex problem, listening to music seems to be the method of choice for IT employees looking […] The post Music Behind the Tech: Dave Wilde appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Four Tips for Seamless Data-Centric Migration
Sep 29, 2017
Data migration is now an integral part of data management, with more than 91 percent of today’s businesses undertaking migration projects. But that doesn’t mean it’s a low-risk proposition: 85 percent of those businesses experience significant problems during the migration process. Fortunately, you can greatly reduce your risk by following established best practices and choosing […] The post Four Tips for Seamless Data-Centric Migration appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Beyond Maturity: OpenStack Now THE Standard for Private Cloud
Sep 28, 2017
You’ve heard it before: “OpenStack is mature.” The statement serves as a salve to all those considering adoption of the technology. It’s a familiar refrain, backed up by historical technological precedence AND it’s true. It’s so true, in fact, it’s not even news any longer. Hundreds of enterprises have it in production. I’d argue that […] The post Beyond Maturity: OpenStack Now THE Standard for Private Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
AWS Per-Second Billing: More Than Just Cost Savings
Sep 28, 2017
Last week, AWS announced that Christmas had come early this year in the form of per-second billing on EC2 instances running Linux and EBS volumes. You can read the AWS announcement here. Before this announcement, you would have been billed for every hour an instance was up and running, even if you only used a […] The post AWS Per-Second Billing: More Than Just Cost Savings appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Finally! Easy and Affordable VM Replication You Can Rely On
Sep 28, 2017
When a company suffers an outage, the direct and indirect costs can be staggering. Even minimal downtime can prevent an organization from meeting customer or user needs, which in turn can harm a brand or reputation and create a loss in online revenue. A sound data protection strategy is a must when trying to protect […] The post Finally! Easy and Affordable VM Replication You Can Rely On appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Cost of Cloud Expertise [Infographic]
Sep 27, 2017
The promise of the cloud is that it would open the floodgates of innovation. It would allow IT to spend less time keeping the lights on and more time implementing new applications with cutting-edge cloud-based technologies. By taking advantage of improved efficiencies and opening up new use cases through the use of cloud, IT would […] The post The Cost of Cloud Expertise [Infographic] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Get the Most Out of Magento, Wherever You Run It
Sep 27, 2017
It’s that time of year when ecommerce businesses are battening down the digital hatches for the holiday season rush. But considering the critical importance of your website, maximizing its effectiveness shouldn’t be a once-a-year event. You should be constantly asking yourself: is my site performant and secure? Will it hold up under a major traffic […] The post Get the Most Out of Magento, Wherever You Run It appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace to Provide Partner Managed Cloud for SAP Software
Sep 26, 2017
SAN ANTONIO – Sept. 26, 2017 – Rackspace® announced today an agreement with SAP® (NYSE: SAP) to provide a partner managed cloud for SAP software solutions. Rackspace will offer an affordable, ready-to-use, subscription-based offering of SAP solutions in its private hosted cloud, enabling customers to access SAP software quickly and easily without the need for […] The post Rackspace to Provide Partner Managed Cloud for SAP Software appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Beware of Hurricane Disaster Phishing Scams
Sep 26, 2017
Whenever a natural disaster strikes, it often brings out the best in people. Neighbors help neighbors; people from other communities, states and even countries giving their time and money to help those in need. Then there are those who choose to take advantage of these situations for personal gain. Scammers are increasingly exploiting disasters by […] The post Beware of Hurricane Disaster Phishing Scams appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
A User’s Look at OpenStack Networking, Part 1
Sep 26, 2017
Many articles have been written about OpenStack networking, almost all through the eyes of a cloud operator — someone who designs or operates OpenStack. Developers, administrators and other users, however, have a very different view of OpenStack networking. This post is for them. It’s the first in a series that will focus on OpenStack networking […] The post A User’s Look at OpenStack Networking, Part 1 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Strengthens Fanatical Support for Microsoft with PCI Compliance and Cloud Replication for Microsoft Hyper-V
Sep 25, 2017
ORLANDO – Sept. 25, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced from Microsoft Ignite in Orlando several releases that enhance security, compliance and data assurance for its Microsoft offerings.  Fanatical Support® for Microsoft Azure is now available for customers with Payment Card Industry (PCI) workloads on Azure, making Rackspace one of the only managed service providers to extend […] The post Rackspace Strengthens Fanatical Support for Microsoft with PCI Compliance and Cloud Replication for Microsoft Hyper-V appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace and Datapipe: What this Acquisition Means for the Channel
Sep 25, 2017
The news that Rackspace is in the process of acquiring Datatpipe, one of the world’s leading managed service providers, continues to make waves among tech media, industry analysts and customers. But what does it mean, specifically, for the channel? To say I am excited about the opportunities this acquisition offers our alliance and channel partners […] The post Rackspace and Datapipe: What this Acquisition Means for the Channel appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
#cloudchat Recap: Talent, Experience and the Cost of Expertise
Sep 25, 2017
We learned in our previous #cloudchat series that IT transformation is a journey, not a destination. This week, we heard this theme again, in the context of IT decision makers’ careers. We asked #cloudchat experts to share their unique stories and advice on how to make it in a cloudy, fast-paced world. Curious about what […] The post #cloudchat Recap: Talent, Experience and the Cost of Expertise appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Music Behind the Tech: Major Hayden
Sep 22, 2017
Music and tech make a perfect pair — coding, troubleshooting and focusing on projects are often accompanied by a soundtrack for many in the IT industry. Whether it’s getting into that “flow state” or simply dialing in on a complex problem, listening to music seems to be the method of choice for IT employees looking […] The post Music Behind the Tech: Major Hayden appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Public Cloud Migration: Choose Your Path Carefully
Sep 22, 2017
We’re in the midst of a dramatic market transition to public cloud. Businesses increasingly see cloud as a competitive necessity, and they’re gaining confidence in its security capabilities. The public cloud services market is projected to grow six times faster than overall IT spending over the next few years, hitting $141 billion as early as […] The post Public Cloud Migration: Choose Your Path Carefully appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Your Trusted Cloud Advisor: the Enterprise Cloud Architect
Sep 21, 2017
If you’ve come to Rackspace to see if an OpenStack private cloud is right for you, chances are you’ll be talking with someone like me, an enterprise cloud architect. First, your team will connect with a Rackspace cloud specialist, to determine your business goals and needs and see if they’re the right fit for an […] The post Your Trusted Cloud Advisor: the Enterprise Cloud Architect appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
$258 Million a Year: The Cost to Enterprises Which Lack Cloud Computing Expertise, Says Rackspace
Sep 21, 2017
SAN ANTONIO – September 21, 2017 – Large enterprises across the world are losing out on $258,188,279[1] a year due to a lack of cloud expertise, according to a new report commissioned by Rackspace® in collaboration with the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE academics). The study also found that the cloud skills gap is […] The post $258 Million a Year: The Cost to Enterprises Which Lack Cloud Computing Expertise, Says Rackspace appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Are You Reaping the Benefits of Azure SQL in Your Sitecore Environment?
Sep 20, 2017
Sitecore now supports Microsoft Azure SQL, from Sitecore 8.2 and above. In this post, I’ll explain in depth the two flavors of Azure SQL, plus how they can potentially help you cut costs. This follows my previous post, which covered the dilemma of paying for SQL Server Enterprise licensing to get official support for a […] The post Are You Reaping the Benefits of Azure SQL in Your Sitecore Environment? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Channel Program Brings Fanatical Cloud Strategies to Our Partners
Sep 20, 2017
As the cloud market continues its rapid growth and change, organizations often struggle to understand how they can leverage the cloud to drive efficiencies and boost revenues. While Rackspace can reach a portion of those, we rely heavily on our partners to bring our integrated multi-cloud Fanatical Support to a much larger audience. You are […] The post Channel Program Brings Fanatical Cloud Strategies to Our Partners appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Rackspace Experience, Part 3: Operating Your OpenStack Private Cloud
Sep 19, 2017
This is the third in a three part series about the fanatical experience you’ll receive with a managed OpenStack private cloud from Rackspace. As one of OpenStack’s initial creators, Rackspace has been an OpenStack provider and contributor longer than anyone. We manage and operate thousands of nodes for hundreds of customers, and we exceed a […] The post The Rackspace Experience, Part 3: Operating Your OpenStack Private Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Protect Your VMware Investments While Moving into the Cloud
Sep 19, 2017
As I spent time on the show floor at VMworld 2017 talking to technicians about their cloud journeys, two common themes emerged, despite the varied industries these attendees represented. The first: it’s no longer a matter of if businesses are going to the cloud, but when and how. Second, concern that administrators and engineers have […] The post Protect Your VMware Investments While Moving into the Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Ignite 2017: This Year’s Top Session Picks
Sep 18, 2017
Microsoft Ignite is coming up fast — the flagship event kicks off Sept. 25 in Orlando, Florida and I’m looking forward to joining the more than 25,000 Microsoft users, partners, experts and fans expected to attend this year. This will be the third time Ignite is a combination of TechEd, Microsoft Exchange Conference, SharePoint Conference, […] The post Ignite 2017: This Year’s Top Session Picks appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Enterprise Application Services Sponsors 2017 Annual Winshuttle User Group to Showcase ERP Offerings for SAP
Sep 18, 2017
ATLANTA – Sept. 18, 2017 – Rackspace® announced today Rackspace Enterprise Application Services will sponsor the 2017 Winshuttle User Group (WUG) conference this week in Atlanta. At the event, Rackspace Enterprise Application Services, a certified Winshuttle training partner, will demonstrate its managed services offerings for enterprise applications, including SAP enterprise solutions. As multi-cloud becomes a […] The post Rackspace Enterprise Application Services Sponsors 2017 Annual Winshuttle User Group to Showcase ERP Offerings for SAP appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
#cloudchat Recap: It’s All About the Containers
Sep 18, 2017
For the past several years, one of the most intriguing technologies in the cloud has been containers. But while the tech has gone mainstream, many people still have a lot of questions about using containers. To help shine some light on the topic, we pose container questions to our #cloudchat experts last Thursday. As always, […] The post #cloudchat Recap: It’s All About the Containers appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Insights into HAProxy Load-Balancing on OpenStack Private Clouds
Sep 18, 2017
In this two-part series, we discuss the economic and technical benefits of HAProxy, an open-source load balancing solution. This post will identify the benefits and help you understand how we implement HAProxy with OpenStack. In part two, we’ll cover HAProxy’s time to market and cost benefits. In the world of private cloud, OpenStack leads the […] The post Insights into HAProxy Load-Balancing on OpenStack Private Clouds appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rebuild Texas Fund Offers Long Term Help After Harvey
Sep 15, 2017
Like many of you, I was overwhelmed at the scenes of devastation from Hurricane Harvey, and deeply moved by the thoughtful action we’ve seen from so many Texans, including many Rackers, who’ve given time, hard labor, money, supplies — even blood. Other Rackers were directly harmed by hurricanes Harvey and Irma, and my heart goes […] The post Rebuild Texas Fund Offers Long Term Help After Harvey appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Music Behind the Tech: Andy Pape
Sep 15, 2017
Music and tech make a perfect pair — coding, troubleshooting and focusing on projects are often accompanied by a soundtrack for many in the IT industry. Whether it’s getting into that “flow state” or simply dialing in on a complex problem, listening to music seems to be the method of choice for IT employees looking […] The post Music Behind the Tech: Andy Pape appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Follow This Step-by-Step Public Cloud Migration Checklist
Sep 15, 2017
Most businesses experience up to 40 percent total-cost-of-ownership savings after a public cloud migration, according to Cloud Technology Partners. So it’s no wonder that public cloud adoption is on the rise, with worldwide spending on public cloud services expected to double from 2015 to 2019. But cloud migrations are complex. The key to a successful […] The post Follow This Step-by-Step Public Cloud Migration Checklist appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
IT Transformation: Optimizing Your Cloud Journey
Sep 14, 2017
IT transformation isn’t a one-and-done project. The Rackspace Customer Cloud Journey framework breaks the process into six steps – plan, assess, design, migrate, manage and optimize. Even though it’s listed as the final step, we approach optimization as the first step in a continuous cycle of finding opportunities to improve your cloud environment for efficiency and […] The post IT Transformation: Optimizing Your Cloud Journey appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Behind the Scenes of a Data Breach: 5 Questions for the Managed Security Team
Sep 13, 2017
News that as many as 143 million Americans may have had their data stolen from the consumer credit reporting agency Equifax has once again thrust data security into the news. While this attack was especially egregious — stolen data included social security numbers, birth dates, driver’s license numbers and some credit card numbers — every […] The post Behind the Scenes of a Data Breach: 5 Questions for the Managed Security Team appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Your Trusted Cloud Advisor: the Rackspace Dedicated Architect
Sep 13, 2017
No matter how agile your organization, adapting and enhancing your IT can be a challenging endeavor. That can be especially true for organizations evaluating or implementing private cloud — with the complexities and learning curves that come with implementing a unique solution for your business needs. But you don’t need to go it alone. Rackspace […] The post Your Trusted Cloud Advisor: the Rackspace Dedicated Architect appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
3 Things to Know About AWS S3 Security to Stay Out of the Headlines
Sep 13, 2017
Unless you’ve been in heat-induced hibernation for the past couple of months (our HQ is in San Antonio, so we get it), you’re probably aware that Amazon Web Services’ Simple Storage Service (S3) has been at the center of numerous security related headlines: Massive Amazon S3 leaks highlight user blind spots in enterprise race to […] The post 3 Things to Know About AWS S3 Security to Stay Out of the Headlines appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
#cloudchat Recap: IT Transformation War Stories
Sep 12, 2017
As we wrapped up our #cloudchat series on IT transformation, we asked our team of experts to share war stories from the transformation trenches. One theme emerged above them all: the IT transformation journey may be challenging and a bit messy, but it’s necessary for innovation. We were joined by a number of experts, including […] The post #cloudchat Recap: IT Transformation War Stories appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Insights into HAProxy Load-Balancing on OpenStack Private Clouds
Sep 12, 2017
In this two-part series, we discuss the economic and technical benefits of HAProxy, an open-source load balancing solution. This post will identify the benefits and help you understand how we implement HAProxy with OpenStack. In part two, we’ll cover HAProxy’s time to market and cost benefits. In the world of private cloud, OpenStack leads the […] The post Insights into HAProxy Load-Balancing on OpenStack Private Clouds appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace CEO: Why We’re Buying Datapipe
Sep 11, 2017
When Rackspace went private late last year, we did so mainly because, at this point in our history, we need to make major, long-term investments in the capabilities our customers are demanding. And that’s just what we’re doing. Today, we announced that we’ve reached agreement to purchase Datapipe, a leading provider of managed services across […] The post Rackspace CEO: Why We’re Buying Datapipe appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Announces Agreement to Acquire Datapipe
Sep 11, 2017
SAN ANTONIO – Sept. 11, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced that it signed an agreement to acquire Datapipe, one of the world’s leading providers of managed services across public and private clouds, managed hosting and colocation. This acquisition, the largest in Rackspace history, brings important new capabilities to Rackspace and will enable the company to […] The post Rackspace Announces Agreement to Acquire Datapipe appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Check Out Our Public Cloud Migration Cheat Sheet
Sep 08, 2017
Moving to public cloud includes a host of tasks, from planning through optimization, to truly realize the agility and cost savings benefits that come with running in a cloud environment. Unlike an internal IT project, you’ll have to work closely with your cloud provider to ensure a successful move. Regardless of how many migration projects […] The post Check Out Our Public Cloud Migration Cheat Sheet appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Music Behind the Tech: Veera Venigalla
Sep 08, 2017
Music and tech make a perfect pair — coding, troubleshooting and focusing on projects are often accompanied by a soundtrack for many in the IT industry. Whether it’s getting into that “flow state” or simply dialing in on a complex problem, listening to music seems to be the method of choice for IT employees looking […] The post Music Behind the Tech: Veera Venigalla appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Named a Top Company for Hispanic Women
Sep 07, 2017
For the second year in a row, LATINA Style Magazine has selected Rackspace as one of the 50 best companies for Latinas, as part of its annual LATINA Style 50 Report. Now in it’s 20th year, the annual survey of the 50 best companies for Latinas to work for in the U.S. is based on criteria set […] The post Rackspace Named a Top Company for Hispanic Women appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Automation: The True Power of Infrastructure as a Service
Sep 07, 2017
Though there are many advantages to consuming infrastructure as a service, automation, which brings with it the ability to bring new products to market more quickly, may be one of the most valuable. The more tasks that can be automated, the more time engineers have to bring more value to the company. How much more? […] The post Automation: The True Power of Infrastructure as a Service appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Five Future Cloud Trends You Need to Know About Today: Security
Sep 07, 2017
Welcome to the final installment of our Five Future Cloud Trends series. The first four trends we’ve talked about are mobility, 24/7 global workplace, the rise of millennials and the race to the cloud. Our final trend — security — intersects with the other four trends and makes it possible for businesses to embrace these […] The post Five Future Cloud Trends You Need to Know About Today: Security appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Mexico City is Hiring!
Sep 07, 2017
Opened in 2014, Rackspace’s Mexico City office is booming — and now it’s expanding. Originally created to bring Fanatical Support closer to the customers we serve in Latin America, the team is growing to address the developing needs of both our U.S. and Latin American customers. “The goal is to tap into the impressive talent […] The post Rackspace Mexico City is Hiring! appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What Does a Modern IT Department Need to Thrive?
Sep 06, 2017
Our digital world is growing at an unprecedented rate. As a result, organizations, regardless of their size and the industries they operate in, will need to have a robust IT department in place to respond to the digital needs of their customers. Underpinning this modern revolution is IT transformation. Without it, organizations will quickly find […] The post What Does a Modern IT Department Need to Thrive? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How Managed Cloud Can Supercharge Your IT Transformation
Sep 06, 2017
In the modern marketplace, fast-emerging technologies have changed the business landscape. From start-ups to large enterprises, companies can leverage cutting edge tools and systems to increase profits, gain competitive advantage, and revolutionize the way they do business. Within this wild frontier, the rapid development of cloud capabilities has created a vast and seemingly limitless landscape […] The post How Managed Cloud Can Supercharge Your IT Transformation appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Rackspace Experience, Part 2: Delivering Your OpenStack Cloud
Sep 05, 2017
This is the second in a three-part series about the fanatical experience you’ll receive with a managed OpenStack private cloud from Rackspace. As one of OpenStack’s initial creators, Rackspace has been an OpenStack provider and contributor longer than anyone. We manage and operate thousands of nodes for hundreds of customers, and we exceed a 99.99 […] The post The Rackspace Experience, Part 2: Delivering Your OpenStack Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Getting Ready for Microsoft Ignite 2017
Sep 05, 2017
On September 25, Microsoft users from across the country will descend on Orlando, Florida for the company’s annual flagship event — Microsoft Ignite. These conferences are excellent places to get up to speed on company news and product updates and to connect with the larger Microsoft community. Rackspace Microsoft experts will of course be there […] The post Getting Ready for Microsoft Ignite 2017 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
#cloudchat Recap: IT Transformation Pitfalls
Sep 04, 2017
IT transformation is no easy task – there will be landmines and pitfalls along the journey. Our group of outstanding #cloudchat experts tackled this topic last Thursday and provided some invaluable information to help call attention to some of the things to avoid. Curious about what a #cloudchat is? Read our intro post. Our team […] The post #cloudchat Recap: IT Transformation Pitfalls appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Five Public Cloud Migration Mistakes to Avoid
Sep 01, 2017
Cloud technology has fundamentally transformed the way we do business, and companies increasingly recognize that they can’t stay competitive without it. According to Rightscale: 95 percent of businesses are leveraging cloud technology 85 percent currently have a multi-cloud strategy 75 percent of enterprise workloads run in the cloud Still, many organizations complicate their cloud efforts […] The post Five Public Cloud Migration Mistakes to Avoid appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Music Behind the Tech: Dale Bracey
Sep 01, 2017
Music and tech make a perfect pair — coding, troubleshooting and focusing on projects is often accompanied by a soundtrack for many in the IT industry. Whether it’s getting into that “flow state” or simply dialing in on a complex problem, listening to music seems to be the method of choice for IT employees looking […] The post Music Behind the Tech: Dale Bracey appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How We’re Lending a Hand During Harvey’s Aftermath
Sep 01, 2017
As a Texas-based company with thousands of employees in San Antonio and Austin, we at Rackspace have been watching the unfolding disaster in our state with a heavy heart. And I’m proud to see that our Rackers have been responding with a helping hand. While only the outer bands of Hurricane Harvey grazed our headquarters […] The post How We’re Lending a Hand During Harvey’s Aftermath appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Gas Shortages Not a Threat to Rackspace Services
Sep 01, 2017
As Texans continue to take stock in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Rackspace remains focused on the safety of our employees and uninterrupted service for our customers. Oil refinery operations have been significantly impacted by Harvey and resulting flooding, leading to reports of lines at gas stations and gas shortages across Texas. Our business continuity plan remains […] The post Gas Shortages Not a Threat to Rackspace Services appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Five Future Cloud Trends You Need to Know About Today: Race to the Cloud
Aug 31, 2017
Welcome back to our Five Future Cloud Trends series. Over the past few weeks, we’ve talked about trends that are changing the workplace — the advent of the mobile workforce, the 24/7 global workforce and the rise of the millennials in the workforce. The fourth trend you need to know about is the ongoing race […] The post Five Future Cloud Trends You Need to Know About Today: Race to the Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Mid-Year Recap with Rackspace and Red Hat
Aug 31, 2017
Earlier this year at the Red Hat Summit in Boston, Red Hat recognized Rackspace as the 2017 Red Hat Innovator of the Year for collaborating to create Rackspace Private Cloud powered by Red Hat, which delivers OpenStack private clouds as-a-service using Red Hat OpenStack Platform. The honor followed on the heels of Rackspace earning the […] The post Mid-Year Recap with Rackspace and Red Hat appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Are Businesses Getting the Most Out of the Cloud?
Aug 30, 2017
There’s no doubt that cloud technology has changed the way organizations do business. However, a question remains as to whether those with complex multi-cloud infrastructures are actually getting the most out of their investment. Simply having cloud infrastructure in place is no longer a guarantee you’ll enjoy all of the tangible benefits the cloud can […] The post Are Businesses Getting the Most Out of the Cloud? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Standout Features of Red Hat OpenStack Platform 11
Aug 30, 2017
Red Hat OpenStack Platform 11 includes many improvements designed to streamline the upgrades process and help customers get faster access to the latest OpenStack features and security updates. As we announced earlier this week, Rackspace will offer support for Red Hat OpenStack Platform Version 11; in this post, we focus on a few of the […] The post Standout Features of Red Hat OpenStack Platform 11 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace to Support Red Hat OpenStack Platform 11
Aug 29, 2017
Rackspace will provide support for Red Hat OpenStack Platform 11, as part of our managed Rackspace Private Cloud powered by Red Hat offering. Platform 11 provides numerous improvements, including new features, enhancements, bug fixes, documentation improvements, and security updates. Based on Ocata, the 15th community release of OpenStack, Platform 11 continues to mature the OpenStack […] The post Rackspace to Support Red Hat OpenStack Platform 11 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Get Ready for the 4th Annual Email Reseller Partner Retreat
Aug 29, 2017
Are you an existing Rackspace Email Reseller? Are you interested in becoming one? If so, come join us at the fourth annual Rackspace Email Reseller Partner Retreat for a relaxing and rewarding day of activities designed exclusively for our partners. You’ll join the Rackspace Email Partner and Leadership teams for exciting, educational sessions and get excellent […] The post Get Ready for the 4th Annual Email Reseller Partner Retreat appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
VMware Private Cloud Solutions for Healthcare by Rackspace
Aug 28, 2017
With costs on the rise and IT budgets decreasing, healthcare organizations are looking to get out of the data center business and migrate applications to the cloud. Healthcare has the leanest staffing ratios in all of IT, and are being asked to do more with less people and shrinking budgets. That’s why, according to analysts […] The post VMware Private Cloud Solutions for Healthcare by Rackspace appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace to Deliver Fanatical Support for VMware Cloud on AWS
Aug 28, 2017
LAS VEGAS – August 28, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced from VMworld® in Las Vegas that it intends to offer Fanatical Support® for VMware Cloud on AWS through VMware’s Managed Service Provider (MSP) program early next year. VMware Cloud on AWS brings VMware’s enterprise class Software-Defined Data Center software to the AWS Cloud, and enables […] The post Rackspace to Deliver Fanatical Support for VMware Cloud on AWS appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Delivering on a Promise to Partners with Our First Incentive Program
Aug 28, 2017
This summer has been a whirlwind — so much has been going on and it’s hard to believe it’s already coming to a close! Last you heard from me, I had been appointed as the new Channel Sales and Alliances VP for North America at Rackspace. Since then, I’ve been busy learning and finding out new […] The post Delivering on a Promise to Partners with Our First Incentive Program appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
#cloudchat Recap: Successful IT Transformations
Aug 28, 2017
With the advent of the cloud, many businesses have been looking to completely transform their IT infrastructure. And while we’ve provided a Survival Guide that can be of assistance to many CIOs out there, we wanted to hear about other strategies for successful IT Transformation projects from an array of industry experts, which is why […] The post #cloudchat Recap: Successful IT Transformations appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How We’re Ensuring Safety and Service Through Hurricane Harvey
Aug 26, 2017
Due to severe weather related to the now-Category 4 Hurricane Harvey, Rackspace is taking all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our employees and uninterrupted service for our customers. While San Antonio is far enough inland that we do not expect to see the damaging winds and rain that will be experienced on the […] The post How We’re Ensuring Safety and Service Through Hurricane Harvey appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Music Behind the Tech: Kenneth Wilke
Aug 25, 2017
Music and tech make a perfect pair — coding, troubleshooting and focusing on projects is often accompanied by a soundtrack for many in the IT industry. Whether it’s getting into that “flow state” or simply dialing in on a complex problem, listening to music seems to be the method of choice for IT employees looking […] The post Music Behind the Tech: Kenneth Wilke appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Kicking Off VMworld 2017
Aug 25, 2017
VMworld 2017 kicks off Monday in Las Vegas with a weeklong schedule of speaking sessions, technical breakouts and a variety of other excellent opportunities for attendees to tap into all the cutting-edge developments in the VMware ecosystem. Our Rackspace VMware team will be at the conference in full force and will be taking part in […] The post Kicking Off VMworld 2017 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Transformation Journey We’re All On
Aug 24, 2017
A few weeks ago at our annual customer and partner conference, Rackspace::Solve, in New York City, I had the distinct honor of leading an incredible panel titled “Transforming Traditional Business” with New York Times Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Meredith Kopit Levien, Aeroméxico CIO Benjamin Hernandez and Medecision CTO Bill Adiletta. Each of […] The post The Transformation Journey We’re All On appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Rackspace Experience Part 1: Modeling Your OpenStack Cloud
Aug 24, 2017
Everyone knows OpenStack has evolved over the past several years to become a leading software stack for private and hybrid clouds. As one of the largest open source endeavors, OpenStack serves as a reminder that proprietary cloud isn’t the only option — for many organizations which value leading-edge capabilities, OpenStack is a compelling choice. And […] The post The Rackspace Experience Part 1: Modeling Your OpenStack Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Five Future Cloud Trends You Need to Know About Today: The Rise of Millennials
Aug 24, 2017
It’s no secret the workplace has changed over the last few years. In recent weeks, we’ve examined some of the trends facing the modern workplace, and how the cloud is reshaping things such as where we work (from an office to our homes to a remote location), as well as when we work (from a […] The post Five Future Cloud Trends You Need to Know About Today: The Rise of Millennials appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Is the Cloud Talent Shortage Holding You Back?
Aug 23, 2017
It’s no secret that technology is now at the heart of every company. Technologies such as cloud computing aren’t just driving IT transformation, they’re opening new doors for businesses and across entire industries. However, it’s been well documented in various studies that businesses on a global scale are struggling to acquire the expertise they need […] The post Is the Cloud Talent Shortage Holding You Back? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Quality Engineering: Unlocking the Potential of OpenStack
Aug 22, 2017
Rackspace OpenStack Private Cloud isn’t just another private cloud offering. One of the many critical differences that distinguish Rackspace from our competitors is that we take an engineering approach to quality. Our quality engineering team works tirelessly to maximize the quality of the design, code and documentation of our private cloud offering, and to eliminate […] The post Rackspace Quality Engineering: Unlocking the Potential of OpenStack appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Expands Private Cloud Capabilities with Adoption of VMware Cloud Foundation
Aug 21, 2017
SAN ANTONIO – August 21, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced the general availability of Rackspace Private Cloud powered by VMware®, which will now be built on VMware Cloud Foundation™. With this, customers can enhance the foundational technology that is enabling their move out of the data center and into the cloud with the newest VMware […] The post Rackspace Expands Private Cloud Capabilities with Adoption of VMware Cloud Foundation appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Successful IT Transformation Starts with a Clear, Pragmatic Vision
Aug 21, 2017
Today’s businesses increasingly consider IT transformation essential to success. According to 451 Research, nearly 80 percent are looking to transform their IT environments to meet business needs. Those firms face myriad challenges: spiraling IT costs, security vulnerabilities, archaic processes, incompatible technologies — no wonder the IT industry overwhelmingly embraces the concept of transformation. But as […] The post Successful IT Transformation Starts with a Clear, Pragmatic Vision appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Music Behind the Tech: Debbie Talley
Aug 18, 2017
Music and tech make a perfect pair — coding, troubleshooting and focusing on projects is often accompanied by a soundtrack for many in the IT industry. Whether it’s getting into that “flow state” or simply dialing in on a complex problem, listening to music seems to be the method of choice for IT employees looking […] The post Music Behind the Tech: Debbie Talley appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Keys to Success with Private Cloud [Webcast]
Aug 17, 2017
IT organizations of all sizes are facing similar challenges in today’s competitive market — how can they move faster and be more responsive to business needs and market dynamics? And, how can they enable such agility and productivity while reducing costs? Leaders know they need to do something, and many organizations are turning towards cloud […] The post Keys to Success with Private Cloud [Webcast] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
When to Move to Private Cloud — and Why
Aug 17, 2017
According to the RightScale 2017 State of the Cloud Report, 31 percent of enterprises are running 100 or more virtual machines in private clouds — an increase from 22 percent in 2015. So, what’s behind this increasingly common shift to the private cloud? Part of the shift can be attributed to the proliferation of software-as-a-service (SaaS) […] The post When to Move to Private Cloud — and Why appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
SQL + Sitecore: What’s Right for Your Business?
Aug 17, 2017
There is a multitude of ways to configure SQL for Sitecore but there’s no easy solution. SQL is either unsupported by Sitecore at a lower price (Mirroring) or supported by Sitecore (SQL Always On AG) with a heavy premium. In the first part of this two-part series, I’ll cover how to make an informed decision […] The post SQL + Sitecore: What’s Right for Your Business? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
VPC Network Access Management — Traffic Analysis
Aug 16, 2017
VPCs are a great way to isolate network resources. However, these resources will occasionally need to communicate with entities outside of the VPC. This could be a package update server or a customer visiting a hosted web site. AWS provides a number of components which allow this access while still providing as isolated an environment […] The post VPC Network Access Management — Traffic Analysis appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Connecting the Dots: OpenStack, Containers and Why They’re Better Together
Aug 16, 2017
Earlier this year, at the 2017 CoreOS Fest user conference in San Francisco, hundreds of developers and operators got together to talk all things containers and open source. Out of all the presentations and announcements during the event, I was particularly interested in the recent research paper conducted by 451 Research on behalf of CoreOS. […] The post Connecting the Dots: OpenStack, Containers and Why They’re Better Together appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Getting Ready for VMworld 2017: An Insider’s Look
Aug 15, 2017
VMworld 2017 is just around the corner, and our team of Rackspace VMware experts is getting pumped up for the five-day conference, which kicks off August 27 in Las Vegas and covers all things VMware. This year, our contingent of VMware Rackers will be taking part in a variety of different panels and breakout sessions […] The post Getting Ready for VMworld 2017: An Insider’s Look appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Privacy and Data Protection: Keeping Your Most Valuable Information Safe
Aug 15, 2017
Today, Rackspace announced the launch of a new cyber security offering, Privacy and Data Protection (PDP), which is designed to protect sensitive data in a customer’s environment such as intellectual property, customer payment information and personally identifiable information. PDP covers everything from confidential company data to credit history to social security numbers and beyond. The […] The post Privacy and Data Protection: Keeping Your Most Valuable Information Safe appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Launches New Privacy and Data Protection Offering
Aug 15, 2017
SAN ANTONIO – August 15, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced the launch of Privacy and Data Protection (PDP), a new cybersecurity offering designed to help identify and protect sensitive data in a customer’s environment such as intellectual property, customer payment information and personally identifiable information, while meeting strict compliance requirements around securing data at rest. […] The post Rackspace Launches New Privacy and Data Protection Offering appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Tame Server Sprawl [Infographic]
Aug 15, 2017
Over the years, as dependence on the data center grew, some CIOs became more concerned with the size of their server farm than the quality of it. But more isn’t always better. Having the capacity to handle a sudden traffic spike is nice, but keeping all of those unused servers around on clear days is […] The post How to Tame Server Sprawl [Infographic] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Music Behind the Tech: BJ Le Gras
Aug 11, 2017
Music and tech make a perfect pair — coding, troubleshooting and focusing on projects is often accompanied by a soundtrack for many in the IT industry. Whether it’s getting into that “flow state” or simply dialing in on a complex problem, listening to music seems to be the method of choice for IT employees looking […] The post Music Behind the Tech: BJ Le Gras appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Seamless Upgrades: The Next Frontier for OpenStack
Aug 10, 2017
In our previously published whitepaper, Upgrading OpenStack Without Complexity or Compromise, we detailed both why it’s important to upgrade your OpenStack private cloud, and how Rackspace successfully minimizes the complexity of upgrading. Managing upgrade complexity is critical, and allows you to take advantage of the latest features, bugs fixes and security patches without compromising performance […] The post Seamless Upgrades: The Next Frontier for OpenStack appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Five Future Cloud Trends You Need to Know About Today: 24/7 Global Workplace
Aug 10, 2017
If you’ve ever been on a conference call where half of the participants are working when it’s dark outside, you may have realized the 24/7 global workplace is here. Some are working because where they are, the sun hasn’t risen yet; others because it just set. Technology has removed location restrictions and has opened up […] The post Five Future Cloud Trends You Need to Know About Today: 24/7 Global Workplace appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Steps for Cost Savings on AWS
Aug 09, 2017
Cost savings is a top priority for almost every customer we talk to at Rackspace. The first thing most customers want help with when attempting to reduce costs with AWS is the purchase of Reserved Instances (RIs). With RIs, customers can trade a time commitment to a specific instance type or family for a discount […] The post 5 Steps for Cost Savings on AWS appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Untangling Transformation: IT vs. Digital vs. Business
Aug 09, 2017
Transformation is a popular buzzword in corporate circles these days. C-suite executives use the term in strategy meetings and shareholder reports as they try to quantify ways to manage the unrelenting pressures of a competitive marketplace and shifting technologies. The word transformation is unfortunately weak in its ability to encapsulate the realities of change and […] The post Untangling Transformation: IT vs. Digital vs. Business appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
I’ve Got 99 Problems and Capacity Planning is Number 1
Aug 08, 2017
Capacity planning is an essential element of managing any cloud environment. Knowing how many resources are currently available, and having insight into how many resources will be available in the future, enables cloud administrators to accurately plan for growth and avoid downtime. At Rackspace, we deploy OpenStack private clouds with a tool called AppFormix to […] The post I’ve Got 99 Problems and Capacity Planning is Number 1 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
#cloudchat Recap: Keeping IT In-House in a Cloud-Based World
Aug 07, 2017
As the cloud continues to be a popular destination for IT workloads, we wanted to find out how people felt about keeping IT in-house in our latest Twitter #cloudchat. Does the in-house IT data center still make sense in today’s world? Rackspace Azure evangelist Kent Kingery and our AWS evangelist Eric Johnson joined an array […] The post #cloudchat Recap: Keeping IT In-House in a Cloud-Based World appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
A Truly Fanatical Opportunity: Reflections of a Summer Intern
Aug 07, 2017
While I was looking for internship opportunities this past spring, I looked at a lot of different options. As soon as I came across an internship opening at Rackspace, I knew it was the place for me. I applied, and I was thrilled when I got accepted. From the first day on the job, when […] The post A Truly Fanatical Opportunity: Reflections of a Summer Intern appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Music Behind the Tech: Luke Huckaba
Aug 04, 2017
Music and tech make a perfect pair — coding, troubleshooting and focusing on projects is often accompanied by a soundtrack for many in the IT industry. Whether it’s getting into that “flow state” or simply dialing in on a complex problem, listening to music seems to be the method of choice for IT employees looking […] The post Music Behind the Tech: Luke Huckaba appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Breaking Through Bias: Rackers Speak at ACT-W Conference
Aug 04, 2017
This weekend, hundreds of women will converge on Austin’s Norris Events Center for Chick-Tech’s Advancing the Careers of Technical Women (ACT-W) conference. Among the attendees will be Austin-based Rackers Carla Crull and Nina Toscano, who on Saturday will hold their breakout session: “Your Brain on Unconscious Bias”. Combining years of experience and research, Crull and […] The post Breaking Through Bias: Rackers Speak at ACT-W Conference appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Driving OpenStack Interoperability
Aug 02, 2017
Every month, our customers and prospects ask us about OpenStack interoperability. After all, OpenStack is one of the largest open source projects out there, with more than 30,000 contributors, and many organizations are evaluating, testing or using OpenStack in ways where interoperability is critical. There are hundreds of vendors providing OpenStack solutions, and many organizations The post Driving OpenStack Interoperability appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Fanatical Support for AWS — A Mid-Year Update
Aug 01, 2017
As we welcome the second half of 2017, I wanted to take a few minutes to reflect on the journey Rackspace has been on with its transformational decision to support our customers on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) platform. There have only been a few distinct periods in history that have driven deep impact catalyzed The post Fanatical Support for AWS — A Mid-Year Update appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Navigating Your Journey to the Cloud at VMworld 2017
Aug 01, 2017
On August 27, Rackspace VMware experts along with industry thought leaders and IT professionals will descend on Las Vegas for VMworld 2017 to gain valuable insight on the latest technology and trends shaping the cloud. But technology is only one aspect of the cloud puzzle that attendees will be looking to answer. One of the The post Navigating Your Journey to the Cloud at VMworld 2017 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Voice of the Client: Rackspace OpenStack Private Cloud
Aug 01, 2017
We all know you can get more things done if you know the right people. Once you become a Rackspace customer, we aim to provide the best customer experience in the world — and that begins with giving you the best access to contacts inside Rackspace. In this post, we’ll walk through some of those The post Voice of the Client: Rackspace OpenStack Private Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Announces Strategic Channel Relationship with AWS
Jul 31, 2017
SAN ANTONIO – July 31, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced an enhanced strategic, channel relationship with cloud provider Amazon Web Services (AWS) to streamline the experience for customers moving to AWS. Customers who are looking to migrate to AWS often lack the internal resources and expertise needed to move workloads rapidly and effectively. With this The post Rackspace Announces Strategic Channel Relationship with AWS appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
#cloudchat Recap: The Cloud Skills Gap
Jul 31, 2017
The pace of technological innovation continues to get faster, and many businesses are having a hard time finding the right talent to keep up. This is evident in the ongoing shortage of talented cloud engineers and architects needed to maintain and manage a variety of popular cloud platforms. It’s something known as “the cloud skills The post #cloudchat Recap: The Cloud Skills Gap appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Interns Take Fanatical Support to the Assistance League
Jul 31, 2017
Last month, I was one of 30 Rackspace interns that had the opportunity to volunteer at the Assistance League, a local nonprofit organization that operates a thrift shop and donates apparel, home goods and other merchandise to various local charities. The event was sponsored by Rack Gives Back, Rackspace’s all-volunteer, philanthropic arm that extends Fanatical The post Rackspace Interns Take Fanatical Support to the Assistance League appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Music Behind the Tech: Alex Ward
Jul 28, 2017
Music and tech make a perfect pair — coding, troubleshooting and focusing on projects is often accompanied by a soundtrack for many in the IT industry. Whether it’s getting into that “flow state” or simply dialing in on a complex problem, listening to music seems to be the method of choice for IT employees looking The post Music Behind the Tech: Alex Ward appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace TCT Inducts New Class of Technical Leaders
Jul 27, 2017
Earlier this month, Rackspace gained some new directors. But these weren’t your typical managers or business executives — they were principal engineers, principal architects and technical leaders that joined the elite ranks of Rackspace’s Technical Career Track, or TCT for short. Started in 2010, the TCT program supports the strongest technical leaders within Rackspace. The The post Rackspace TCT Inducts New Class of Technical Leaders appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Diving Deep into the World of OpenStack Swift: Part 1
Jul 27, 2017
Howdy Swifters. This is my first blog post in a multi-part deep dive series that will explore one of my favorite components of OpenStack — Swift. My main focus is to place my years of Swift experience into these posts. Swift is well documented if you know exactly what you’re looking for — but if The post Diving Deep into the World of OpenStack Swift: Part 1 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Five Future Cloud Trends You Need to Know About Today: Mobility
Jul 27, 2017
At some point, we’ve all been tempted to do a job by ourselves instead of working with our larger team. As tempting as it may be, there are many downsides to this approach — namely, the end product will represent only one person’s strengths and weaknesses. It’s almost impossible to be competitive in today’s market by taking The post Five Future Cloud Trends You Need to Know About Today: Mobility appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Maximizing ROI with Multi-Cloud
Jul 26, 2017
Businesses large and small are moving to the cloud in droves to improve efficiency, minimize risk and reduce IT expenditures. On the heels of this trend, many organizations are also adopting a multi-cloud approach, which can offer greater control and additional cost savings over a single cloud platform. In fact, 79 percent of companies in The post Maximizing ROI with Multi-Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Unpacking OpenStack with the Rackspace Tech Series
Jul 24, 2017
OpenStack is a complex set of projects, and it’s hard to know exactly how to ramp up your knowledge and competency. Finding your way through the myriad of docs, wikis and blogs for those that are new to OpenStack can be quite a task. Trying to decipher which projects you need and how they interact The post Unpacking OpenStack with the Rackspace Tech Series appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
#cloudchat Recap: IT Sprawl vs Cloud Sprawl
Jul 24, 2017
Last week we hosted our second #cloudchat, which examined “IT Sprawl versus Cloud Sprawl.” After almost a decade in, we were curious if the cloud was simplifying IT or not, and turned to cloud specialists in the community for answers. Rackspace cloud experts Kent Kingery and Sandy Thorsen joined other experts, including Intermedia’s Nicole Scalese, GovCloud Network’s Kevin The post #cloudchat Recap: IT Sprawl vs Cloud Sprawl appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Music Behind the Tech: Ryan Walker
Jul 21, 2017
Music and technology make a perfect pair — coding, troubleshooting and focusing on projects is often accompanied by a soundtrack for many in the IT industry. Whether it’s getting into that “flow state” or simply dialing in on a complex problem, listening to music seems to be the method of choice for IT employees looking The post Music Behind the Tech: Ryan Walker appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
A Multi-Cloud World Presents Challenges and Opportunities for Big Data
Jul 20, 2017
Like it or not, multi-cloud is the new normal —whether it’s the result of a deliberate strategy or Shadow IT. That means every business needs a plan to manage multiple clouds in a uniform way. It’s about more than just maintaining a view of resource utilization. Left unchecked, multi-cloud sprawl can devalue one of your The post A Multi-Cloud World Presents Challenges and Opportunities for Big Data appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What I’m Looking Forward to at VMworld 2017
Jul 20, 2017
As VMworld 2017 draws closer and the content catalog is now active, I’ve been busy signing up for the sessions I want to attend while I’m in Las Vegas this year. I’m excited about so many of the topics I see in the catalog: Cross Cloud, VMware Cloud on AWS, Cloud Foundation and vCloud Availability, The post What I’m Looking Forward to at VMworld 2017 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Choosing the Correct AWS Directory Service Option
Jul 19, 2017
One of the areas that Amazon Web Services certainly excels at is in providing options for its customers. This is evident by visiting the AWS Products and Services page and reviewing the wide array of AWS services and features available for you to use in your applications. It is both amazing and overwhelming at the The post Choosing the Correct AWS Directory Service Option appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Seven New Ways We’re Helping Customers Manage Multiple Clouds
Jul 18, 2017
At our Rackspace::Solve conferences, we regularly highlight the ways that our customers are using technology and managed services to solve business challenges and seize opportunities. And at this year’s conference today in New York City, we’ve been proud to announce several new ways that customers can drive business success, by better managing the multiple clouds The post Seven New Ways We’re Helping Customers Manage Multiple Clouds appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Teams Up with Pivotal to Deliver Managed Pivotal Cloud Foundry to Enterprise Customers
Jul 18, 2017
NEW YORK CITY – July 18, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced from its Rackspace::Solve customer conference in New York City that it is aligning efforts with Pivotal® to deliver Managed Pivotal Cloud Foundry to enterprise customers. This new Rackspace solution will help enterprises use Pivotal Cloud Foundry®, one of the world’s most powerful cloud-native platforms, The post Rackspace Teams Up with Pivotal to Deliver Managed Pivotal Cloud Foundry to Enterprise Customers appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Announcing Managed Google Cloud Platform by Rackspace
Jul 18, 2017
A few months back, Rackspace announced a strategic relationship with Google to become its first official managed services support partner for Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Today, I’m pleased to formally announce the launch of our beta program for our managed GCP offering, with an eye toward this fall for general availability. I’m also thrilled that The post Announcing Managed Google Cloud Platform by Rackspace appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Can’t Make it to New York City? Check Out the Rackspace::Solve Live Stream Instead
Jul 18, 2017
Rackspace::Solve kicks off today in New York City with a daylong schedule filled with speakers and breakout sessions focused on maintaining a competitive edge in today’s emerging multi-cloud world. Solve conferences are a great place to get an inside look at the IT strategy and solutions fast-growing companies, including some of our most innovative customers, The post Can’t Make it to New York City? Check Out the Rackspace::Solve Live Stream Instead appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Meet Mark Clayman, Our New SVP and General Manager of Enterprise Applications
Jul 17, 2017
Back in May, we announced we were acquiring TriCore Solutions, a leader in enterprise application management that would allow us to provide expertise and support for the mission-critical applications our customers are using to manage core functions across their businesses. These include manufacturing, logistics, purchasing, supply chain, customer service, HR and financial operations. The acquisition made The post Meet Mark Clayman, Our New SVP and General Manager of Enterprise Applications appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
#cloudchat Recap: The Future of Cybersecurity
Jul 17, 2017
Twitter was abuzz this past Thursday as we kicked off our first ever #cloudchat, which covered the future of cybersecurity. Rackspace security experts Jarret Raim and Jason Wolford joined other experts, including GovCloud Network’s Kevin Jackson, Cyxtera’s Chris Steffen and BMC Software’s Allison Cramer, to discuss different facets of security in the cloud. The topic The post #cloudchat Recap: The Future of Cybersecurity appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Why Net Promotor Scores Matter
Jul 12, 2017
Since creating OpenStack in conjunction with NASA seven years ago, we’ve been delighted to see just how far the platform has come. A huge OpenStack community has been born, hundreds of enterprises use OpenStack in production and it’s become the platform of choice for private cloud deployments all over the world. And we continue to The post Why Net Promotor Scores Matter appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace and Lightstream Team to Provide Custom Managed Microsoft Cloud Solutions
Jul 11, 2017
WASHINGTON D.C. – July 11, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced from the Microsoft Inspire conference in Washington D.C. a relationship with Lightstream, a leading systems integrator, to deliver integrated Microsoft Cloud Solutions with specialized customer lifecycle support. Through this collaboration, Rackspace will provide custom tools, optimization and ongoing 24x7x365 Fanatical Support® for customers who leverage Lightstream IT The post Rackspace and Lightstream Team to Provide Custom Managed Microsoft Cloud Solutions appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Azure Stack is Finally Here — What’s Next?
Jul 11, 2017
After a lot of anticipation and speculation, Microsoft Azure Stack was formally released Monday at the annual Inspire conference in Washington, D.C. For those of you who don’t follow Microsoft closely, Azure Stack is their solution for customers who want to consume Microsoft Azure public cloud services but need the added security, customization and control The post Azure Stack is Finally Here — What’s Next? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Launches Fanatical Support for Microsoft Azure Stack
Jul 10, 2017
WASHINGTON D.C. – July 10, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced from the Microsoft Inspire conference in Washington D.C. Fanatical Support® for Microsoft Azure Stack, which will make the hybrid cloud solution accessible to organizations of all sizes, regardless of cloud skills or expertise. As a launch-day global partner supporting Microsoft Azure Stack, Rackspace will offer The post Rackspace Launches Fanatical Support for Microsoft Azure Stack appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Avoiding Multi-Cloud Pitfalls
Jul 10, 2017
Welcome to the multi-cloud era Remember when Apple generated headlines by moving its iCloud service to Google’s Cloud Platform? It happened in March 2016, and the move made news because Apple was also using AWS and Microsoft Azure. Apple wasn’t choosing Google over AWS or Azure, it was deliberately diversifying. When Apple doubled down on The post Avoiding Multi-Cloud Pitfalls appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Getting Ready for #cloudchat — The Upcoming Rackspace Twitter Chat Series
Jul 07, 2017
The first #cloudchat in our upcoming series is on 7/13/17 and we’ll be discussing the Future of CyberSecurity! Come join the chat at Noon EST/11:00 am CST!  As one of the first big brands to deliver customer support on Twitter, we at Rackspace are particularly fond of the social media platform. After all, where else The post Getting Ready for #cloudchat — The Upcoming Rackspace Twitter Chat Series appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Staying Relevant in a Multi-Cloud World
Jul 06, 2017
In today’s fast-moving multi-cloud world, failure to keep up means you’re probably getting left behind. But it’s not too late! Our upcoming conference, Rackspace::Solve New York, is focused specifically on companies that have found ways to maintain a competitive edge in today’s emerging world of multiple clouds. The conference is an excellent opportunity to get The post Staying Relevant in a Multi-Cloud World appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Meet Our New Chief Financial Officer. He’s Got Game.
Jul 05, 2017
During the recent NBA draft, we heard again and again the two main criteria that teams used to choose their next new players. Some went for the best athlete available. Others sought to fill a specific need: say, a point guard who can run the offense. Only a few teams, in basketball or business, are The post Meet Our New Chief Financial Officer. He’s Got Game. appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Names Louis M. Alterman Chief Financial Officer
Jul 05, 2017
SAN ANTONIO – July 5 – Rackspace® today announced that it named Louis M. Alterman as its new executive vice president and chief financial officer (CFO), effective June 27. Alterman is responsible for driving Rackspace’s financial and investment strategies to accelerate growth and profitability. He will report to Joe Eazor, Rackspace’s newly appointed CEO. “Louis The post Rackspace Names Louis M. Alterman Chief Financial Officer appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Questions for New North America Channel Sales & Alliances VP Lisa Mclin
Jun 29, 2017
The Rackspace Channel Program plays a vital role in helping us extend our expertise and Fanatical Support to a wide base of partners and their customers. While those partners make the program what it is, the success of the program truly relies on the strong relationships our channel sales team is able to build and The post 5 Questions for New North America Channel Sales & Alliances VP Lisa Mclin appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Rackspace Email Reseller Network: The Missing Link to Your Strategy
Jun 29, 2017
It’s no secret that Microsoft Office 365 is a powerful solution that helps businesses collaborate more effectively and work more efficiently. Maybe your organization is experiencing an increased demand to resell Office 365, but managing the product is intimidating and the complexity of the combination of offerings has kept you away. Don’t let that stop The post The Rackspace Email Reseller Network: The Missing Link to Your Strategy appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Private Cloud: An Easier Method for Migrating Existing Applications
Jun 28, 2017
Here’s a situation we recently encountered. A leading financial institution, with a typical mix of legacy, current and leading-edge applications, was in the middle of migrating to a public cloud. But the migration was full of unforeseen challenges and they uncovered a troublesome fact: migrating to a public cloud is complex and represents a significant The post Private Cloud: An Easier Method for Migrating Existing Applications appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Ready to Transform IT? Remember the Pareto Principle
Jun 28, 2017
If your company is about to dive into a major IT project, take a moment to consider the Pareto principle. Also known as the 80/20 rule, it’s the idea that 80 percent of your results are derived from 20 percent of your inputs. We’ve found this principle holds true for many of our customers’ challenges The post Ready to Transform IT? Remember the Pareto Principle appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Recognized as a Best Workplace for Millennials
Jun 27, 2017
For the second year in a row, Rackspace has been recognized as one of the country’s Best Workplaces for Millennials by Fortune and Great Place to Work. Millennials, of course, are the generation of young folks born roughly between the early 1980s and the year 2000. They are the largest generation in the workforce. This The post Rackspace Recognized as a Best Workplace for Millennials appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Helping Santikos Provide a First-Class Trip to the Movies
Jun 27, 2017
It’s a known fact that everything is bigger in Texas, and when it comes to movie theaters, San Antonio’s Santikos Theatres proves it. The theater chain, which was founded by Louis Santikos in 1911 and now spans the greater San Antonio area, is a shining example of the American dream and a fascinating case study The post Helping Santikos Provide a First-Class Trip to the Movies appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Measuring a Successful Cloud Migration
Jun 26, 2017
Let’s say you convinced the IT decision makers at your business to move key workloads to the public cloud. You even chose a great vendor to facilitate the transition and now your migration is finished. But before you’ve taken a step back, assessed your progress and demonstrated to leadership that the migration succeeded and the The post Measuring a Successful Cloud Migration appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Named a Leader in Forrester Wave for Hosted Private Cloud
Jun 22, 2017
Today, Forrester Research released its latest evaluation of the hosted private cloud market – The Forrester Wave™: Hosted Private Cloud Services, North America, Q2 2017. I’m proud to announce that we were recognized as a leader for our Rackspace OpenStack Private Cloud offering. The report evaluated nine vendors based on 33 criteria, including current offering, The post Rackspace Named a Leader in Forrester Wave for Hosted Private Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Named a Leader in Independent Evaluation for Hosted Private Cloud Services
Jun 22, 2017
SAN ANTONIO – June 22, 2017 – Rackspace today announced that it was named a leader in the Forrester Research, Inc. June 2017 report, The Forrester Wave™: Hosted Private Cloud Services, North America, Q2 2017. The report evaluated nine vendors based on 33 criteria, including current offering, strategy and market presence. Rackspace was ranked above The post Rackspace Named a Leader in Independent Evaluation for Hosted Private Cloud Services appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Securing Application Secrets with EC2 Parameter Store
Jun 22, 2017
When developing a non-trivial application, an important early step is to decide what to do with your application secrets. These can be API keys, database passwords, or other special configuration values your application needs to function, but that you don’t want everyone to have access to. Very often, developers wind up taking an insecure or The post Securing Application Secrets with EC2 Parameter Store appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Announces Completion of TriCore Solutions Acquisition
Jun 20, 2017
SAN ANTONIO – June 20, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of TriCore Solutions, a leader in the management of enterprise applications, including Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Business Analytics solutions from Oracle®, SAP® and other vendors. Through this acquisition, Rackspace is now able to deliver managed services for The post Rackspace Announces Completion of TriCore Solutions Acquisition appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
No App is an Island: How to Assess Your Environment for a Move to the Cloud
Jun 19, 2017
When you’re migrating applications to the cloud, it’s important to understand that every workload you move will inevitably impact other moving parts. Even migrations between clouds can be difficult — it may take substantial tuning to ensure that multi-clouds and hybrid clouds play nicely together. Given these challenges, it’s critical to conduct an assessment of The post No App is an Island: How to Assess Your Environment for a Move to the Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Introducing the Triad: Pillars of Fanatical Support
Jun 15, 2017
If you’ve heard of Rackspace before, you’ve probably heard the term “Fanatical Support.” On a broad level, it’s the no excuses, no exceptions, can-do way of thinking our employees bring to work every day, and it’s about going above and beyond for our customers to ensure their complete satisfaction. On a more practical level, Fanatical The post Introducing the Triad: Pillars of Fanatical Support appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
List Bombing: The Latest Trend in Online Harassment
Jun 14, 2017
Fighting malicious activity on the Internet is an ongoing, ever-evolving battle. Bad actors are constantly finding new ways to profit off of businesses and harass organizations by negatively affecting their day-to-day operations. The most recent tool in their arsenal is something called “list bombing,” which occurs when cyber criminals identify vulnerable email sign-up pages and The post List Bombing: The Latest Trend in Online Harassment appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Pets, Cattle and Now…Insects?
Jun 13, 2017
The first time I heard the term “pets vs. cattle” in relation to anything technical, I was completely baffled. I mean really, what does animal husbandry have to do with how I take care of my computer equipment? If you saw my laptop, you would instantly know that it is more than cattle, more than The post Pets, Cattle and Now…Insects? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Delivering a Cloud Business Case Beyond CapEx and OpEx
Jun 12, 2017
You can’t ignore it anymore — cloud is no longer an option, it’s a requirement. It will be the single most significant technology your company implements over the next decade, capable of transforming your entire business. But no public cloud initiative can get off the ground without a strong business case. You’ll need to demonstrate The post Delivering a Cloud Business Case Beyond CapEx and OpEx appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Tales From the OpenStack Crypt
Jun 08, 2017
Ever since we created OpenStack with NASA in 2010, Rackspace has continued to extend our operational expertise for all major OpenStack projects, including Nova and Neutron. Neutron is considered one of the most challenging OpenStack components to operate, and while we at Rackspace have gained vast knowledge operating it, there are still situations where we The post Tales From the OpenStack Crypt appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Working with AWS ECS
Jun 08, 2017
In this blog post, we will look at AWS ECS and how it can be used to deploy Docker containers. From a use-case perspective, ECS allows you to build a production-scale, auto-scaling and monitored platform for running these types of containers. If you’re already using AWS, outside of the cost for EC2 instances, there is The post Working with AWS ECS appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Ransomware and the Importance of Server Hardening
Jun 07, 2017
The world is abuzz with the most recent ransomware attack, dubbed WannaCrypt. While this attack generated a lot of fanfare, the tools needed to mitigate the problem were already in existence months ago. A month prior to the release of the hacking tool, Microsoft patched the vulnerability it targeted as part of its March Patch The post Ransomware and the Importance of Server Hardening appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Survive Your IT Transformation Journey with This Guide
Jun 06, 2017
IT Transformation is a complicated process, but you don’t have to go it alone, nor reinvent the wheel. In our latest e-book, The CIO’s Survival Guide to IT Transformation, we’ve laid out all the moving pieces of a true IT transformation, offering a useful framework for understanding what the journey might look like for your The post Survive Your IT Transformation Journey with This Guide appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The IT Transformation Pot — Picking the Right Ingredients 
Jun 05, 2017
Enterprises face numerous challenges in today’s ever-expanding world of IT. They have to keep up with the latest technology, meet the ever-changing demands of their customers and support the needs of a plethora of internal teams who rely on said technology to enable their success. That’s why organizations of all sizes are seeking to transform The post The IT Transformation Pot — Picking the Right Ingredients  appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Clearing Public Cloud Hurdles [Infographic]
Jun 05, 2017
It’s no secret that a public cloud can offer numerous benefits to businesses of all shapes and sizes: lower costs, speed to market and the ability to scale, just to name a few. And as more businesses seek to leverage these benefits, public cloud adoption is on the rise. But it’s not always smooth sailing The post Clearing Public Cloud Hurdles [Infographic] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Recognised Globally at Worldwide Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards
Jun 01, 2017
It doesn’t matter how great a pizza base is, without the topping it’s a pretty boring bit of dough. At Rackspace, we recognise that great partnerships not only deliver a great product — like a pizza base and topping — they make it supreme. I’m proud to say that Rackspace has been recognised as a The post Rackspace Recognised Globally at Worldwide Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Names David Meredith President, Private Cloud and Managed Hosting
Jun 01, 2017
SAN ANTONIO – June 1 – Rackspace® today announced that it has named David Meredith president of private cloud and managed hosting at Rackspace, effective June 1, 2017. Meredith will lead the company’s single-tenant business, the largest revenue-driving business at Rackspace, with the goal of accelerating growth through investments and product strategy. He will report The post Rackspace Names David Meredith President, Private Cloud and Managed Hosting appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Six Considerations for Moving Applications to a Private Cloud
Jun 01, 2017
According to Forrester Research, 38 percent of enterprise infrastructure technology decision-makers are planning to implement a private cloud this year. Making that move can reduce delivery costs and enable innovation, but it’s not a decision to make lightly. The investment in and power of a private cloud requires careful planning before moving all or part of The post Six Considerations for Moving Applications to a Private Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Dell EMC VMAX In The Cloud
May 31, 2017
It might seem strange to some that our customers ask us to support their enterprise storage, including Dell EMC VMAX. After all, many clouds are built on commodity hardware, and it seems unusual to build a cloud with a massive, mission-critical storage back-end. In many cases, however, there’s a reasonable amount of sense in adding The post Dell EMC VMAX In The Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
4 Easy Ransomware Safeguards
May 31, 2017
Earlier this month, a computer virus called WannaCrypt infected over 200,000 computers worldwide. The attack earned the nickname “WannaCry” because it encrypts all of the files on the infected computer and blackmails the victim with a fee between $300 and $600 to recover them. Imagine being faced with the decision to pay these extortive costs, The post 4 Easy Ransomware Safeguards appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Cyber Hunting: The Importance of Threat Intelligence
May 30, 2017
The old adage “the more you know” definitely rings true when it comes to cyber hunting. When conducting cyber hunting activities, it’s not about finding a needle in a haystack, it’s about finding a needle in a stack of needles. The advanced cyber adversaries of today have the financial backing, the intelligence and the wherewithal The post Cyber Hunting: The Importance of Threat Intelligence appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Getting the Most From Your VMware Investment: Hands-On Workshop
May 26, 2017
If you’re like most organizations today who have invested in VMware, you’re probably taking a deep look at how to modernize your infrastructure to support digital transformation and your move to the cloud, while leveraging as much of your existing VMware investment, knowledge and tools. But where do you start? Well, you’re in luck. Rackspace The post Getting the Most From Your VMware Investment: Hands-On Workshop appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
New Rackspace Application Services Expands Options, Simplifies Pricing
May 26, 2017
Rackspace Application Services, the next generation of application support from Rackspace, now offers world-class application services for Java and .Net, plus four digital applications across dedicated, AWS and Azure infrastructures. Prior to this launch, Rackspace provided application support and services only on dedicated infrastructure. We have also simplified our pricing model, which is now based on The post New Rackspace Application Services Expands Options, Simplifies Pricing appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Where Are Our Customers Taking Us?
May 25, 2017
At Rackspace, we regularly remind ourselves to let our customers pull us toward our future. Sometimes they have to yank us there because what they want us to do for them is hard. If it were easy, someone else would already be doing it. That’s why, after starting as a Linux hosting shop almost two The post Where Are Our Customers Taking Us? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Announces Agreement to Acquire TriCore Solutions
May 25, 2017
SAN ANTONIO – May 25, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced that it signed an agreement to acquire TriCore Solutions, a leader in the management of enterprise applications, including Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions from Oracle® and SAP®. This acquisition, the largest in Rackspace history and expected to close in June, will allow the company to The post Rackspace Announces Agreement to Acquire TriCore Solutions appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Why I’m Joining Rackspace
May 24, 2017
I’ve been living and working in Texas for most of my career in IT, so I naturally heard about Rackspace not long after it was founded. I watched as it virtually invented the managed hosting business, and as it won acclaim for its special brand of expertise and customer service, known throughout the industry as The post Why I’m Joining Rackspace appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Meet Our New CEO
May 24, 2017
I don’t mind telling you that when I was named interim CEO of Rackspace a few weeks ago, I was hoping that I would be able to shed the first word of that title and serve as the long-term chief executive at the company that I love. But my attitude was that if our board The post Meet Our New CEO appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Board Appoints Joe Eazor as New CEO
May 24, 2017
SAN ANTONIO – May 24, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced that the company’s board of directors has appointed technology industry veteran Joe Eazor as the new CEO of Rackspace, effective on June 12. As CEO, Eazor will be responsible for the company’s global strategy and operations, spanning the U.S. and the three other continents where The post Rackspace Board Appoints Joe Eazor as New CEO appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Explaining Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines to a Windows SysAdmin
May 24, 2017
Over the last 20 years, my IT background and experience have predominantly revolved around Microsoft Windows and other Microsoft technologies, including SQL server, VB.Net and C#. Over the last 10 years, my career and focus shifted to the business side of IT, moving into product management and product marketing. In 2015, Rackspace launched Fanatical Support The post Explaining Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines to a Windows SysAdmin appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
SpiceCSM Leverages OpenStack Private Cloud as a Service to Revolutionize Customer Support
May 24, 2017
SpiceCSM helps organizations revolutionize their customers’ experience by combining processes, multiple systems and data into a single customer engagement platform — and now they’re using OpenStack private cloud as a service from Rackspace to power it. The platform enables businesses to quickly resolve issues across multiple channels by ensuring both service agents and automated, self-service The post SpiceCSM Leverages OpenStack Private Cloud as a Service to Revolutionize Customer Support appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Private Cloud Migrations: Getting Prepared for the Big Move
May 23, 2017
One of the key drivers for any company embracing technology is innovation. The advent of the cloud is one of the most significant and disruptive advances for business in recent years. Realizing the cloud’s true benefits through speed, agility and an ability to embrace change can be a very big challenge. On one hand, doing The post Private Cloud Migrations: Getting Prepared for the Big Move appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
OpenStack Everywhere Just Got Even Better
May 23, 2017
While private cloud as a service has become the preferred consumption model, many organizations still need their infrastructure, applications and data to reside in their own data center, to meet security, regulatory compliance and data sovereignty requirements. In response to this need, Rackspace introduced OpenStack Everywhere, enabling customers to consume private clouds, as a service, The post OpenStack Everywhere Just Got Even Better appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Register Today: Limited Availability for Free Rackspace::Solve OpenStack Workshop
May 22, 2017
OpenStack is the de facto standard for private Clouds today — but if you’re new to the OpenStack community, you’re probably looking for help to better understand how OpenStack can help your organization. Well, look no further. Register today for a free half-day workshop as part of Rackspace::Solve, to be held on June 5 at the Philadelphia The post Register Today: Limited Availability for Free Rackspace::Solve OpenStack Workshop appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
London School of Economics, Rackspace Seeking IT Leaders’ Input
May 19, 2017
Although we already know many businesses use cloud technology in one form or another, a central question remains: are they truly maximizing the cloud? Rackspace wants to find out, and we’re partnering with the prestigious London School of Economics and Intel to help. Together, we’re looking for IT leaders at large U.S. companies (those with more The post London School of Economics, Rackspace Seeking IT Leaders’ Input appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Instrumenting Lambda Functions with AWS X-Ray
May 18, 2017
AWS X-Ray is a fairly new service that helps developers analyze the performance of applications. It’s especially well-suited for microservice architectures, because it is capable of tracing requests across a distributed system, and also builds a service graph automatically as a side effect. A few weeks ago, AWS released a preview of X-Ray supporting Lambda The post Instrumenting Lambda Functions with AWS X-Ray appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Offers Digital Transformation at Dell EMC World 2017
May 18, 2017
Rackspace had a great time at Dell EMC World 2017 last week, and we want to keep that momentum going to help you achieve digital transformation within your organization. Sign up for a free 30 minute cloud strategy session with one of our experts to discuss how we can help you start your IT transformation journey with The post Rackspace Offers Digital Transformation at Dell EMC World 2017 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Launches New Application Operations Service
May 16, 2017
SAN ANTONIO – May 16, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced the launch of Application Operations, a new Rackspace Applications Services offering that provides expertise, performance insights and optimization with proactive operational support for customers’ websites, custom JavaÒ and .Net applications, as well as the digital applications Adobe® Experience Manager (AEM), Sitecore® Experience Platform, Oracle® Commerce The post Rackspace Launches New Application Operations Service appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Showcasing the Future at the Microsoft SharePoint Virtual Summit
May 16, 2017
Microsoft’s SharePoint Virtual Summit wrapped up earlier today, where the future of the connected workplace was showcased by highlighting many of the exciting updates coming to SharePoint and OneDrive over the next few months. The event focused mainly on features coming to SharePoint Online in Office 365, beginning now and spread over the summer. That The post Showcasing the Future at the Microsoft SharePoint Virtual Summit appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Named a 2017 Best for Vets Employer
May 16, 2017
??The Military Times selected Rackspace for its Best for Vets: Employers 2017 list, a first for Rackspace, which was ranked #60 out of 82 companies across the U.S. The Best for Vets list recognizes companies that provide cultures, recruiting practices and policies that support and consider America’s military veterans, including members of the National Guard The post Rackspace Named a 2017 Best for Vets Employer appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Building the Future of Cloud: Themes from OpenStack Summit Boston
May 15, 2017
Participants in the OpenStack Summit last week departed Boston with a sense of renewed hope and energy. Not only were there clear indicators of the project’s continuing maturity, but the community responded positively to the OpenStack Foundation’s updated vision for OpenStack. Conversations at the vendor marketplace and in hallways trended less towards “What is OpenStack?” or “Does OpenStack The post Building the Future of Cloud: Themes from OpenStack Summit Boston appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Elements of Threat-Centric Security: Tools
May 11, 2017
This is the final installment in a three-part series about the important elements of a threat-centric security capability. In the first part of the series, I focused on the people and skills needed to effectively detect and respond to threats. In the second part, I focused on the processes that need to be in place The post The Elements of Threat-Centric Security: Tools appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace joins Google.org to Launch Hispanic Impact Fund
May 10, 2017
Rackspace joins Google.org today committing seed funding to the Austin Community Foundation to launch the Hispanic Impact Fund, a new giving network focused on boosting the economic advancement of Hispanics in the Central Texas region. With Google.org pledging $250,000 to the new fund and $50,000 from Rackspace, the gifts make up not only the largest The post Rackspace joins Google.org to Launch Hispanic Impact Fund appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
A Composable Infrastructure: OpenStack Summit Day 2 Keynote Recap
May 10, 2017
OpenStack began with just two projects – Nova for compute and Swift for object storage. It has since grown to more than 60 projects that cover a gamut of technologies, from compute to networking to storage to security. Historically, many of the projects have been perceived to have dependencies on one another, and so they were positioned as components The post A Composable Infrastructure: OpenStack Summit Day 2 Keynote Recap appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Ranks #2 on Forbes List of Best Midsize Employers 2017
May 09, 2017
We at Rackspace invest a lot of thought and energy into our workplace culture, and we’re always pleased when those efforts get noticed by others. Today, we’re proud to be included in Forbes list of Best Midsize Employers 2017, where Rackspace ranked #2, behind Lush, the beauty products company. Forbes partners with Statista, a database The post Rackspace Ranks #2 on Forbes List of Best Midsize Employers 2017 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Second Generation Cloud: OpenStack Summit Day 1 Keynote Recap
May 09, 2017
The 15th bi-annual OpenStack Summit kicked off Monday in Boston, drawing thousands of community members from around the world. This is the second time the Summit has been held in Boston; the first time occurred back when the attendance was measured in the hundreds. And just as attendance has grown tremendously, so have adoption rates and The post Second Generation Cloud: OpenStack Summit Day 1 Keynote Recap appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
“This Platform Must Be Made of Awesome”
May 08, 2017
Patrick Weeks, senior director of digital operations at GE, helped kick off an exciting Day 1 of the OpenStack Summit Boston describing GE’s successful journey to the cloud and why the one of the largest and most innovative companies in the world is consuming private cloud as-a-service from Rackspace. GE’s move to cloud is a The post “This Platform Must Be Made of Awesome” appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace and Dell EMC Team to Revolutionize Private Cloud
May 08, 2017
BOSTON – May 8, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced from the OpenStack Summit in Boston that it has collaborated with Dell EMC to deliver OpenStack® private clouds with leading compute and storage solutions from Dell® EMC®. This offer combines Rackspace operational expertise with Dell EMC compute and storage solutions to create an easy-to-consume private cloud The post Rackspace and Dell EMC Team to Revolutionize Private Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Named 2017 Red Hat Innovator of the Year
May 04, 2017
I’m thrilled to announce that Rackspace was named the 2017 Red Hat Innovator of the Year today. Earlier this week, Red Hat, Inc., announced that Rackspace was named the 2017 Red Hat Innovation Awards winner in the Cloud Infrastructure category. We were recognized for our Rackspace Private Cloud powered by Red Hat offering, which delivers The post Rackspace Named 2017 Red Hat Innovator of the Year appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
CAS Leverages the Versatility of OpenStack Private Cloud
May 04, 2017
When CAS (Chemical Abstracts Service), a division of the American Chemical Society (ACS) began its journey toward a fresh approach to data management, leaders understood that meant moving into the cloud. CAS embodies the ACS vision of “improving people’s lives through the transforming power of chemistry.” Since its founding in 1907, CAS scientists and technologists The post CAS Leverages the Versatility of OpenStack Private Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Book Signings, Experts, Challenges: Visit Rackspace at the OpenStack Summit Boston
May 04, 2017
Before I get to the book signings, activities and goodies we’ll have at the Rackspace booth during the OpenStack Summit in Boston May 8-11, I wanted to share some good and bad news from the biannual user survey from the OpenStack Foundation. The good news: OpenStack deployments are up more than 40 percent over a The post Book Signings, Experts, Challenges: Visit Rackspace at the OpenStack Summit Boston appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Why I’m Leaving Rackspace
May 03, 2017
This morning, I announced to my fellow Rackers the toughest decision I’ve ever had to make: I’m leaving the company that I love, where I’ve worked for the past decade and made lifelong friends, and where it’s been my honor to serve as CEO. My friend Jeff Cotten, now Rackspace president, will step up as The post Why I’m Leaving Rackspace appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace After Taylor
May 03, 2017
By now, you may have heard that our CEO, Taylor Rhodes, is leaving Rackspace and that the board has asked me to step up as interim CEO. I’m sure this news has hit many of you as hard as it hit me when I heard it. Taylor and I have worked together since we were The post Rackspace After Taylor appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Cloud Storage for your Small Business from Rackspace Email 
May 03, 2017
Rackspace is pleased to announce the release of Rackspace Email Plus with Cloud Drive, a new product that bundles cloud storage and online applications with Rackspace Email. Our new Cloud Drive gives users anywhere, anytime access to their files. Desktop Sync apps for Windows and Mac keep files safe and secure with a copy in the cloud, The post Cloud Storage for your Small Business from Rackspace Email  appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Throwing Rocks at OpenStack: Open Source as a Distro or a Service?
May 02, 2017
I’ve been fortunate to spend nearly my entire career working at companies deeply engaged in open source — at Red Hat for 11 years, then Puppet and now as the vice president of engineering at Rackspace. In that time, I’ve been involved in several technology shifts that have changed the industry. It’s been fascinating to The post Throwing Rocks at OpenStack: Open Source as a Distro or a Service? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Cyber Hunting: Through the Cyber Kill Chain
May 02, 2017
Cyber hunting is a critical component of any security operations center’s attempts to provide a proactive approach to threat detection. While hunting for threats itself is not a new concept, its execution is constantly evolving. The current inception of threat hunting has been driven by improved processing capabilities of big data and the advent of advanced The post Cyber Hunting: Through the Cyber Kill Chain appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Named 2017 Red Hat Innovation Awards Winner
May 01, 2017
BOSTON – RED HAT SUMMIT 2017 – May 1, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced that it was named the 2017 Red Hat Innovation Awards winner in the Cloud Infrastructure category by Red Hat, Inc., the world’s leading provider of open source solutions. The company was recognized for its Rackspace Private Cloud powered by Red Hat The post Rackspace Named 2017 Red Hat Innovation Awards Winner appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Email Security Basics: Enabling DomainKeys Identified Mail
May 01, 2017
Email is a necessary and powerful tool every business needs to interact with clients and collaborate internally. Unfortunately, email is also used to steal sensitive information, confidential documents and even money from businesses and individuals all over the world. This malicious behavior has made it difficult to trust the legitimacy and safety of email you The post Email Security Basics: Enabling DomainKeys Identified Mail appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Navigating the Complexity of Big Data Transformation
Apr 28, 2017
Businesses must deliver a consistent, high-value experience — or risk losing customers to someone who can. And they’re turning to big data technologies for help. With big data, they can get to know their customers better, learn their habits and anticipate their needs to ultimately deliver a better customer experience. But existing on premise relational database management systems The post Navigating the Complexity of Big Data Transformation appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Private Cloud: Save Money, Go Faster
Apr 28, 2017
Change can be difficult — and nowhere more so than in deeply-entrenched IT processes and systems. Whatever you’re changing to has to be better than the status quo. In IT, that typically means lowering costs while increasing speed and productivity. You have to prove the return on investment. Rackspace understands that, and we can work with The post Rackspace Private Cloud: Save Money, Go Faster appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Launches Portfolio of Professional Services for AWS
Apr 27, 2017
SAN ANTONIO – April 27, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced the expansion of its managed service offerings for the Amazon Web Services™ (AWS) Cloud to include a portfolio of Professional Services. The Fanatical Support® for AWS Professional Services are tailored to support customers who are new to, or growing on, AWS and need deep, customized The post Rackspace Launches Portfolio of Professional Services for AWS appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Solving for the Cloud: Private Cloud as Enterprise Innovation Hub
Apr 27, 2017
Click to see all six videos in the series “Solving for the Cloud” Private Cloud edition. Is your organization considering a move or expansion to private cloud? Is hybrid cloud a key part of your strategy? If so, you’ll want to check out our “Solving for the Cloud” Private Cloud edition video series, sponsored by Rackspace, The post Solving for the Cloud: Private Cloud as Enterprise Innovation Hub appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Purdue Prepares Students for In-Demand Tech Jobs with Help of Rackspace OpenStack Private Cloud
Apr 26, 2017
SAN ANTONIO – April 26, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced that Purdue University, home to the oldest computer science program in the nation, is using Rackspace® OpenStack® Private Cloud in the classroom. With infrastructure architecture guidance and OpenStack operational expertise from Rackspace, Purdue offers a hands-on curriculum for undergraduate and graduate students that provides them The post Purdue Prepares Students for In-Demand Tech Jobs with Help of Rackspace OpenStack Private Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
AWS Summit San Francisco in Review
Apr 25, 2017
This week, I attended the first of the upcoming AWS North America summits at Moscone Center in San Francisco. As always, the summit was a blur of technical sessions, product and service announcements and vendors and partners in the expo hall (including yours truly). It was great seeing everyone there — a special thank you The post AWS Summit San Francisco in Review appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Introducing Fanatical Support for Office 365 Enterprise
Apr 25, 2017
For more than 15 years, Rackspace been the trusted Microsoft technology partner of choice for organizations transitioning their productivity applications to the Microsoft Cloud. As a hosting provider for more than half of the Fortune 100, with more than 15 years of hosting experience under our belts, Rackspace has unmatched expertise when it comes to The post Introducing Fanatical Support for Office 365 Enterprise appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
A First Glance at AWS CodeStar
Apr 24, 2017
To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to think when CodeStar was announced this year at the AWS Summit in San Francisco. It reminded me of Cloud9, which AWS purchased in July 2016, and I was sure CodeStar was going to be an online editor that would tie in with the AWS ecosystem. But that The post A First Glance at AWS CodeStar appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace OpenStack Private Cloud v14: Platform for New Innovations
Apr 24, 2017
Building great software is an ongoing process — and even more so with open source software. As the co-inventor of OpenStack, Rackspace has been working with the open source community since 2010 to create a mature enterprise-ready cloud platform. After 15 community releases, our imprint on the project is evident: we’ve contributed the most lines of code The post Rackspace OpenStack Private Cloud v14: Platform for New Innovations appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Create a Visual Studio Team Services Service Principal in Azure
Apr 21, 2017
As a Microsoft Azure Engineer, I work with customers every day to help them solve problems they face bringing their business and process to the Microsoft Azure Cloud. Recently, several of our customers have asked how to connect their Visual Studio Team Services account to their CSP Azure account, so I thought a tutorial was The post How to Create a Visual Studio Team Services Service Principal in Azure appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Elements of Threat-Centric Security: Processes
Apr 19, 2017
This is the second in a three-part series about the important elements of a threat-centric security capability. The first part of the series focused on the people and skills needed to effectively detect and respond to threats. This second part focuses on the processes that need to be in place in order to respond proactively The post The Elements of Threat-Centric Security: Processes appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Navigating the Treacherous Terrain of IT Transformation
Apr 18, 2017
The path to IT Transformation can be daunting and full of pitfalls. As we imagine it in the interactive infographic below, it’s a journey that takes you from the pinnacles of Planning to the outer reaches of Optimizing and beyond. Click on the mountains below for a primer on all aspects of the IT Transformation The post Navigating the Treacherous Terrain of IT Transformation appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Software-Defined Data Center Era is Here
Apr 17, 2017
The software-defined data center era is here. Companies are steadily moving from legacy data centers, deploying and adopting the software-defined data center stack and transforming their data centers into highly agile IT delivery systems, which allows for increased automation and flexibility. As technology analyst Gartner says, “the future of the datacenter is software defined.” And The post The Software-Defined Data Center Era is Here appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Office 365 Case Studies: A Closer Look at Fanatical Support
Apr 13, 2017
Email is arguably the most important communication tool your business has. You use it connect with customers and keep in touch with employees. When it’s working well, email is such an integral part of your day-to-day operation, you may even take it for granted. But all of that comes to an abrupt halt as soon The post Office 365 Case Studies: A Closer Look at Fanatical Support appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
An Introduction to Data Governance
Apr 12, 2017
As the number of businesses using multiple clouds continues to rise, the security challenges they face are changing. Because hybrid architectures include multiple points of potential entry for bad actors, traditional perimeter security has become obsolete. The perimeter is no longer the only place to prevent data disclosure or leakage. Further, hybrid architectures include multiple The post An Introduction to Data Governance appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
More #FakeNews: The Death of OpenStack
Apr 05, 2017
Over the last two years, there have been articles in the press suggesting OpenStack is in trouble. These reports typically cite vendors who are exiting the market or laying off OpenStack employees. Let’s get real here: HPE’s divestiture of Helion is no more a harbinger of OpenStack’s demise than its divestiture of Vertica foreshadows the end The post More #FakeNews: The Death of OpenStack appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Managed Security: Coming to a City Near You
Apr 04, 2017
This week kicks off event season in earnest as the Rackspace Managed Security team will be hitting three different events in three different cities. Check out details below, and come check us out if you can! Rest assured, if we’re not in your neck of the woods this time around, we’ll likely be there soon. The post Rackspace Managed Security: Coming to a City Near You appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Future Women in Technology Honored at Rackspace
Apr 04, 2017
Rackspace, USAA, Texas State University and Jungle Disk joined San Antonio Women in Technology last week to celebrate 27 exceptionally talented young women for their technological achievements for the third annual San Antonio Area Aspirations Award Ceremony. San Antonio Women in Technology is the local affiliate of Aspirations in Computing, a national group which “provides a long-term community for female The post Future Women in Technology Honored at Rackspace appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Global Solutions and Services: the Evolution of IT Transformation
Apr 03, 2017
From our start almost 18 years ago, Rackspace has evolved to meet our customers’ needs, from straightforward hosting to the development of our public cloud to managing the increasing complexity of a multi-cloud world. That evolution continues today, with the launch of Rackspace Global Solutions and Services, which expands and refines our ability to work The post Rackspace Global Solutions and Services: the Evolution of IT Transformation appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Professional Services — For Every Step Along Your Cloud Journey
Apr 03, 2017
The journey to the cloud is different for every organization. Some have been mandated to get out of the data center. Others are seeking to innovate, minimize risk and adapt more quickly to market changes. Most aim to save money and boost efficiency. Whatever the reason, according to 451 Research, more than 70 percent of The post Professional Services — For Every Step Along Your Cloud Journey appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Creating a Framework for IT Transformation Success
Apr 03, 2017
The goal of IT Transformation is to move IT from one state to another — from reactive and inflexible to proactive, agile and fundamentally aligned to the changing demands of the business. Increasingly, senior leadership expects the CIO to lead this transition. According to Deloitte’s 2016-2017 global CIO survey, the top expectations that the business has The post Creating a Framework for IT Transformation Success appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Launches Global Professional Services for Enterprise Customers
Apr 03, 2017
SAN ANTONIO – April 3, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced an expanded professional services offering to help customers move workloads out of their data centers and onto the world’s leading public and private cloud platforms. This offer, called Global Solutions and Services, (GSS) will provide customers across all markets with the specialized expertise and support The post Rackspace Launches Global Professional Services for Enterprise Customers appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Questions for DevCentral MVP Vijay Emarose
Mar 31, 2017
Rackspace Network Architect Koman “Vijay” Emarose was recently named a 2017 DevCentral MVP — an award presented to active participants in the F5 DevCentral community from around the globe who provide valuable expertise to their fellow community members. DevCentral is an F5 site that brings members together to talk about the company’s different technologies and join The post 5 Questions for DevCentral MVP Vijay Emarose appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
General Data Protection Regulation: It’s Not Just an EU Thing
Mar 30, 2017
In April 2016, the European Union parliament approved the General Data Protection Regulation — a new and comprehensive set of laws which must be adopted by all 28 EU member countries by May 2018. GDPR was designed to give EU citizens full control over their personal data and establish a consistent standard for how organizations and The post General Data Protection Regulation: It’s Not Just an EU Thing appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Enterprise Adoption Grows for OpenStack, “the Dominant Platform for Private Cloud” [Whitepaper]
Mar 29, 2017
Massive cloud computing capability for a fraction of the cost of on premise? Sounds kind of like “tastes great, less filling.” But it’s possible with OpenStack, “the dominant platform for private cloud,” according Forrester Research, offering the benefits of both a scalable infrastructure and cost management. That’s a big reason why 451 Research estimates the market The post Enterprise Adoption Grows for OpenStack, “the Dominant Platform for Private Cloud” [Whitepaper] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Azure Stack Proof of Concept Now Available at Rackspace
Mar 28, 2017
A proof of concept for Azure Stack, Microsoft’s new hybrid cloud offering, is now available at Rackspace to help organizations easily access, test and assess the latest technical preview ahead of its official release. We’ve partnered closely with Microsoft to provide a stable test environment where IT pros can come kick the tires on this new The post Azure Stack Proof of Concept Now Available at Rackspace appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Operational Best Practices for Red Hat Ceph Storage
Mar 28, 2017
In this, the third in a series on the benefits of Red Hat Ceph Storage, I describe some of the key operational aspects of looking after your own Ceph Storage cluster. My first post offered a general overview of Red Hat Ceph Storage, while in the second I provided some detail around the architectural choices behind our The post Operational Best Practices for Red Hat Ceph Storage appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Cyber Hunting: Proactive Detection of Cyber Threats
Mar 22, 2017
In the day and age of expanding technologies designed and developed to enable rapidly growing business, the security methods of the past are long behind us. The era of defending our perimeters and “setting and forgetting” tools to protect our environments is over. As technology has grown to enable new businesses opportunities, we’ve increased our The post Cyber Hunting: Proactive Detection of Cyber Threats appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
New Lifecycle Support Options for Customers of Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by Red Hat
Mar 21, 2017
Rackspace and Red Hat are the two leading OpenStack cloud providers in the market today. Combined we have contributed more than a quarter of all OpenStack code  to date, and worked together more than a year ago to launch a truly enterprise-grade managed OpenStack offering. The fruit of this work is Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by Red Hat, a fully managed private The post New Lifecycle Support Options for Customers of Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by Red Hat appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Ranks 74th on FORTUNE List of “100 Best Companies to Work For” 2017
Mar 21, 2017
SAN ANTONIO – March 21, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced it has been ranked 74th on the 2017 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For, according to global research and consulting firm Great Place to Work®. Fortune has named Rackspace as one of America’s top “100 Best Companies to Work For” in seven of the The post Rackspace Ranks 74th on FORTUNE List of “100 Best Companies to Work For” 2017 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Business of IT Transformation [Webinar]
Mar 20, 2017
Today, businesses of all sizes and from every industry are facing an increasing set of challenges. Decision makers are being asked to do more with less — increase innovation and efficiency while reducing total cost of ownership. Others want to gain a competitive edge by harnessing data to learn more about their customers’ needs. In The post The Business of IT Transformation [Webinar] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Gartner Positions Rackspace in the “Leaders” Quadrant of Its New Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud Infrastructure Managed Service Providers, Worldwide
Mar 17, 2017
Evaluation Based on Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute SAN ANTONIO – March 16, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced that it has been positioned by Gartner, Inc. in the “Leaders” quadrant of its new Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud Infrastructure Managed Service Providers, Worldwide. The Gartner assessment, performed by the firm’s IT industry experts, The post Gartner Positions Rackspace in the “Leaders” Quadrant of Its New Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud Infrastructure Managed Service Providers, Worldwide appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
AWS 201: Understanding the Default Virtual Private Cloud
Mar 17, 2017
In my previous blog post, I walked through the basics of the AWS Global Infrastructure. Understanding these concepts is foundational for understanding the AWS Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) and how it enables advanced networking capabilities for your AWS resources. A VPC is a logically isolated virtual network, spanning an entire AWS Region, where your EC2 The post AWS 201: Understanding the Default Virtual Private Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Gartner’s Latest Assessment Recognizes Rackspace Leadership
Mar 16, 2017
Gartner has published its very first evaluation of Rackspace and other providers of managed services on the three leading public clouds: AWS, Azure and Google Cloud Platform. This is a new area of focus for Gartner, which publishes influential annual evaluations of vendors in several slices of the IT industry. As you can see in the The post Gartner’s Latest Assessment Recognizes Rackspace Leadership appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Protect Your Small Business with Office 365
Mar 16, 2017
Cyber-attacks are on the rise, and as these attacks grow in size and scope, small businesses are increasingly finding themselves in the crosshairs. In this evolving world of cyber security, your business requires reliability more than ever. But protecting your small business from internal and external security threats is an active, ongoing job. A manager’s The post Protect Your Small Business with Office 365 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Where to Find Rackspace Experts at OpenStack Summit Boston
Mar 15, 2017
In less than two months, the OpenStack Summit returns to Boston for the first time since 2011. While a lot has changed in the last six years, one constant is Rackspace. From our early days co-founding OpenStack to our role as a standard bearer, contributing our experience and expertise to the community, Rackspace continues to drive OpenStack The post Where to Find Rackspace Experts at OpenStack Summit Boston appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How Rackspace Optimized Red Hat Ceph Storage
Mar 14, 2017
A strong theme in my recent blog posts, including my previous post on the value of Red Hat Ceph Storage, is that data is a business’ most precious asset. [Also check out: Don’t Wait for an Outage: Plan Now to Protect Your Data] Protecting data was dead center of our intention at Rackspace when we worked with Red Hat The post How Rackspace Optimized Red Hat Ceph Storage appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Elements of Threat-Centric Security: People and Skills 
Mar 13, 2017
This is the first in a three-part blog series about the important parts of a threat-centric security capability. This first part focuses on the people and skills needed to effectively detect and respond to threats. In the vulnerability-centric approach to security, the focus is on the tools used (firewalls, IDS/IPS, WAF) and the ability to The post The Elements of Threat-Centric Security: People and Skills  appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What Would You Do with #MoreTime? A Question for the Ages
Mar 12, 2017
“What then is time? If no one asks me, I know what it is. If I wish to explain it to him who asks, I do not know.” —St. Augustine If time is difficult to define, we sure know how it feels when it’s scarce. In the age of an always-connected, global society, our time The post What Would You Do with #MoreTime? A Question for the Ages appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Completes “Public Cloud Trifecta” with Google Partnership
Mar 10, 2017
“Why now?” That’s one of the questions Patrick Lee, general manager of the new Google business at Rackspace, was asked after Google SVP Diane Green announced Wednesday that Rackspace would be Google’s first partner to offer managed Support for Google Cloud Platform. Because Rackspace already offers support for AWS and Microsoft Azure, the Google partnership The post Rackspace Completes “Public Cloud Trifecta” with Google Partnership appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What is OpenStack? The Basics, Part 2
Mar 10, 2017
In part one of “What is OpenStack? The Basics,” my aim was to get you from zero to 60 on, well, the basics of this open source cloud platform, to see if it’s right for your organization. For part two, I want to cover the high level pros and cons of using OpenStack; while I’d love to say The post What is OpenStack? The Basics, Part 2 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Defense in Depth — Running Secure Workloads in Azure
Mar 10, 2017
Over the past couple of years, there’s been a dramatic shift in the acceptance of public cloud platforms for running applications and workloads. Not just among startups and smaller businesses looking at the affordability of cloud economics, but in general, the fear around using a multi-tenant cloud for running all workloads has subsided. It’s difficult The post Defense in Depth — Running Secure Workloads in Azure appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Ranks Among Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For
Mar 09, 2017
Some companies regard employee engagement as something nice to have, perhaps as a way to trim the high cost of turnover. At Rackspace, we take a different view. We differentiate ourselves through our expertise in cloud technologies — and equally through a brand of results-obsessed customer service that we call Fanatical Support. Such exceptional service The post Rackspace Ranks Among Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Deep Dive Webinar Series Offers Expert Help Assessing Private Cloud
Mar 09, 2017
If your organization is like the majority of businesses, part of your 2017 IT strategy will involve a move toward cloud, whether it’s moving a single legacy application out of your data center,  spinning up a few public cloud servers to test a new application, or committing to a full IT transformation. But the truth is, that The post Deep Dive Webinar Series Offers Expert Help Assessing Private Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Delivering Managed Services for Google Cloud Platform
Mar 08, 2017
SAN ANTONIO – March 8, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced a strategic relationship with Google Cloud to become its first managed services support partner for Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Google Cloud and Rackspace are collaborating on a new managed services offering for Google Cloud Platform customers that will launch later this year. The managed support The post Rackspace Delivering Managed Services for Google Cloud Platform appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Future of Server Performance: the Latest on Our Zaius/Barreleye G2 Open Compute-OpenPOWER Server
Mar 08, 2017
Today at the 2017 OpenCompute Summit, Rackspace and Google will put on the first public display of the Open Compute Project-OpenPOWER server platform announced last year, codenamed Zaius and Barreleye G2. Zaius will double CPU performance and memory capacity, and will quintuple peripheral bandwidth, compared with Rackspace’s prior OpenPOWER system. Advances of this magnitude are increasingly rare. These The post The Future of Server Performance: the Latest on Our Zaius/Barreleye G2 Open Compute-OpenPOWER Server appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
When Private Cloud May be Cheaper Than Public
Mar 07, 2017
To reduce IT costs and increase agility, the first place businesses turn is the public cloud. And for most businesses, that’s the best place to reap those benefits. But for large scale enterprises, they may reach a certain point in their public cloud evolution, it’s sometimes actually cheaper to have their own private cloud. Large The post When Private Cloud May be Cheaper Than Public appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
When is a Single-Tenant Environment the Right Choice?
Mar 07, 2017
With the growth in cloud platforms, customers struggle to choose the type of infrastructure best suited for their applications and workloads — is it cloud (public or private), single-tenant dedicated infrastructure, or a combination of both (commonly referred to as a hybrid cloud solution)? While we wish the answer was simple, it really depends on your The post When is a Single-Tenant Environment the Right Choice? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
As More Companies Use Multiple Clouds, What Are the Challenges They Face?
Mar 06, 2017
RightScale, a respected cloud management platform, recently released the results of its influential annual “State of the Cloud” survey of IT decision makers. Its findings align with what we at Rackspace are hearing from our customers, and they make interesting reading for business execs as well as IT pros. Both the number of companies using The post As More Companies Use Multiple Clouds, What Are the Challenges They Face? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Don’t Wait for an Outage: Plan Now to Protect Your Data
Mar 02, 2017
The availability of data is critical to the success of any organization. If your data storage system goes down, your application goes down with it. While data center disasters are rare, they do happen, and it is imperative for organizations to have in place a business continuity plan that takes into account the varying importance levels The post Don’t Wait for an Outage: Plan Now to Protect Your Data appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Increases Focus on Healthcare with HITRUST CSF Certification
Mar 01, 2017
SAN ANTONIO – March 1, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced that it has earned Certified status for information security by the Health Information Trust (HITRUST) Alliance for its dedicated environment. With the HITRUST CSF Certified status, the Rackspace Dedicated environment now meets key healthcare regulations and requirements for protecting and securing sensitive private healthcare information The post Rackspace Increases Focus on Healthcare with HITRUST CSF Certification appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Medical Data Security, Certified by HITRUST, Now Available at Rackspace
Mar 01, 2017
After months of rigorous preparation and hard work, Rackspace is now HITRUST certified, which means customers looking to secure electronic Protected Health Information can now rely on a verifiable set of standards and practices introduced by the Health Information Trust Alliance Common Security Framework for protecting electronic medical records. The certification comes amid a rise The post Medical Data Security, Certified by HITRUST, Now Available at Rackspace appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Customers Save $258K per 20 Servers Annually with Rackspace OpenStack Private Cloud
Mar 01, 2017
There are many reasons customers choose private clouds to modernize their business: increased productivity drives new and faster innovation; lower costs, IT expenses shift from capex to opex; to meet security, compliance and data sovereignty requirements; ability to migrate existing applications to cloud without requiring a major refactoring; avoiding vendor lock-in. But operating a private The post Customers Save $258K per 20 Servers Annually with Rackspace OpenStack Private Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Security Operations Manager Honored with Patriot Award
Feb 28, 2017
Supporting veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces is a central value at Rackspace, and they are represented throughout our ranks, from front line support staff to CEO Taylor Rhodes, a proud veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. Rackspace also fully supports our employees who continue to serve in the reserves; we make every effort to assist The post Rackspace Security Operations Manager Honored with Patriot Award appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
New Board Members Appointed at Rackspace
Feb 27, 2017
SAN ANTONIO – Feb. 27, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced newly appointed members of its board of directors, which features respected leaders from many of the world’s top technology and financial services companies. The new board members will help Rackspace advance its mission of delivering specialized expertise and Fanatical Support® for the world’s leading clouds, The post New Board Members Appointed at Rackspace appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Don’t Forget the Data: the Value of Ceph Storage in Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by Red Hat
Feb 27, 2017
One of the most important assets in any business is its data. Without data, operations are stalled and business is at risk for everything from financial loss to potential loss of life. Yet amazingly, data is often entirely forgotten when building a private cloud. Dependable shared storage is critical when building private clouds. It not The post Don’t Forget the Data: the Value of Ceph Storage in Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by Red Hat appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
OpenStack and Virtualization: What’s the Difference?
Feb 21, 2017
If you’re confused about the differences between OpenStack and virtualization, you’re not alone. They are indeed different, and this post will describe how, review some practical ‘good fit’ use cases for OpenStack, and finally dispel a few myths about this growing open source cloud platform. To get started, a few basics: Virtualization has its roots in partitioning, which divides The post OpenStack and Virtualization: What’s the Difference? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Achieves Ten Microsoft Partner Competencies for Managed Services Across Microsoft Technologies
Feb 16, 2017
SAN ANTONIO – Feb. 16, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced that the company has achieved seven gold and three silver Microsoft Partner Competencies for capabilities spanning application development, cloud platform support, data management, business applications, mobility and productivity. Microsoft Partner Competencies recognize companies in the Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) for their proven expertise in delivering The post Rackspace Achieves Ten Microsoft Partner Competencies for Managed Services Across Microsoft Technologies appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
AWS 101: Regions and Availability Zones
Feb 16, 2017
Every day at Rackspace, we talk to new AWS users seeking guidance on how to best take advantage of this powerful public cloud platform. While Rackspace has more than 400 certified AWS specialists ready to talk to you about your specific goals, we also try to provide more general, introductory materials for new AWS users whenever possible. Some The post AWS 101: Regions and Availability Zones appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Collaboration, Productivity and Cloud-Based Tools
Feb 15, 2017
If one person completes a project, it’s likely to be one-dimensional. The finished product will have a single perspective and reflect both the strengths and weaknesses of the creator. Odds are, the results will have limited success. When a team of people with different skill sets, perspectives and experiences collaborates on a project, it is The post Collaboration, Productivity and Cloud-Based Tools appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What is OpenStack? The Basics, Part 1
Feb 14, 2017
OpenStack. In an increasingly cloud-obsessed world, you’ve probably heard of it. Maybe you’ve read it’s “one of the fastest growing open source communities in the world,” but you’re still not sure what all the hype is about. The aim of this post is to get you from zero to 60 on the basics of OpenStack, The post What is OpenStack? The Basics, Part 1 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Questions for Sitecore MVP Grant Killian
Feb 13, 2017
Rackspace Sitecore Architect Grant Killian was recently named a Sitecore MVP, which recognizes the most active members of the Sitecore community from around the world who provide valuable online and offline expertise and enrich the community experience. We recently sat down with Grant to discuss the award, what it means for him as a Sitecore The post 5 Questions for Sitecore MVP Grant Killian appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
3 AWS Best Practices You May Be Neglecting [Whitepaper]
Feb 10, 2017
When it comes to getting the most out of AWS — particularly for businesses that are new to the cloud — tapping into Rackspace and our proven best practices can save users time and help them stay focused on their core business. In our whitepaper, Architectural Design on AWS: 3 Commonly Missed Best Practices, we detail some The post 3 AWS Best Practices You May Be Neglecting [Whitepaper] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
More Security and Flexibility in Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by Red Hat
Feb 09, 2017
Version 10 of Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by Red Hat is now generally available, building on the partnership between Rackspace and Red Hat to extend the capabilities and usability of the Red Hat OpenStack platform as a fully managed service, operated by Rackspace. As enterprises continue to evaluate OpenStack as a private cloud solution, their traditional but The post More Security and Flexibility in Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by Red Hat appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Seven Steps to Get Started with Microsoft Azure [Whitepaper]
Feb 09, 2017
With the evolution of cloud computing in the modern IT landscape, the savviest CIOs know that outsourcing workloads to the cloud can offer lower costs, more strategic use of IT resources and a competitive edge. What’s more, outsourcing workloads to the cloud with Microsoft Azure also reduces risk, shortens time to value and can offer The post Seven Steps to Get Started with Microsoft Azure [Whitepaper] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Steps for SMBs to Get Up and Running Quickly with Office 365
Feb 08, 2017
Moving your office to Microsoft Office 365 may feel like an overwhelming process, but it doesn’t have to be. Rackspace is here to help you through the move and even set up many of the more complicated processes already programmed into the Rackspace control panel, available only to Rackspace users, to get you up and The post 5 Steps for SMBs to Get Up and Running Quickly with Office 365 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Hard Things: Cutting Current Costs to Invest in Our Future
Feb 07, 2017
One of my go-to books on leadership is called The Hard Thing About Hard Things. Its author is Ben Horowitz, one of the most respected entrepreneurs and venture capitalists in Silicon Valley. Ben writes that when you have to lay off employees, you should do so decisively and call it what it is. You should The post Hard Things: Cutting Current Costs to Invest in Our Future appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Private Cloud Stronger with OpenStack Ansible
Feb 02, 2017
For an enterprise business, control, flexibility and cost are key criteria when building out an IT infrastructure, and increasingly, private cloud offers those benefits. OpenStack provides a well-built open source platform on which to run a private cloud, but it can be difficult to configure and maintain. As the world’s largest and most experienced OpenStack operator, The post Rackspace Private Cloud Stronger with OpenStack Ansible appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
We’re an American Company — and a Global One
Feb 01, 2017
We at Rackspace are proud to be based in San Antonio and in Texas and in the United States. We are also proud to be a global company, with 6,100 employees on four continents. And we are very concerned about any restrictions that make it more difficult for our employees to travel. President Trump’s executive The post We’re an American Company — and a Global One appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
You Talk, We Listen: Office 365
Feb 01, 2017
New customers often contact Rackspace to ask about email. Instead of simply selling them email and sending them on their way, we view this as an opportunity to get to know them, build a partnership and help find the tools they need to grow their business. Our goal isn’t to sell a single product or The post You Talk, We Listen: Office 365 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Ecommerce: a Rackspace OpenStack Private Cloud Use Case
Feb 01, 2017
With 64 percent of the U.S. population shopping online, e-commerce is a vital revenue stream across all business verticals, especially those organizations which only sell their goods and services online. But setting up a website with a shopping cart is just simply not enough to be a successful e-commerce company. Today, it’s all about the The post Ecommerce: a Rackspace OpenStack Private Cloud Use Case appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Feeding America Selects Rackspace to Power Nationwide Network of 200 Food Banks
Jan 31, 2017
SAN ANTONIO – January 31, 2017 – Rackspace® today announced that Feeding America®, the largest domestic hunger-relief organization in the U.S., is using Rackspace Private Cloud powered by VMware© and Rackspace Dedicated Servers. With infrastructure management and technical expertise from Rackspace, Feeding America successfully operates its food distribution database to deliver food to more than 46 million The post Feeding America Selects Rackspace to Power Nationwide Network of 200 Food Banks appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
CodeBuild —The Missing Link
Jan 30, 2017
Despite the robust set of features and services AWS continues to roll out, it had never — until recently – offered a native way to build and test code. This all changed at Re:Invent 2016, with the release of CodeBuild, which is a build service that compiles source code, runs tests and produces ready-to-deploy software The post CodeBuild —The Missing Link appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Oxfam Leans on Rackspace in its Move to Azure
Jan 27, 2017
Oxfam, the international agency which works to fight poverty, has chosen Fanatical Support for Microsoft Azure from Rackspace as part of a major cloud migration project. Oxfam is a global humanitarian and development organization that aims to tackle poverty at its roots. From life-saving emergency response to life-changing development projects, Oxfam works in more than 90 countries The post Oxfam Leans on Rackspace in its Move to Azure appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
2017 Forecast: Microsoft Office 365
Jan 27, 2017
Your newsfeed has likely been full of stories wrapping up 2016 and making predictions about what 2017 has in store for the world. Rackspace has combed through the tech predictions out there (well, most of them, anyway) to find the ones that are most relevant to small businesses. Even better, our prediction list includes tools The post 2017 Forecast: Microsoft Office 365 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Fanatical Azure Support, Powered by OMS Log Analytics
Jan 26, 2017
Upon joining the Rackspace Azure Team as a product architect, one of my first tasks was to help develop a new monitoring platform for our Azure customers. A large part of offering a managed service backed by Fanatical Support is being able to provide important insights into complex workloads and quickly respond to critical events. Some of The post Fanatical Azure Support, Powered by OMS Log Analytics appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Hack Day Recap: Rackspace and Graze Explore New AWS Tools
Jan 25, 2017
As software developers, we often get caught up in the trap of churning stuff out. The demand for shipping code becomes our number one goal and we rarely get the chance to cut our teeth on new technologies and evaluate their impact on our current architecture. However, one of the most important things you can The post Hack Day Recap: Rackspace and Graze Explore New AWS Tools appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Named One of Texas’ Best Workplaces
Jan 25, 2017
Rackspace has earned a spot on Fortune’s 50 Best Workplaces in Texas, based on a survey of more than 100,000 employees located in the Lone Star state. That’s part of the larger, U.S.-based survey that landed Rackspace on the Best Tech Workplaces in the U.S. list earlier this month. Yee haw! With headquarters in San Antonio, our third-largest office in Austin (London is The post Rackspace Named One of Texas’ Best Workplaces appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Evolution to Threat-Centric Security
Jan 24, 2017
Today, the typical method of approaching IT security is based on the assumption that an attacker will break into a network by exploiting a software vulnerability, either at the application or operating system level. Traditional host and network-based intrusion detection and prevention systems are deployed to detect the exploitation of these vulnerabilities, with a heavy The post The Evolution to Threat-Centric Security appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Implementing Chargeback and Showback with Red Hat CloudForms
Jan 23, 2017
This guest post was written by Jeff Ekstrom, a cloud evangelist for Red Hat’s Certified Cloud and Service Provider program. Jeff has extensive experience with cloud strategy and architecture, with industry experience in telecommunications, federal government and insurance. His cloud strategy focus includes both open source technologies and hybrid cloud enablement.  Last October, Red Hat and The post Implementing Chargeback and Showback with Red Hat CloudForms appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
At Rackspace, Girl Scouts Celebrate 100th Cookie Anniversary with World Record Attempt
Jan 19, 2017
Over the last 100 years, Girl Scout cookies have grown from a single cookie recipe to a beloved national tradition and a wonderful way to support local chapters of Girl Scouts of the USA. The cookies, as you’re likely aware, are also delicious. To help the Girl Scouts mark the 100-year anniversary of the Girl Scout The post At Rackspace, Girl Scouts Celebrate 100th Cookie Anniversary with World Record Attempt appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Scores Spot on Fortune’s Best Tech Workplaces 2017
Jan 18, 2017
Coming on the heels of making Fortune’s first ever Best Workplaces for Parents last month, Rackspace this week ranked #15 among the country’s best tech workplaces for 2017, based on a survey of more than 42,000 U.S. tech company employees. Diving into the details, fully 89 percent of the almost 900 Rackers surveyed called Rackspace a great The post Rackspace Scores Spot on Fortune’s Best Tech Workplaces 2017 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Why Smart Businesses Rely on SharePoint
Jan 18, 2017
You need to collaborate — with your employees, your customers and your vendors. Every day, all day, there’s no way around it. Everyone (you included) wants to collaborate on the go using whatever mobile device is already in hand. In today’s market, it’s the only way to make both your employees and customers happy. And The post Why Smart Businesses Rely on SharePoint appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Achieves APEC CBPR Privacy Certification Through TRUSTe
Jan 17, 2017
We are proud to announce that Rackspace has achieved APEC Privacy Certification through TRUSTe under the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Cross Border Privacy Rules (CPBR) system. The APEC CBPR system is a voluntary self-regulatory initiative which allows companies that do business in APEC member countries to demonstrate their commitment to data privacy under the APEC CBPR The post Rackspace Achieves APEC CBPR Privacy Certification Through TRUSTe appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Four Pillars of Digital Maturity: an Office Hours Hangout
Jan 17, 2017
Last week on Rackspace Office Hours, we interviewed Rackspace Chief Digital Technologist Mike Bainbridge, one of our thought leaders in the realm of digital transformation. Our conversation ended up revolving around the “Four Pillars of Digital Maturity” Mike has developed while consulting with our customers. Check out the excerpts and video highlights of our interview, below. The full video, The post The Four Pillars of Digital Maturity: an Office Hours Hangout appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Financial Services: a Rackspace OpenStack Private Cloud Use Case
Jan 16, 2017
The ways people utilize, manage and spend money has evolved drastically over the past few years. Apple Pay, Google Wallet, Mastercard, PayPass and Visa Checkout are among the many new financial services customers can use to spend and move money. As these spending methods develop and scale, so must the financial services industry behind them. That’s what led one The post Financial Services: a Rackspace OpenStack Private Cloud Use Case appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Factors That Make or Break a Mobile Office
Jan 11, 2017
If you’re hesitant to move your small business to a cloud platform such as Office 365, you’re putting your company at a distinct disadvantage in today’s increasingly mobile, always-connected world. Here are five important benefits you’re missing out on: Work anywhere, anytime Like you, I need access to the same apps wherever I’m working. But The post 5 Factors That Make or Break a Mobile Office appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Meet Jeff Cotten, the New President of Rackspace
Jan 10, 2017
A wise person once observed that luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. By that standard, we at Rackspace are lucky to have among our leaders Jeff Cotten, whom we’ve just promoted to be president of the company, effective Feb. 1. Jeff is uniquely well prepared for this job, after eight years of success The post Meet Jeff Cotten, the New President of Rackspace appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Company Veteran Jeff Cotten Named President of Rackspace
Jan 10, 2017
SAN ANTONIO – Jan. 10, 2017 – Rackspace®, the #1 managed cloud company, today announced the promotion of Jeff Cotten to President of Rackspace, effective February 1.  Cotten will report to Taylor Rhodes, CEO of Rackspace. Cotten started at Rackspace eight years ago as a frontline manager of employees responsible for delivering Rackspace’s vaunted Fanatical The post Company Veteran Jeff Cotten Named President of Rackspace appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Tagging and Taxonomy in Red Hat CloudForms
Jan 09, 2017
Rackspace recently announced support for Red Hat CloudForms as part of our Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by Red Hat OpenStack Platform managed services offering. To help our customers leverage the power of this enterprise hybrid cloud management platform, we are producing a series of technical content on using CloudForms. This article is focused on the importance The post Tagging and Taxonomy in Red Hat CloudForms appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
A New Breed of Leader for a New Normal
Dec 23, 2016
There seems to be wide-spread recognition that a communication problem exists between enterprise security teams and the boardroom. I hear it all the time: from customers, from CISOs and from analysts. The reasons for this miscommunication vary, but conventional wisdom suggests it’s caused by the two different languages spoken by technical practitioners and the executives The post A New Breed of Leader for a New Normal appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Ways to Lower Your TCO With Office 365
Dec 22, 2016
In our hyper-connected world, we know you need your business to be as collaborative and productive as possible as well as up to date with today’s mobile-dependent workplace. With an increase in employees working remotely and in different time zones, SMBs rank increasing productivity and growing their business as top concerns. Putting Office 365 to use The post 5 Ways to Lower Your TCO With Office 365 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Support of Women in Technology Continues
Dec 21, 2016
Fueled by coffee and tacos, roughly 100 women (and a few men too) coded around the clock during the Women Who Code Diversity Hackathon in October, sponsored in part by Rackspace. I served as one of the four judges, continuing Rackspace’s support for women in technology. Rackspace sponsors these types of technical events for women because The post Rackspace Support of Women in Technology Continues appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Local Car Buying Startup Amworx Goes Live Surrounded by Support
Dec 20, 2016
As with many good startup ideas, the impetus behind Amworx stemmed from a real-life experience — a terrible one. And also like many good startup ideas, this one almost remained just that, an idea. But thanks to the fast-growing startup ecosystem in San Antonio, this good idea became a reality last week. Bret Gardner was The post Local Car Buying Startup Amworx Goes Live Surrounded by Support appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Automate EBS Snapshots with Snapper
Dec 16, 2016
How often do you back up your most important data in the cloud? There are many good reasons for having a recent backup: the threat of malware, mistaken deletions, data center failures, the list is ever growing. If you’re like me, you’re always looking for more ways to protect and secure the data that’s most The post Automate EBS Snapshots with Snapper appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Cloud Predictions for 2017
Dec 15, 2016
Prediction time is one of my favorite occasions. I love looking ahead at what trends are taking shape in cloud computing and consumer tech. At the same time, to keep myself honest, I like to take a quick look back at my predictions from the previous year. For my 2016 predictions, I give myself a The post Cloud Predictions for 2017 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Lands on Fortune’s First Ever “Best Workplaces for Parents” List
Dec 15, 2016
Highlighting companies with flexible scheduling, supportive coworkers and an emphasis on balance, Great Place to Work teamed up with Fortune to create its first ever list of top companies for working moms and dads — and Rackspace is honored to have made the list. The Best Workplaces for Parents ranking is based on feedback from 122,482 working The post Rackspace Lands on Fortune’s First Ever “Best Workplaces for Parents” List appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Expands Multi-Cloud Networking Capabilities with Connectivity Through Megaport
Dec 14, 2016
SAN ANTONIO – Dec. 14, 2016 – Rackspace® today announced it is expanding its multi-cloud capabilities through connectivity to Megaport (USA), Inc, the US subsidiary of Megaport Limited (ASX: MP1) (“Megaport”), the global leading provider of Elastic Interconnection services. Now, customers in any Megaport enabled data center can establish a dedicated RackConnect® Global circuit to The post Rackspace Expands Multi-Cloud Networking Capabilities with Connectivity Through Megaport appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Hour of Code Expands to Train Teachers
Dec 14, 2016
For the fourth year in a row, Rackspace employees volunteered in local elementary schools as part of Hour of Code, a global event hosted by Code.org that aims to expose millions of students around the world to the mechanics underlying the games they play and apps they use. Rackers from offices around the world took time out of The post Rackspace Hour of Code Expands to Train Teachers appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
4 Ways Office 365 Empowers Small Business
Dec 14, 2016
Today, Microsoft Office 365 is among the most popular cloud services in the world for managing large companies’ day-to-day business operations, from email to video conferencing to file sharing. One in five corporate employees uses Office 365, and its popularity is absolutely soaring. From 2015 to 2016, for instance, the enterprise usage for Office 365 The post 4 Ways Office 365 Empowers Small Business appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Resources for Boosting Your OpenStack Expertise
Dec 13, 2016
I recently spoke at OpenStack Days Mountain West on the OpenStack expertise Rackspace has earned operating the world’s largest OpenStack clouds (Check out the slides here). During the event, I spoke with a number of users in different stages of their OpenStack journey. Some were just getting started while others had been running OpenStack for a while. Yet The post Resources for Boosting Your OpenStack Expertise appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Elasticsearch 5.0: Site Plugins are Back, GA Availability is Here
Dec 12, 2016
Last month we launched Elasticsearch and Kibana 5.0 as an early access option for new clusters on ObjectRocket for Elasticsearch. Since then, we’ve been continuing to improve the experience and are now ready to remove the early access label and declare Elasticsearch 5.0 general availability on the ObjectRocket platform. Also, as a bonus, we’re adding back The post Elasticsearch 5.0: Site Plugins are Back, GA Availability is Here appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace UK Wins a Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award
Dec 07, 2016
Rackspace is pleased to announce our UK office is among the winners of the 9th annual Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Awards, a list of the Best Places to Work in 2017. Unlike other awards, there is no self-nomination process; it’s entirely based on feedback employees voluntarily and anonymously shared on Glassdoor. To determine the winners, Glassdoor The post Rackspace UK Wins a Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Why Your SMB Needs an IT Partner
Dec 07, 2016
Do you spend part of your day dealing with unexpected downtime? Or managing  upgrades, security patches and hardware and software maintenance? Do you struggle with how you can reduce your company’s IT costs and better utilize your time and resources? These and other productivity-sapping IT problems afflict nearly every small business. The answer for many The post Why Your SMB Needs an IT Partner appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Introducing Encrypted Exchange Online
Dec 07, 2016
Hosting and managing email has been a core part of Rackspace’s business for well over 10 years. Rackspace now manages over four million email boxes hosted on five platforms across the globe, and today we’re extending that reach even further with a new secure email offering called Encrypted Exchange Online (EEO). EEO is a secure The post Introducing Encrypted Exchange Online appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Customizing OpenStack Docs to the Communities They Serve
Dec 07, 2016
The OpenStack documentation team is fairly small. We’ve existed since 2012, founded by ex-Racker and writer extraordinaire Anne Gentle. Since that time, the team has moved with the OpenStack community to ensure we deliver the content wanted, in the form expected, at the time required. Anne declared our mission to be ‘docs treated like code’ The post Customizing OpenStack Docs to the Communities They Serve appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
AWS re:Invent 2016 in Review
Dec 06, 2016
If you’re like me, the week following the AWS re:Invent conference in Las Vegas is a busy time, often more so than the week of re:Invent itself. For me, it’s a time to decompress, recover and sift through all of the announcements, presentations, videos and content presented during the conference itself, and prioritize for review The post AWS re:Invent 2016 in Review appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
AWS Re:Invent 2016 Day 3: How Rackspace is Alfred
Dec 02, 2016
While the second day of AWS re:Invent focused on the superpowers AWS is providing customers through its vast and growing portfolio of services and features, day three was all about putting them to work. AWS CTO Werner Vogels kicked off the day with the final keynote of the conference, and began by telling the audience The post AWS Re:Invent 2016 Day 3: How Rackspace is Alfred appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Five Signs Your Team Needs to Outsource
Dec 02, 2016
At a time when roughly half of all digital marketing activities are outsourced, the question is less “Can I outsource?” than “When should I?” Mike Bainbridge, our U.K. chief digital technologist, has documented results — and plenty of lessons — from partnering with agencies to fill gaps in his in-house team. Bainbridge offers his top The post Five Signs Your Team Needs to Outsource appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
AWS Re:Invent 2016 Day 2: Providing Business with Superpowers
Dec 01, 2016
AWS CEO Andy Jassy’s AWS re:Invent keynote was all about the “superpowers” AWS and its capabilities can bring to business. The framework for this year’s presentation was similar to those in the past in that it was chock-full of new AWS features and product announcements. This year however, they were all tied together using the “superpower” The post AWS Re:Invent 2016 Day 2: Providing Business with Superpowers appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Digital Agency ZAG Interactive Thrives with Rackspace Support
Dec 01, 2016
This guest post was written by Vanessa Demetrio, business development specialist with ZAG Interactive.  What started as one man’s entrepreneurial dream of creating a web development business has blossomed into a multi-pronged agency that has grown beyond his imagination. As ZAG Interactive, a full-service agency in Glastonbury, CT, approaches its 15th anniversary in 2017, President and CEO The post Digital Agency ZAG Interactive Thrives with Rackspace Support appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
AWS Re:Invent 2016 Day 1: Partners Reign Supreme
Nov 30, 2016
When it comes to big trends at this year’s AWS re:Invent, the kickoff in Las Vegas on Tuesday was all about partners. Dubbed the “Global Partner Summit,” a large part of the conference’s first day focused on members of the AWS Partner Network, and how customers are working with AWS and its partners, including Rackspace, The post AWS Re:Invent 2016 Day 1: Partners Reign Supreme appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Driving Forward as the OpenStack Cloud Leader
Nov 30, 2016
Leadership is an honor and a responsibility. Recognition for being the best in your field by peers and users in the industry is not to be taken lightly. It is the result of hard work and dedication to customers that can only be described as fanatical. It also comes with a mandate — to give The post Driving Forward as the OpenStack Cloud Leader appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Handling Objections: Anticipate, Alleviate Client Concerns about Office 365
Nov 30, 2016
It’s probably only a matter of time before most businesses end up migrating to Office 365. According to Osterman Research, 47 percent will be using the Office 365 version of Exchange in 2017, versus just 20 percent in 2015. The reverse also is true: While 65 percent of users were using Exchange on premise in The post Handling Objections: Anticipate, Alleviate Client Concerns about Office 365 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Achieves AWS Premier Consulting Partner Status in the AWS Partner Network
Nov 30, 2016
SAN ANTONIO – Nov. 29, 2016 – Rackspace® today announced that it has achieved Premier Partner status as a Consulting Partner within the Amazon Web Services® (AWS) Partner Network (APN). This designation is the highest level in the APN, recognizing APN Partners that have made significant investments to develop the technical resources and AWS expertise The post Rackspace Achieves AWS Premier Consulting Partner Status in the AWS Partner Network appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Get Red Hat CloudForms Up and Running on Rackspace Private Cloud
Nov 29, 2016
Last month, Rackspace announced support for Red Hat CloudForms, which offers enterprise-grade cloud management and automation capabilities not natively available in OpenStack. We covered the advantages of using CloudForms to manage Rackspace Private Cloud powered by Red Hat OpenStack platform (RPC-R for short) in this blog post; today we’ll go over what is required to get it up and running. Somewhere to store The post How to Get Red Hat CloudForms Up and Running on Rackspace Private Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Fanatical Support for AWS Introduces Passport for Windows
Nov 29, 2016
When Rackspace created Fanatical Support for AWS, we took a customer-obsessed approach to building the ultimate managed service provider experience, combining our human expertise with purpose-built tools like Compass, Logbook and Passport. Today, we’re enabling our Windows customers to securely and quickly access their EC2 instances with the launch of Passport for Windows. Passport in The post Fanatical Support for AWS Introduces Passport for Windows appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Native Advertising: How to Design a Low Budget, Powerful B2B Program
Nov 29, 2016
Native advertising has gone beyond buzz. Nearly three-quarters of publishers now offer native advertising media on their platforms. Still, only about one-third of B2B marketing pros employ the tactic. This one’s for those still sitting on the sidelines. Here’s how small companies and startups can build a killer native advertising campaign without breaking the B2B The post Native Advertising: How to Design a Low Budget, Powerful B2B Program appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Whitepaper: Creating the Ideal AEM Deployment Process
Nov 28, 2016
When migrating to a complex platform like Adobe Experience Manager, the engineering team’s focus tends to (understandably) revolve around website functionality. The process and infrastructure required to develop, test and deploy that code over the lifecycle of the site tends to get short shrift. However, the process your team uses for its migration to AEM The post Whitepaper: Creating the Ideal AEM Deployment Process appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
4 Ways to Make Your Next Design Contest Impossible to Ignore
Nov 25, 2016
Brand purists out there may cringe at the thought of creatives fiddling with corporate assets. But design contests have proven a fun tactic to engage consumers with a brand. The Google Doodle may be the most prominent example of what can happen when a brand invites creatives to do their thing. Lego, Quaker and Starbucks The post 4 Ways to Make Your Next Design Contest Impossible to Ignore appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackers “Fill a Box, Feed a Family” Thanksgiving Food Drive [VIDEO]
Nov 22, 2016
As we here in the U.S. get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving, I am grateful to be a part of this great company. Racker Dave Sims, a master story teller, put together this video of Rackers and local community members volunteering to feed needy families during our 10th annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. I love seeing Rackers following The post Rackers “Fill a Box, Feed a Family” Thanksgiving Food Drive [VIDEO] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Earns AWS Partner Network Distinction with 500 AWS Technical Certifications
Nov 22, 2016
SAN ANTONIO – November 22 , 2016 – Rackspace® today announced that its Fanatical Support® for Amazon Web Services (AWS)® global team was awarded a certification distinction by AWS for achieving more than 500 AWS professional and associate certifications. This depth and breadth of AWS expertise is the basis for Rackspace’s status as an audited The post Rackspace Earns AWS Partner Network Distinction with 500 AWS Technical Certifications appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
4 Brands That Built Empires Without Traditional Advertising
Nov 22, 2016
The mom-and-pop shop on the corner probably doesn’t rely on traditional advertising (television, print, billboards, etc.) to bring in customers. Neither does your favorite local burger joint. But most iconic brands have hired an ad agency at some point on their upward journey. In 2014, businesses will spend nearly $545 billion on advertising, and that The post 4 Brands That Built Empires Without Traditional Advertising appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Small Businesses Save Money, Protect Data and Collaborate Better with Office 365
Nov 21, 2016
Small businesses that don’t use Office 365 and Rackspace Fanatical Support are putting themselves at a competitive disadvantage in today’s cloud-based, increasingly mobile workplace. Not only is Office 365 the must-have productivity suite for thousands of small businesses across the country, but on top of that, Rackspace Fanatical Support is available to answer their questions The post Small Businesses Save Money, Protect Data and Collaborate Better with Office 365 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Rackspace Guide to re:Invent 2016
Nov 21, 2016
It’s almost that time of year again. No, not Thanksgiving or even Christmas — it’s almost time for AWS re:Invent 2016! We’re just over a week away from the start of Amazon Web Services’ largest user conference of the year, which is held in Las Vegas and is home to all the latest and greatest The post The Rackspace Guide to re:Invent 2016 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Personal Information: the Case for Giving Customers Control
Nov 18, 2016
The debate about who owns customers’ personal information and how organizations manage it continues to play out. In January 2016, Accenture found most consumers lack confidence about the security of their personal information. More than half believe companies don’t do enough to earn their trust. No surprise a (not-so-quiet) revolt is taking shape. Consumers are flocking to anti-tracking The post Personal Information: the Case for Giving Customers Control appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Office 365 Checklist: Help Your Customers Make the Right Choices
Nov 17, 2016
The move from the on-premises version of Office to Office 365 is a big one, and companies often need help determining if, when and how to make the move. It’s more complicated than many customers realize: Not only can they decide to go full steam ahead with the migration to Office 365 or opt to The post Office 365 Checklist: Help Your Customers Make the Right Choices appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Top 10 Reasons Your Cybersecurity Strategy Needs a Checkup
Nov 17, 2016
When was the last time you did a gut check on your cybersecurity strategy? Chances are, if you’re not doing regular status checks and reviews, the fast-changing realities of the security world may have passed you by. This is no place to fall behind — security complacency is precisely what the bad guys look for The post Top 10 Reasons Your Cybersecurity Strategy Needs a Checkup appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Making OpenStack Upgrades Forgettable
Nov 17, 2016
Upgrades. Few IT activities are as important yet heartburn-inducing as upgrading a major system. Often upgrades mean service disruption, both expected and sometimes unexpected, which can negatively affect businesses. Often the cause is unreliable software and/or lack of operational expertise. I’ve worked with and for enterprise customers who had policies of not upgrading until a particular The post Making OpenStack Upgrades Forgettable appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Manage Support Tickets on the Go with Rackspace Mobile
Nov 16, 2016
One of the most often requested features for our mobile applications has launched: Rackspace Mobile for iOS and Android now includes the ability for customers to manage their support tickets. No longer does being away from your laptop or desktop mean delays in dealing with support tickets. Whether you’re on a train or on the The post Manage Support Tickets on the Go with Rackspace Mobile appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Cloud Challenged? Face it Don’t Fear it
Nov 16, 2016
The reality of life is we live with challenges. This is true in every aspect of our lives, both personal and professional. I’ve given a lot of talks about dealing with challenges to many different groups. Not just about surviving challenges, but overcoming them and thriving. I believe wholeheartedly that overcoming challenges starts with attitude, The post Cloud Challenged? Face it Don’t Fear it appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Enabling Software Defined Storage as a Service with OpenStack
Nov 15, 2016
Data storage growth is both a reality and a burden for today’s enterprises. With the move to digital, big data and, data intensive workloads, enterprises are storing an increasing amount of data, growing 30-40 percent per year, according to Vanson Bourne LTD. Much of this growth comes from applications running on cloud platforms such as The post Enabling Software Defined Storage as a Service with OpenStack appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What the Internet Looked Like Before Drupal, WordPress and Joomla
Nov 15, 2016
Putting together a comparison of WordPress, Drupal and Joomla! got me thinking about what the Internet looked like before open source content management systems, or CMS, came along. It’s been more than a decade since open source content management systems began reshaping our experience of the Internet. At its core, a CMS structures the experience of developing, managing and The post What the Internet Looked Like Before Drupal, WordPress and Joomla appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Elasticsearch 5.0 Now Available on ObjectRocket
Nov 14, 2016
The Elasticsearch community has reached a huge milestone with the release of Elastic Stack 5.0. We’re ready to join the party and are now offering Elasticsearch and Kibana 5.0 as an Early Access option for new builds on the ObjectRocket platform. This means speed, new features and peace of mind knowing you only need to remember The post Elasticsearch 5.0 Now Available on ObjectRocket appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Veterans Honored Today in “Military City, USA” [VIDEO]
Nov 11, 2016
Each Veterans Day, as part of Military Families Month, Rackspace employees and leaders take time out of this special day to celebrate the service and sacrifice of those who’ve worn the uniform of our U.S. Armed Forces. Check out the video, above, to learn more about our commitment to veterans. This celebration is one of The post Rackspace Veterans Honored Today in “Military City, USA” [VIDEO] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Becomes Certified SAP Infrastructure Partner
Nov 11, 2016
Rackspace is excited to announce that we are now a certified SAP Infrastructure Partner! This certification recognizes hosting and cloud providers that meet the high standards for the management of SAP solutions. Bringing exceptional services to our customers is a pillar of Fanatical Support and that’s why Rackspace, led by our Digital practice, undertook this The post Rackspace Becomes Certified SAP Infrastructure Partner appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Transforming Developer and Support Documentation with Docs Like Code
Nov 11, 2016
At Rackspace, we recently modernized our customer documentation, implementing a model that treats documents like code. Known in the tech industry as “docs like code” or “docs as code,” the model provides self-service test, build and web publishing capabilities enabling Rackers and customers to write collaboratively. The transformation has been a measurable success. The number of contributors The post Transforming Developer and Support Documentation with Docs Like Code appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
7 Tech Logos Before They Became Iconic
Nov 11, 2016
Logos are an essential part of a brand’s identity. A great logo encapsulates the personality and promise of the business behind it. Some of the world’s most ubiquitous logos had humble beginnings. In 1975, Carolyn Davidson was paid $35 to develop the Nike logo and the “Swoosh” we’ve come to recognize has remained more or The post 7 Tech Logos Before They Became Iconic appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Setting Our Sights on AppSphere 2016
Nov 10, 2016
Next week marks the start of AppSphere 2016, the third annual AppDynamics conference which unites users of this application performance management software from all over the globe. Rackspace is a proud Platinum Sponsor of the event for the first time this year. Nov. 15 – 16, the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas will transform into a The post Setting Our Sights on AppSphere 2016 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What Does AWS Direct Connect Have to do With ObjectRocket?
Nov 10, 2016
From day one at ObjectRocket, our mission has been to provide databases close to your application, no matter where it lives. Moving data is never fun, so we’re always looking for ways to keep the service snappy, regardless of which cloud our users use for their app tier, whether it’s Rackspace, Amazon Web Services or The post What Does AWS Direct Connect Have to do With ObjectRocket? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Feature-Rich SharePoint Brings Enterprise Tools to Your Small Business
Nov 09, 2016
Intranets have transformed the way businesses share information internally ever since they started appearing in the mid-1990s. The original intranets were static web pages. They typically featured information a company wanted to share with employees, such as a list of approved holidays or an employee directory. They were as simple as they were boring, and The post Feature-Rich SharePoint Brings Enterprise Tools to Your Small Business appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Should Your CEO Blog?
Nov 08, 2016
The CEO blog is prized for everything from putting a face on your company to broadcasting your brand vision. They’re also powerful tools for building customer relationships. Corporate websites that feature blogs, including CEO blogs, have been found to enjoy more visits than those without. If the quarterback of your company fits one of the The post Should Your CEO Blog? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Study: Managing Databases In-House More Expensive than Database-as-a-Service
Nov 08, 2016
Organizations seeking to save money might look at managing their databases in house as one place to tighten the belt, but a recent study on total cost of ownership found that a fully managed database-as-a-service is the consistently better value. The analysis, conducted by Crimson Consulting Group, focused on businesses ranging in size from startups The post Study: Managing Databases In-House More Expensive than Database-as-a-Service appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Survey: OpenStack Deployments, Multi-Cloud and Need for Expertise All Rise
Nov 07, 2016
Production deployments of OpenStack more than doubled from just the previous year, a recent Red Hat survey of its global customer base found, driving customer requirements beyond the basic need for on-demand self-service infrastructure resources. Rackspace and Red Hat are working together to meet those needs. It’s been nearly a year since Rackspace and Red The post Survey: OpenStack Deployments, Multi-Cloud and Need for Expertise All Rise appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Now Part of EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Program
Nov 07, 2016
We are proud to announce that the Privacy Shield certification for Rackspace has been finalized and is effective as of Oct. 24, 2016. As noted in our previous blog post, the European Commission announced the adequacy decision of the privacy protections provided by the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield on July 12, 2016. The EU-U.S. Privacy Shield The post Rackspace Now Part of EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Program appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Redesigned Rackspace Jobs Site Focuses on Racker Values, Expertise
Nov 07, 2016
Are you a Racker? That’s the overarching question job seekers will find on the newly redesigned Rackspace careers site. For those not familiar, “Racker” is the term we use to refer to Rackspace employees. More than just a nickname, being a Racker means some very specific things, says Henry Sauer, vice president of global talent The post Redesigned Rackspace Jobs Site Focuses on Racker Values, Expertise appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackers Mentor Students at HackTX, Seek Summer Interns
Nov 04, 2016
Rackspace employees once again served as mentors during HackTX, a 24-hour hackathon hosted by Freetail Hackers, a student organization at the University of Texas at Austin, helping students while also recruiting potential interns. It was the third time acting as a mentor for Everett Toews, a senior OpenStack software developer based in Rackspace’s Austin office, The post Rackers Mentor Students at HackTX, Seek Summer Interns appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Time to Rethink the Company Intranet?
Nov 04, 2016
The idea of converging the company intranet with the corporate website has been kicking around for years. But few companies have taken the leap. Enter Cisco Systems. The networking giant recently made Cisco.com a hub for all of its web properties. Its customers, partners and employees now seek what they need from the company via The post Time to Rethink the Company Intranet? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
It’s Official: Rackspace is Private!
Nov 03, 2016
A few moments ago, Rackspace filed the final bits of paperwork and closed our transaction to become a private company, under the ownership of investors led by funds affiliated with Apollo Global Management. This is a big day for Rackspace customers and employees, as well as for our new owners. As I explained back in The post It’s Official: Rackspace is Private! appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Completes Previously Announced Transaction with Affiliates of Funds Affiliated with Apollo Global Management to Become a Private Company
Nov 03, 2016
SAN ANTONIO – Nov. 3, 2016 — Rackspace® (NYSE: RAX), the #1 managed cloud company, and affiliates of Apollo Global Management, LLC (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, “Apollo”) (NYSE: APO) today announced the successful completion of the previously announced transaction in which Rackspace was acquired by affiliates of funds managed by affiliates of Apollo for $32.00 The post Rackspace Completes Previously Announced Transaction with Affiliates of Funds Affiliated with Apollo Global Management to Become a Private Company appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Halloween Reveals Rackspace as the #1 “Monster” Managed Cloud Company [VIDEO]
Nov 02, 2016
Bringing Fanatical Support to our customers can be a scary job, but our Rackers have great experience from their other identities (aka Halloween costumes) as superheroes, video game characters and leaders of the resistance. The post Halloween Reveals Rackspace as the #1 “Monster” Managed Cloud Company [VIDEO] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Helping Customers Do the Math: Why Office 365 Makes Financial Sense
Nov 02, 2016
There are many reasons for moving from on-premise Office to cloud-based Office 365, but the bottom line for many clients will be, well, the bottom line. Here, we examine the cost differences between Office on-premise and online, and their respective impacts on your clients’ bottom lines. When comparing on-premise Office to Office 365, your customers are The post Helping Customers Do the Math: Why Office 365 Makes Financial Sense appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Upgrade from Liberty to Mitaka with v13.1 Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by OpenStack
Nov 02, 2016
As my fellow Stackers return home after yet another fantastic summit in Barcelona, the topic of upgrades is timely. During a few of my speaking sessions and in overall hallway buzz were many questions about how best to upgrade an OpenStack cloud. For those new to the Rackspace OpenStack product line, it’s important to know Rackspace Private Cloud powered by The post Upgrade from Liberty to Mitaka with v13.1 Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by OpenStack appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Big Data: How to Transform Information into Insight
Nov 01, 2016
Everyone’s talking about big data these days, but few have figured out how to transform all that information into insight. A McKinsey & Co. survey last year confirmed many companies — particularly digital non-natives — haven’t yet achieved desired results or significant returns on investments from big data initiatives. Average initial increases in revenues after big data investments The post Big Data: How to Transform Information into Insight appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
From Experiment to Mainstream Solution: OpenStack Summit Barcelona Recap
Oct 31, 2016
This year’s fall OpenStack Summit in Barcelona was characterized by a lack of controversy or hype, as has sometimes been the case at previous Summits. Instead, this Summit sounded a workman-like note with a focus on real world workloads and practical concerns on use cases such as multi-cloud and network function virtualization, or NFV. That The post From Experiment to Mainstream Solution: OpenStack Summit Barcelona Recap appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
9 Office 365 Add-Ons Every Small Business Should Know About [Infographic]
Oct 28, 2016
A growing number of organizations are using Microsoft Office 365 to provide employees with anywhere access to the latest Office applications and tools, including email, conferencing services and productivity applications. Those solutions alone are immensely helpful for businesses, but there’s also an expanding set of add-ons for Office 365 which can make it even more The post 9 Office 365 Add-Ons Every Small Business Should Know About [Infographic] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
OpenStack in Barcelona: Wrapping it up with Rackers [VIDEO]
Oct 28, 2016
Stunning architecture, beautiful weather, great food (especially if you like bread, apparently) — Barcelona was a magical backdrop for this international OpenStack Summit, which found our Racker experts signing books and learning about the latest innovations in containers, Kubernetes and other areas. Rackspace also participated in a 16-company live demo to showcase OpenStack’s interoperability, and, well, The post OpenStack in Barcelona: Wrapping it up with Rackers [VIDEO] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
OpenStack in Barcelona: Reliability and Scalability [VIDEO]
Oct 27, 2016
We want “users to build work that matters using OpenStack,” says Shamail Tahir, Offering Manager, OpenStack Initiatives with IBM. “And for that to happen, the platform has to be stable, and available.” Check out our latest video from Rackspace videographer Jacob Forbis, covering day two of the OpenStack Summit in Barcelona, as experts like Tahir, The post OpenStack in Barcelona: Reliability and Scalability [VIDEO] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Innovate, Collaborate, Replicate: OpenStack Summit Day 2 Keynote Recap
Oct 27, 2016
Jonathan Bryce, Executive Director of the OpenStack Foundation, kicked off day two of the Summit by tying it back to the first day’s keynote about the challenge of meeting the scalability requirements of projects such as the Square Kilometer Array radio telescope. The SKA project is expecting to require multi-exaFLOPS — that’s one quintillion (10^18) The post Innovate, Collaborate, Replicate: OpenStack Summit Day 2 Keynote Recap appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
OpenStack in Barcelona: Ready for Enterprise, Giving Back [VIDEO]
Oct 26, 2016
Video of day one of the OpenStack Summit in Barcelona captures some of the energy and excitement at this new venue. As Ken Hui wrote in his recap of the day’s keynotes, “there are an impressive number of first time attendees. But there is also a very familiar feel to the Summit this time — after all, The post OpenStack in Barcelona: Ready for Enterprise, Giving Back [VIDEO] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
7 Things You Didn’t Know About Office 365
Oct 26, 2016
Office 365 is much more than just the online version of Microsoft Office. It’s a complete solution for managing your small company’s day-to-day business operations, from email to video conferences to file sharing. Productivity, accessibility, scalability: they’re all included in this top-of-the-line office solution that keeps you connected to the people and resources you rely The post 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Office 365 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Security Deep Dive: Cyber Hunting – The Anatomy of an Attack
Oct 26, 2016
Our October Deep Dive series on security wraps up this week with the fourth and final session of the month, which covers “cyber hunting” and the internal workings of a cyber attack. The session is hosted by Director of Technical Marketing Doug Denny, who is joined by Customer Security Operations Center Manager Travis Mercier, who The post Security Deep Dive: Cyber Hunting – The Anatomy of an Attack appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
OpenStack for “Work That Matters”: OpenStack Summit Day 1 Keynote Recap
Oct 26, 2016
Like the city in which we are meeting, the Barcelona OpenStack Summit feels both old and new at the same time. Barcelona is a new venue for the bi-annual Summit and as usual, there are an impressive number of first time attendees. But there is also a very familiar feel to the Summit this time — after The post OpenStack for “Work That Matters”: OpenStack Summit Day 1 Keynote Recap appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Report: The Enterprise is Ready for Open Source
Oct 25, 2016
It wasn’t that long ago that open source technologies were seen as somewhat fringe, the purview of startups — certainly nothing the enterprise would take seriously. But oh, have times changed. Companies like Facebook, Netflix and Google have brought fame and fortune to the open source world, and changed its status from an outlier to something The post Rackspace Report: The Enterprise is Ready for Open Source appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What iBeacon Means for Product Packaging
Oct 25, 2016
When Apple announced iBeacon in June 2013, it was heralded as a marketing game changer. With its ability to pinpoint smartphone-toting shoppers by specific store aisle, airport gate or stadium section (and with accuracy the most advanced GPS and cell technologies can’t achieve), iBeacon promised to make it a cinch to deliver the right message The post What iBeacon Means for Product Packaging appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Moves Up EPA Green Power Partner List
Oct 24, 2016
Rackspace has once again been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as a leading green power user among U.S. tech companies. This year, Rackspace moved from the tenth spot to number nine on the Top 30 Tech and Telecom list, which was released today from the EPA’s Green Power Partnership, a voluntary program that encourages organizations The post Rackspace Moves Up EPA Green Power Partner List appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Enhancing Rackspace Private Cloud with Red Hat CloudForms
Oct 24, 2016
There’s more to running an enterprise private cloud than deploying a self-service portal for users to create their own virtual machines. Fundamentally, enterprise IT has to decide how best to run their private cloud so it can be reliable and cost-effective while delivering value to their users. That, of course, is at the core what The post Enhancing Rackspace Private Cloud with Red Hat CloudForms appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What Clients Need to Know About Office 365 Security
Oct 21, 2016
As Microsoft Office has grown in scope over the years, more organizations are moving more data across the platform. Organizations considering Office 365 are concerned about this data being hosted in the cloud, especially as security threats such as ransomware increase. Managed Service Providers need to be able to provide rock-solid assurance to clients that their The post What Clients Need to Know About Office 365 Security appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What Clients Need to Know About Office 365 Security
Oct 21, 2016
As Microsoft Office has grown in scope over the years, more organizations are moving more data across the platform. Organizations considering Office 365 are concerned about this data being hosted in the cloud, especially as security threats such as ransomware increase. Managed Service Providers need to be able to provide rock-solid assurance to clients that their The post What Clients Need to Know About Office 365 Security appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Get Interruption Advertising Right
Oct 21, 2016
Given the mad rush to install ad blockers, we’re particularly mindful when ads draw our attention on screen. Consider the monster-sized banner ads on Yahoo Sports, or the full-page roadblocks that face visitors to Forbes. Despite reports heralding their death, invasive advertising opportunities like these continue to be available to marketers. So-called interruption advertising comes in The post How to Get Interruption Advertising Right appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Get Interruption Advertising Right
Oct 21, 2016
Given the mad rush to install ad blockers, we’re particularly mindful when ads draw our attention on screen. Consider the monster-sized banner ads on Yahoo Sports, or the full-page roadblocks that face visitors to Forbes. Despite reports heralding their death, invasive advertising opportunities like these continue to be available to marketers. So-called interruption advertising comes in The post How to Get Interruption Advertising Right appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Encryption at Rest Now Available for Elasticsearch
Oct 20, 2016
You’ve asked, and now it’s here: encryption at rest is now available as a premium option on ObjectRocket for Elasticsearch with Kibana. As of today, encrypted instances can be created in the ObjectRocket control panel, while existing instances can be converted to encrypted instances with our always-free migration services. Security features, like SSL encrypted connections, ACLs/IP The post Encryption at Rest Now Available for Elasticsearch appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Have Office 365 Issues? Here’s How Rackspace Can Solve Them
Oct 20, 2016
Managing business-class email and productivity apps can tax a small business’s often-limited resources. But by partnering with Rackspace, you can get the most out of your Office 365 investment, while freeing yourself and your team to focus on your business. Here are five ways our years of expertise with Office 365 and our strong partnership The post Have Office 365 Issues? Here’s How Rackspace Can Solve Them appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Security Deep Dive: Securing Multi-Cloud Environments
Oct 19, 2016
Our October Deep Dive series on security continues this week with the third session of the month, which covers multi-cloud environments and best practices for protecting critical data and systems across a variety of cloud platforms. The session is hosted by Director of Technical Marketing Doug Denny, who is joined by Director of Strategy and The post Security Deep Dive: Securing Multi-Cloud Environments appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Meet Our Game-Changing OpenStack Experts at the Rackspace Booth
Oct 19, 2016
As we gear up for OpenStack Summit Barcelona next week, it’s a good time to focus on this summit’s themes of availability and reliability, critical features for OpenStack as it becomes the de facto standard for private cloud and continues its move into the enterprise. Before I get to the cool stuff happening at the The post Meet Our Game-Changing OpenStack Experts at the Rackspace Booth appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Break Through in an Ad-Blocked World
Oct 18, 2016
Ironic that 2015 will be remembered as the year we said goodbye to “Mad Men” and hello to ad blockers. Last year’s Ad Blocking Report by PageFair and Adobe suggests ad-blocking software usage rose more than 40 percent in 2015 to nearly 200 million active ad-block users globally, for an estimated $22 billion hit to publishers. This year, ad blockers will The post How to Break Through in an Ad-Blocked World appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Launches Enhanced Version of Compass for Fanatical Support for AWS Customers
Oct 18, 2016
SAN ANTONIO – Oct. 18, 2016 – Rackspace® (NYSE: RAX) today announced a new, enhanced version of Compass™, part of the management tooling portfolio available to Fanatical Support® for AWS customers. Compass has been expanded to include more than 350 automated best practice checks (a 7x increase over the previous version) and new functionality for The post Rackspace Launches Enhanced Version of Compass for Fanatical Support for AWS Customers appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Makes it Easier to Move Out of the Datacenter With VMware SDDC
Oct 18, 2016
Following up on our announcement from VMworld Las Vegas, Rackspace has officially launched Early Access of VMware Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC) on Rackspace Private Cloud powered by VMware. Rackspace Private Cloud powered by VMware, which now runs VMware SDDC, is a single-tenant private cloud that enables customers to conveniently transition or extend their on-premises VMware workloads into the The post Rackspace Makes it Easier to Move Out of the Datacenter With VMware SDDC appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
First Look at Zaius Server Platform from Google, Rackspace Collaboration
Oct 17, 2016
In April of this year, Rackspace and Google announced plans to collaborate on a new OpenPOWER/Open Compute server platform, codenamed Zaius. Included in that platform were a bunch of exciting advancements, including POWER9 processors with on-chip accelerators, PCI-Express Gen4, a variety of interfaces for cache-coherent co-processors, a new and improved open firmware stack and 48 The post First Look at Zaius Server Platform from Google, Rackspace Collaboration appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace SharePoint Pro Shares Insights from Ignite 2016
Oct 14, 2016
Microsoft Ignite 2016 wrapped up a couple of weeks ago with huge input from the Rackspace contingent, many of whom spent the weeklong conference hosting breakout sessions and in-booth seminars for other attendees. During the conference, Rackspace Distinguished Architect Todd Klindt was recognized as one of the Harmon.ie top 25 SharePoint influencers, the sixth annual The post Rackspace SharePoint Pro Shares Insights from Ignite 2016 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
3 Reasons Customers Abandon Their Shopping Carts, And How To Stop It
Oct 14, 2016
Abandoned shopping carts are the bane of ecommerce stores. According to the Baymard Institute 67 percent of shopping carts are abandoned online. Forrester Research reports the amount of money lost by online retailers due to shopping cart abandonment will soon climb as high as $31 billion. Your brand throws endless planning and hard-earned marketing dollars into attracting users The post 3 Reasons Customers Abandon Their Shopping Carts, And How To Stop It appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
National Kidney Registry Relies on Rackspace for Critical Uptime and Security
Oct 13, 2016
Keeping the country’s largest kidney exchange up and running doesn’t seem like it would have much to do with managing a software company, but that’s not how Joe Sinacore sees it. For the last five years, he’s served as director of education and development for The National Kidney Registry, a Babylon, N.Y.-based non-profit that matches The post National Kidney Registry Relies on Rackspace for Critical Uptime and Security appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
National Kidney Registry Enlists Rackspace Managed Security to Help Safeguard Patient Data
Oct 13, 2016
SAN ANTONIO – Oct. 13, 2016 – Rackspace® (NYSE: RAX) today announced that National Kidney Registry (NKR), the largest paired kidney exchange program in the United States, is using Rackspace Managed Security and Compliance Assistance for its Rackspace Dedicated environment. With cloud managed security services and active defense from Rackspace, NKR operates its donor database The post National Kidney Registry Enlists Rackspace Managed Security to Help Safeguard Patient Data appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
OpenStack: It’s All About the Benjamins (and the Sunils, and the Emilys…)
Oct 12, 2016
The semiannual OpenStack Summit is in two weeks. Hundreds of companies will be clamoring to show the stats on their new products. Rackspace will be highlighting something even more transformative: our people. At 4 a.m. U.S. Central time, Benjamin Bartram is already up and at work. Benjamin is a customer care manager in Rackspace’s UK The post OpenStack: It’s All About the Benjamins (and the Sunils, and the Emilys…) appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Security Deep Dive: Enterprise Security Today — Why Speed Matters
Oct 12, 2016
As we focus on National Cyber Security Awareness Month, our October Deep Dive series on security continues this week with Rackspace Technical Strategy Director Doug Denny and Rackspace Managed Security Director of Operations Daniel Clayton. This week, the two provide additional detail on the previous session and the evolving cyber threat landscape, how it affects enterprise The post Security Deep Dive: Enterprise Security Today — Why Speed Matters appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Make Customers an Advocate Army for Your Brand
Oct 11, 2016
By now, there’s enough evidence to suggest that brands make more sales when they are #Like! motivated. What do we mean by #Like! motivated? We mean the brands make it easy for customers to contribute user-generated content about their products and services. Then they leverage the heck out of the content. Brands that broadcast user-generated content The post How to Make Customers an Advocate Army for Your Brand appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
OpenStack Newton: An Unstoppable Force in Enterprise IT
Oct 10, 2016
OpenStack is moving steadily into the enterprise and is now the de facto standard for private cloud platforms. With Newton, the most recent release, OpenStack is focusing on three key functions necessary for it to become the single platform for enterprise IT: scalability, resiliency and user experience. At Rackspace, we see the rise of this community-built open source platform as The post OpenStack Newton: An Unstoppable Force in Enterprise IT appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
3 Keys to Great Technical Documentation
Oct 07, 2016
Great technical documentation allows customers to truly leverage the potential of your application or product — and I have three tips for making your documentation even better. In engineering, technical documentation describes the handling, functionality and architecture of a product, either in development or use. The information is often complex, and it is the information developers’ task to The post 3 Keys to Great Technical Documentation appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Internet of Things: Why Connected Toasters and Other Smart Home Devices Matter
Oct 07, 2016
Marketing executives have always understood it’s important to make connections count. But as the Internet of Things evolves from concept to reality, the idea is taking on a new meaning. Cisco Systems estimates that 500 billion devices and objects will be connected through the Internet by 2030. The “Internet of Things,” or IoT, is the network of The post Internet of Things: Why Connected Toasters and Other Smart Home Devices Matter appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
CI/CD Integration with Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by OpenStack
Oct 06, 2016
The development lifecycle is the lifeblood of most organizations offering digital products. Keeping developers happy is the key to keeping that lifecycle going, so they can easily code, release and test that new code. Bumper guards are also required so things don’t get out of hand — the “just ship it” or “it worked on my laptop” nightmare. So how The post CI/CD Integration with Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by OpenStack appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Challenge of Securing Multi-Cloud Environments
Oct 06, 2016
When I talk to companies interested in moving some of their IT infrastructure and operations to a cloud service provider, it’s clear this shift has become a fundamental business requirement to keep up with the competition. One reason to use cloud service providers is so companies can stop budgeting for the resources necessary to manage The post The Challenge of Securing Multi-Cloud Environments appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Making Your Private Cloud DevOps Ready
Oct 05, 2016
This guest post was written by Sumeet Singh, founder and CEO of AppFormix. For enterprises, implementing new software development processes like DevOps and continuous integration/continuous deliver, or CI/CD, means giving application developers a more agile, responsive and efficient cloud infrastructure. For cloud operators, however, delivering that infrastructure can be a big challenge. AppFormix recently joined with Rackspace The post Making Your Private Cloud DevOps Ready appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Office 365: Insight from the Trenches
Oct 05, 2016
When it comes to Office 365, there’s a lot to learn — even for managed service providers with experience selling and monetizing the platform. And who better to learn from than MSPs and consultants who have found significant success in selling and supporting Office 365? Here’s what they had to say. It’s all in the planning. As The post Office 365: Insight from the Trenches appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
October Deep Dive Recap: Today’s Evolving IT Threat Landscape
Oct 05, 2016
It’s no wonder security has become a top concern for so many businesses today. Not only are cyber threats increasing in size, scope and sophistication, the ways to protect critical data and systems from bad actors have also become more complex. This has left a lot of folks feeling paralyzed — unable to fully grasp The post October Deep Dive Recap: Today’s Evolving IT Threat Landscape appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
October Deep Dives Recap: Today’s Evolving IT Threat Landscape
Oct 05, 2016
It’s no wonder security has become a top concern for so many businesses today. Not only are cyber threats increasing in size, scope and sophistication, the ways to protect critical data and systems from bad actors have also become more complex. This has left a lot of folks feeling paralyzed — unable to fully grasp The post October Deep Dives Recap: Today’s Evolving IT Threat Landscape appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Secure Your Website Ahead of the Holidays
Oct 04, 2016
Where there is money to be made, criminals are soon to follow. The online retail market is a prime target for cybercrime, especially during the holiday season. Securing customer data and protecting your website from malicious attacks should be at the forefront of your holiday readiness strategy. Yet year after year, we hear about sites The post Secure Your Website Ahead of the Holidays appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Are CMOs About to Spend More Than CIOs on Technology?
Oct 04, 2016
In a recent blog post, Gartner analyst Jake Sorofman said the prediction made by his colleague Laura McLellan back in 2012, which stated CMOs would outspend CIOs on technology by 2017, was about to come true. He noted the prediction was both “polarizing” and “provocative” at the time, but Gartner’s upcoming CMO spend survey for The post Are CMOs About to Spend More Than CIOs on Technology? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Making Your Site a Must-Click for Spanish-Speaking Customers
Oct 04, 2016
In a time of hyper audience segmentation, how is it more brands haven’t gotten serious about appealing to Hispanic consumers? Why are Spanish-speaking customers often neglected in the battery of marketing strategies companies deploy? Hispanics represent the fastest growing population in the United States and command an estimated $1.5 trillion in buying power, and even though most Hispanics speak The post Making Your Site a Must-Click for Spanish-Speaking Customers appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What’s With All Those Rackspace Billboards?
Oct 03, 2016
Ever have one of those awkward moments when you run into someone you haven’t seen since high school and she still thinks of you as a skater? Or you see an acquaintance who mainly remembers that you were thinking of ditching business school for a career as a rock guitarist? We all have to reintroduce The post What’s With All Those Rackspace Billboards? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace and Arcadia Turn Data into Insights
Sep 30, 2016
“Big Data” is kind of a big deal. There are no shortage of headlines that describe the exponential growth of data and the promise of technologies like Hadoop to harness its power. But the reality is, many more big data initiatives fail than succeed. To make sure failures don’t happen, Rackspace has partnered with Arcadia The post Rackspace and Arcadia Turn Data into Insights appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
6 Crucial Questions for Simplifying Website Navigation
Sep 30, 2016
There’s good reason designing user experience, or UX, was named among CNNMoney’s list of the “Best Jobs in America.” Solid web design helps users quickly find what they need. “You’re giving your user control over their own experience,” says veteran web designer and consultant Carrie Dils. Poor web design makes it easy for them to The post 6 Crucial Questions for Simplifying Website Navigation appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Assume a Security Breach Will Happen — Then What?
Sep 29, 2016
The security breach at Yahoo in which 500 million users’ information was stolen is just the latest successful high profile attacks against large organizations. At Rackspace, we field a lot of questions from our customers when breaches like this occur. While studying individual attacks adds to our understanding of sophisticated threat actors and how they target The post Assume a Security Breach Will Happen — Then What? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
October Deep Dives: Get Expert Security Advice
Sep 29, 2016
If security is at the top of your mind, make sure and tune into the October Deep Dive Series on security in the cloud. Throughout the month, our panel discussions with subject-matter experts will tackle best practices for identifying, mitigating and removing active cyber threats from your environment. Cyber attacks are evolving. There are more The post October Deep Dives: Get Expert Security Advice appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Cloud Experts Deliver Real Business Value
Sep 29, 2016
If you’re familiar with Rackspace, you probably know how proud we are to deliver what we call Fanatical Support. For us, and for our customers, Fanatical Support is so much more than marketing puffery. It’s the obsessive commitment to service at the heart of our culture. But it’s also more than just a mindset. Concretely, The post Cloud Experts Deliver Real Business Value appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Beyond Virtualization: Replacing VMware with OpenStack
Sep 29, 2016
As the mighty reign of VMware comes to a glorious sunset and virtualization becomes a thing of the past, many organizations are seeking out the next best cloud platform replacement. Some see OpenStack as a plausible next step but hesitate due to the many unknowns and differences. The old Sesame Street song, “One of these The post Beyond Virtualization: Replacing VMware with OpenStack appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Building a Highly Available OpenStack Cloud
Sep 28, 2016
Rackspace is known for our expertise building highly available solutions for our customers, so it should be no surprise that we’ve been able to apply that competency to managed OpenStack solutions for both our upsteam offering and Rackspace Private Cloud powered by Red Hat. or PRC-R. I provided some details in my previous post, about RPC-R’s reference The post Building a Highly Available OpenStack Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Navigating the Multi-Cloud Maze
Sep 28, 2016
Apple made big news earlier this year when it moved its iCloud service to the Google Cloud Platform while also continuing to make heavy use of AWS and Azure. But according to Larry Dignan, Editor-in-Chief at ZDNet, the real story is that this move in no way makes them unique: “Let’s replace Apple with any The post Navigating the Multi-Cloud Maze appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Beyond the Microsoft Enterprise Agreement
Sep 27, 2016
Not too long ago, Microsoft’s ultimate tool to cement a relationship with an organization was to have them sign an enterprise agreement. This was before the market had fully understood and embraced the consumption-based cloud model. In keeping with the changing trends, Microsoft is attempting to simplify and streamline its complex licensing programs to reflect The post Beyond the Microsoft Enterprise Agreement appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Create the Best Rackspace Cloud Architecture Using Red Hat OpenStack
Sep 27, 2016
When Rackspace and Red Hat came together to create a managed private cloud, we knew this offering needed to support enterprises looking to transform themselves using the latest technological innovations. Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by Red Hat, RPC-R for short, was architected to meet stringent enterprise requirements such as availability, stability and manageability, while helping The post Create the Best Rackspace Cloud Architecture Using Red Hat OpenStack appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Site Maintenance: What to Do, When to Do It
Sep 27, 2016
A website is your business’s face to the world, but too many small business owners get their site online, only to leave them unattended. With site maintenance in mind, we stirred up a conversation with some web development friends on what specific updates site owners need to make and when. Their advice follows. Do This The post Site Maintenance: What to Do, When to Do It appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Extends Managed Application Services to Microsoft Azure
Sep 26, 2016
SAN ANTONIO, TX –(September 15, 2016) – Rackspace® (NYSE: RAX) today announced the release of Managed Application Services for Microsoft® Azure®. This new offering introduces Rackspace’s premium Fanatical Support® to customers operating the Sitecore Experience Platform on Azure. Managed Application Services for Microsoft Azure also supports a full range of other digital applications, including Magento®, SAP® Hybris®, Oracle® The post Rackspace Extends Managed Application Services to Microsoft Azure appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Where to Find Rackspace OpenStack Experts at the Barcelona Summit 2016
Sep 26, 2016
It’s been more than six years and one billion server hours since Rackspace announced to the world that we, along with NASA, would be open sourcing a new cloud platform called OpenStack. We’ve been privileged to have a front row seat as this little open source project has grown to become one of the largest The post Where to Find Rackspace OpenStack Experts at the Barcelona Summit 2016 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Reasons to Upgrade to SharePoint 2016
Sep 26, 2016
With the recent release of SharePoint 2016, a lot of admins are faced with the daunting question: should I upgrade to the most recent release? While I’ll take a deep dive into the upgrade and migration process at Microsoft Ignite on Tuesday at 10:45 a.m. in room B308, I wanted to give you five reasons The post 5 Reasons to Upgrade to SharePoint 2016 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Evolving IT Security Threat — A Primer
Sep 26, 2016
As news of the Yahoo breach reminds us, if you’re on the internet, you’re being attacked. Rackspace, along with the rest of the tech industry, has seen a dramatic increase in the frequency and complexity of cyber attacks against businesses. Breaches of large organizations are becoming more common, more public and more damaging. Security is now The post The Evolving IT Security Threat — A Primer appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rules We Can All Agree on for Videoconferencing
Sep 23, 2016
In an age of Facetiming with the kids to stay in touch from the road, it seems habits fit for the playroom are bubbling into virtual conference rooms. There’s no formal code of etiquette for these things. But we’ve participated in enough videoconferences to know there are some definite dos and don’ts. Consider the following, The post Rules We Can All Agree on for Videoconferencing appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Public, Private, and Hybrid Oh My: When to Use Which Cloud
Sep 23, 2016
Public cloud, private cloud, hybrid cloud — which type of cloud is right for your organization? At the most basic level, it’s all about the platform requirements — do you know your platform requirements? What about the application requirements?  Are there any specific capabilities you must deliver to your consumers? I believe the project or application should drive The post Public, Private, and Hybrid Oh My: When to Use Which Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Expands Microsoft Azure Support with Managed Identity and Access
Sep 22, 2016
Rackspace is expanding our Fanatical Support for Microsoft Azure portfolio of services to include Managed Identity and Access. Through this solution, we will leverage Azure Active Directory, coupled with Rackspace expertise and Fanatical Support, to help customers simplify identities that are spread across cloud services and corporate Active Directory environments. Managed Identity and Access spans The post Rackspace Expands Microsoft Azure Support with Managed Identity and Access appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Sample Architecture Diagrams for Adobe Experience Manager
Sep 22, 2016
I was recently asked by a customer why I think Rackspace is the best place to host an Adobe Experience Manager site. After working on a number of wildly different AEM/CQ installations hosted on both VMware and Bare Metal at customer data centers, co-located Bare Metal, ISP-managed VMWare, AWS and OpenStack, I can say the biggest reason The post Sample Architecture Diagrams for Adobe Experience Manager appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Perimeter Defense is DOA
Sep 22, 2016
Until about five years ago, perimeter defense was generally enough to protect against the majority of cyber threats. Once a firewall or other type of perimeter security device was set up, businesses could move on to other things, confident their data and systems were secure. This traditional approach to security was largely focused on ensuring The post Perimeter Defense is DOA appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Privacy Considerations in the Cloud Part 4: Security in the Cloud
Sep 21, 2016
As we’ve discussed through this series of blog posts, there are many aspects of data protection and privacy that need to be considered when organizations move their data and business operations to the cloud. In this post, we will address the issue of security in the cloud, which can help organizations better address privacy concerns. The post Privacy Considerations in the Cloud Part 4: Security in the Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Top 5 Highlights from Sitecore Symposium 2016
Sep 21, 2016
It was three days of jam packed conversations, contests and content: Sitecore Symposium 2016 was a huge success, as we had the opportunity to engage with attendees, booth-ers and speakers allowing us to get to know the challenges and successes of current and potential Sitecore users. Here are our top five highlights: Sitecore Support: This The post Top 5 Highlights from Sitecore Symposium 2016 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Migrating and Deploying Microsoft Office 365
Sep 21, 2016
Migrating your email and deploying productivity software and data to Microsoft Office 365 often takes more time and resources and is more complex and than expected. For many small businesses, not only is migrating and deploying Office 365 more complicated and time-intensive than they would like it to be, but they usually lack the necessary The post Migrating and Deploying Microsoft Office 365 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Working with Equinix to Enable Multi-Cloud Computing [Webinar]
Sep 20, 2016
Last month, Rackspace hit a major milestone, surpassing one billion hours of OpenStack under management. During that time, we’ve learned a lot of lessons — not only from a technology standpoint, but also about what helps our customers succeed. Meanwhile, those customers’ use cases are becoming increasing complex, with some achieving a faster rate of technology The post Working with Equinix to Enable Multi-Cloud Computing [Webinar] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Assembling Private Cloud as a Service with Red Hat OpenStack
Sep 20, 2016
I am a huge comic book movie fan, loving the resurgence in popularity of superhero movies over the past decade. I particularly enjoy superhero team movies such the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s “Avengers.” There is something spectacular about watching individual heroes, powerful in their own right, accomplish even more by working together towards a common goal. The post Assembling Private Cloud as a Service with Red Hat OpenStack appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Now, Get Your Own Barreleye
Sep 20, 2016
Rackspace and its partners are pleased to announce that Barreleye, our high-performance Open Compute/OpenPOWER server, is now generally available — you can buy one for use in your own datacenter. Barreleye is available from multiple outlets, to suit many kinds of consumers. From solution providers who specialize in hyperscale, to high performance computing, to the IBM business partner The post Now, Get Your Own Barreleye appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How 3 Popular Loyalty Programs Drive ROI
Sep 20, 2016
While there’s some debate about the efficacy of customer loyalty programs, the numbers suggest they are more popular than ever. Program enrollments recently topped 3 billion, and three-quarters of U.S. companies with loyalty programs generate ROI. The best of the bunch are built on core understandings of customers’ preferences. The programs compel consumers to interact with The post How 3 Popular Loyalty Programs Drive ROI appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Kicking Off Microsoft Ignite 2016
Sep 19, 2016
Microsoft Ignite 2016 kicks off this week in Atlanta and Rackspace will be on hand to host a variety of breakout sessions spanning our deep expertise on the Microsoft Cloud. In addition to those talks (a full schedule is listed below) we’ll also be hosting sessions each day at our booth, #521, in the expo The post Kicking Off Microsoft Ignite 2016 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
OpenStack Mitaka Support for Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by Red Hat
Sep 19, 2016
In the latest milestone of Rackspace and Red Hat’s longtime joint partnership, Rackspace now supports version 9 of the Red Hat OpenStack platform, based on the most current Mitaka community release of OpenStack. As you may know, many Rackspace customers are also Red Hat customers. As more of our joint customers look to transform their businesses, Rackspace and The post OpenStack Mitaka Support for Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by Red Hat appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Week of Volunteering Goes Global
Sep 16, 2016
Clearing out endangered bird habitat. Building homes for low income residents. Cooking for the hungry. Those are just some of the ways Rackers took part in Rackspace’s first global “Week of Volunteering” event, which wraps up today. The Week of Volunteering included events in Australia, the United Kingdom, Mexico and multiple cities in Texas, including Austin, Dallas and The post Rackspace Week of Volunteering Goes Global appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Sell Security to Your Business Leaders
Sep 16, 2016
In today’s world of increasingly sophisticated hackers and advanced cyber threats, an active security strategy must be a top priority for businesses. That’s right – security is no longer an IT discussion, but a business discussion. Yet despite this new reality, there remain business leaders who approach the security of their company’s systems — be The post How to Sell Security to Your Business Leaders appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How Amazon, Southwest and USAA Make Online Customer Service Easy
Sep 16, 2016
Most brands believe they provide great customer service. Customers don’t necessarily agree. Long response times, inadequate support and unhelpful staff are the perceived norm in customer relations. The disconnect carries an ugly price tag: Poor customer service costs U.S. businesses $83 billion a year. In face-to-face environments, the importance of quality customer service is obvious. But The post How Amazon, Southwest and USAA Make Online Customer Service Easy appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Best Practices for Reducing the Ransomware Risk
Sep 15, 2016
In the past, cybersecurity revolved mainly around perimeter defense and keeping bad guys out — something that was often accomplished with a firewall or a device, set up and then forgotten about as bad actors tried and (ideally) failed to get through the front door. Unfortunately, that era is over and persistent threats, which demand The post Best Practices for Reducing the Ransomware Risk appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Bringing the Heat to Rackspace Private Cloud
Sep 15, 2016
Heat, which allows you to perform cloud orchestration within the OpenStack ecosystem, is my favorite OpenStack service, but it’s also one of the most overlooked. It’s a great way to get started with infrastructure automation code or, as I’ve called it, “DevOps with training wheels.” While widespread adoption of Heat is not yet in full swing, The post Bringing the Heat to Rackspace Private Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Veteran Rackspace Reseller Becomes MVP of Office 365
Sep 14, 2016
Founded in 2002 in Buffalo, MVP Network Consulting is an IT consulting firm that designs and implements reliable networks to secure sensitive company data, promote organizational growth, improve team productivity, and generate competitive business advantages. A full-service provider, MVP delivers network uptime and 24-hour, end-user support. The company focuses on four areas of expertise – The post Veteran Rackspace Reseller Becomes MVP of Office 365 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Cloud Migration Attitudes Compared: Latest Australian Research Findings
Sep 13, 2016
With an increasing number of businesses in Australia having moved or considering moving workloads into the cloud, understanding the concerns, motivations and objectives of those doing it is important towards making sure cloud migrations deliver. Following a study by our United Kingdom counterparts, Rackspace Australia conducted a similar study comprising 100 telephone interviews with senior The post Cloud Migration Attitudes Compared: Latest Australian Research Findings appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
OpenStack Security Hardening for Rackspace Private Cloud
Sep 13, 2016
When it comes to securing your OpenStack platform, Rackspace experts have come up with a series of best practices to harden the platform based on years of work with private cloud customers. Below is an overview, but for a deeper dive into the measures Rackspace has taken to secure our customers’ OpenStack private clouds, we invite you The post OpenStack Security Hardening for Rackspace Private Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Flash Sales: Do This, Not That
Sep 13, 2016
Amazon’s “Prime Day” has been billed as the greatest sales event of the year. But has the highly publicized flash sale live up to the hype? Depends on who you ask. Amazon has declared it a runaway success, claiming peak order rates surpass Black Friday. But the Adobe Digital Index showed half the feedback about the  first 24-hour sale The post Flash Sales: Do This, Not That appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Microsoft Office 365 Migration Options at Rackspace
Sep 12, 2016
Migrating from your current email solution to Microsoft Office 365 can be a daunting task, especially if you attempt it without an experienced partner. With Rackspace Migration Services, we can help ease that process, and make sure your migration goes off without a hitch. Our migration services are designed around a team of specialists that The post Microsoft Office 365 Migration Options at Rackspace appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Support for Mitaka in Rackspace Private Cloud v13
Sep 12, 2016
The OpenStack cloud software project moves steadily forward and remains on track for two new community release per year. Mitaka was released last April, and Newton is just around the corner in October. At Rackspace, we’ve always taken a measured approach, making sure we work as quickly as we can to update our OpenStack-powered private cloud to The post Support for Mitaka in Rackspace Private Cloud v13 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Recover from One-Star App Reviews
Sep 09, 2016
So your mobile app just got torn apart with bad reviews. Maybe you rushed the app out the door too quickly? Maybe you didn’t test for compatibility with older hardware? Maybe other apps do the same thing, only better? Whatever the case, your new app has received a one-star drubbing. Now what do you do? We asked The post How to Recover from One-Star App Reviews appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Alert Logic Taps Rackspace to Deliver Fanatical Support for Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft Azure
Sep 08, 2016
SAN ANTONIO – September 8, 2016 – Rackspace® (NYSE: RAX) today announced that Alert Logic, a leader in security and compliance solutions for the cloud, is using Rackspace Fanatical Support® for Office 365 and Fanatical Support for Microsoft Azure to optimize performance across a portfolio of Microsoft services. As a leading provider of Security-as-a-Service for The post Alert Logic Taps Rackspace to Deliver Fanatical Support for Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft Azure appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Why Fanatical Support for AWS Makes Sense for the Enterprise
Sep 08, 2016
As a cloud architect, I speak daily with enterprise companies that are looking to move away from the burden of maintaining costly enterprise data centers. Their hope is to move to an agile and cost-effective Amazon Web Services cloud implementation. Manpower When we begin the discussion, one of the first questions I ask is, “How The post Why Fanatical Support for AWS Makes Sense for the Enterprise appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Privacy Considerations in the Cloud Part 3: What to Consider When Choosing Cloud Services
Sep 07, 2016
Multi-Cloud and Privacy Challenges One of the biggest challenges for privacy professionals today is how to implement various privacy compliance requirements across multiple platforms, technologies, third-party providers, geographies, internal data users and customers. As discussed in the first post in this series, organizations across the globe face the daily risk of security and data breaches. The post Privacy Considerations in the Cloud Part 3: What to Consider When Choosing Cloud Services appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
OpenStack-Ansible’s First Integrated SDN Platform — PLUMgrid
Sep 07, 2016
When Rackspace announced a partnership with PLUMgrid, a leader of secure and scalable SDN and NFV solutions for OpenStack clouds, back in February, we didn’t explicitly note that PLUMgrid is the first SDN/NFV platform to integrate directly into OpenStack-Ansible. Since Rackspace Private Cloud powered by OpenStack is deployed using OpenStack-Ansible, this made our partnership with PLUMgrid The post OpenStack-Ansible’s First Integrated SDN Platform — PLUMgrid appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
“Anatomy of an Attack” Kicks Off Three-Day Run on Facebook Live
Sep 06, 2016
Rackspace Managed Security’s Travis Mercier, Manager of the Customer Security Operations Center took to Facebook Live in the first installment of “Anatomy of an Attack,” a three-part live interview series which takes a closer look at how cyber attacks happen and the steps businesses can take to protect themselves against them. “We can go through The post “Anatomy of an Attack” Kicks Off Three-Day Run on Facebook Live appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
VMware 2016 Wraps Up With Added Fanatical Support for the SDDC
Sep 06, 2016
It was an exciting week for the Rackers who attended VMworld 2016 in Las Vegas, where we had the opportunity to share exciting news with VMware’s large ecosystem of customers and partners. We had the privilege of showing off some of our best and brightest minds — colleagues who help deliver Fanatical Support to Rackspace customers The post VMware 2016 Wraps Up With Added Fanatical Support for the SDDC appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
OpenStack API Benchmarking and Scaling — 3 Test Cases
Sep 06, 2016
Have you ever been curious how much of a workload the OpenStack control plane can handle before needing to scale horizontally? Based on the load, how will the API performance adjust? How much overhead will load on the OpenStack APIs add to my application deployment timeline? What behavior should I look for to determine its time The post OpenStack API Benchmarking and Scaling — 3 Test Cases appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Adding ‘Technologist’ to Your Marketing Resume
Sep 06, 2016
By 2017, marketing will spend more on technology than the IT department. When Gartner made this dramatic prediction, there was a mixture of panic and excitement among marketers. You could almost hear the keystrokes as the word technologist was added to marketing resumes everywhere. No doubt there were also a few C-level executives who swapped out Chief Marketing Officer for Chief The post Adding ‘Technologist’ to Your Marketing Resume appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Prep for a Business Lunch with a Millennial Buyer
Sep 02, 2016
We know millennials are a different breed of consumer. Tech savvy … Socially conscious … Always connected … We know the cohort has driven B2C marketers worldwide to re-engineer their toolkits. Less well documented is how the biggest generation since baby boomers is forcing a similar shift in the B2B world. Today, 46 percent of B2B The post How to Prep for a Business Lunch with a Millennial Buyer appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Snags Innovation Award for AEM App at Evolve 2016
Sep 01, 2016
Adobe Digital Marketing firm 3Share has awarded Rackspace’s Managed Cloud for Adobe Experience Manager the Innovation Award for the most original and intriguing application at this year’s Evolve Community Conference. Managed Cloud for AEM represents the culmination of expertise Rackspace has drawn from managing more than 200 Adobe Experience Manager environments. Customers can build highly complex The post Rackspace Snags Innovation Award for AEM App at Evolve 2016 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Security of the Cloud vs. Security in the Cloud
Sep 01, 2016
When I talk security with companies, I want them thinking about security of the cloud as well as security in the cloud. Security of the cloud means the traditional security elements that go hand in hand with moving to the cloud. They come with the cloud infrastructure a company might select;  security at the compute, storage and The post Security of the Cloud vs. Security in the Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Top 3 Ways to Engage with Rackspace at Sitecore Symposium
Sep 01, 2016
Sitecore Symposium 2016 is only a few days away, and we are excited! But we know your time is limited, with so many leading minds, inspiring seminars and great connections to be had. With this in mind, we have pulled together a list of the top three ways you can engage with Rackspace on your The post Top 3 Ways to Engage with Rackspace at Sitecore Symposium appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Why Small Businesses Are Going Mobile
Aug 31, 2016
Not surprisingly, the story about mobile for small business starts with Apple. Yes, Apple created the technology most of us have in our pockets and purses or on our desks right now, and helped launch the always-on workforce. But the real story is more than just the products Apple delivered, it’s the approach the company The post Why Small Businesses Are Going Mobile appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
[Webinar] How Rackspace and Red Hat Make OpenStack Better
Aug 30, 2016
More than 80 percent of senior IT professionals are using or plan to use OpenStack as their private cloud technology. But in doing so, many have found operating a private cloud is more complicated than consuming the public cloud and requires more oversight of the datacenter/network/hardware than expected. This complexity has created a challenge for organizations as they look to The post [Webinar] How Rackspace and Red Hat Make OpenStack Better appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace ANZ: Australia’s Best Place to Work
Aug 30, 2016
As general manager of Rackspace ANZ, creating and maintaining a strong and positive culture is a core part of my job. In our industry, Rackspace ANZ is known as an energising and vibrant company that puts empowering people at the heart of our workplace and approach to business. Proof of this is that 98 per The post Rackspace ANZ: Australia’s Best Place to Work appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Speed and Power of OnMetal Now Available for SQL Workloads in Windows
Aug 30, 2016
Beginning today, customers running SQL workloads in Windows environments will be able to take advantage of the bare metal speed, raw computing power and capacity of OnMetal by creating OnMetal Cloud Servers using Microsoft SQL Server 2014 on Windows Server 2012. Database workloads are one of the most common use cases we see customers deploy The post Speed and Power of OnMetal Now Available for SQL Workloads in Windows appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
You’ve Been Hacked. Now What?
Aug 30, 2016
You know cybersecurity has reached a tipping point when even the federal government, which places a big value on security, can’t keep foreign hackers at bay. News that Juniper devices were susceptible to attack, and revelation that many government agencies relied on this equipment to keep them safe, caused a lot of handwringing in public policy circles. The post You’ve Been Hacked. Now What? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by VMware to Support VMware Software-Defined Data Center Technologies
Aug 29, 2016
LAS VEGAS – August 29, 2016 – Rackspace® (NYSE: RAX), a VMware vCloud Air Network partner, today announced from VMworld® that it will support VMware Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC) technologies including VMware NSX®, Virtual SAN™ and vRealize® Suite as a part of Rackspace Private Cloud powered by VMware. The offering, available in early access in The post Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by VMware to Support VMware Software-Defined Data Center Technologies appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Ranks Among the Top 50 Best Workplaces for Hispanic Women
Aug 29, 2016
After evaluating more than 800 companies nationwide, LATINA Style Magazine has selected Rackspace as one of the 50 best companies for Latinas, as part of its annual LATINA Style 50 Report. The results of the report were announced today at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., highlighting companies that have shown a dedicated effort The post Rackspace Ranks Among the Top 50 Best Workplaces for Hispanic Women appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Why Rackspace is Becoming a Private Company
Aug 26, 2016
This is a big day at Rackspace, with our announcement that we intend to become a private company owned by a group of investors led by Apollo Global Management. We expect that this transaction will help us better serve our customers in 120 countries, who now include more than half of the Fortune 100. It The post Why Rackspace is Becoming a Private Company appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Enters Into a $4.3 Billion Transaction to Become a Private Company through an Acquisition Led by Certain Funds Managed by Affiliates of Apollo Global Management
Aug 26, 2016
SAN ANTONIO – Aug. 26, 2016 – Rackspace (NYSE: RAX), the #1 managed cloud company, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with affiliates of certain funds (the “Apollo Funds”) managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, LLC (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, “Apollo”) (NYSE: APO), a leading global alternative investment manager, The post Rackspace Enters Into a $4.3 Billion Transaction to Become a Private Company through an Acquisition Led by Certain Funds Managed by Affiliates of Apollo Global Management appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Privacy Considerations in the Cloud Part 2: Privacy in a Multi-Cloud World
Aug 26, 2016
There’s no question cloud adoption is increasing, and as a result, a growing number of cloud providers as well as services and deployment models have become available. By selecting the right cloud alternative, an organization can help address privacy concerns. But this cloud landscape can be overwhelming when decision makers consider all the different options The post Privacy Considerations in the Cloud Part 2: Privacy in a Multi-Cloud World appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The End of the Retail Sales Associate?
Aug 26, 2016
The pile of evidence to suggest that machines are replacing humans (unfortunately?) continues to grow. And the latest from Deloitte’s ongoing Digital Divide study suggests it’s because the humans want it that way. Dissatisfaction with human salespeople in bricks-and-mortar retail outlets is nothing new, but according to Deloitte’s 2015 report, “Navigating the New Digital Divide,” The post The End of the Retail Sales Associate? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Coming Full Circle with Camp Good Sam
Aug 25, 2016
For Alex Carrizales, Camp Good Sam has been a lot more than just place to kill time over the hot summer days — it’s become a life-changing experience. This fall, Carrizales heads off to Texas A&M Corpus Christi, and he credits his summers at Camp Good Sam, run by Good Samaritan Community Services and funded The post Coming Full Circle with Camp Good Sam appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Connect Multiple Clouds with One Solution: RackConnect Global
Aug 25, 2016
Are you feeling the strain of managing IT workloads across multiple clouds and data center locations? Are you longing for a secure, centralized connection to these environments? Are you looking to drive efficiencies and reduce costs in the cloud? Updating your IT infrastructure and shifting workloads to the cloud of your choice can be easier The post Connect Multiple Clouds with One Solution: RackConnect Global appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Keys to Cloud Success: Choice, Fit and World Class Expertise
Aug 24, 2016
Today’s IT departments are faced with many challenges — finding superior expertise, managing security regulations, supporting multiple cloud platforms, reducing infrastructure spend — the list is endless. While these barriers can lengthen cloud adoption rates, they don’t have to. More than 350 technologists and innovators learned that earlier this month when they joined Rackspace experts and partners for Rackspace::Solve San The post The Keys to Cloud Success: Choice, Fit and World Class Expertise appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
4 Reasons to Move Your Small Business to the Cloud
Aug 24, 2016
Does anything tie up your time, money and mental bandwidth as much as technology? You didn’t start your business to spend nearly every waking — and often sleeping — moment dealing with the complexities of the computers, software, networks and other devices that are necessary to run it. Many small businesses are alleviating this burden The post 4 Reasons to Move Your Small Business to the Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
10 Things to Tell Your Customers About Office 365
Aug 24, 2016
Do you want to make sure you’ve told your customer everything they need to know before moving to Office 365? Check out this handy infographic to ensure you’ve crossed your t’s and dotted your i’s! Learn more about Office 365 The post 10 Things to Tell Your Customers About Office 365 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Why Workload Isolation Matters and How We Do it
Aug 23, 2016
It’s no secret that virtualized environments drive efficiency in most IT environments. However, bringing workloads closer together and allowing them to share resources can introduce unexpected security challenges. Proper isolation for these workloads is critical. In this post, you will learn why virtual machines need isolation and what can happen when they do not have The post Why Workload Isolation Matters and How We Do it appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Marketing 101: Then and Now
Aug 23, 2016
With college students headed back to campus for the fall semester, we started thinking about how different marketing 101 courses must be today, compared to, say, 21 years ago. For perspective: In 1995, Yahoo had just incorporated. Google’s Larry Page and Sergey Brin were at Stanford. (Mark Zuckerberg hadn’t yet begun high school.) And web-browsing sensation The post Marketing 101: Then and Now appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Patch and AMI Management for Windows on AWS
Aug 22, 2016
If you’re like me, you probably dread performing updates on your computer due to the frustrating compatibility problems and other headaches that often come up. If you’re a Microsoft user, you also know that falling behind on the monthly software updates they release — intended to fix issues with performance, compatibility and (most importantly) security The post Patch and AMI Management for Windows on AWS appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
[VIDEO] No “Intern Fluff Work”: A Rackspace Summer Intern Reflects
Aug 22, 2016
Each summer, Rackspace welcomes roughly 100 college students across its U.S. locations to spend around 12 weeks learning various aspects of its business. Intern roles are spread across all departments, from accounting to global enterprise technologies and everything in between. I was one of the lucky hundred chosen from more than 3,000 applicants this year. The post [VIDEO] No “Intern Fluff Work”: A Rackspace Summer Intern Reflects appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Job No. 1 for a Website? Growing the Email List
Aug 19, 2016
Email? “People say, ‘That’s so 1990s,’” says Eric Shanfelt, founder of eMedia Strategist, “but it works.” In fact, he says it’s more important than any other aspect of your digital strategy, period. Shanfelt is not alone in his point of view. A growing band of web marketers suggests social media connections and page views are fine, The post Job No. 1 for a Website? Growing the Email List appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How Rackspace Operates OpenStack at Scale
Aug 18, 2016
As anyone who’s ever tried to move a technology from development to production knows, operations and scaling are two of the most difficult elements to do well. Nowhere is that more true than with the OpenStack cloud platform. Deploying an OpenStack cloud with 10s of servers to support a few hundred users is a far cry from The post How Rackspace Operates OpenStack at Scale appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How Innovative Cloud Security Can Propel Business Further, Faster
Aug 18, 2016
I am fortunate to speak to customers, security professionals and thought leaders every day. Although they all articulate their security challenges differently, the root problems are often the same. But those solutions too often rely on imposing strict controls that create friction among the workforce and inhibit the company’s business operations. Increasingly opaque perimeters, the The post How Innovative Cloud Security Can Propel Business Further, Faster appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Email: Self-Host or Entrust a Service Provider?
Aug 17, 2016
Media attention on a certain person hosting her own email servers has served to jump start the question of whether “to host or not to host” for many small to medium sized businesses. To help facilitate that analysis, below are several points which should be considered, and questions that must be honestly answered as a business decides whether or not The post Email: Self-Host or Entrust a Service Provider? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Getting Ready For VMworld 2016
Aug 16, 2016
Next month, Rackspace descends upon VMworld 2016 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on the heels of whirlwind of product development activity. Our support, product, sales and marketing Rackers are preparing to showcase our extensive VMware expertise and to deliver exciting announcements about upcoming VMware-based offerings from Rackspace. What excites me The post Getting Ready For VMworld 2016 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Five Simple Tactics Iconic Brands Employ to Stay Hip
Aug 16, 2016
In a world where socialites’ lives are the focus of hit TV shows, we see that hip sells. In a world where clothing manufacturers rush to brand their products with athletes’ names, we see that hip sells. What is hip? It’s that intangible difference between H&M and Ann Taylor, between food truck fare and McDonald’s. The post Five Simple Tactics Iconic Brands Employ to Stay Hip appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Enabling Vanity URLs with Adobe Experience Manager
Aug 15, 2016
When migrating from one version of a site to an all new website, or when migrating from an old CMS to Adobe Experience Manager, users often struggle with two things—rewriting legacy URL redirects and handling vanity URLs. A migration can create mountains of legacy URLs that need rewriting. You need to handle these URLs somehow, The post Enabling Vanity URLs with Adobe Experience Manager appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
“Data Logging” Explained in 30 Seconds
Aug 12, 2016
What is it? Data logging is an aspect of system monitoring, the practice of recording and storing information about a machine’s activity over time. Why do it? The data log enables system administrators to analyze system performance and troubleshoot. This may include insights about how the machine is used, who’s using it, or determining what The post “Data Logging” Explained in 30 Seconds appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Expands Multi-Cloud Security to Microsoft Azure
Aug 11, 2016
SAN FRANCISCO – August 11, 2016 – Rackspace® (NYSE: RAX) today announced from Rackspace::Solve that Rackspace® Managed Security for Microsoft® Azure® is now available in early access. This means that companies using Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS)™, Rackspace Dedicated Hosting and Rackspace Managed VMware® Cloud can now benefit from the additional security protections provided The post Rackspace Expands Multi-Cloud Security to Microsoft Azure appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Announcing Rackspace Managed Security for Microsoft Azure
Aug 11, 2016
Rackspace Managed Security is  now available in Early Access for customers utilizing Fanatical Support for Microsoft Azure. By extending RMS to our Azure customers, we’re widening our managed security coverage, and can now rapidly detect and respond to advanced cyber threats across our customers’ multiple cloud deployments. That includes customers using Amazon Web Services and The post Announcing Rackspace Managed Security for Microsoft Azure appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Reaches OpenStack Leadership Milestone, Six Years and One Billion Server Hours
Aug 11, 2016
SAN FRANCISCO – August 11, 2016 – Rackspace® (NYSE: RAX) today announced from Rackspace::Solve® that it has achieved an unprecedented milestone, reaching one billion server hours operating production-ready OpenStack® clouds for many of the world’s largest and most recognized companies. Since creating OpenStack in 2010 with NASA, Rackspace continues to innovate and lead the OpenStack The post Rackspace Reaches OpenStack Leadership Milestone, Six Years and One Billion Server Hours appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Leading Experience and Expertise: 1 Billion OpenStack Hours Served
Aug 11, 2016
What can be accomplished in 1 billion hours? It’s a number so large it’s difficult to put into context. 1 billion hours, or 114,000+ years ago, humankind was in the early stages of its development, preceding even the earliest human civilizations by more than 100,000 years. It would be a monumental understatement to say humankind The post Leading Experience and Expertise: 1 Billion OpenStack Hours Served appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Cloud Predictions and Trends: Kicking Off Solve San Francisco
Aug 11, 2016
Rackspace::Solve kicks off today in downtown San Francisco with a full day of featured speakers and breakout sessions geared towards solving tough business and IT challenges using the cloud. Solve conferences are excellent opportunities to learn how industry experts—including our most innovative customers and partners— are using the cloud to scale their businesses, speed time to The post Cloud Predictions and Trends: Kicking Off Solve San Francisco appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Cloud Predictions and Trends: Solve San Francisco Kicks Off Tomorrow!
Aug 10, 2016
Rackspace::Solve kicks off tomorrow in downtown San Francisco with a full day of featured speakers and breakout sessions geared towards solving tough business and IT challenges using the cloud. Solve conferences are excellent opportunities to learn how industry experts—including our most innovative customers and partners— are using the cloud to scale their businesses, speed time to The post Cloud Predictions and Trends: Solve San Francisco Kicks Off Tomorrow! appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Top 4 Ways MSPs Can Derive Recurring Revenue from Office 365
Aug 09, 2016
As most managed service providers know, it’s hard to make enough revenue simply by selling subscriptions to Office 365 to keep afloat. Making real money with Office 365 requires finding ways to turn those subscriptions into long-term revenue sources. “Unless you are one of the big cloud service provider partners and can get by on The post Top 4 Ways MSPs Can Derive Recurring Revenue from Office 365 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Top 4 Ways MSPs Can Derive Recurring Revenue from Office 365
Aug 09, 2016
As most managed service providers know, it’s hard to make enough revenue simply by selling subscriptions to Office 365 to keep afloat. Making real money with Office 365 requires finding ways to turn those subscriptions into long-term revenue sources. “Unless you are one of the big cloud service provider partners and can get by on The post Top 4 Ways MSPs Can Derive Recurring Revenue from Office 365 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What Makes Booth Appeal at a Trade Show?
Aug 09, 2016
With the holiday season in sight, and the fall circuit of conferences and trade shows about to begin, we thought we’d take a look at the trade show booth as marketing vehicle. Many companies compete for attention on expo floors, but most of them are using the same old tired tactics. Here are some smarter ways to The post What Makes Booth Appeal at a Trade Show? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What Makes Booth Appeal at a Trade Show?
Aug 09, 2016
With the holiday season in sight, and the fall circuit of conferences and trade shows about to begin, we thought we’d take a look at the trade show booth as marketing vehicle. Many companies compete for attention on expo floors, but most of them are using the same old tired tactics. Here are some smarter ways to The post What Makes Booth Appeal at a Trade Show? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Privacy Considerations in the Cloud Part 1: The Globalization of Privacy
Aug 08, 2016
For companies with a global presence, managing privacy compliance has become increasingly complex. Navigating a clear path across the global privacy landscape has never been more challenging. Companies must understand and continuously adapt to new technologies and individual country-specific privacy laws. In this series of blog posts, we’ll cover some practical tips to consider when deploying The post Privacy Considerations in the Cloud Part 1: The Globalization of Privacy appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Privacy Considerations in the Cloud Part 1: The Globalization of Privacy
Aug 08, 2016
For companies with a global presence, managing privacy compliance has become increasingly complex. Navigating a clear path across the global privacy landscape has never been more challenging. Companies must understand and continuously adapt to new technologies and individual country-specific privacy laws. In this series of blog posts, we’ll cover some practical tips to consider when deploying The post Privacy Considerations in the Cloud Part 1: The Globalization of Privacy appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
PCI and HIPAA Support Now Available for Fanatical Support for AWS
Aug 05, 2016
With Fanatical Support for AWS, businesses that require PCI and HIPAA compliance can now receive our renowned service and support on top of the powerful AWS cloud platform. In this post, we’ll demystify PCI and HIPAA, and explore how Fanatical Support for AWS can help you to select, build and manage the right services at The post PCI and HIPAA Support Now Available for Fanatical Support for AWS appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
PCI and HIPAA Support Now Available for Fanatical Support for AWS
Aug 05, 2016
With Fanatical Support for AWS, businesses that require PCI and HIPAA compliance can now receive our renowned service and support on top of the powerful AWS cloud platform. In this post, we’ll demystify PCI and HIPAA, and explore how Fanatical Support for AWS can help you to select, build and manage the right services at The post PCI and HIPAA Support Now Available for Fanatical Support for AWS appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Get Immersive Web Design Right
Aug 04, 2016
It’s said the best way to learn a new language is by throwing yourself into the environment completely: total immersion. A growing cadre of brands is applying that idea to experiences on their websites. The approach — immersive web design — blends traditional informative qualities with entertainment elements. In-depth graphics, integrated video and interactive features The post How to Get Immersive Web Design Right appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Come Hear What We’ve Learned at OpenStack Days: Silicon Valley
Aug 03, 2016
Tech conference season is an important time for Rackspace and OpenStack. It’s busy, for sure. Rackspace will be at OpenStack Days: Silicon Valley Aug 9-10, followed by Rackspace::Solve on Aug. 11 in San Francisco. A few weeks after that, we will be at the first ever OpenStack East, in my hometown of New York City. The post Come Hear What We’ve Learned at OpenStack Days: Silicon Valley appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Fanatical Support for AWS at Rackspace Helps Address PCI and HIPAA Compliance
Aug 03, 2016
SAN ANTONIO – August 3, 2016 – Rackspace (NYSE: RAX) today announced Fanatical Support® for Amazon Web Services (AWS) is available for customers with Payment Card Industry (PCI) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) workloads on AWS. Compliance in the cloud, along with implementation of the requisite technology and processes to secure and The post Fanatical Support for AWS at Rackspace Helps Address PCI and HIPAA Compliance appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Community Newsletter July
Aug 03, 2016
Be helpful. That’s our goal in the Rackspace Community: we want to help our customers, and the general public, use the cloud to meet their business needs. To do that, our community of customers, Rackers and others answer questions and contribute helpful hints and tutorials. Here’s a sampling of some of the most helpful content from July. Contributor of The post Rackspace Community Newsletter July appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Add a Little LBaaS to your AutoScaling
Aug 02, 2016
Imagine living in a world where your application utilization can spike and you never have to lift a finger to add additional resources. Now snap out of it, because it’s no longer just a dream!  Very pleased to announce that as of the launch of Rackspace Private Cloud powered by OpenStack v12.2, all the boxes can The post Add a Little LBaaS to your AutoScaling appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Veteran “Externs” Wrap Up Summer at the Castle
Aug 02, 2016
Robert Torres always imagined he would retire military. He served in the United States Marine Corps for 13 years, including two deployments to Iraq and one to Afghanistan, before an injury forced him to take a medical retirement. Leaving the Marines in 2014, Torres, like many other veterans, faced the challenge of transitioning into the civilian The post Veteran “Externs” Wrap Up Summer at the Castle appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rebranding: Three Failures and One Success
Aug 02, 2016
Google drew its share of slack jaws when it announced the formation of Alphabet Inc. Though the move was an organizational restructuring and the product name “Google” endures, it was a good reminder how risky it is to tinker with a beloved brand. A few scenarios warrant a complete rebranding. Among them: significant changes to your target audience or The post Rebranding: Three Failures and One Success appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Deploy With Ansible: An Accessible Explanation
Aug 01, 2016
Let’s say you’re the proud owner of a fleet of Rackspace servers. For deployment, you can manually set up configurations, installations and applications for every server. Or, you can do something infinitely more scalable: you can use a free, open source configuration management and orchestration tool that is both simple and easy to learn. An Overly The post How to Deploy With Ansible: An Accessible Explanation appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
OpenStack Innovation Center Celebrates First Anniversary
Aug 01, 2016
This post was co-written with David L. Brown of Intel, Rackspace’s partner in the OpenStack Innovation Center.  This month marks six years since the founding of the OpenStack open source project by Rackspace and NASA, and within this time, OpenStack has emerged as the world’s leading open source cloud operating system. With more than 54,000 The post OpenStack Innovation Center Celebrates First Anniversary appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Embrace Disruption with Your Digital Strategy
Jul 29, 2016
The power and joy of technology lies in the opportunity to reinvent processes and introduce entirely new ways of doing things. The evidence is everywhere. Uber has broadsided the taxi industry. Airbnb has reinvented hospitality. Meanwhile, former powerhouses like Kodak, Blockbuster and Circuit City have scrambled to stay relevant. It’s safe to say digital disruption The post How to Embrace Disruption with Your Digital Strategy appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Data, Security and Multi-Cloud: Solve London Shares Experience and Expertise
Jul 28, 2016
There is no better way to learn than by hearing someone else tell you their story. With this in mind, anticipation was high for the second Solve London, which took place July 14-15. The Solve series is aimed at educating our customers and sharing stories of both success and failure. By taking a deep interest in what The post Data, Security and Multi-Cloud: Solve London Shares Experience and Expertise appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
For SysAdmin Day, Show Your IT Staff Some Love!
Jul 28, 2016
It’s no secret System Administrators — the invisible gears that keep a company moving — can sometimes feel under appreciated. Laboring in the IT department, these hard-working tech professionals are largely hidden from the daily operations of a business, yet they’re the ones responsible for keeping everything up and running. When things go right, they go unnoticed — but when things The post For SysAdmin Day, Show Your IT Staff Some Love! appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Achieves AWS Marketing and Commerce Competency
Jul 27, 2016
SAN ANTONIO – July 27, 2016 – Rackspace® (NYSE: RAX) has achieved the Amazon Web Services™ (AWS) Marketing and Commerce Competency within the AWS Partner Competency Program. This competency recognizes members of the AWS Partner Network who have demonstrated technical capabilities and success in helping marketers and retail customers by delivering cloud-based marketing and ecommerce The post Rackspace Achieves AWS Marketing and Commerce Competency appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Ensure Cloud Adoption Success at Rackspace::Solve San Francisco
Jul 26, 2016
In recent years, the IT conversation has moved away from “Why cloud?” towards “What can the cloud do for me?” Fully 95 percent of respondents to RightScale’s recent State of the Cloud Survey said they were using the cloud, either public, private, or hybrid. Companies have come to understand that if they are going to stay The post Ensure Cloud Adoption Success at Rackspace::Solve San Francisco appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Understanding OpenStack Load Balancing as a Service
Jul 26, 2016
Rackspace recently released version 12.2 of Rackspace Private Cloud powered by OpenStack. My colleague, Walter Bentley, provided details in a series of blog post and included a post on OpenStack Neutron Load Balancing as a Service. Since LBaaS is still a relatively new offering in the OpenStack community, Walter and I want to provide more The post Understanding OpenStack Load Balancing as a Service appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Winning Over Boomers Online
Jul 26, 2016
Millennials comprise the most rapidly growing demographic in the U.S. today, and they rightfully command a huge share of marketers’ attention. But while everyone is scrambling to win the attention of the 18 to 34 set, let’s not forget about marketers’ former darling generation. With roughly 76 million members aged 48 to 66, Boomers comprise about The post Winning Over Boomers Online appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Ways MSPs Can Derive Recurring Revenue from Office 365
Jul 25, 2016
As organizations continue to move into the cloud, opportunities abound for managed service providers — and one of the most beneficial is reselling email and productivity apps. They’re massively sticky, and they create strong customer loyalty. The gold standard, of course, is Office 365, by far the most popular productivity and collaboration tool set on The post 5 Ways MSPs Can Derive Recurring Revenue from Office 365 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Metrics to Improve Your Web Presence
Jul 22, 2016
To paraphrase an old saw: What doesn’t get monitored, doesn’t get managed. And then, there’s Albert Einstein: “Not everything that can be counted, counts.” Combine the two and you get a conundrum. The fact is, marketers now have access to more data than we could ever possibly use. It’s increasingly important to pick the metrics The post 5 Metrics to Improve Your Web Presence appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
WPC 2016 Wraps Up With Added Buzz Around Microsoft Azure, O365
Jul 21, 2016
Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference, WPC 2016, wrapped up in Toronto last week after three days of keynote presentations, panels, breakout sessions, workshops and other excellent opportunities for those interested in learning more about the suite of Microsoft products and services. More than 15,000 people were in attendance this year, including Microsoft partners from around the The post WPC 2016 Wraps Up With Added Buzz Around Microsoft Azure, O365 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What’s at the Core of Rackspace Core Values?
Jul 21, 2016
Back in April, when I learned Rackspace had ranked for the first time on Forbes’ annual America’s Best Employers list, I was pleasantly surprised. When I look at the list of companies included, it really is amazing to be in the same company as some of the greats. These are companies whose online tools I The post What’s at the Core of Rackspace Core Values? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Deep Dive Part 3: Security Hardening for OpenStack on Rackspace Private Cloud v12.2
Jul 20, 2016
Thanks for tuning in for part three of the Rackspace Private Cloud powered by OpenStack v12.2 deep dive blog series, where I’ll cover security hardening. In case you missed them, part one covered the reference architecture, and part two load balancing as a service. The topic of cloud security is an unavoidable topic for all the right reasons; everyone should be concerned about the The post Deep Dive Part 3: Security Hardening for OpenStack on Rackspace Private Cloud v12.2 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace with Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform: Better Together
Jul 20, 2016
With 81 percent of senior IT professionals leveraging or planning to leverage OpenStack as their private cloud technology, OpenStack has clearly become the leading private cloud choice. But in doing so, many have found operating a private cloud is more complicated than consuming the public cloud and requires more oversight of the datacenter/network/hardware than expected. The post Rackspace with Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform: Better Together appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby: Happy 6th Birthday OpenStack
Jul 19, 2016
July 19 marks the 6th anniversary of the founding of the OpenStack open source project, and as co-founders, we couldn’t be prouder. Each year around this time, we take stock of OpenStack’s progress, and this year, we have another milestone to celebrate: the first anniversary of the OpenStack Innovation Center, which we founded with Intel The post You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby: Happy 6th Birthday OpenStack appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Character Counts in Paid Social Posts
Jul 19, 2016
While you likely know Twitter’s 140-character limit by heart, there are other constraints all social marketers should be familiar with. At Rackspace, we primarily run campaigns on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, so I thought it would be helpful to have these character limits in one place to help out other digital marketers. Twitter You’re probably The post Character Counts in Paid Social Posts appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Experimenting With the AWS Price List API
Jul 18, 2016
I recently had the chance to experiment with the (relatively) new AWS Price List API, which allows you to obtain the latest price information for AWS services via a simple web-based service. You can request updated information at any time via the published API endpoints, which are useful for on-demand processing, or you can elect The post Experimenting With the AWS Price List API appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
No Time Like the Present: Solve Seasonal Ecommerce Demand Challenges Now
Jul 14, 2016
When Target and PayPal went down last Cyber Monday, it was a reminder how vulnerable even the biggest sites are to seasonal stress tests. “Holiday traffic is often 400-1000 percent higher than baseline traffic,” says Artur Fridberg, CEO of eBoundHost, a business hosting provider that regularly helps clients prepare for seasonal demands. “It also tends The post No Time Like the Present: Solve Seasonal Ecommerce Demand Challenges Now appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Welcomes the European Commission’s Adequacy Decision on the Privacy Shield
Jul 13, 2016
The European Commission announced on July 12, 2016 the adequacy decision of the privacy protections provided by the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield. The EU-U.S. Privacy Shield is the new framework for the transatlantic transfer of personal data, replacing the Safe Harbor Framework invalidated in October 2015. This decision comes after more than two years of negotiations The post Rackspace Welcomes the European Commission’s Adequacy Decision on the Privacy Shield appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Deep Dive Part 2: Load Balancing as a Service on Rackspace Private Cloud v12.2
Jul 13, 2016
Welcome back for part two of the Rackspace Private Cloud powered by OpenStack v12.2 deep dive blog series, where we’ll go over consuming Load Balancing as a Service v2 with Liberty. If you missed part one, on the reference architecture, make sure you check it out. Consuming LBaaS v2 With Liberty Before jumping into the details of the Load The post Deep Dive Part 2: Load Balancing as a Service on Rackspace Private Cloud v12.2 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Surpasses 300 AWS Certifications
Jul 12, 2016
SAN ANTONIO – July 12, 2016 – Rackspace® (NYSE: RAX) today announced that its Fanatical Support® for Amazon Web Services™ (AWS) global team of architects and engineers now collectively have achieved more than 300 professional and associate AWS certifications. This AWS expertise is the foundation for the status of Rackspace as an audited AWS Managed The post Rackspace Surpasses 300 AWS Certifications appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Deep Dive Part 1: Rackspace Private Cloud v12.2 Reference Architecture
Jul 12, 2016
It seems fitting after celebrating the U.S.’s Independence Day to cover OpenStack’s Liberty release, the12th edition of Rackspace Private Cloud powered by OpenStack, in detail. While the 12.0 and 12.1 versions hit general availability to our customers in April, we are eager to share details about the additional functionality now available with v12.2, as well as describe the reasons behind its reference architecture. This The post Deep Dive Part 1: Rackspace Private Cloud v12.2 Reference Architecture appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Tackle IT Challenges with Industry Experts at Rackspace::Solve SF
Jul 08, 2016
When it comes to infrastructure as a service, “cloud” can be a nebulous term. Companies aren’t sure why they need it nor how it can help their organization: achieve advanced security parameters and avoid a catastrophic breach, store, process and analyze petabytes of data for faster customer insights, and reduce the cost of innovation and The post Tackle IT Challenges with Industry Experts at Rackspace::Solve SF appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Reselling Microsoft Azure and Office 365 with Rackspace
Jul 07, 2016
For more than 10 years, Rackspace has helped partners resell hosted email solutions for businesses. We’re now excited to announce to current and future partners the ability to resell Microsoft Office 365 productivity and collaboration solutions, starting next week. We’re also proud to announce that current and future partners will have the ability to resell The post Reselling Microsoft Azure and Office 365 with Rackspace appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace to Broaden Channel Reach with Fanatical Support for Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Office 365 Reseller and Referral Program
Jul 07, 2016
SAN ANTONIO – July 7, 2016 – Rackspace® (NYSE: RAX) today announced ahead of the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference that it will offer companies in the Rackspace Partner Network the ability to resell and refer both Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Office 365 from Rackspace as a 2-Tier Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP). This new offering The post Rackspace to Broaden Channel Reach with Fanatical Support for Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Office 365 Reseller and Referral Program appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Personalization Best Practices for Digital Marketing
Jul 07, 2016
Customer experience is king. Brands that personalize the shopping experience across channels are rewarded with repeat business. And data shows those that don’t can expect their customers to take their business elsewhere. But though the importance of a consistent customer experience is understood, a recent CMO Club study revealed a majority of CMOs struggle to The post 5 Personalization Best Practices for Digital Marketing appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Private Cloud v12.2: Hardening OpenStack
Jul 06, 2016
Last week, we made generally available the latest release of Rackspace Private Cloud powered by OpenStack. Version 12.2 is a fast follow to versions 12.0 and 12.1, released in April, and a product of many hours of engineering work and rigorous testing. The Rackspace Private Cloud team focused heavily on addressing requirements from our enterprise The post Rackspace Private Cloud v12.2: Hardening OpenStack appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
July Deep Dives: Get Expert Infrastructure Scaling Advice
Jul 06, 2016
Outgrowing your infrastructure? Attempting to scale without the right strategy and expertise can lead to data loss, system outages and wasted resources. When done properly, efficient scaling helps reduce costs by optimizing usage of existing resources. It also helps mitigate the risk of failures due to traffic spikes, which can have a negative impact on The post July Deep Dives: Get Expert Infrastructure Scaling Advice appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Part 3: Building a Serverless Architecture with AWS
Jul 05, 2016
In my two previous blog posts, I’ve covered serverless hosting and serverless authentication through the use of Amazon tools such as S3 and Cognito User Pools. In this post, we’re going to continue the serverless theme by adding a few more technologies to give us server-like functionalities. In this post, I’ll explore micro-services through the The post Part 3: Building a Serverless Architecture with AWS appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Create a World Class Internet of Things Marketing Strategy
Jun 30, 2016
Unless you’ve spent the last few years trekking in Mongolia you’ve heard about the “Internet of Things,” or IoT. Connected devices are now just about everywhere — on our bodies and in our homes, automobiles and businesses. It’s safe to say that they are rapidly transforming the world in which we live and work. Yet, developing a The post How to Create a World Class Internet of Things Marketing Strategy appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How Rackspace and Red Hat Test Your Private Cloud
Jun 29, 2016
With test driven development, continuous integration/continuous deployment and devops practices now the norm, most organizations understand the importance of testing their applications. But what about the cloud those applications are going to live on? Too many companies miss this critical step, leading to gaps in their operations, which can lead to production issues, API outages, inability to upgrade, The post How Rackspace and Red Hat Test Your Private Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Questions Every CMO Should Ask the New CTO
Jun 28, 2016
Brandon Elliott, CTO of Rackspace Digital, offers five key questions a CMO can ask the new CTO recruit in order to kick-start a conversation around working together. Although, he notes, “It’s not really about the specific questions. It’s about breaking the ice and the CMO putting himself or herself in the CTO’s shoes.” 1. How involved The post 5 Questions Every CMO Should Ask the New CTO appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
VPC Peering With AWS: Architecture, Use Cases and Guidance
Jun 27, 2016
Overview An AWS VPC is an isolated (private) portion of the Amazon Cloud with its own networking environment and gateways to the Internet. VPC Peering enables the creation of one-to-one networking connections between two or more VPCs in the same AWS Region, and even between different AWS accounts. As per AWS documentation: AWS uses the The post VPC Peering With AWS: Architecture, Use Cases and Guidance appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
[VIDEO] Deep Diving on Rackspace OpenStack Everywhere
Jun 24, 2016
Interest continues to grow in OpenStack Everywhere, launched in April, which allows organizations to run a fully-managed private cloud in any data center around the world without bearing the high-cost, risk and operational burden of it themselves. OpenStack Everywhere Architect Robert Ronan and Technical Marketing Engineer Walter Bentley recently offered more details on this new offer The post [VIDEO] Deep Diving on Rackspace OpenStack Everywhere appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
VMware Expert at Rackspace Pens the Ultimate Certification Guide
Jun 23, 2016
Rackspace Product Architect John A. Davis has just published “VCP6-DCV Official Cert Guide,” a thorough test preparation guide for technical experts seeking one of VMware’s coveted certifications. Published last month, the manual is near the top of Amazon’s “Hot New Releases” list under Computer Operating Systems. Working in Rackspace’s VMware practice area, John is currently focused The post VMware Expert at Rackspace Pens the Ultimate Certification Guide appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Marketing to Millennials: You’re Doing it Wrong
Jun 23, 2016
Millennials have it rough. Not only have they come of age in the worst economy since the Great Depression, but log on to any news site and you’re likely to find them assailed by older generations as selfie-taking, text-a-holic, unemployable idlers. But perceptions of Millennials are beginning to shift. A slew of recent articles suggest The post Marketing to Millennials: You’re Doing it Wrong appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
[VIDEO] Solving for the Cloud: The State of Cloud Security
Jun 22, 2016
While security isn’t the only barrier to cloud adoption today, it remains a major concern for businesses considering a move to the cloud. What’s the best approach for securing data stores and applications? What role might a managed partner play in an overall security plan? If your business is new to the cloud, you likely The post [VIDEO] Solving for the Cloud: The State of Cloud Security appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Remembering Alan Weinkrantz: Tech Enthusiast, PR Guru and True Friend
Jun 21, 2016
I’ve had a bit of time to reconcile the fact we have lost Alan Weinkrantz, a longtime tech PR pioneer who split his time between San Antonio and Israel. For more than a year, Alan served as a brand ambassador and evangelist for the Rackspace startup program in Israel. I met Alan, who was 63, The post Remembering Alan Weinkrantz: Tech Enthusiast, PR Guru and True Friend appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
9 Questions to Gauge an Applicant’s Tech Savvy
Jun 21, 2016
This guest post was written by Ryan Hecht, a writer, editor and content marketer. He covers trends in technology, content curation and creative thinking. With the proliferation of emerging technology and marketing platforms, demand for digital marketing skills has never been higher. The challenge is finding talent that can keep up with a rapidly evolving technical skill The post 9 Questions to Gauge an Applicant’s Tech Savvy appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Part 2: Building a Serverless Architecture with AWS
Jun 20, 2016
In part one of this series, we learned how to host a website in an AWS S3 bucket. Now that we have our site up and running, the next thing we need to provide is a way to secure it. We want to allow users to create an account on our site and be able The post Part 2: Building a Serverless Architecture with AWS appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
OpenStack Is Dead! Long Live OpenStack!
Jun 16, 2016
Boris Renski, CMO and co-founder of Mirantis, created a stir yesterday with his blog post, “Infrastructure Software is Dead,” which calls into question the viability of having users deploy and operate infrastructure software such as OpenStack on their own. Boris says it was a long time coming but he now realizes that you help customers be successful The post OpenStack Is Dead! Long Live OpenStack! appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
[VIDEO] Solving for the Cloud: Cloud Skills and Managed Services
Jun 15, 2016
If the cloud is meant to be self-service, what role do managed services play in a cloud deployment? That’s the crux of our fourth installment of “Solving for the Cloud,” an ongoing video series moderated by Forrester Research Principal Analyst Bill Martorelli, which pairs Rackspace experts with their industry counterparts to discuss all things cloud The post [VIDEO] Solving for the Cloud: Cloud Skills and Managed Services appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Lower the Total Cost of Ownership of Office 365
Jun 15, 2016
Many organizations have made the leap to Office 365, but a great number still use older on-premises versions of Office, often to avoid the complexities associated with migration and ongoing management. More specifically, some are avoiding Office 365 because they think the cost of migration and management is too high. Simply put, downtime during migration and productivity The post How to Lower the Total Cost of Ownership of Office 365 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How To Be Remarkable: 3 Marketing Case Studies
Jun 14, 2016
This guest post was written by Katherine Gustafson, a Seattle-based writer and editor who covers diverse topics including small business, marketing, and technology. Her first book, “Change Comes to Dinner,” about entrepreneurs and innovators driving progress in sustainable food, was published in 2012. Trying to get attention for your business in the Internet age can feel The post How To Be Remarkable: 3 Marketing Case Studies appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
A New World, a New Security Approach
Jun 14, 2016
The recent explosion of cloud computing services, mobile devices and other new technologies has upended existing security paradigms. Gone are the days of setting and forgetting the latest tools. New, sophisticated technologies and techniques have enabled our adversaries — be they advanced and persistent or simply malicious and determined — to pick the locks we The post A New World, a New Security Approach appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Scheduled Tasks in AWS: Introducing “Events”
Jun 13, 2016
If you’re like me, you have an antiquated machine running a bunch of Python scripts you’ve written over the years. These usually include cronjobs, scheduled tasks and other bits of code that are needed to keep things going. But being in the cloud means we can leverage benefits such as scalability and elasticity and concepts The post Scheduled Tasks in AWS: Introducing “Events” appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
[Webinar] How to Make Your Private Cloud DevOps-Ready
Jun 10, 2016
This guest post was written by Sumeet Singh, Founder & CEO of AppFormix, which develops service optimization products providing monitoring and scheduling for applications in DevOps environments. Previously, Sumeet was the Principal Lead for Hybrid Cloud Networking at Microsoft Azure. Recent research from Everest Group found that three-quarters of all enterprises believe in leveraging concepts like The post [Webinar] How to Make Your Private Cloud DevOps-Ready appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
ObjectRocket and Percona Host 2016 MongoDB Community Open House
Jun 10, 2016
Here at ObjectRocket, we have a strong commitment to the open source community and software, especially open source databases. That includes MongoDB, widely recognized as the leading NoSQL database, commonly used for retail and ecommerce, catalogs, content management systems, Internet of Things, mobile apps, personalization and much more.  If you use this popular document store, The post ObjectRocket and Percona Host 2016 MongoDB Community Open House appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
[Webinar] Are Your Resources Secure for the Cloud?
Jun 09, 2016
When the security of your cloud resources is a high priority, having the right knowledge and expertise is essential. Not all the proven security practices of the past work in today’s interconnected, heterogeneous world. Most organizations are fighting today’s war with yesterday’s tools and approaches, such as protecting perimeters with passwords and firewalls — and The post [Webinar] Are Your Resources Secure for the Cloud? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
IT vs Marketing Leaders: Bridging the CMO-CIO Divide
Jun 09, 2016
Digital marketing has fundamentally transformed the relationship between marketing and IT. The universe of marketing applications continues to explode, and marketing budgets are skyrocketing. But so are customer expectations. Whether they’re shopping for clothes on their phone or researching a B2B buying decision on their work laptop, customers increasingly anticipate a smooth, relevant online experience. The post IT vs Marketing Leaders: Bridging the CMO-CIO Divide appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Gym Center of Award-Winning Wellness Program
Jun 09, 2016
When Jose Kaz joined Rackspace as a Linux Support System Engineer for the Latin America team roughly two years ago, he carried 302 pounds on his 5’6” frame. Not surprisingly, his doctor warned him last August that he needed to reduce his blood sugar, which was dangerously high. As he worked the second shift late The post Rackspace Gym Center of Award-Winning Wellness Program appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
[VIDEO] Solving for the Cloud: The Hybrid Cloud Journey
Jun 08, 2016
After offering a macro view of cloud adoption and examining the differences between cloud migration and IT transformation, the third installment of our ongoing video series “Solving for the Cloud,” takes a closer look at what a hybrid cloud model means for different businesses. The series, which is moderated by Forrester Research Principal Analyst Bill The post [VIDEO] Solving for the Cloud: The Hybrid Cloud Journey appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Taking Managed Cloud and Fanatical Support to a Whole ‘Nother Level for Digital Applications
Jun 07, 2016
You may know Rackspace for our outstanding Managed Cloud capabilities or that we deliver Fanatical Support for our customers. But did you know that Rackspace has specialized expertise in architecting and managing digital applications like ecommerce and web content platforms? We help thousands of customers, large and small, manage their most important revenue generating applications. The post Taking Managed Cloud and Fanatical Support to a Whole ‘Nother Level for Digital Applications appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Ask for Customer Feedback
Jun 07, 2016
This guest post was written by Michael Ansaldo, a veteran journalist and content marketer with 20 years experience covering technology and business. Getting customer feedback is critical for identifying where your business is succeeding and where it’s falling short. Unfortunately, most customers abandon customer satisfaction surveys only halfway through. Poor response rates aren’t a reflection of The post How to Ask for Customer Feedback appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Part 1: Building a Serverless Architecture With AWS
Jun 06, 2016
This is the first in a three-part series which will provide an example of a completely serverless architecture offering data-driven sites with a node backend and federated authentication. Let’s jump into the first entry and learn how to host our code in an AWS S3 bucket. Hosting can run the gamut of complexity, pricing and The post Part 1: Building a Serverless Architecture With AWS appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
OnMetal Delivers Improved Performance for Mobile Advertising Solutions Co.
Jun 06, 2016
As the operator of the world’s largest OpenStack cloud and a standard-bearer in the OpenStack community, Rackspace is constantly pushing for innovative solutions to the challenges encountered as we break new ground scaling OpenStack beyond all other providers. Our operational expertise allows us to help the community improve the stability of OpenStack through upstream code The post OnMetal Delivers Improved Performance for Mobile Advertising Solutions Co. appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Tame the Technical Talk
Jun 06, 2016
For many technical experts, being asked to give a talk mean furiously cobbling together slides at the last minute and nervously approaching the front of a room full of people. It doesn’t have to be that way. A well-done technical talk can transform a software project and launch a career to the next level. As The post How to Tame the Technical Talk appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
New, Expanded Deep Dive Sessions for June
Jun 03, 2016
This month, we’re kicking off new and expanded Deep Dive topics for our Google+ Hangout series where our experts share their knowledge with you. The newly revamped series features more than just talk about dedicated environments. We’re now encompassing a wide range of cloud, hybrid and single-tenant topics. Highlights of the New Deep Dive Series:  The post New, Expanded Deep Dive Sessions for June appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Email Phishing on the Rise: Is Your Mailbox Safe?
Jun 03, 2016
By now, most everyone has heard of “phishing,” the act of defrauding an online account holder by posing as a legitimate company or person. Simply put, it’s when bad guys pretend to be someone or something they’re not to steal from you or your company. They’ll use “spoofed” email addresses, websites and attachments to convince The post Email Phishing on the Rise: Is Your Mailbox Safe? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Easy Ways to Personalize Your Website
Jun 02, 2016
This guest post was written by Christopher Null, an award-winning journalist, editor and columnist. He was the founder of Mobile PC magazine in 2003, and continues to write regularly about technology and business for Wired, PC World and numerous other outlets. Dear [USER] from [CITY], welcome to BobsWidgets.com! When you greet customers by name in person, The post 5 Easy Ways to Personalize Your Website appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Kicking Off the 5th Annual OpenStack Israel Day
Jun 01, 2016
With an increasing number of Israeli businesses running their workloads on Rackspace Private Cloud powered by OpenStack, the timing for this year’s OpenStack Israel Day, which is being held in Tel-Aviv on June 2nd, couldn’t be better. Now in its 5th year, OpenStack Israel Day regularly boasts more than 400 attendees. Rackspace is a platinum The post Kicking Off the 5th Annual OpenStack Israel Day appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Building Your Private Cloud with PLUMgrid and Rackspace
Jun 01, 2016
One of the most important — and also most complex — components of any private cloud is networking. Not only must the networking infrastructure be able to scale as the cloud grows, it must do so while offering networking self service to users and advanced capabilities such as micro-segmentation and virtual networks. If the networking The post Building Your Private Cloud with PLUMgrid and Rackspace appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
[VIDEO] Solving For the Cloud: Cloud Migration vs. IT Transformation
Jun 01, 2016
Last week we introduced a new video series, “Solving for the Cloud,” in which Rackspace experts are joined by their industry counterparts to discuss all things cloud computing. Forrester Research Principal Analyst Bill Martorelli moderates these discussions, and is joined by General Manager and Chief Strategist for Microsoft’s Cloud + Enterprise Division James Staten, and The post [VIDEO] Solving For the Cloud: Cloud Migration vs. IT Transformation appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
One Image to Rule Them All: Size Specs to Work Across Social Media
May 31, 2016
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but embedding one in a tweet only costs you 23 of your 140 characters. So with limited space to work with on social networks, it’s no wonder that many digital marketers have found success using images to accompany their tweets and status updates. Indeed, Twitter’s data scientist The post One Image to Rule Them All: Size Specs to Work Across Social Media appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Top 5 Reasons to Migrate to Office 365 Now
May 27, 2016
This is a guest post written by Glenn Gray, a senior product marketing manager at Rackspace focused on productivity and collaboration tools such as Office 365, MS Exchange and Sharepoint. A lot has been written about Office 365 since its initial release in late June of 2011. Much of that has focused on why an The post Top 5 Reasons to Migrate to Office 365 Now appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Questions for Rackspace SVP CMO Carla Sublett
May 26, 2016
Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Carla Pineyro Sublett, who oversees all marketing functions globally for Rackspace, sat down recently with the Rackblog to answer some questions about her plans for Rackspace, how marketing continues to change and the role mentors have played in her 17 years in technology sales and marketing. In her earlier The post 5 Questions for Rackspace SVP CMO Carla Sublett appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Part 3: How To Build Fault Tolerant Cross-Region AWS Virtual Private Cloud Communication
May 26, 2016
This is the final post in a three-part series about methods for building a secure, cross-region communication channel between VPCs. In the first post , I reviewed the options available for cross-region communication and selected a hybrid combined software/hardware solution using a Virtual Private Gateway at one end of a VPN tunnel (the hardware end), and an EC2 The post Part 3: How To Build Fault Tolerant Cross-Region AWS Virtual Private Cloud Communication appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Promotes Carla Sublett to Global Chief Marketing Officer
May 26, 2016
SAN ANTONIO – May 26, 2016 – Rackspace® (NYSE: RAX) today announced that it has promoted Carla Pineyro Sublett to senior vice president and chief marketing officer (CMO). Sublett will oversee all marketing functions globally to drive awareness for Rackspace as the #1 managed cloud provider. “Since joining Rackspace in May 2015, Carla has demonstrated The post Rackspace Promotes Carla Sublett to Global Chief Marketing Officer appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
OpenStack — the Least Interesting Part of Our OpenStack Clouds
May 26, 2016
We spend too much time talking about OpenStack. That may seem like a surprising statement, considering the resources and energy Rackspace devotes to the OpenStack project and to our offerings built around this open cloud platform. Rackspace has more engineers and operators talking and thinking about OpenStack than anyone in the world. Our team of The post OpenStack — the Least Interesting Part of Our OpenStack Clouds appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Long, Slow Rise of Advocate Marketing (and Why 2016 is the Year)
May 26, 2016
This post was guest written by Michael Ansaldo, a veteran journalist and content marketer with 20 years experience covering technology and business. You heard it here first: 2016 will be the year advocate marketing breaks through as a top priority for marketers. What is advocate marketing? It’s having your top customers making recommendations, referrals and references, resulting in more authentic customer The post The Long, Slow Rise of Advocate Marketing (and Why 2016 is the Year) appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
[VIDEO] Solving For the Cloud
May 25, 2016
Although it’s become apparent that cloud is here to stay, businesses and particularly enterprises still have a lot of unanswered questions when it comes to the cloud. That’s certainly understandable — moving business-critical workloads to any new environment is a large undertaking, and even simple questions around what should be moved to the cloud and The post [VIDEO] Solving For the Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Fanatical Support for AWS and Microsoft Azure Now Available to Rackspace Partners
May 25, 2016
Rackspace partners are now able to refer customers to both Fanatical Support for Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, two of the leading cloud platforms in the market today. This addition gives our partners an even larger portfolio of solutions they can offer their customers when looking for ways to solve tough business challenges. Both The post Fanatical Support for AWS and Microsoft Azure Now Available to Rackspace Partners appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
As Demand for Bare Metal Increases, Rackspace’s OpenStack Portfolio Delivers
May 24, 2016
The surging interest in bare metal at last month’s OpenStack Summit in Austin might have been a surprise to some, but the signs were there. The keynote for the Ironic Project, which provides a number of key features required for managing bare metal nodes in a cloud, was one of the most buzzed about talks The post As Demand for Bare Metal Increases, Rackspace’s OpenStack Portfolio Delivers appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Brainstorming Techniques: What I’ve Learned, Part 3
May 24, 2016
This guest post was written by Ryan Hecht, a writer, editor and content marketer. He covers trends in technology, content curation and creative thinking. One idea per minute. That was the goal of the founding father of brainstorming, Alex Osborn. He coined “brainstorm” in his seminal 1948 book, “Your Creative Power.” His freewheeling strategy called for a The post Brainstorming Techniques: What I’ve Learned, Part 3 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Maximizing Creative Talent Network, Filter Digital Helps Rackspace Optimize AEM
May 20, 2016
Talent agency Filter Digital is changing how companies solve digital marketing challenges forever – and for better. Filter works with Rackspace to help place key talent, including critical application services and Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) support. It’s a relationship paying off in more ways than one. Founded in 1991, Filter offers marketing and staffing services The post Maximizing Creative Talent Network, Filter Digital Helps Rackspace Optimize AEM appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Be Aware: Phone-Based Fraud on the Rise
May 20, 2016
Fraud alert: Rackspace will never call you to request your username, password or credit card number. We offer this timely reminder because we’re seeing an uptick in fake accounts on multiple social media platforms with the intention of scamming our customers. This particular scam involves the criminal posting fake support numbers on social media, forums and websites, then posing as a The post Be Aware: Phone-Based Fraud on the Rise appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Untangling the Complexity of Cloud Computing — an Australasian Perspective
May 20, 2016
Australia and New Zealand’s digital economy is booming. People crave exceptional online experiences using technology to run, manage, engage, purchase and operate with or within businesses. Businesses have responded rapidly to this growth with more computing power and increased capacity than ever before. For without the ability to scale quickly, customers and revenue will go The post Untangling the Complexity of Cloud Computing — an Australasian Perspective appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Network Segregation in AWS
May 19, 2016
There is an ongoing paradigm shift in how organizations address security as they move their workloads from traditional data centers to AWS. Traditional IT security has relied heavily on a strong network segmentation approach as the main security strategy to secure and protect an organization’s resources. Typically, the security governance structure of an organization has been The post Network Segregation in AWS appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How the Rackspace Approach to OpenStack Benefits Everyone
May 19, 2016
As the co-founder and standard-bearer for OpenStack, Rackspace gets a lot of questions from users, journalists, analysts and vendors — about how we run OpenStack at scale, whether we use upstream code or have forked the project, and how we decide what code to contribute back. Given that Rackspace runs the oldest and largest OpenStack The post How the Rackspace Approach to OpenStack Benefits Everyone appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Brainstorming Techniques: What I’ve Learned, Part 2
May 19, 2016
This guest post was written by Ryan Hecht, a writer, editor and content marketer. He covers trends in technology, content curation and creative thinking. One idea per minute. That was the goal of the founding father of brainstorming, Alex Osborn. He coined “brainstorm” in his seminal 1948 book, “Your Creative Power.” His freewheeling strategy called for The post Brainstorming Techniques: What I’ve Learned, Part 2 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Receives EMC Global Alliances Partner Award for Third Year in a Row
May 17, 2016
During EMC World this year, Michael Dell highlighted the incredible transformation our society is undergoing — a transformation driven by rapid technology breakthroughs that are changing the way we work, live and communicate. It’s a transformation as monumental as the one driven by the industrial revolution. For businesses to be successful, this transformation cannot be The post Rackspace Receives EMC Global Alliances Partner Award for Third Year in a Row appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Brainstorming Techniques: What I’ve Learned, Part 1
May 17, 2016
This guest post was written by Ryan Hecht, a writer, editor and content marketer. He covers trends in technology, content curation and creative thinking. One idea per minute. That was the goal of the founding father of brainstorming, Alex Osborn. He coined “brainstorm” in his seminal 1948 book, “Your Creative Power.” His freewheeling strategy called for The post Brainstorming Techniques: What I’ve Learned, Part 1 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Affiliate Program Adds Email and Productivity Solutions to Portfolio
May 16, 2016
Fulfilling the growing list of customers’ needs just got easier for Rackspace affiliate partners, who can now include email and productivity solutions  in the portfolio of services they provide. The availability of these offerings gives our partners three new options for meeting customer demand. Partners can now resell our hosted email solutions, refer email business The post Rackspace Affiliate Program Adds Email and Productivity Solutions to Portfolio appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Expanding Fanatical Support for Microsoft Azure
May 16, 2016
It’s been nearly a year since Rackspace announced Fanatical Support for Microsoft Azure, which we launched to assist customers who want to run IaaS workloads on the powerful Azure cloud, but prefer not to architect, secure and operate them firsthand. Our launch of this offering marked an important expansion of our strategy to offer the The post Expanding Fanatical Support for Microsoft Azure appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What Airport Security Can Teach Us About Creating the Best Online Shopping Experiences
May 12, 2016
This guest post was written by Jennifer Goforth Gregory, who specializes in writing about content marketing and technology. She has worked with national brands including IBM, Adobe, Microsoft, Ameriprise, Allstate, Samsung, American Express and Intuit. It’s no secret that the Transportation Security Administration takes a lot of heat from air travelers. Lesser known is the fact The post What Airport Security Can Teach Us About Creating the Best Online Shopping Experiences appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Voting Now Open for VMworld 2016 Session Catalog
May 11, 2016
Are you planning to attend VMworld in the US in August, or in Barcelona in October? If so, it’s time to make your voice heard on what’s included in the session catalog. VMware has opened up voting for VMworld 2016 sessions. Rackspace has been offering managed virtualization services for more than 10 years, and we are The post Voting Now Open for VMworld 2016 Session Catalog appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Forrester Wave Names Rackspace a “Strong Performer” in Big Data Hadoop Market
May 11, 2016
“We want to do Hadoop in the cloud.” That’s what Forrester analysts say they’re hearing more and more from enterprises that have successfully run on-premises Hadoop proof-of-concepts. To help them do that, The Forrester Wave™: Big Data Hadoop Cloud Solutions, Q2 2016, released April 22, evaluates eight leading big data Hadoop cloud solution vendors on The post Forrester Wave Names Rackspace a “Strong Performer” in Big Data Hadoop Market appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
5 Questions for Rackspace CIO Ryan Neading, Named “CIO of the Year”
May 10, 2016
Rackspace Chief Information Officer Ryan Neading was honored Monday as San Antonio CIO of the Year by the North San Antonio Chamber during InnoTech, the region’s largest IT & innovation technology conference. With thousands of IT professionals now working in San Antonio, those making an impact deserve public recognition, said InnoTech Executive Director Sean Lowery. The post 5 Questions for Rackspace CIO Ryan Neading, Named “CIO of the Year” appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Why OpenStack is Best as a Service
May 10, 2016
If you’ve read my recent blog post recapping the Austin OpenStack Summit, you’ll know I believe OpenStack is beginning to cross the chasm from early to mainstream adoption. I’m not alone in that assessment; folks inside and outside the OpenStack ecosystem have noted the same trend. Despite this encouraging trend, however, there are warning signs to The post Why OpenStack is Best as a Service appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Negotiate a Domain Name Purchase
May 10, 2016
This guest post was written by Tim Walker, a technology writer in Austin. After many years with Hoover’s as an industry analyst, he spent several years in marketing roles for hardware and software startups. Find him on Twitter at @Twalk. Your team toiled to find the perfect name for your brand campaign — only to discover The post How to Negotiate a Domain Name Purchase appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Customers: Help Improve Our Notification Systems [Survey]
May 06, 2016
RED needs your help. Also known as the Rackspace Experience Design team, RED gathers insights from users of Rackspace products and services, which are then used to inform design decisions that help us continue delivering our award-winning Fanatical Support. The team’s goal is to identify pain points customers have with the Rackspace experience and recommend solutions. One of those pain points, the The post Rackspace Customers: Help Improve Our Notification Systems [Survey] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Is Offline the New Online?
May 05, 2016
This guest post was written by Michael Ansaldo, a veteran journalist and content marketer with 20 years experience covering technology and business. Amazon dropped jaws when it announced plans to open retail shops. Isn’t this the brand that supposedly killed the brick-and-mortar bookstore? Birchbox, Warby Parker and other popular online retailers have also gotten physical with The post Is Offline the New Online? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
SharePoint 2016: Home of Your New Intelligent Intranet
May 04, 2016
Released today, SharePoint 2016 is a foundational release from Microsoft that builds on the success of its cloud based Office 365 offering, extending that power into on-premises dedicated SharePoint farms. Rackspace customers with Office 365 will have access to these new features first, but for our customers who use a dedicated on-premises SharePoint server, there’s no reason to The post SharePoint 2016: Home of Your New Intelligent Intranet appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
From Strange Requests to Encouraging Technology Adoption: Dedicated Deep Dive Series Takes on Service
May 04, 2016
Thousands of IT pros have been tuning in to hear how we optimize and manage infrastructures during our Dedicated Deep Dive Series. This month, we’re going beyond hosting to discuss our service culture, how to manage critical applications and how to make the most of an Office 365 investment. Join in the live discussion via The post From Strange Requests to Encouraging Technology Adoption: Dedicated Deep Dive Series Takes on Service appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
What Does it Mean to be the OpenStack Standard-Bearer?
May 04, 2016
The OpenStack project originated in 2010 with a short e-mail from Jim Curry, then VP of Corporate Development at Rackspace, to Chris Kemp, CTO of NASA. From this humble beginning, an open source project was born that is today the dominant private cloud platform and the foundation for a growing number of public clouds. In The post What Does it Mean to be the OpenStack Standard-Bearer? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Remains Top Magento Provider Even As Ecosystem Expands
May 03, 2016
At this year’s Magento Imagine conference, the big news was Magento announcing its own hosting services — Magento Enterprise Cloud. The move highlights a basic truth about this powerful platform, if not all ecommerce platforms: it’s not easy to run, and most companies would rather stick with their core competency than staff up and manage Magento internally. Yet The post Rackspace Remains Top Magento Provider Even As Ecosystem Expands appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
For ProcessMAP, Rackspace Key to Scale and Growth
May 03, 2016
As a leading provider of cloud-based software for some of the world’s largest enterprises (think Goodyear Tires or Whirlpool Appliances), ProcessMAP has been helping customers mitigate risk associated with corporate compliance and health and safety requirements since 2001. More impressive than their list of customers — which spans a wide spectrum of industries from pharmaceuticals to manufacturing The post For ProcessMAP, Rackspace Key to Scale and Growth appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Should Your Company Create a Podcast?
May 03, 2016
This guest post was written by Katie Gustafson, a Seattle-based writer and editor who covers diverse topics including small business, marketing, and technology. Her first book, “Change Comes to Dinner,” about entrepreneurs and innovators driving progress in sustainable food, was published in 2012. This American Life’s “Serial” podcast is widely regarded as a breakthrough for podcasting. More than The post Should Your Company Create a Podcast? appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Crossing The Chasm: an OpenStack Summit Recap
May 02, 2016
The sense that OpenStack is reaching a point of maturity that will propel it across the chasm to mainstream adoption was palpable during last week’s OpenStack Summit in Austin, where roughly 7,500 gathered — a one hundred-fold increase from the summit’s inauguration just six years before. The signs of maturation were everywhere — in the keynotes, presentations by The post Crossing The Chasm: an OpenStack Summit Recap appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
SharePoint 2016 Takes Collaboration, Integration to New Heights
Apr 29, 2016
SharePoint is the most popular collaboration software in the world, and on May 4, Microsoft will unveil SharePoint 2016 in a live event to discuss the “Future of SharePoint.” Rackspace’s own SharePoint MVPs Todd Klindt, Jason Himmelstein, Randy Drisgill, and I will live blog the event, so we can share, real time, exactly how we’ll be helping customers The post SharePoint 2016 Takes Collaboration, Integration to New Heights appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Farewell, OpenStack Summit Austin!
Apr 28, 2016
As the OpenStack Summit wraps up today in downtown Austin (design workshops run through Friday), the thousands of people who came from all over the world to learn more about the open source cloud platform will begin heading home. In addition to technical breakouts and work sessions, attendees got a big picture look at the future of OpenStack The post Farewell, OpenStack Summit Austin! appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Cost, Time Savings from Managed Virtualization Architectures — a Dedicated Deep Dive Recap
Apr 28, 2016
We had great discussion in our last Dedicated Deep Dive, with Charles Butler, Director of Product for VMware Solutions, clarifying how Rackspace Managed Virtualization solutions can help solve common IT challenges. Steve Ulman, from VMware’s vCloud Air Network, gave some interesting perspective on when VMware users start looking outside their own data centers to meet their The post Cost, Time Savings from Managed Virtualization Architectures — a Dedicated Deep Dive Recap appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
From Replica Sets to Sharded Architectures, Experience MongoDB at its Best
Apr 28, 2016
Tens of thousands of high-performance applications have been built by organizations using MongoDB. At ObjectRocket, we are on a mission to deliver our products as quickly, simply and reliably as possible with around-the-clock support so you can take control of your data destiny. As our customers scale MongoDB, they want assurances that complexities and growth The post From Replica Sets to Sharded Architectures, Experience MongoDB at its Best appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Office 365 Enhanced Security Features Ease Transition to Cloud
Apr 28, 2016
In the past, many organizations cited concerns about security and compliance in the cloud as justification for keeping email and file sharing and storage infrastructure entirely on-premises. However, with recent additions and enhancements to reliable and trusted security features and capabilities by leaders in the technology service providers, customers from across geographies and industry verticals have The post Office 365 Enhanced Security Features Ease Transition to Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How SEO Tools Can Help Attract Search Traffic From Competitors
Apr 28, 2016
This guest post was written by Michael Ansaldo, a veteran journalist and content marketer with 20 years experience covering technology and business. Feel like search engines are giving your company the cold shoulder? The problem might not be your website — it might be your competitors’ sites.Using SEO tools to analyze sites that outrank yours The post How SEO Tools Can Help Attract Search Traffic From Competitors appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Container Day at the Rackspace Cantina [VIDEO]
Apr 27, 2016
Container technology has been one of the hot topics at this and recent past OpenStack Summits, so Rackspace hosted a “Container Day” of expert tech talks at the Rackspace Cantina on Tuesday. Experts from Google, Yodlr and others offered tips and tools to more easily use containers to develop and deploy applications, while Rackspace experts shared more The post Container Day at the Rackspace Cantina [VIDEO] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Let’s Collaborate! OpenStack Summit Day 2 Keynote Recap
Apr 27, 2016
If the day one keynotes at the OpenStack Summit in Austin emphasized technical diversity in the enterprise as the new reality, the day two keynotes were all about understanding that collaboration is the key to addressing that diversity. Most of the presentations on day two either described or demonstrated solutions that integrate different technologies with OpenStack. The post Let’s Collaborate! OpenStack Summit Day 2 Keynote Recap appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Solving Complexity, Hanging at the Cantina: OpenStack Summit Day 1 [VIDEO]
Apr 26, 2016
Rackspace videographers extraordinaire Jacob Forbis, Larry Burns and Tim Irvin capture the opening day energy of OpenStack Summit Austin. Listen in to CTO John Engates and OpenStack Senior Director of Marketing Christian Foster, and check out scenes from the Rackspace Cantina — then head over today and Wednesday for some free food, drinks, tech talks, book signings and games. The post Solving Complexity, Hanging at the Cantina: OpenStack Summit Day 1 [VIDEO] appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Reaching A Diverse Enterprise: OpenStack Summit Day 1 Keynote Recap
Apr 26, 2016
A theme quickly emerged on day one of this year’s OpenStack Summit: addressing diversity in the enterprise. The day kicked off Monday morning with a raucous bang — a live band greeted thousands of attendees as they filed into the main expo hall in the Convention Center in Austin, the music capital of Texas. With 7,500 participants, it’s the The post Reaching A Diverse Enterprise: OpenStack Summit Day 1 Keynote Recap appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to Get Ahead of the Voice Search Curve
Apr 26, 2016
This guest post was written by Michael Ansaldo, a veteran journalist and content marketer with 20 years experience covering technology and business. Consumers are discovering the power of their voices. More than half of teenagers and roughly 40 percent of adults use voice search every day. The habit will only become more common as wearables The post How to Get Ahead of the Voice Search Curve appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The (Unofficial) 2016 OpenStack Summit Austin Rackspace Cheat Sheet
Apr 25, 2016
The OpenStack Summit kicks off today in downtown Austin, and Rackspace has you covered. This post includes links to the latest OpenStack news, including a primer on Mitaka, a schedule of Racker OpenStack expert speaker sessions and all the goings on at the Rackspace Cantina. Our “OpenStack Comes of Age” infographic offers a concise overview of how OpenStack has matured over the years. New to this open The post The (Unofficial) 2016 OpenStack Summit Austin Rackspace Cheat Sheet appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Three Key Takeaways from the OpenStack User Survey
Apr 25, 2016
With the OpenStack Summit kicking off today in Austin (back where it all began six years ago), it’s the perfect time to assess where the open source project Rackspace helped co-found stands today. And the perfect way to do that is by sifting through the bi-annual OpenStack User Survey, commissioned by the non-profit OpenStack Foundation, which provides a snapshot of the The post Three Key Takeaways from the OpenStack User Survey appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Easing the Use of OpenStack, One API at a Time
Apr 21, 2016
As OpenStack continues to see increased adoption from startups to the enterprise, one of its remaining barriers — its perceived complexity — is being tackled head on. Mitaka, OpenStack’s 13th release, is focused primarily on the platform’s increased manageability, scalability and a better overall user experience — essentially, things that allow more people to use OpenStack The post Easing the Use of OpenStack, One API at a Time appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace and CTP — Why the Enterprise Should Care
Apr 21, 2016
This guest post was written by David Linthicum, senior vice president, Cloud Technology Partners.  By now you may have heard that Rackspace and Cloud Technology Partners announced a strategic relationship to deliver professional and managed services for enterprises leveraging Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and other major cloud platforms. Rackspace brings 16 years of experience The post Rackspace and CTP — Why the Enterprise Should Care appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace and Cloud Technology Partners Align Efforts to Help Enterprises Move to the Cloud
Apr 21, 2016
SAN ANTONIO – April 21, 2016 – Rackspace® (NYSE: RAX) and Cloud Technology Partners (CTP) announced a strategic relationship to deliver professional and managed services for enterprises leveraging the leading cloud platforms. The combination of Fanatical Support® with CTP’s best-of-breed services provides enterprise customers with a holistic solution for cloud adoption by addressing: • Cloud The post Rackspace and Cloud Technology Partners Align Efforts to Help Enterprises Move to the Cloud appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Transform Your IT, Transform Your Business: Visit Rackspace at EMC World 2016
Apr 20, 2016
They say there are no sure bets in Las Vegas, but at EMC World 2016 this May 2-5, it’s a sure bet you’ll learn the tools and technologies you need to transform your data center. Rackspace will be back again this year with in-booth presentations, chances to win cool prizes and new sessions featuring our experts. Fireside Chat: Making The post Transform Your IT, Transform Your Business: Visit Rackspace at EMC World 2016 appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
OpenStack Comes Of Age With Mitaka
Apr 20, 2016
Watching my child grow from an infant into a 13-year-old has been an amazing experience for me. And while I know I have the biggest hand in my child’s growth, I also understand it’s truly a community of family and friends who are nurturing him/her into maturity. By the same token, while Rackspace and NASA The post OpenStack Comes Of Age With Mitaka appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Meeting Customers on Their Terms: OpenStack Everywhere
Apr 19, 2016
At Rackspace, our team of Enterprise Cloud Architects is engaged with customers every day, advising and consulting them on how to best address their business objectives by leveraging an OpenStack powered private cloud. Sign up for our free “OpenStack Everywhere?” webinar this Thurs., April 21 at 1 p.m. Central and discover: the advantages of consuming OpenStack as a The post Meeting Customers on Their Terms: OpenStack Everywhere appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Becomes AWS DevOps Competency Partner
Apr 14, 2016
SAN ANTONIO – April 14, 2016 – Rackspace® (NYSE: RAX) has achieved Amazon Web Services™ (AWS) DevOps Competency within the AWS Partner Competency Program, which recognizes members of the AWS Partner Network who have completed a rigorous third-party audit demonstrating their expertise in DevOps practices, tools, and proven customer success. Customers can access this expertise The post Rackspace Becomes AWS DevOps Competency Partner appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Security Groups vs. Appliances: A Perspective on Packet Filtering in AWS
Apr 14, 2016
After AWS introduced the Virtual Private Cloud back in 2009, the viability of multi-tenant public clouds for “enterprise” workloads increased dramatically. Recall that prior to this point, “classic” EC2 instances were, for all intents and purposes, left dangling in the wilds of the public internet. This was more than most traditionally-minded CTOs could stomach, and The post Security Groups vs. Appliances: A Perspective on Packet Filtering in AWS appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
SQL Server Performance — a Dedicated Deep Dive Recap
Apr 13, 2016
In our latest Deep Dive, we were joined by our guests Sarah Barela and Aaron Conklin to discuss Microsoft SQL Server performance as well as the upcoming SQL 2005 end-of-support that took effect April 12. It was our last Deep Dive focused on the performance of dedicated infrastructure solutions, part of our larger Deep Dive interactive series on The post SQL Server Performance — a Dedicated Deep Dive Recap appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
[VIDEO] OpenStack Private Cloud Collaboration Means Business
Apr 13, 2016
In February, at Rackspace SOLVE: New York, Rackspace announced our newest OpenStack-as-a-Service offering: Rackspace Private Cloud powered by Red Hat, a managed private cloud deployment of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform delivered with Rackspace’s unmatched 99.99 percent OpenStack API uptime guarantee. After the event, Rackspace Vice President and General Manager of OpenStack Darrin The post [VIDEO] OpenStack Private Cloud Collaboration Means Business appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Relax and Recharge at the Rackspace Cantina During OpenStack Summit Austin
Apr 12, 2016
For this year’s OpenStack Summit, Rackspace wanted to create a place where attendees could power down and chill, with free food and drinks, or power up, with book signings and tech talks with OpenStack experts, plus some cool maker activities. [Check out the schedule of Rackspace OpenStack experts speaking at the Summit] To do that, we transformed The post Relax and Recharge at the Rackspace Cantina During OpenStack Summit Austin appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Better Together: Rackspace and EMC — a Dedicated Deep Dive Recap
Apr 08, 2016
For our March 23 session, we were joined by Marcus Johnson, product manager for Rackspace Storage, and our partners from EMC, Derk Gnam and Jeff Ali. We discussed performance and how it relates to more than just IOPS, such as All Flash Arrays, but also capacity and efficiency, depending on your business’ use cases and The post Better Together: Rackspace and EMC — a Dedicated Deep Dive Recap appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Simplifies Cloud Adoption for Companies by Delivering Managed Private Cloud Everywhere
Apr 07, 2016
San Antonio – April 7, 2016 – Rackspace® (NYSE: RAX) today announced companies can run a fully-managed private cloud in any data center around the world without bearing the high cost, risk and operational burden of doing it themselves. By delivering OpenStack® everywhere, the new integrated software, hardware and services solution can answer CIO demand The post Rackspace Simplifies Cloud Adoption for Companies by Delivering Managed Private Cloud Everywhere appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Rackspace Now Offers Hosted OpenStack Private Clouds in Any Data Center
Apr 07, 2016
Rackspace is now delivering OpenStack everywhere, enabling customers to run a fully-managed OpenStack private cloud in their data center of choice — whether it’s in their own, a third party data center, a Rackspace-supported third party colocation facility or a Rackspace data center. From the floor tiles all the way up the service stack, Rackspace is The post Rackspace Now Offers Hosted OpenStack Private Clouds in Any Data Center appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Exploring VPC Support for AWS Lambda
Apr 06, 2016
In a recent post I wrote about a cross-region Virtual Private Cloud connection solution I was working on and how I used cron jobs and Ruby and Python scripts to monitor the connection and publish custom Cloudwatch metrics. One cron job and script periodically checked the status of the VPN tunnel between the two VPCs to make The post Exploring VPC Support for AWS Lambda appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Google Hangouts for April: Deep Dive into Cost Control for Dedicated Environments
Apr 05, 2016
Join us Wed., April 13 for the first of three Dedicated Deep Dive webinars focused on controlling costs in dedicated and hybrid environments. Specifically, we’ll explore the reasons why a single-tenant infrastructure with dedicated servers and networking is a great fit for persistent workloads that require higher levels of security, performance and reliability. We’ll also The post Google Hangouts for April: Deep Dive into Cost Control for Dedicated Environments appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
People, Culture Propel Rackspace onto Forbes’ Top Employer List
Apr 04, 2016
Learning that we ranked for the first time on Forbes’ annual America’s Best Employers list this year was both humbling and deeply gratifying. And while the news itself was a surprise — Forbes anonymously surveyed more than 30,000 U.S. workers without their employers’ knowledge — I was not shocked to learn that the culture we’ve worked The post People, Culture Propel Rackspace onto Forbes’ Top Employer List appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Accelerating the Enterprise Adoption of OpenStack in Israel
Apr 01, 2016
As tech giants such as Apple, HP and IBM continue to make increased investment in Israel’s hi-tech sector, Rackspace too has been quietly building a strong customer base across a variety of customer segments and technologies. Spearheading this effort is “the first Israeli Racker,” Eli Mansoor, who heads up the country’s sales team. He and The post Accelerating the Enterprise Adoption of OpenStack in Israel appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Is OpenStack Broken?… Not So Fast, My Friend
Mar 31, 2016
“OpenStack is broken.” “OpenStack is too complicated.” “I don’t even like OpenStack, but I am deploying it anyway because it is the best technology platform out there.” These are a few things I’ve heard in my recent interactions with technology leaders considering OpenStack. While initially perplexed, it occurred to me that each of these refrains The post Is OpenStack Broken?… Not So Fast, My Friend appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Infographic: OpenStack Comes of Age
Mar 30, 2016
Since its launch in 2010, OpenStack has quietly become one of the fastest growing open source platforms for enterprise cloud infrastructure. The open-source cloud computing software platform is on its 12th code release and is demonstrating the completeness, robustness and capabilities enterprise-level CIOs need to address the growing requirements of their businesses. Take a look The post Infographic: OpenStack Comes of Age appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Your Data is Everywhere — Encrypt Everything That Matters
Mar 29, 2016
This guest post was written by CJ Radford, VP of Cloud for Vormetric (a Thales Company), a comprehensive high-performance data security company and Rackspace partner.  Even as companies entrust ever more of their sensitive data to the cloud, too many remain in denial about the threats posed to that data. That’s one of the key takeaways in Vormetric’s The post Your Data is Everywhere — Encrypt Everything That Matters appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Human Factor: IT Security’s Achilles’ Heel
Mar 28, 2016
Despite advances in information security technology and processes over the past few years, it is the human being that can still be our Achilles’ heel. A survey released last week by the Austin-based security company SailPoint found that, of the 1,000 office workers at private organizations polled, one in five said they would sell their The post The Human Factor: IT Security’s Achilles’ Heel appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
The Download Mar. 25, 2016 — We Love Our Customers Part Deux!
Mar 25, 2016
Happy Friday everyone! Just as we did back in January, we’d like to dedicate some editorial space this week to one of the most important parts of Rackspace — our customers. As providers of exceptional service for the world’s leading technologies, customer success is one of our greatest forms of validation. When our customers succeed, it The post The Download Mar. 25, 2016 — We Love Our Customers Part Deux! appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Migrations, Tableau Hosting and More: An Introduction to Rackspace Partner InterWorks
Mar 24, 2016
This guest post was written by Daniel Holm, Director of Enterprise Solutions at InterWorks. A company the caliber of Rackspace inevitably has partners of all shapes and sizes which help serve an ever-growing client base and grow the business. Each partner brings something unique to the table, and InterWorks is no different. With our recent The post Migrations, Tableau Hosting and More: An Introduction to Rackspace Partner InterWorks appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Dedicated Deep Dive Recap: Moving to the Cloud without Leaving your VMware Deployment Behind
Mar 22, 2016
This week’s Deep Dive topic, “Moving to the Cloud without Leaving your VMware Deployment Behind” took me back to my roots of building VMware solutions. Ken Lamoreaux, Product Architect fot VMware Solutions, and Shantu Roy, CTO of the VMware Practice, did a great job of discussing how customers can extend their virtual datacenter to Rackspace The post Dedicated Deep Dive Recap: Moving to the Cloud without Leaving your VMware Deployment Behind appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Homecoming: The Return of OpenStack Summit to Austin
Mar 22, 2016
Six years ago, Rackspace hosted the very first OpenStack Summit, which consisted of 75 people gathered in the lobby of one of Austin’s downtown hotels. This year, hosted by the OpenStack Foundation, the Summit returns to Austin April 25-29, with an expected 7,000 attendees. Soon after Forrester declared OpenStack Ready for the Enterprise last fall, Rackspace and Intel collaborated The post Homecoming: The Return of OpenStack Summit to Austin appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Fast, Robust, Redundant: Rackspace Managed Cloud for Adobe Experience Manager
Mar 22, 2016
Delivering consistent, relevant and high-quality online customer experiences means many things: launching new campaigns fast. Adapting to rapidly shifting market trends. Ensuring fast website performance and getting technical problems fixed yesterday. Backend infrastructure complexity and thinly stretched IT resources make all those things easier said than done. Yet failure to meet customer expectations is always costly. The post Fast, Robust, Redundant: Rackspace Managed Cloud for Adobe Experience Manager appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Cloud Backup Strategies to “Cover Your IaaS”
Mar 17, 2016
We’ve all heard horror stories of individuals and businesses losing their data to hardware or software failure.  “IT Happens,” as they say, so why not take a moment or two and mitigate the risk of data loss and hardship by reviewing or updating your backup strategy?  Here are a number of helpful tips and tricks The post Cloud Backup Strategies to “Cover Your IaaS” appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Keeping Tagboard Up and Running With Support and Expertise
Mar 17, 2016
Tagboard, which has found solid footing in the social media aggregation and display business has leveraged Rackspace’s managed ObjectRocket solution, which helps maintain their back-end data stores. The post Keeping Tagboard Up and Running With Support and Expertise appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
How to End the Shadow IT vs. Legacy IT Civil War
Mar 16, 2016
Amazon Web Services has functioned as a catalyst, breaking through traditional IT roadblocks and assisting the adoption of DevOps methodologies. But it's also sparked somewhat of a civil war between enterprise IT and its consumers, The post How to End the Shadow IT vs. Legacy IT Civil War appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Part 2: How To Build Fault Tolerant Cross-Region AWS Virtual Private Cloud Communication
Mar 15, 2016
In my last post, I spent some time setting up and experimenting with cross-region VPN connectivity. I wanted to create a secure communication channel between VPCs in different regions and ended up choosing software/hardware to build it. In one region, I setup an OpenSwan VPN appliance on an EC2 instance and connected it to a The post Part 2: How To Build Fault Tolerant Cross-Region AWS Virtual Private Cloud Communication appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Sign Up Now for Early Access Rackspace Managed DNS powered by OpenStack
Mar 14, 2016
For the past year, Rackspace DNS engineers and internal users have been evaluating, testing and contributing to OpenStack Designate (DNS-as-a-service). We have now deployed Designate on our globally available, highly redundant Anycast DNS infrastructure and are excited to announce Early Access Rackspace Managed DNS powered by OpenStack Designate. If you have a Rackspace Cloud account and would like The post Sign Up Now for Early Access Rackspace Managed DNS powered by OpenStack appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Humanizing Tech: Empathy Trending at SXSW Interactive
Mar 13, 2016
Leaders from across industries and the country have been touting empathy as a way to not nurture your companies culture, but also as a way to make sales. The post Humanizing Tech: Empathy Trending at SXSW Interactive appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Call to Digital Citizenship: President Obama at SXSW
Mar 12, 2016
President Barack Obama cemented his status as the First Technology President this weekend with his appearance in Austin, TX on the first day of South by Southwest Interactive.
Join Rackspace Experts at this Year’s Channel Partners Conference in Las Vegas
Mar 11, 2016
As Rackspace delivers service and support for the world’s leading cloud technologies, we continually realize the power of the Channel.
Rackspace Expands OpenStack Leadership with Next Generation Bare Metal Servers
Mar 10, 2016
New Version of OnMetal Unlocks Greater Performance for Demanding Workloads like Cassandra, Docker and Spark San Antonio – March 10, 2016 – Rackspace® (NYSE: RAX) today announced the next generation of OnMetal™ Cloud Servers powered by OpenStack® – bare metal, single-tenant servers that are API-provisioned in two minutes, providing near-instant scalability and elasticity. This latest The post Rackspace Expands OpenStack Leadership with Next Generation Bare Metal Servers appeared first on The Official Rackspace Blog.
Impartner Recognizes Rackspace Channel Partner Program Excellence
Mar 10, 2016
Global Partner Relationship Management leader Impartner recently recognized Rackspace for making the difficult decision to switch to Impartner after 18 months of investment in a technology that was not working.
Better Hybrid Connectivity, Improved Storage and Global Reach: OnMetal v2 Now Available
Mar 10, 2016
The next generation of OnMetal Cloud Servers – bare metal made better with the elasticity of the cloud and the consistent performance of a dedicated environment — is now generally available. As we previewed in December, OnMetal v2 Cloud Servers improve upon the original by incorporating feedback directly from our customers. As many businesses have […]
Rackspace Receives 2015 Americas VMware Partner Innovation Award
Mar 09, 2016
VMware has named Rackspace its Service Provider Partner of the Year, representing more than a decade of partnership and the level of commitment Rackspace has delivering innovative virtualization and cloud technologies.
Ecommerce Superstar Corra’s Q&A With Rackspace
Mar 09, 2016
Corra Marketing Copywriter Sasha Butkovich sat down with Rackspace Magento Practice Lead Justin McSheehy to talk about what Rackspace brings to the world of ecommerce and how it sets us apart.
Synnex Australia and Rackspace Partnership Simplifies Channel Cloud Collaboration for Customers Down Under
Mar 08, 2016
Thanks to a unique new partnership with Synnex Australia, Rackspace is now one of the first IaaS cloud providers that can be procured and provisioned through the Synnex Reseller Portal.
How To Build Fault Tolerant Cross-Region AWS Virtual Private Cloud Communication, Part 1: Setup
Mar 08, 2016
This post, the first in a series of three, describes how to create cross region communication using AWS Virtual Private Clouds. Part two focuses on how to monitor the availability and performance of the connection, while part three describes how to achieve higher levels of availability.
Start Planning for Holiday Ecommerce Traffic Now [Infographic]
Mar 03, 2016
With as much as 20-40 percent of annual revenue on the line, now is the time to start thinking about how to best reach, engage and convert online traffic this holiday season.
Dedicated Deep Dive Series Takes on Performance
Mar 02, 2016
This month, as part of our Dedicated Deep Dive Series on how dedicated servers fit into an increasingly cloudy world, we're taking on performance, from examining the benefits of single-tenant isolation to optimizing at the database layer.
Faster Intel Haswell-based Workload-Optimized Servers now Available in Hong Kong and Sydney Regions
Mar 02, 2016
Compute and Memory-Optimized flavor classes, now available in the Hong Kong and Sydney regions, deliver exceptional levels of computing power. We're also rolling out new server designs using the latest Intel Haswell family of processors, built from the ground up with Open Compute Project designs.
You Spoke, We Listened: Better Rackspace Metrics Services
Mar 01, 2016
Since the launch of our Early Access Program last year, we’ve worked closely with customers to understand their business needs, then brainstormed, debated and designed internally to improve Rackspace Metrics based on that feedback.
Rackspace Through the (Leap) Years
Feb 29, 2016
To celebrate Leap Day, check out some photos to see how Rackspace's website has changed every four years.
Dedicated Deep Dive Recap: RackConnect Local Demo
Feb 29, 2016
For our final hybrid deep dive last week, we walked through how an existing Rackspace customer uses RackConnect Local to run a hybrid infrastructure consisting of dedicated physical storage and compute that is cross-connected into a large fleet of instances running in our public cloud.
Deep Dive Series: Architecting, Building and Managing Microsoft Cloud Solutions
Feb 26, 2016
Please join us Mar. 1 as we kick off our new three-part Deep Dive Series: Architecting, Building and Managing Cloud Solutions in the Real World.
Behind the Curtain: Visual Sentiment Results with Node.js
Feb 26, 2016
Yesterday we shared the code we used to process tweets and give them a sentiment score. Today we'll dive into how to process that data and visualize it in an easy-to-use interface, node.js frontend app.
Rackspace Cloud Big Data Now Available on AWS Public Cloud
Feb 26, 2016
Rackspace fully Managed Cloud Big Data (Hadoop and Spark) service is now available on AWS public cloud through our Early Access Program.
Behind the Curtain: Twitter Sentiment Analysis Demo Sample App Code
Feb 25, 2016
On Tuesday, we walked through a Sentiment Analysis Sample application and how to get the app running. Today's article is a deep dive into the code behind the app.
5 Questions for Walter Bentley, Racker Author of OpenStack Administration with Ansible
Feb 25, 2016
Rackspace Cloud Solutions Architect Walter Bentley has written OpenStack Administration with Ansible, for cloud operators seeking advanced technical details on administering an OpenStack cloud.
How To: Twitter Sentiment Analysis Demo on Rackspace Cloud Big Data
Feb 23, 2016
We wrote this sample application to showcase Rackspace Cloud Big Data and the kinds of awesome things you can accomplish easily using the tools we provide.
[Webinar] Assessing Applications for Successful Microsoft Private Cloud Migration
Feb 22, 2016
For many enterprises, deciding which applications to move over can be one of the first major roadblocks to cloud adoption. Learn how to individually assess your company's apps in this webinar.
Dedicated Deep Dive Recap: Enabling Hybrid Cloud with RackConnect
Feb 22, 2016
This week our Dedicated Deep Dive focused on RackConnect Global offerings, which offer hybrid cloud connectivity from customer datacenters to Rackspace, or from Rackspace datacenters to AWS and Microsoft Azure.
How to Push Alerts Into Slack Using AWS Lambda and API Gateway
Feb 17, 2016
While Slack is commonly used as a communication tool between DevOps engineers, we’ve found that it can be used as an onboarding gateway between customers and Rackers as well. Check out this detailed post on how to get started.
More Peace of Mind with Scheduled Backups for Cloud Databases
Feb 16, 2016
Scheduled Backups for Cloud Databases give customers an automated method to ensure there’s always a recent backup available for their database instance.
CloudFlare’s Development of HTTP/2: an Office Hours Hangout Preview
Feb 15, 2016
HTTP has been in use since 1997 — and was in dire need of an upgrade. Suzanne Aldrich of CloudFlare describes the creation of HTTP/2 and its blazing speeds.
Visualize and Search MongoDB in Minutes with Data Connectors by ObjectRocket
Feb 15, 2016
Early Access for Data Connectors is now available, allowing you to intelligently move and analyze data that previously required a great deal of coding.
Product and Support Details, Webinar for Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by Red Hat
Feb 15, 2016
Learn the product and support details for Rackspace Private Cloud powered by Red Hat, and sign up for our Feb. 23 webinar to learn even more.
Dedicated Deep Dive Recap: Security and Panel Discussion at Solve NYC
Feb 12, 2016
It’s been a busy week for the Deep Dive Series team, and it included our regularly scheduled show on Wednesday in addition to delivering a Deep Dive session with a live local audience of attendees at our Rackspace Solve NYC conference.
Security, Scale, Support: Rackspace::Solve New York Shares Cloud Expertise
Feb 12, 2016
Whether it was a discussion on security or ways in which to scale out a web application, expertise took center stage at Rackspace::Solve New York this past week.
Rackspace Delivers OpenStack as a Service, Powered by Red Hat
Feb 11, 2016
Rackspace is all about customer choice, providing Fanatical Support on the world’s leading technologies. With this in mind for our OpenStack-as-a-Service portfolio, we’re pleased to announce the addition of a managed OpenStack private cloud powered by Red Hat.
TechStars Cloud Class Demo Day Kicks Off in San Antonio
Feb 10, 2016
A livestream of the San Antonio TechStars Cloud Class Demo Day kicks off at 3 p.m. tomorrow, Feb. 11, featuring 11 small teams with big ideas.
Lessons Learned Running Microsoft Private Cloud at Scale
Feb 10, 2016
In our webinar, Microsoft Private Cloud at Scale, Rackspace’s own Kent Kingery helps guide you on your way, with real-life lessons learned from running Microsoft Private Cloud environments in production.
Video: Rackspace CTO and Chief Technologist Go Deep on Microsoft’s New Azure Stack
Feb 10, 2016
The recent beta release of Microsoft Azure Stack has generated a lot of excitement around the new possibilities this technology will enable for private and hybrid clouds.
Office Hours Hangout: Choosing Between as-a-Service and DIY
Feb 08, 2016
One of the most basic questions we answer is whether customers should manage applications and services on their own (either self-hosted, or in the cloud) or offload those responsibilities to as-a-service providers (*aaS).
Free Trial of Sandbox Stack and Rackspace Managed Cloud Big Data
Feb 08, 2016
We've teamed up with Hortonworks to create a Sandbox Stack, which allows our joint customers to try out HDP and our Managed Cloud Service for up to two weeks free of charge.
New Definitive Guide to “Learning VMware NSX” is Short, Focused
Feb 08, 2016
Racker Ranjit Singh Thakurratan has just penned the definitive guide to deploying and using VMware NSX. Preorder now or get the Kindle version today.
Introducing Frinkiac, The Simpsons Search Engine Built by Rackers
Feb 04, 2016
If you’re like the millions of Simpsons fans who love to quote the show at length, finding the perfect line for the right moment just got a lot easier, thanks to some Simpsons-loving Rackers.
Office Hours Hangout: Dedicated MongoDB
Feb 04, 2016
Office Hours co-host Drew Cox and I invited Tim Banks, a systems architect from ObjectRocket to chat about several new and exciting features in MongoDB.
With a Partner in Rackspace, ExpenseWatch Continues to Grow and Evolve
Feb 04, 2016
ExpenseWatch has partnered with Rackspace to help them continue to build on their success as a leading spend management platform.
Register Now for Dedicated Deep Dive Series on Hybrid Infrastructure
Feb 03, 2016
Our Deep Dive series on the benefits of dedicated servers in a cloud world continues in February with sessions on how to meet compliance requirements and hybrid cloud architecture.
Better Software Faster: One Racker’s Embrace of DevOps
Feb 03, 2016
Rackspace has been an eager adopter of DevOps, and the enthusiastic embrace has empowered young, talented employees like Itari Ighoroje to take it to the next level.
Taking Fanatical Support for AWS Global
Feb 02, 2016
We’re excited to extend our Fanatical Support service to customers across the globe; providing us the opportunity to continue combining the world’s leading cloud platform from AWS with the world’s leading provider of managed services from Rackspace to a broader range of businesses.
Interoperability, Enterprise Readiness Key Goals for Rackspace OpenStack Foundation Board Members
Feb 01, 2016
OpenStack Principal Architect Egle Sigler and Vice President and Associate General Counsel Van Lindberg were chosen to serve their second and third terms, respectively, on the OpenStack Foundation Board of Directors.
Cloud Security in 2016: Expert Partners, Active Defense and a Business-Centric Approach
Feb 01, 2016
As Rackspace Managed Security becomes globally available, Rackspace Senior Director of Information Security Systems David Neuman describes the future of cloud cybersecurity.
Rackspace Achieves AWS DevOps Competency
Feb 01, 2016
The Fanatical Support for AWS team has achieved the AWS DevOps Competency certification, which recognizes members of the AWS Partner Network who have demonstrated the highest expertise in DevOps principles.
OpenStack Mid-Cycle Session Leads to Collaborative Production
Jan 29, 2016
Co-locating two OpenStack mid-cycle sessions — Security and Barbican — at Rackspace last month ended up with the two groups collaborating so productively that by the end, whiteboards overflowed with data flow diagrams, threat models and documentation.
The Download Jan. 29, 2015 — the We Love Our Customers Edition!
Jan 29, 2016
In this week's Download, we highlight three of our most recent customers, all of which are using Rackspace in different ways to enhance their businesses.
Dedicated Deep Dive Recap: Security in Storage
Jan 27, 2016
For our last Deep Dive of January, departed from our customer architecture story format used in previous sessions to focus deeper on the topic of security and how it relates to our dedicated storage portfolio components.
New Rackspace-Optimized Spark Stack: Faster, More Productive
Jan 27, 2016
The new Rackspace-optimized Spark Stack is now faster and even more productive, with memory optimization and easier data exploration.
Customizable Stacks Mean Maximum Flexibility with Managed Cloud Big Data
Jan 26, 2016
We’ve been working for the past year on an entirely new provisioning system that will allow Rackspace customers to create fully customized stacks on Hadoop or Spark.
Cloud Security: New Challenges, New Solutions at Solve Connections Event
Jan 25, 2016
Companies moving to the cloud has created a new set of security challenges, one of the thorniest being, who is responsible for which pieces of the security puzzle, and how should they be integrated?
Introducing the Lambda Uploader for Python
Jan 21, 2016
The AWS Lambda uploader for Python can cut out some cumbersome manual steps for lambda package creation. Here are some helpful tips to keep you on track.
Dedicated Deep Dive Recap: Security and Managed Virtualization
Jan 20, 2016
In this week’s deep dive session, we took a look at a real-world architecture that mixed dedicated bare metal components with the Rackspace Managed Virtualization platform.
Solve Connections: Tackling IT Challenges City by City
Jan 19, 2016
Tomorrow in Houston we're launching Solve Connections, an invitation-only, half-day event that will hone in on an industry sector and the technology challenges it faces.
Storage Engines, Encryption at Rest and Disaster Recovery with ObjectRocket MongoDB
Jan 19, 2016
With a focus on storage engines, encryption-at-rest and disaster recovery, the Rackspace data team is kicking off 2016 with its strongest ObjectRocket for MongoDB offering to date.
Office Hours Hangout: John Engates Discusses his 2016 Cloud Predictions
Jan 18, 2016
Last week my Office Hours Hangout co-host Drew Cox and I chatted with John Engates about his annual cloud predictions.
Uncovering the Penalties of Running SharePoint On-Premises
Jan 14, 2016
Many organizations believe that for the sake of compliance, security and control, they have to run SharePoint on-premises. But maintaining this complex system can cut deeply into SharePoint's main benefits: boosting productivity and lowering costs.
Dedicated Deep Dive Recap: Security in Servers and Networking
Jan 13, 2016
In today’s Deep Dive webinar we focused on the impact an architecture comprised of dedicated physical server and networking components has on predictability of performance and security for non-cloud native workloads.
New ‘Basic Graphs’ in Rackspace Intelligence — Easier, Faster, Customizable
Jan 13, 2016
We’ve redesigned the popular Default Graphs feature in Rackspace Intelligence, making it easier to use with a customizable graphing experience, more graphs out of the box and the ability to mark frequently used graphs as favorites for quick reference. Because we’ve improved it so much, we decided it deserved a new name: Basic Graphs. Intelligence […]
7 Steps to Cyberattack Containment and Eradication
Jan 12, 2016
Rackspace Chief Security Officer Brian Kelly offers a primer on how to contain and eradicate cybersecurity breaches, with concrete steps every business should take.
Cloud Migration Doesn’t Have to be a “Go-It-Alone” Affair
Jan 08, 2016
Migrating from an existing data center into the cloud, or even from one cloud provider to another, can be daunting, but you don't have to go it alone.
How Dedicated Servers Fit into a Cloud World
Jan 07, 2016
Cloud computing has dominated the IT conversation in the last few years, but dedicated infrastructure still provides certain benefits over cloud in several use case scenarios. Our latest webinar series will cover the value of dedicated for security, compliance, performance and cost control.
The Download: Dec. 17, 2015 — the OpenStack-as-a-Service Edition
Dec 18, 2015
Sure, you can DIY OpenStack, or consume it as a commercial distribution, but "unless you have an internal center of deep expertise, OpenStack is best consumed as a service," writes Christian Foster in InfoWorld this week.
The Download: Dec. 17, 2015 — the OpenStack-as-a-Service Edition
Dec 18, 2015
Sure, you can DIY OpenStack, or consume it as a commercial distribution, but "unless you have an internal center of deep expertise, OpenStack is best consumed as a service," writes Christian Foster in InfoWorld this week.
Cloud Predictions for 2016
Dec 16, 2015
IT transformation is picking up speed and will continue to rely on expansion into the cloud, while a focus on cybersecurity and the search for talent will continue to impact the industry.
Cloud Predictions for 2016
Dec 16, 2015
IT transformation is picking up speed and will continue to rely on expansion into the cloud, while a focus on cybersecurity and the search for talent will continue to impact the industry.
More Storage, Security and Savings from Microsoft Office 365
Dec 10, 2015
Increased storage, security and cost-saving measures are now available to enhance the already-robust Office 365 suite available from Rackspace, making it even more attractive to a wider variety of business users.
More Storage, Security and Savings from Microsoft Office 365
Dec 10, 2015
Increased storage, security and cost-saving measures are now available to enhance the already-robust Office 365 suite available from Rackspace, making it even more attractive to a wider variety of business users.
Private Cloud now with Ceph Clusters, EMC and Multi-Region Swift Support
Dec 10, 2015
The latest release of Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by OpenStack, available today worldwide, expands storage and infrastructure options to provide additional high availability and disaster recovery solutions supporting our customers’ critical data needs.
Private Cloud now with Ceph Clusters, EMC and Multi-Region Swift Support
Dec 10, 2015
The latest release of Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by OpenStack, available today worldwide, expands storage and infrastructure options to provide additional high availability and disaster recovery solutions supporting our customers’ critical data needs.
Rackspace Boosts Commitment to Hour of Code
Dec 10, 2015
Dozens of Rackers around the world are headed into classrooms this week as part of the global Hour of Code initiative, which seeks to demystify coding for youngsters and spark their interest in computer science.
Rackspace Boosts Commitment to Hour of Code
Dec 10, 2015
Dozens of Rackers around the world are headed into classrooms this week as part of the global Hour of Code initiative, which seeks to demystify coding for youngsters and spark their interest in computer science.
Bare Metal Made Better: Next Generation OnMetal Servers Coming Soon
Dec 09, 2015
You spoke, we listened — and now we’re excited to announce the upcoming launch of our next generation of OnMetal Cloud Servers – bare metal made better with the elasticity of the cloud and consistent performance of a dedicated environment.
Bare Metal Made Better: Next Generation OnMetal Servers Coming Soon
Dec 09, 2015
You spoke, we listened — and now we’re excited to announce the upcoming launch of our next generation of OnMetal Cloud Servers – bare metal made better with the elasticity of the cloud and consistent performance of a dedicated environment.
Business Process Improvement with New Relic Insights
Dec 08, 2015
Looking back at the previous week's After Hour Recap, which hosted Rackspace Senior Process Engineer Robert Chapa. Robert builds the automation that drives fanatical support, and talks about how he harnesses New Relic Inisghts to optimize and cut down on costs.
Business Process Improvement with New Relic Insights
Dec 08, 2015
Looking back at the previous week's After Hour Recap, which hosted Rackspace Senior Process Engineer Robert Chapa. Robert builds the automation that drives fanatical support, and talks about how he harnesses New Relic Inisghts to optimize and cut down on costs.
Bringing Shadow IT into the Light: How CIOs Can Regain Control and Drive Productivity
Dec 08, 2015
In an earlier post, I detailed the risks of “Shadow IT,” the growing practice of employees within a company procuring IT services without the involvement of the IT department. Think of a marketing manager who, rather than waiting on an overburdened IT team to meet her needs, contracts with a cloud service provider, and with […]
Bringing Shadow IT into the Light: How CIOs Can Regain Control and Drive Productivity
Dec 08, 2015
In an earlier post, I detailed the risks of “Shadow IT,” the growing practice of employees within a company procuring IT services without the involvement of the IT department. Think of a marketing manager who, rather than waiting on an overburdened IT team to meet her needs, contracts with a cloud service provider, and with […]
Scicasts: Democratizing Science Through Big Data with Rackspace
Dec 03, 2015
Scicasts, which offers a single, searchable resource of the massive information stream the scientific community needs access to, relies on Rackspace to help manage its big data analytics through Hadoop.
Scicasts: Democratizing Science Through Big Data with Rackspace
Dec 03, 2015
Scicasts, which offers a single, searchable resource of the massive information stream the scientific community needs access to, relies on Rackspace to help manage its big data analytics through Hadoop.
The Download: Nov. 27, 2015 — The Thanksgiving Edition!
Nov 27, 2015
This week The Download looks at all the things Rackspace has to be thankful for, including the wide array of expertise we leverage to help businesses thrive.
The Download: Nov. 27, 2015 — The Thanksgiving Edition!
Nov 27, 2015
This week The Download looks at all the things Rackspace has to be thankful for, including the wide array of expertise we leverage to help businesses thrive.
The Anatomy of a Breach: Lessons for Strengthening IT Security
Nov 25, 2015
Don’t be the next Ashley Madison. Design efficiently and architect for cost-effective cloud redundancy combined with fully managed security as a service
How O’Reilly Media Uses Containers – An Office Hours Hangout Recap
Nov 23, 2015
On this week's Office Hours Hangout we're talking Containers again, this time with our very special guest, O'Reilly Media CTO Andrew Odewahn.
Shift Happens: Approaching Cloud Migration with Confidence
Nov 20, 2015
The recent Microsoft Future Decoded event in London was a reminder about how the expectations placed on enterprise technologies have become more demanding — and not keeping up can mean a business being left behind.
Improved Outlook, Mobile Experience with Hosted Exchange 2016
Nov 19, 2015
Rackspace Hosted Exchange 2016 gives customers a new Outlook web app user interface, now called Outlook on the Web, which offers an enhanced mobile experience, plus improved email, calendar and search.
Monitor Popular Apps using VMware vRealize Operations 6.1
Nov 18, 2015
If you use a Rackspace single-tenant Dedicated VMware vCenter Server hosting solution or Rackspace Private Cloud powered by VMware vCloud, you can now monitor four popular application stacks using vRealize Operations 6.1.
Can’t Afford a Full-Time Security Team? Better Find a Partner
Nov 18, 2015
As a security product manager with Rackspace, my job is to help solve the overall security needs of our customers. I study its business and its security needs, evaluate product technical capabilities, manage contract negotiation and procurement and define deployment processes.
OpenStack Doc PTL on Mitaka: Priorities a Blend of Tech and Community
Nov 17, 2015
The Mitaka documentation team will focus on three priorities this cycle — and they're always looking for doc contributors.
Overcoming the Challenges of Microsoft Azure: Security in the Cloud
Nov 17, 2015
Defending against today’s advanced security threats require specialized expertise and technology. Meeting the need internally is resource intensive; leveraging outside resources is often prohibitively expensive. What's the answer?
Deploy Adobe Experience Manager on AWS in Minutes with New Managed Service
Nov 16, 2015
Managed Cloud for Adobe Experience Manager will help solve the complexities of AWS with Rackspace Fanatical Support and expertise.
The Download: Nov. 13, 2015 — the FAWS Edition!
Nov 13, 2015
This week we take stock of all the content our Fanatical Support for Amazon Web Services (FAWS) team has been working on, since launching Fanatical Support for AWS offering last month.
Avoiding the Pitfalls of Productivity & Collaboration Suites
Nov 12, 2015
To save you the time and trouble of doing all the legwork on your own, we put together, Productivity & Collaboration 101, an introductory guide on choosing and deploying productivity and collaboration tools.
International Military Antiques is Now the Big Kid on the Block
Nov 11, 2015
International Military Antiques has enjoyed stunning success since going online more than a decade ago, due in part to support from Rackspace Managed Cloud with digital expertise to power their Magento ecommerce platform.
Rackspace OpenStack: Innovating with Containers
Nov 10, 2015
Two weeks ago, we announced Carina by Rackspace — an intuitive and instant-on native container environment — and we’re thrilled by the early demand and number of people that have already signed up. But this isn't the first time we've innovated using container technology.
Solve LA Sneak Peek: Database Technology, Cybersecurity and the Future of Cloud Adoption
Nov 09, 2015
Big Data management, cybersecurity in the cloud, building a global ecommerce platform and the latest analyst research into cloud adoption — all this and more in one day at Rackspace::Solve LA, this Nov. 17. Register for this free event today!
Office Hours Hangout: RackVET – Translating Military Service to Customer Service
Nov 09, 2015
This week on Office Hours Hangout, three Racker military veterans talked offered suggestions about how to make the transition from military life to civilian work go more smoothly.
The Download: Nov. 6, 2015 — the Community Edition Pt. 2!
Nov 06, 2015
This week we check back in with the Rackspace Community, sharing some of the helpful tips and advice Rackers are offering customers with a wide variety of IT challenges.
Register for Azure Webinar Series “Hybrid Clouds: Azure Real-World Use Cases”
Nov 06, 2015
Register for the 1st Azure Webinar Series "Hybrid Clouds: Azure Real-World Use Cases"
The DevNull S3 Bucket: Hacking with AWS Lambda and Python
Nov 06, 2015
Ever since AWS announced the addition of Lambda last year, it has captured the imagination of developers and operations folks alike.
Data Nerds Unite: New Relic’s FutureStack15 Kicks Off Nov. 12
Nov 05, 2015
Rackspace is proud to be the Platinum Sponsor of this year’s FutureStack, the 3rd annual New Relic user conference, where data nerds from across the globe will unite — join us!
The Best of Both Worlds: a Hybrid Azure Cloud
Nov 05, 2015
If your organization is contemplating a move to the cloud, your first consideration should be what type of cloud is right, public or private? Increasingly, the answer is a mix of both — the hybrid cloud.
Office Hours Hangout: Why are Containers Important?
Nov 04, 2015
Containers are definitely a hot topic in the Cloud world, but the truth is, we're still in the early adoption phase, and many of our customers are still developing their strategies around containers.
Join RackerGamers for the Extra Life Game-a-Thon 2015!
Nov 04, 2015
RackerGamers is preparing for their annual participation in a 24-hour game-a-thon for Extra Life, a global initiative that brings gamers together to play video games (as well as board and tabletop games) as they raise money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
With Rackspace Support, VIOLET GREY Brings Hollywood Beauty to the Masses
Nov 03, 2015
Rackspace helps luxury content and commerce beauty destination VIOLET GREY scale for spikes in traffic and manage their back-end operations, so they can focus on bringing Hollywood beauty to the masses.
Overcoming the Challenges of Azure: The Cost of Expertise
Nov 03, 2015
Today, we continue our deep dive blog series, Overcoming the Challenges of Microsoft Azure. This week, we’re taking a closer look at how the high cost of Azure-related expertise can stifle cloud investment and inhibit innovation.
The Download: Oct. 30, 2015 — the OpenStack Tokyo Edition!
Oct 30, 2015
Today The Download takes a look at this week's OpenStack Summit, which wrapped up on Friday in Tokyo, Japan.
Life and Tech with Robert Scoble #28
Oct 30, 2015
Each week, Rackspace futurist Robert Scoble looks at emerging trends in his newsletter Life and Tech. This week's installment looks into some of our recently announced innovations, as well as what they'll mean for our multi-cloud world:
Four Tips for Email Success This Holiday Season
Oct 30, 2015
These four key strategies will help your business build and maintain a good email reputation.
VIDEO: Rackers Reflect as OpenStack Tokyo Winds Down
Oct 29, 2015
As OpenStack Tokyo comes to a close, Rackers look back at the week.
Women of OpenStack: Overcoming Subtle Bias Starts by Acknowledging It
Oct 29, 2015
In Tokyo, Women of OpenStack asked: what are the unconscious biases we carry that affect how we work and interact with others, and how can we overcome them?
Rackspace Launches Highly Available MySql, Percona and MariaDB
Oct 28, 2015
The Rackspace Cloud Databases team is proud to announce that High Availability (HA), scheduled backups, as well as some additional key features are now available in Cloud Databases.
Hack Some Tools: OpenStack Security Project Needs Your Help
Oct 28, 2015
The OpenStack Security Project is seeking help from the community: find out how to write notes, hack tools, conduct security code analysis, and do threat analysis.
The Case for Using AWS for Development Environments
Oct 28, 2015
When planning your architecture for AWS, choosing where to put development environments can often be a tricky question
VIDEO: OpenStack Summit Day 1: DefCore, Containers and Test Clusters, Oh My!
Oct 28, 2015
Check out this lively video of day one at OpenStack Tokyo.
Containers Made Easy: Tech Deep Dive into Carina by Rackspace
Oct 28, 2015
Carina is a free public beta of a new service that allows you to create managed clusters for running containers in the cloud using the same tools you use today for running containers locally on your own computer.
Rackspace Simplifies OpenStack for the Enterprise
Oct 28, 2015
When OpenStack is used as a service, there is no complexity and expensive configuration, allowing for organizations to deploy IT resources on apps and software aimed at growing their business.
OpenStack Tokyo Day 1: Two 1,000-Node Clusters Now Available for Testing
Oct 27, 2015
The two 1,000 node clusters will make up the world's largest developer test cloud — and Rackspace and Intel are now actively seeking developers eager to put their features to the test.
Overcoming the Challenges of Azure: Maintenance Drains Resources
Oct 27, 2015
If you haven't yet moved to the cloud, you’re probably seriously considering Azure. And if you have already moved to the Azure cloud, you may be grappling with some very real management and resource challenges.
Transform Your Business with Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by OpenStack® and Rackspace Integrated Systems
Oct 27, 2015
Rackspace Private Cloud Powered By OpenStack now offers support for Rackspace Integrate Systems for compute – a fully integrated modular rack of compute, storage and networking, built according to the Open Compute design principles.
Open Source DIY Project Enables Wearable Medical Device: OpenStack Summit
Oct 27, 2015
I searched how other parents helped their kids with Type 1 diabetes and discovered Nightscout, an open source, DIY project that allows real time access to glucose monitoring data.
The Download: Oct. 23, 2015 — the Multi-Cloud Edition!
Oct 23, 2015
This week's download looks at the emerging, multi-cloud IT landscape and ways Rackspace managed services and expertise are ramping up to provide Fanatical Support across a choice of leading technologies.
A Real-World Snapshot of Azure Migration
Oct 22, 2015
If your business is heavily invested in Microsoft applications, you’re likely to evaluate Microsoft Azure as a cloud option. “Effective Azure Migration, Moving Applications to the Cloud" shows how one large insurance provider moved from an on-premises data center to the Azure cloud.
“It’s All About the People”: Diversity at OpenStack Tokyo
Oct 22, 2015
The OpenStack Foundation has a deep commitment to fostering diversity and inclusivity in the OpenStack community. The board's Diversity Working Group works to formulate, deliver and monitor programs to help increase that diversity and inclusivity.
OpenStack Tokyo: We Can Hardly Contain Ourselves
Oct 21, 2015
As the OpenStack Summit gets underway next week in Tokyo, Rackspace remains deeply committed to OpenStack, now the dominant private cloud software in the world.
Where to Find Rackers Speaking at OpenStack Tokyo 2015
Oct 21, 2015
At OpenStack Summit Tokyo, more than 30 Rackers will speak. Check out their schedule here — and don't miss our Wednesday morning container demo!
Rackspace Customers: Monitor Your Guest OS Using VMware vRealize Operations 6.1
Oct 21, 2015
If you use a Rackspace single-tenant Dedicated VMware® vCenter Server™ hosting solution or Rackspace Private Cloud powered by VMware vCloud®, you can now access the latest version of the VMware IT operations management tool, 6.1 (vROps 6.1).
Extend Your Infrastructure into Rackspace with RackConnect Global
Oct 21, 2015
Announcing the limited availability of RackConnect Global, which provides highly available, secure, private network connectivity between Rackspace and your off-premises data centers or infrastructure at other cloud hosting providers, such as Microsoft Azure.
Making OpenStack-Powered Rackspace Cloud Files Buzz With Hummingbird
Oct 20, 2015
As Cloud Files has grown, it has experienced scaling problems and limitations with Python. Hummingbird, written in Go, has dramatically improved performance in the two production environments where it’s deployed so far.
Overcoming the Challenges of Microsoft Azure: Infographic
Oct 20, 2015
If you haven't yet moved to the cloud, you’re probably seriously considering Azure. And if you have already moved to the Azure cloud, you may be grappling with some very real management and resource challenges.
Office Hours Hangout: An Introduction to Fanatical Support for AWS
Oct 19, 2015
This week, Office Hours Hangout spoke with two of the Rackers behind Fanatical Support for AWS, Senior Director of Product Erik Carlin and Director of Product Marketing Tom Bressie.
Life and Tech with Robert Scoble #26
Oct 16, 2015
In this week's excerpt of Robert Scoble's Life and Tech weekly email letter, he examines the way Light.co cofounder and CTO Rajiv Laroia approached building a new camera.
The Download: Oct. 16, 2015 — the Community Edition!
Oct 16, 2015
This week we highlight the Rackspace Community — a "many to many" support channel, meaning any Racker, customer or end user can submit content, ask and answer questions and otherwise interact.
Arming Women with the Tools to be Successful in Tech at Grace Hopper 2015
Oct 15, 2015
As part of the Student Opportunity Lab at Grace Hopper, software developers Kacie Houser and Sara Safavi will present “Yes You Can! Be a Software Developer: Building Your Career” at Grace Hopper on Fri., Oct. 16 between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. in Hall A3 Level Three GRBCC.
Collaborating on GitHub for Open Source Docs at Grace Hopper 2015
Oct 14, 2015
At Grace Hopper, I'm speaking about my experiences with OpenStack over the last five years here at Rackspace, where we collaborate using developer techniques.
Cloud-Based Two-Factor Authentication: A Foundational Piece of Cybersecurity Protection
Oct 14, 2015
Jon Oberheide, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Duo Security, which provides best-of-breed two-factor authentication to Rackspace customers, writes about what should be a foundational piece of every organization's cybersecurity system.
Recruiting at Grace Hopper 2015 — Rackspace wants YOU
Oct 13, 2015
Ladies, Rackspace wants YOU to come work for us — and we want to meet you at the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing conference Oct. 14-16 in Houston. You can skip the line at the career fair by pregistering with us today.
Office Hours Hangout: Black Friday Roundup
Oct 12, 2015
Don't just survive Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year. Check out "How to Thrive on Black Friday 2015" and get prepared for the biggest shopping weekend of the year.
Air Force Cybersecurity Ops Group and Rackspace Will Partner to Nurture Talent, Share Ideas
Oct 12, 2015
A chance encounter in San Antonio by a couple of War College alums has lead to Rackspace and the U.S. Air Force 960th Cybersecurity Operations Group seeking opportunities to share cybersecurity talent and ideas.
AWS re:Invent Day 3 — Leaving Las Vegas
Oct 09, 2015
AWS introduced a slew of new features at re:Invent Wednesday that will make the cloud easier to use and more reliable. But many companies are still seeking experts to guide them.
Testing AWS CloudFormation Templates with Ansible Boosts Reliability
Oct 09, 2015
"We are templating our templates!" Justin Phelps, a DevOps Engineer at Rackspace, explains the value proposition for using Ansible to test AWS CloudFormation templates.
AWS re:Invent Day 2 — New Features Add Power, Choice and Complexity
Oct 08, 2015
AWS introduced a slew of new features at re:Invent Wednesday that will make the cloud easier to use and more reliable. But many companies are still seeking experts to guide them.
Next Generation MongoDB: Extended Capabilities with WiredTiger
Oct 08, 2015
MongoDB 3.0's WiredTiger offers more granular concurrency control, write-ahead log, memory cache and native compression, and that means lower storage costs, greater hardware utilization, higher throughput and more predictable performance.
Life and Tech with Robert Scoble #25
Oct 08, 2015
In this week's excerpt of Robert Scoble's Life and Tech weekly email letter, Scoble goes deep on what it means to live in a multi-cloud world.
Git, Docker and Elastic Beanstalk for Agile Development in AWS, Part 1
Oct 08, 2015
In this first of a multi-part series, learn how to use technologies like Git, Docker and Elastic Beanstalk in AWS deployments.
How to Choose the Right EC2 Consumption Model in AWS for Reliability, Savings
Oct 08, 2015
EC2 costs can make up 80 percent of your monthly AWS bill. Learn how to choose the right EC2 instances for the greatest efficiency.
EU Ruling on Safe Harbor: Rackspace Stands Prepared
Oct 07, 2015
Thanks to additional safeguards already in place, the invalidation of the Safe Harbor U.S. - EU framework should not significantly impact Rackspace.
AWS re:Invent Day 1 — Fanatical Support for AWS Cuts Through the Buzz
Oct 07, 2015
Re:Invent kicked off Tuesday with controlled chaos — and the news that Rackspace will now provide its trademark Fanatical Support for one of the world’s leading cloud platforms — Amazon Web Services.
Laying Out a Standardized Infrastructure for AWS
Oct 07, 2015
With years of experience managing cloud environments, and through its partnership with AWS, Rackspace has developed opinionated standards and best practices for architecting solutions in the AWS ecosystem.
How to Synchronize Terminated AWS Instances with Chef, NewRelic and Other Saas
Oct 07, 2015
Rackspace's AWS-certified DevOps engineers offer step by step instructions for terminating AWS instances as part of our Fanatical Support for AWS.
How Fanatical Support for AWS Can Help Your Business
Oct 07, 2015
Rackspace crafted its Fanatical Support for AWS offerings and pricing based on feedback from customers. We offer service levels for companies from start ups to enterprise.
New Account Creation with Fanatical Support for AWS
Oct 06, 2015
Take a technical look at how Rackspace Fanatical Support for AWS will configure your AWS account based on best practices, streamlining the process of getting you started with your new account.
Why is Rackspace Supporting Amazon Web Services?
Oct 06, 2015
We've spent the past several months working with customers that love Rackspace expertise and support, and with today's launch of Fanatical Support for Amazon Web Services, we will now be able to provide them the best managed-service offering on that platform.
Office Hours Hangout: How to run a cloud “fire drill”
Oct 05, 2015
This week, we walk you through the steps of creating your own custom "fire drill" plan to practice what to do in the event that traffic spikes above a certain threshold and the site goes offline.
OpenPOWER & Open Compute: Full Speed Ahead with Barreleye
Oct 05, 2015
Two weeks ago, we showed off Barreleye, the world's first Open Compute server with an OpenPOWER chip, publicly for the first time at a Rackspace-hosted Open Compute engineering workshop.
The Download: Oct. 2, 2015 — Cybersecurity Edition
Oct 02, 2015
This week in the Download we're highlighting three powerful posts in support of our new Rackspace Managed Security and Compliance Assistance offerings. As most executives are coming to understand, no company today, whether startup or enterprise, should try to handle all its security by itself.
Life and Tech With Robert Scoble #24
Oct 02, 2015
Each week, Rackspace futurist Robert Scoble connects with startups and other innovative companies, then makes connections and shares insights in his free, weekly email newsletter, Life and Tech.
Simplify Big Data with Tools From Hortonworks and Rackspace
Oct 02, 2015
Getting started used to be the toughest step in your Big Data journey, but Rackspace and Hortonworks have created a certified solution delivering the reliability and the stability customers expect. Learn more during our webinar, “Tools to Make Big Data Deployments Easy,” on Oct. 14.
Delivering on the Promise of Digital Strategies: Garrigan Lyman Group and Rackspace
Oct 01, 2015
Rackspace and Garrison Lyman Group are partnering to enable digital marketing success through high-performance, extensible, secure technology.
At Grace Hopper, Women Will Lead Women at Open Source Codeathon
Sep 30, 2015
Rackspace's Egle Sigler and Dana Bauer will lead coders to work on the OpenStack project while at the Open Source Day codethon at Grace Hopper this year.
Top UK Customer Experience Awards Confirm Rackspace Fanatical Support
Sep 30, 2015
Winning the UK Customer Experience awards is an external recognition of the power of Rackspace Fanatical Support and validation that our ecommerce practice is delivering a world-class customer experience.
Cassandra Expertise When You Need it Most
Sep 30, 2015
Managed Cassandra powered by DataStax, which Rackspace last week added to its Data Services portfolio, combines optimized DataStax Enterprise with the know-how of Rackspace and DataStax experts.
An Army of Security Experts and Weapons — Now at Your Command
Sep 29, 2015
Rackspace Managed Security and Compliance Assistance combines the strongest tools with the best experts to help customers secure the systems inside their companies.
Expert Resources Now Available in the Cloud with Managed Cloud Big Data
Sep 28, 2015
We kept hearing from customers who wanted a managed Big Data experience in the cloud -- so that's what we've given them, with Managed Cloud Big Data.
Office Hours Hangout: How to Load Test Your Site Before a Big Event
Sep 28, 2015
Two of our resident experts, Rackers Jackie Campbell and Joe Ashcraft, joined us this week on the Hangout to discuss the who, what, when, where, why, and how of load testing, and how they use it to Fanatically Support our customers.
Cybersecurity Industry Faces Key Challenges, says British Intel Vet
Sep 28, 2015
After 23 years in British and U.S. intelligence, Daniel Clayton found problems in the private cybersecurity sector, including an overreliance on technology against human threats, and communications failures from analysts to the boardroom.
Pay-As-You-Go Storage Now Available for Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by VMware vCloud
Sep 28, 2015
Shared SAN is a great pay-as-you-go storage option for workloads that need fluctuating burst capacity and flexible deployment but not the guaranteed high performance of single-tenant dedicated storage.
Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by OpenStack® Releases v11 Based on OpenStack Kilo
Sep 28, 2015
Building on the contributions of nearly 1,500 individuals from 169 organizations around the world, today we’re proud to announce the availability of Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by OpenStack v11.0, based on OpenStack Kilo. With each new release of OpenStack, the Rackspace Private Cloud team takes on the task of further testing the OpenStack release with […]
Life and Tech With Robert Scoble
Sep 25, 2015
Each week, Rackspace futurist Robert Scoble connects with startups and other innovative companies, then makes connections and shares insights in his free, weekly email newsletter, Life and Tech.
Changing the Cyber Security Game through Information Sharing
Sep 25, 2015
When cloud competitors share information about cyber attacks, we reduce our collective attack surface, drive up hacker costs and reduce their gains.
Free In-Depth Guide to Choosing the Right Business Email Solution
Sep 24, 2015
Our Business Email 101 Guide offers a detailed, step-by-step walkthrough to help decision makers evaluate the many different email hosting options on the market (free vs. professional, in-house vs. managed hosting, Webmail services vs. hosted Exchange).
Beyond Virtualization: VMworld 2015 Was Not Your Typical Tradeshow
Sep 23, 2015
As the U.S. VMworld 2015 recedes into our rear view mirror and we gear up for Barcelona next month, you might be wondering if a large trade show like this is worth attending. After my experience in San Francisco earlier this month, my answer with a resounding yes, and here's why:
Redis Dev Day, UnConf: Collaborate, Buzz Create
Sep 22, 2015
Redis hosts Dev Day for Redis developers and unConf for Redis users on Oct. 19, 20. Come join us!
Redis Dev Day, UnConf: Collaborate, Buzz Create
Sep 22, 2015
Redis hosts Dev Day for Redis developers and unConf for Redis users on Oct. 19, 20. Come join us!
Managed Cassandra Powered by DataStax Now Available From Rackspace
Sep 22, 2015
Rackspace has expanded its data services offerings with the addition of Managed Cassandra powered by DataStax to its leading, comprehensive data services portfolio.
Managed Cassandra Powered by DataStax Now Available From Rackspace
Sep 22, 2015
Rackspace has expanded its data services offerings with the addition of Managed Cassandra powered by DataStax to its leading, comprehensive data services portfolio.
Office Hours Hangout: 3 Tasks to Offload for a Smoother Black Friday
Sep 21, 2015
This week on Office Hours Hangout, we featured three tasks our customers can offload — to Rackspace or another third party partner — during the all important shopping holiday surge.
Office Hours Hangout: 3 Tasks to Offload for a Smoother Black Friday
Sep 21, 2015
This week on Office Hours Hangout, we featured three tasks our customers can offload — to Rackspace or another third party partner — during the all important shopping holiday surge.
Rackspace Database Experts at Percona Live Data Performance Conference
Sep 18, 2015
Next week, several of our most accomplished data specialists will speak at the Percona Live Data Performance Conference. If you’ll be there, swing by a session to learn how you can optimize productivity of your existing database ecosystem.
Rackspace Database Experts at Percona Live Data Performance Conference
Sep 18, 2015
Next week, several of our most accomplished data specialists will speak at the Percona Live Data Performance Conference. If you’ll be there, swing by a session to learn how you can optimize productivity of your existing database ecosystem.
Rackers Celebrate New Permanent Home in New York City
Sep 15, 2015
Rackspace opened the doors of our first permanent work space in New York City at Herald Square, 34th Street yesterday. Eighteen months in the making, our new office already feels like home!
Rackers Celebrate New Permanent Home in New York City
Sep 15, 2015
Rackspace opened the doors of our first permanent work space in New York City at Herald Square, 34th Street yesterday. Eighteen months in the making, our new office already feels like home!
Rackspace Master Agent Channel Partners Program Celebrates First Year of Success
Sep 15, 2015
This month marks the one-year anniversary of our Master Agent/Agent Program, which allows new segment of partners to offer Rackspace Managed Cloud and award-winning Fanatical Support to their customers.
Rackspace Master Agent Channel Partners Program Celebrates First Year of Success
Sep 15, 2015
This month marks the one-year anniversary of our Master Agent/Agent Program, which allows new segment of partners to offer Rackspace Managed Cloud and award-winning Fanatical Support to their customers.
Office Hours Hangout: Fine-Tune Your Site for Black Friday & Cyber Monday Success
Sep 14, 2015
As the holiday traffic season approaches, Office Hours Hangouts focuses on how your business can prepare. This week we talked about the two “levers” that improve performance: add resources to the stack powering the application and asking the resources to do less.
With a Partner in Rackspace, Pass The Notes is Coming to a School Near You
Sep 14, 2015
Instead of putting resources towards infrastructure, and hiring a person to manage that in-house, Pass The Notes was able to leverage various cloud services from Rackspace and grow their team internally.
The Download: Sept. 11, 2015 — the Castle Edition
Sep 11, 2015
This week, Rackspace hosted a Women in Leadership Summit and cut the ribbon on it's OpenStack Innovation Center with partners Intel and the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Ubuntu at Rackspace – Backed by Fanatical Support, Powered by Canonical
Sep 10, 2015
As part of Canonical's Certified Public Cloud program, Rackspace now offers Ubuntu across our entire portfolio — public and private clouds, OnMetal, and now dedicated and hybrid environments.
Workload Optimized Cloud Servers Now Available in London
Sep 09, 2015
Our London data center has just launched the Compute and Memory-Optimized flavor classes of the Rackspace Workload-Optimized Cloud Servers. This new breed of cloud servers delivers exceptional levels of computing power.
Rackspace Ecommerce Specialists Offer 4 Magento Architectures for Optimal Performance
Sep 09, 2015
Commerce specialists at Rackspace have pretty much seen it all. As the No. 1 hosting provider for the Internet Retailer™ Top 1,000 for the fifth year in a row, we can help ensure that your online stores are always available, and running at peak performance.
Office Hours Hangout: Get Savvy About New Relic Insights
Sep 08, 2015
This week on Office Hours Hangout, Insights Product Manager Henry Shapiro shared some of the ways customers can use Insights to boost ecommerce data collection.
The Download: Sept. 4, 2015
Sep 04, 2015
This week, The Download takes a look at some of the ways technology is helping businesses succeed, either via the cloud, or through other means of IT transformation.
Channeling Cloud Revenue in a Growing Managed Services Market
Sep 03, 2015
Our recent infographic, Making the cloud work for you and your customers, offers a clear and concise look at how, by partnering with Rackspace, your company can broaden your offerings, boost revenue and deepen customer relationships.
Flexible Cloud Storage Now Available for OnMetal
Sep 03, 2015
Rackspace is pleased to announce the ability attach Cloud Block Storage volumes to OnMetal servers. This has been one of the top feature requests for OnMetal, and it really opens up the product to new use cases.
The Latest Edition of the “OpenStack Cloud Computing Cookbook” Offers Updated Recipes
Sep 02, 2015
Now everyone can get in the kitchen with OpenStack. To help operators, administrators and anyone working with OpenStack, a trio of Rackspace experts have come together to write the "OpenStack Cloud Computing Cookbook - Third Edition."
Rackspace ANZ: a Great Place to Work — Again!
Sep 01, 2015
For the third year running, Rackspace ANZ has been named one of the top 50 places to work in Australia by Business Review Weekly magazine, placing 12th in 2015 for companies under 100 employees.
Call Congress: This Fall is Our Last, Best Chance for Patent Reform
Sep 01, 2015
As Congress returns from recess, Rackspace and its allies are once more calling for action on patent reform. Check out this video from Rackspace VP & Associate General Counsel Van Lindberg.
Watching the Watchmen with Agent Health Monitoring
Sep 01, 2015
Customers will now be able to monitor the states of all Rackspace Monitoring Agents through the check, alarm and notification plan they're already familiar with — at no additional cost.
Office Hours Hangout: Learn More about Rackspace Intelligence
Aug 31, 2015
On last week’s Office Hours Hangout, cohost Drew Cox and I discussed several new tools, features, and products Rackspace has released in the last year that we think will be most helpful to customers going into the 2015 Black Friday season.
Linux for Ladies Course Gives New Meaning to “Girl Power”
Aug 31, 2015
Through its Linux for Ladies program, Rackspace's Open Cloud Academy is creating a local technical talent pipeline by providing an inclusive training environment aimed at women interested in tech.
Flexibility Without Complexity: Rackspace and VMware Deliver an Interoperable OpenStack Cloud Architecture
Aug 31, 2015
Rackspace and VMware are excited to announce an interoperable OpenStack cloud architecture that helps IT administrators thrive in the new multi-cloud world.
The Download: Aug. 28, 2015
Aug 28, 2015
The Download takes a look at some of the timely topics our friends over at the Rackspace Support Network have been writing about over the past week.
Leading Crowdfunder Leverages Rackspace Managed Cloud to Keep Growing
Aug 28, 2015
UK crowdfunding platform Crowdcube leverages Rackspace Managed Cloud to manage spikes in traffic and keep its in-demand app running smoothly.
How to Avoid These 4 Ecommerce Nightmares This Holiday Season
Aug 28, 2015
As you prepare your ecommerce site for increased holiday traffic, security planning is critical, to protect against visitors looking to stall your site, hijack your legitimate visitors or steal your data.
Harnessing the Power of Social Media, Brigade Sets Sights on Civic Engagement
Aug 26, 2015
To ensure performance, Brigade uses Rackspace OnMetal Cloud Servers, offering the highest levels of speed, reliability to users.
San Antonio: The Spurs and Rackspace Share This City on the Rise
Aug 25, 2015
Like the Spurs, Rackspace faces challenges when recruiting talent to San Antonio. But as the recent signing of LaMarcus Aldridge shows, some are taking a second look at this South Texas city.
Office Hours Hangout: Black Friday is Coming
Aug 24, 2015
It’s never too early to start thinking about Black Friday. With only three months left before the largest online shopping weekend returns, we spent our latest Office Hours Hangout talking about tips for thriving on Black Friday, including four new and/or improved Rackspace Products that will help our customers’ Black Friday go off without a hitch. We’ve […]
Managed Cloud for Adobe Experience Manager Unveiled at EVOLVE’15
Aug 24, 2015
Managed Cloud for Adobe Experience Manager is a new product being developed by Rackspace, which offers a better way to deploy and manage AEM.
The Download: Aug. 21, 2015 — the Back-to-School Edition
Aug 21, 2015
Welcome to the Download, where we share some of the week's tech stories that caught our attention.
Microsoft Azure: Now with Pet Insurance from Rackspace
Aug 21, 2015
No, not for your favorite puggle who sleeps on the couch all day long. You can now get insurance for those fluffy, slobbery and persistent production workloads running on Azure compute, and feel comfortable sleeping at night through Fanatical Support for Microsoft Azure. This game changing offering brings managed services to the Azure platform, allowing you to confidently transition from your datacenter to the cloud.
Choice, Scale and Maturity: When “Mission-Critical” Isn’t Just a Buzzword
Aug 20, 2015
Rackspace is proud to support the 2015 OpenStack Silicon Valley event as a headline sponsor. Come to our “OpenStack Fleet Management: What Rackspace Has Learned” session for unique insight from Matt Van Winkle, Senior Manager of Operations at Rackspace.
Rackspace Intelligence: New Features, Now Available to All Cloud Customers
Aug 19, 2015
Rackspace Intelligence is now generally available, giving customers a real-time and comprehensive overview of the health of their infrastructure at one glance.
Rackspace Hosted Exchange with Data Loss Prevention Protects Your Sensitive Information
Aug 18, 2015
As businesses continue to rely on email systems for data transmission, the possibility of those systems becoming a pathway for sensitive information leakage, be it unintentional or malicious, is an increasing risk. Rackspace Hosted Exchange with Data Loss Prevention provides a method to control sensitive data transmission and mitigate that risk.
Office Hours Hangout: Lessons Learned from Developing Open Source Projects
Aug 17, 2015
If you’re curious how a Windows developer would go about starting an open source project, you aren’t alone. Our most recent Office Hours Hangout guest, Don Schecnk, found himself ready to start an open source project, but didn’t know where to start. Fortunately for us, he documented his process, and spoke with us about it on our […]
OpenStack India Visit Reveals Interest, Energy in Cloud Computing
Aug 17, 2015
Principal architect for Rackspace Private Cloud Powered by OpenStack Philip Williams spoke at OpenStack India Day on storage architecture and technologies and the impact of OpenStack in energizing markets. He found high interest and energy among attendees and students.
The Download: Aug. 14th, 2015
Aug 14, 2015
Happy Friday, everyone. It’s time for another edition of the Download, where we share some of the tech stories that caught our eye
Rackspace presented with Australian Business Award for Best Service Product, 2015
Aug 13, 2015
Rackspace has been awarded a 2015 Australian Business Award for Best Service Product, honouring our Managed Cloud offering. This follows state and national CSIA award wins, and taking top spot at the CeBIT.AU awards earlier this year.
[infographic] Outages and Outbreaks: How Secure Is Your Email?
Aug 11, 2015
As email volume and dependence continues to skyrocket, so to do associated risks. Given that 70 percent of all email traffic is spam — the primary delivery method for viruses and malware — designing and implementing the right security solutions is crucial.
Office Hours Hangout: Ansible Certified Engineer Justin Phelps
Aug 10, 2015
We asked Justin Phelps about Ansible, how it can help our customers, and where they can get started with Ansible. We also spent some time talking about creating and hosting static websites, and how to incorporate those into a larger application design.
Register Now and Ease Your Journey into the Cloud at VMworld 2015
Aug 10, 2015
VMworld 2015, which runs from Aug. 30 - Sept. 3 in San Francisco, brings together thought leaders, subject matter experts, and IT professionals to immerse themselves in the latest in virtualization and cloud technology. Rackspace VMware experts will be on hand to share our expertise in Managed Virtualization, Managed OpenStack and Managed Cloud.
The Download: Aug. 7, 2015 — the #ILookLikeAnEngineer Edition
Aug 07, 2015
Check out these awesome Rackers who've posted photos in solidarity with #ILookLikeAnEngineer, the hashtag that's gone viral after the image of a self-described "extreme introvert" received so much attention in a San Francisco tech ad.
Magento, Backed By Fanatical Support, Delivers Secure, Scalable Ecommerce
Aug 06, 2015
It’s never too early to start thinking about holiday e-commerce. Ignore current heat indexes and think traffic spikes, instead. Are you prepared? Is your network infrastructure properly set up to handle peaks? If not, Rackspace and Magento can help.
Office Hours Hangout: Getting Started with GitHub
Aug 04, 2015
We’ve often recommended customers use GitHub during our weekly Cloud Office Hours Hangouts, but we've never really taken a deep dive into it, or how our customers can start using GitHub, so we spent our most recent Hangout doing just that.
The Download: July 31, 2015
Jul 31, 2015
This week, we revisit our announcement with Intel about the OpenStack Innovation Center,at our San Antonio headquarters.
Gartner Once Again Validates Rackspace Strategy in Magic Quadrants
Jul 31, 2015
As a member of a team that strives to be the world’s greatest service company, I am proud to announce that Rackspace has earned leader positions in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Cloud-Enabled Managed Hosting in North America and Europe, for the second year in a row. The assessments, which Gartner publishes separately for each region, are […]
Australian Businesses Will Soon Benefit from Dedicated vCloud
Jul 29, 2015
Rackspace will begin offering its Private Cloud powered by VMware vCloud® in the fourth quarter of 2015 in Australia, giving customers complete control of their vCloud environments.
Maximize the Speed of Your Network Connections with New High-Performance 10G Switches
Jul 28, 2015
Rackspace is proud to be the first and only provider to offer customers dedicated 10G switches, 10G hybrid connections and collapsed network options, all backed by Fanatical Support.
Performance Tips: Using Rackspace CDN
Jul 27, 2015
Rackspace CDN is a simple but effective tool to help your web site's performance, allowing users to browse deeper, get more engaged and shop longer. Read on for some handy CDN tips.
The Download: July 24, 2015 — the IT Security Edition!
Jul 24, 2015
This week in the Download, we recap a barrage of IT security news, starting with the schadenfreude-inducing revelation that infamous cheater hookup site AshelyMadison suffered a massive data breach.
Accelerating the Enterprise Features of OpenStack: Rackspace and Intel Form the OpenStack Innovation Center
Jul 23, 2015
To accelerate the enterprise capabilities of OpenStack, further we have formed the OpenStack Innovation Center with Intel. This effort will significantly increase the number of engineers working in the OpenStack community, making the project even stronger and more capable.
Happy Birthday OpenStack!
Jul 22, 2015
I still fondly remember the early days of OpenStack, when there were spirited debates at the company around whether or not we could create our own open source cloud platform, or if we should even try. Yet here we are, five years later, with one of the most successful, fastest-growing open source projects in the world. That kind of growth instills a lot of pride. It’s kind of like watching your child grow up.
Rackspace Announces ObjectRocket for Elasticsearch
Jul 20, 2015
As Rackspace expands its Managed Data Services portfolio, we’re excited this week to announce the addition of ObjectRocket for Elasticsearch, combining the high availability, scalability and speed of ObjectRocket’s purpose-built platform with the ability to store, search, and analyze a variety of structured and unstructured sources for real-time ad-hoc data discovery. With Fanatical Support from […]
The Download: July 17, 2015
Jul 17, 2015
The world of technology generates so many great stories, it’s hard to keep up during the weekly grind. Each Friday, we compile some of the stories that caught our eye.  This week was a big one for Rackspace, as we rolled out Fanatical Support for Microsoft Azure, the cloud computing platform that’s increasingly being adopted by enterprises. The combination […]
The Download: June 17, 2015
Jul 17, 2015
The world of technology generates so many great stories, it’s hard to keep up during the weekly grind. Each Friday, we compile some of the stories that caught our eye.  This week was a big one for Rackspace, as we rolled out Fanatical Support for Microsoft Azure, the cloud computing platform that’s increasingly being adopted by enterprises. The combination […]
Fanatical Support for Azure adds Around-the-Clock Expertise to a Powerful Cloud Platform
Jul 14, 2015
The launch this week of Fanatical Support for Azure is an exciting addition to the Rackspace portfolio of expertise and service for a wide array of products and platforms. Adding Rackspace Fanatical Support for Azure means that our hundreds of Microsoft Certified professionals can now help you realize the full potential of this powerful cloud […]
With Increased Focus on Cyber Security, Rackspace Invests in CrowdStrike
Jul 14, 2015
The nature of cyber security is changing, and the failure to adapt threatens businesses in an entirely new way
Rackspace CEO: A Letter to Our Customers Announcing Fanatical Support for Microsoft Azure
Jul 13, 2015
Rackspace President and CEO Taylor Rhodes sent this letter to our customers who consume Microsoft products this morning: To our amazing customers, Our strategy, from the time Rackspace was founded, has been to differentiate ourselves and create value for you in two major ways. First, we strive to be the customer service leader in our […]
Rackspace Support for Office 365 is Now Available 24/7 in the US!
Jul 13, 2015
Rackspace support for Office 365, which was launched with limited availability in May, has now been released into general availability across the U.S., which means that customers can now get access to Rackspace’s fanatical support 24/7!
The Download: June 10, 2015
Jul 10, 2015
The world of technology generates so many great stories, it’s hard to keep up during the weekly grind. Each Friday, we compile some of the stories that caught our eye.  This week it would be hard not to focus on the technical issues that caused disruptions across the private and public sectors in the U.S., exposing cracks in the […]
Google Apps for Work: Up the Stack and Out of the Rack
Jul 08, 2015
Deploying Google Apps for Work for hundreds of users and over legacy technologies in dispersed locations, all while accounting for accessibility and security can get complicated.
Wreak Havoc for Good — and Cash: Join Hack The Block
Jul 07, 2015
ObjectRocket by Rackspace is challenging you to wreak havoc in your community by building a mobile app to improve some aspect of your neighborhood — and a chance to win $10,000.
The Download: July 3rd, 2015
Jul 03, 2015
The world of technology generates so many great stories, it's hard to keep up during the weekly grind.
When Big Businesses Collaborate in the Cloud, Rapid Innovation Will Follow
Jul 02, 2015
It is time for cloud competitors to seriously consider collaborative efforts. That means market leaders pooling resources to drive innovation for a short period of time, then dissolving the partnership and pushing innovative outcomes toward profitable solutions in-house.
Technical Career Track 2.0 Allows Rackspace Tech Talent to Lead
Jul 01, 2015
Rackspace’s Technical Career Track program isn’t for the smartest Rackers, or those with the most technical skill. It’s for the smartest, most technically-skilled Rackers who’ve also demonstrated strong leaderships skills — but don’t want to follow the traditional management path to the top.
“We Now Have Rights We Didn’t Have”
Jun 30, 2015
"We said we would do it as soon as it becomes legal..." read the subject line of the email Randy Bartels sent to his Rackspace coworkers at 10:51 a.m. Friday, letting them know he and longtime partner Sean P. Wise were headed to the Bexar County Clerk's Office to wed.
The Control Group CTO: We Needed Performance and Scalability
Jun 30, 2015
Today’s guest post is by Shiem Edelbrock, Chief Technology Officer of The Control Group, a San Diego-based tech company whose projects include Instant Checkmate, Reverse Phone and NextGen Leads. As the CTO of The Control Group, I manage our flagship product, Instant Checkmate, which allows users to perform background checks on just about anybody. We […]
Rackspace Cloud Big Data Platform Supports New Apache Streaming Tools
Jun 29, 2015
Rackspace Data Services now supports popular Hadoop ecosystem tools Apache Storm and Apache Kafka. Together, Storm and Kafka combine to make workloads like the processing of incoming streaming data sources easy, by providing a single destination for the incoming data feed.
The Download: June 26th, 2015
Jun 26, 2015
The world of technology generates so many great stories it can be hard to keep up. We'll be highlighting some of the most interesting each Friday in the Download. And if you come across a cool, weird or noteworthy tech-related story worth sharing, let us know in the comments section or send it directly to [email protected].
Natural Disasters Have Companies Rethinking On-Premise IT
Jun 26, 2015
Our guest blogger today is Ken Goldberg, president of Microcomputer Consulting Group (MCG), which assists clients in applying technology to solve business problems in a cost effective, streamlined and intelligent manner. MCG is also part of Rackspace’s Email Reseller program. You can read more about their high-performance cloud infrastructure in this case study. Below, Goldberg writes about how natural disasters like […]
The Top 5 Ways VMware vRealize Operations 6 Beats Other Monitoring Tools
Jun 25, 2015
VMware® vRealize™ Operations™ 6 is now included with Rackspace’s single-tenant service, Dedicated VMware® vCenter Server™ — check out the five reasons why it rises above the crowd of IT operations management tools.
Hear How a Smart Parking App Startup Grapples with Growth at Solve Dallas
Jun 24, 2015
Have you ever been in the middle of an important meeting — or just a really good lunch — and had to drop everything to run and feed your parking meter? This was the pain point most distressing to James Gibbs and Daniel Lopretto, co-founders of the Pittsburgh-based app Meter Feeder, which allows users to find and […]
Customers Can Now Monitor Rackspace-Hosted VMware vSphere Infrastructure with VMware vRealize Operations 6
Jun 24, 2015
Rackspace now bundles the award-winning VMware® vRealize™ Operations™ 6 (vROps, formerly vCOps) with their hosted Dedicated VMware® vCenter Server™ (Dedicated vCenter) service. Customers who purchase VMware vSphere® licensing from Rackspace will receive a vROps 6 license for their hosted environment free of charge. Rackspace’s offering, Dedicated vCenter, is a single-tenant environment that allows customers to […]
YETI Coolers Keeps Focus on Cold Instead of IT Support
Jun 23, 2015
When Austin brothers Roy and Ryan Seiders got sick of replacing their cheap coolers after every hunting and fishing trip, they decided to build a better cooler. YETI Coolers was born in 2006, and the high end, industrial strength coolers — they’re even certified bear-proof — quickly gained a cult following among fellow outdoors enthusiasts. […]
Technical Expertise + Genuine Warmth = Fanatical Support for Email Resellers
Jun 22, 2015
Each day, Rackspace empowers our email resellers to deliver enterprise-level services to customers who would otherwise be unable to offer it.
DevOps Down Under: Adopting Agile Methodologies in Mature Organisations Through DevOps
Jun 22, 2015
As Rackspace has rolled out its DevOps offering in Australia, we’ve discovered that often, culture trumps technology when it comes to strong and successful DevOps teams. Here are some suggestions for companies looking to make a successful transition.
Health and Fitness: “It’s Like Internet Security — It’s a Journey”
Jun 20, 2015
Sometimes, free soda beats out the free gym. Rackspace hosted its first Health & Wellness Expo last week in an effort to spur Rackers on to better health.
The Download: June 19th, 2015
Jun 19, 2015
The world of technology generates so many great stories it can be hard to keep up. We'll be highlighting some of the most interesting each Friday in the Download.
Meet Carl Thompson, 2015 Red Hat Certified Professional of the Year
Jun 18, 2015
Carl Thompson, aka Redragon, has earned the Red Hat Certified Professional of the Year award. He's also a member of Rackspace's elite technical career track program, which allows technical employees to take on leadership roles without personnel management.
Is Your Email Secure? Evaluate Your Risks
Jun 17, 2015
A Rackspace-commissioned white paper offers a concise overview of the factors that can impact an organization’s email solution’s security risks and unplanned downtime. Has your organization evaluated the risks?
Flexible Partner Program Racking Up Accolades
Jun 16, 2015
Recent honors from Rackspace's partner companies reaffirms its strategy of eschewing a one-size-sits all approach to partnering in favor of a flexible approach that allows partners to leverage programs that truly fit their needs.
You’re So Money: Zipline’s Message-Driven Platform Allows Users to Transfer Funds as Part of a Conversation
Jun 16, 2015
Zipline is about more than just financial transactions -- it's about the relationships surrounding those transactions. The Zipline app uses a text messaging-like interface to transfer money in the context of a conversation. As we like to say, "Conversation required, money optional."
The Top Three Reasons Many Enterprises Choose Private Cloud
Jun 12, 2015
Rackspace works with many types of companies to help them determine which cloud model will work best for them.
LISTEN: Cloud Architect Kevin Jackson on OpenStack, Solve events and Co-Authoring a Cookbook (sorta)
Jun 10, 2015
As OpenStack Israel approaches, Alan Weinkrantz, Brand Ambassador to Israel for the Rackspace Startup Program, sat down with Kevin Jackson, Principal Cloud Architect and co-author of the OpenStack Cloud Computing Cookbook, for the Times of Israel.
Cloud Metrics Move to OnMetal: Reliability Up, Costs Down
Jun 09, 2015
When Rackspace Cloud Metrics moved its production system from running on virtual cloud machines to running on Rackspace OnMetal, it got a more reliable system that's also — miraculously — cheaper.
Skype for Business Server — ROI, Driving End User Adoption and Culture Change
Jun 08, 2015
With solid end-user adoption, Skype for Business Server (Lync) could help your business attain a healthy ROI.
“Single Pane of Glass” for Your IT Ops
Jun 05, 2015
Rackspace Monitoring and Intelligence teams have released a series of new features in the past six months, stepping up to be the “Single Pane of Glass” customers want for cloud monitoring.
Longtime partnership pays dividends: Microsoft names Rackspace its 2015 Hosting Partner of the Year — Again
Jun 04, 2015
Rackspace is honored once again to have earned Microsoft’s Hosting Partner of the Year award. This is an honor we’ve now earned for the fifth time — the only hosting company to hit that milestone. And while it highlights the work we’ve done over the past year, it also stands as a testament to the success of […]
Rackspace Honored as 2015 Recipient of EMC Cloud Provider Award
Jun 03, 2015
Rackspace was honored to receive, for the second year in a row, the Americas Cloud Service Provider Accelerator Award from EMC at this year’s Global Partner Summit. The award is given annually to high-achieving EMC business partners who exceeded growth expectations and demonstrated a commitment to excellence.
Managed Google Apps & Office 365: New Approaches to Team Collaboration Without the Headaches
Jun 02, 2015
To achieve greater productivity through successful workplace collaboration, you’ll need employees communicating seamlessly via Google Apps for Work and Office 365.
Windows Server 2003 support is ending. It’s time to act; know your options.
Jun 02, 2015
The end of support for Windows Server 2003 on July 14 means the end of security updates and patches; is your company prepared? Join Rackspace and Microsoft for a webinar June 4 to learn your options.
Social Strategy in the Age of Viral Content
Jun 01, 2015
Rackspace is committed to supporting our partners -- including when it comes to tips on creating a successful social media marketing strategy. Check 'em out!
[VIDEO] 2015 Webinar Recap: Learning from the SharePoint Pros
Jun 01, 2015
In February, we kicked off a series of webinars featuring Rackspace and AvePoint SharePoint pros to answer your questions about the complexities of running SharePoint in the cloud. In case you missed them, here’s a quick recap: Webinar #1: What Is Cloud and Its Impact on the Future of SharePoint? This session offers a closer […]
Announcing Dedicated ObjectRocket™ for MongoDB™
Jun 01, 2015
Rackspace introduces Dedicated ObjectRocket™ for MongoDB™ which combines speed and scalability with fully dedicated hardware and networking
In 2015, Operation Windigo is Still Going Strong
May 29, 2015
Operation Windigo is still active, and the group continues using compromised servers to infect vulnerable Windows computers.
White House, grassroots group bolster Rackspace efforts to expand San Antonio’s tech sector
May 28, 2015
San Antonio’s fledgling tech ecosystem is gaining serious momentum thanks to SATechBloc, a new grassroots organization, an ongoing tech training effort and a shot of support from the White House.
Showpitch helps showbiz professionals get noticed; Rackspace keeps Showpitch running
May 27, 2015
There’s a lot of talent out there on the Internet and social media, but how do you discover it, whether you’re in the industry or a potential fan? Let’s say you ARE the talent; how do you cut through the online clutter to get your work in front of agents, producers or fans? Finally, the […]
The CDO and CAO: New Ebook Examines Emerging Data Management Roles
May 27, 2015
A new ebook from ObjectRocket, The Emerging Skillsets of the Data Revolution: Defining Key Data Roles, defines four roles and skill sets necessary to wring the most benefit from a company’s data assets.
London Calling… Rackspace::Solve Comes to the UK on June 4th!
May 26, 2015
Solve London, which kicks off on June 4th, will the first Rackspace::Solve event in Europe!
OpenStack Summit Wrap-Up: Strong Progress, Palpable Energy
May 26, 2015
From keynotes, design sessions, new leading technologies and operator discussions, Rackers were out front, engaging and participating, at last week’s OpenStack Summit in Vancouver. We had great discussions with vendors and other cloud providers about how to run and scale OpenStack to serve the needs of both large public clouds and smaller private clouds.  Because […]
Women of OpenStack is growing – come join us!
May 22, 2015
Women of OpenStack created an accessible online community within the unbelievable 19,232 followers on the OpenStack LinkedIn page.
Successful Cloud Architecture Takes the Right Mindset
May 21, 2015
The evolution of your IT department is here. The industry calls it “the cloud” and OpenStack is one part of the solution. And while designing and building for any cloud environment can be a challenge, approaching this task with the right mindset and focus can help can make your project a success. This isn’t just […]
[VIDEO] How DefCore Is Driving An OpenStack-Powered Planet
May 21, 2015
Jonathan Bryce, executive director of the OpenStack Foundation, on Monday kicked off the summit by announcing the roll out of base interoperability tests and requirements that will help define a common core for all OpenStack products. This process, called DefCore, means certain standards must be met in each OpenStack-powered environment, whether private, public or hybrid. […]
[VIDEO] Accelerating The Pace Of Open Source Innovation With Women
May 21, 2015
Tech has long had a reputation of being a male-dominated industry where women are drastically underrepresented. While women make up 59 percent of the U.S. labor force, they fill less than 30 percent of the roles at tech companies, according to CNET Magazine. The data is even more troubling when you consider that female employees are […]
Don’t Just Consume, Participate: Operations & Community
May 20, 2015
How we build and think about servers is constantly evolving. In the past, infrastructure was considered primarily the realm of the systems administrator. Over time that role grew, and instead of merely configuring systems, many of these administrators began writing and committing software by following devops philosophies. Now, many of the people who are building […]
[VIDEO] Midweek Recap: Building OpenStack Interoperability in Vancouver
May 20, 2015
Five years ago, a small group of 75 developers flocked to Austin, Texas, for the first-ever OpenStack Summit. What began as a low-key gathering has since morphed into an internationally recognized event with a global following. This week, more than 5,000 users, developers and administrators of the open source software have convened at the Vancouver […]
A day in the life of an incoming Project Technical Lead
May 20, 2015
Anne Gentle is a bit of a legend in OpenStack circles. She is the original OpenStack documentation person, a founding member of the Women of OpenStack group and a long-standing member of the Technical Committee, among other roles. But recently, she has decided to hang up one particular hat: that of Documentation Project Technical Lead […]
Magnum: Containers-as-a-Service for OpenStack Clouds
May 20, 2015
This week at OpenStack Summit Vancouver, we demonstrated new software from the OpenStack project Magnum, which allows cloud operators to offer Containers-as-a-Service to their cloud users. Containers are hot today, and a crop of new open source projects have surfaced to bring this exciting technology to users. Among them:  Docker, Kubernetes, Apache Mesos, and numerous […]
State of the OpenStack API Working Group: Liberty Edition
May 20, 2015
The OpenStack API Working Group has a clear mission: To improve the developer experience of API users -- and we'll be doing just that at Liberty Design sessions this week in Vancouver.
OpenStack Summit Day 1: Mexico’s Roadmap to the Cloud
May 19, 2015
The government of Mexico is headed into the cloud, and it’s counting on OpenStack to take it there. That was the message to a group of OpenStack Summit attendees Monday in a break-out session from Victor Lagunes, CIO of the Office of the President of Mexico. As chief information officer, Lagunes is responsible for supporting the country’s National Digital […]
Keeping OpenStack Secrets Safe With Barbican
May 19, 2015
While previous OpenStack summits have debated the merits and relevance of Barbican, a ReST API designed for the secure storage, provisioning and management of secrets, this week’s summit in Vancouver will reflect its maturity as a bonafide OpenStack project. Until recently, discussions around Barbican were introductory in nature, whereas now, people are interested in how […]
One set of credentials to spin up private and public cloud resources…it’s finally happening!
May 18, 2015
Only 4 percent of the universe is known. Only 15 percent of server capacity is utilized. What do these two statistics have in common? CERN. CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is working to understand the unknown universe through its Large Hadron Collider experiments — and it’s using OpenStack to maximize utilization of server capacity. You may […]
Vote on VMworld topics you’d like to see become 2015 conference sessions
May 18, 2015
Attending VMworld 2015 in San Francisco this August, or in Barcelona in October? If so, you can vote now for topics that will become break-out sessions and panel discussions at the conferences. Rackspace has been offering managed hosted services powered by VMware® since 2006, and has grown to become VMware’s largest vCloud Air™ Network service […]
OpenStack Clouds and Interoperability
May 18, 2015
With a growing number of OpenStack projects, how do you define what is the minimum set of OpenStack features that should be enabled? Not only it is a question for installing and configuring OpenStack, but it is also a question for users: what kind of OpenStack are they getting? Will two different OpenStack deployments provide […]
Looking Back, Moving Forward with OpenStack Documentation
May 16, 2015
As I plan my schedule for my tenth OpenStack Summit, I’ve been reflecting on what I’ve learned in four and a half years of building a community doc team from scratch. At this Summit I’m transitioning from serving as Documentation Project Team Lead (PTL), moving into Technical Committee work including the API Working Group, so […]
Rackspace ranked 6th in UK Great Place To Work Awards 2015
May 15, 2015
Rackspace received some great news this week: the UK Great Place to Work awards ranked us No. 6 on its annual list of Best Workplaces for 2015. The ceremony was a fantastic evening in London that marked the 11th year Rackspace has been included in this highly-respected workplace study, It reflects all the effort each and every one of us puts […]
OpenStack Summit Vancouver: Where To Find Rackspace Specialists
May 15, 2015
We’re five years into the OpenStack revolution, and the best is yet to come. Next week, more than 5,000 developers, evangelists and users will convene at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Canada to meet and exchange ideas on all things OpenStack at the annual OpenStack Summit. Dozens of Rackspace specialists will be on site to […]
Scalability and Security: How to Get One Without Losing the Other (Part 2)
May 13, 2015
Scalability and security sound complex. In this two-part blog series, we seek to eliminate some of the confusion by digging deeper into how users can grow a configuration without compromising the integrity of your app’s security.
Scalability and Security: How to Get One Without Losing the Other (Part 1)
May 12, 2015
Customers are looking for the elasticity and on-demand scalability of the cloud without having to give up the proven and trusted security tools typically found in traditional physical server environments. The answer in almost all cases of trying to grow a configuration without compromising the integrity of your app’s security is found in a hybrid solution that combines a number of platforms in a secure and scalable way.
Top Ten Questions About Rackspace Fanatical Support for Google Apps for Work
May 12, 2015
Almost every business is looking for ways to better support mobile and remote employees, enhance collaboration and improve efficiency. But existing technology solutions often consist of cobbled together tools that create compatibility, security and performance issues. Google Apps for Work delivers a complete suite of email, productivity and communication tools, but it can also create […]
Introducing Big Data Analytics and Archiving for Rackspace Cloud Databases
May 12, 2015
Today, Rackspace announced support new Hadoop ecosystem tools that allow for exciting connectivity between traditional relational databases and data platforms like popular big data services like Rackspace Cloud Big Data. By building integration between databases and data processing platforms, users can move data in and out systems to create technology stacks with multi-tiered functionality. MySQL […]
Rackspace::Solve New York: Mobility Concerns for Productivity in Today’s Workforce
May 11, 2015
In today’s increasingly mobile world, Mobile Device Management is no longer a nice to have—it is a necessity, whether you chose to do it yourself or leverage a SaaS based solution with third-party support. Rackspace provides Fanatical Support for Office 365 and can help you manage MDM as part of our offering.
Up the Stack and Out of the Rack with Office 365
May 11, 2015
For the past 15 or so years, I’ve been on a mission to help businesses use technology to make productivity easier, cut costs and bring efficiency to everyday tasks. For many years my focus and passion was directed through SharePoint, but since joining Rackspace I’ve been able to dig deep into our Cloud Office vision. […]
How To: Get Up and Running on Rackspace CDN in Minutes
May 11, 2015
As you may already know from our public announcement and Steve Crusenberry’s blog, Rackspace launched Rackspace CDN last week. If you’ve read those posts, you already know that Rackspace CDN is designed to bring Akamai’s industry leading network to “cloudy” users that want features like instant provisioning, self service APIs and control panels, and pay-as-you-go, […]
Rackspace::Solve New York: Scaling Cutting-Edge Virtual Telephony with DialSource
May 07, 2015
Over the past decade, Tillman and his growing team at DialSource have been revolutionizing the way sales and support teams work through an innovative telephony infrastructure approach.
Cloud Databases Adds Replication support in Control Panel
May 07, 2015
Earlier this year, our Cloud Databases team announced API support for replication. This week, we bring some more good news that we’ve integrated the feature into the Control Panel. Starting today, you can add and manage read replicas for your Cloud Database Instances using the Control Panel within with just a few clicks. Replication is […]
Combine the power of Microsoft Office 365™ with award-winning Fanatical Support™ from Rackspace
May 05, 2015
All businesses have a need for nimble technology that can grow alongside their business. Technology is expanding to become not just servers in closets and email accounts, but collaborative tools that help employees quickly communicate and increase their productivity no matter where they are located. Microsoft Office 365, including Exchange, Outlook, SharePoint, Skype and Office, […]
Changing the Way Enterprise Communicates with Breakthrough Telephony Technology
May 05, 2015
DialSource is a global leader in cloud telephony. Our flagship product, DialSource for Salesforce, uses real-time data and breakthrough technology within the Salesforce.com ecosystem to intelligently automate the sales cycle. Our goal is to change the way the enterprise communicates. With our platform agnostic technology, we improve communication across all channels, all hardware, all software, […]
Why You Need Hybrid Cloud’s Flexibility
Apr 30, 2015
Rackspace's Matt Shover explains how hybrid cloud links public, private, onmetal and VPN.
Rackspace Announces Fanatical Support for Google Apps for Work
Apr 29, 2015
Rackspace announces Fanatical Support for Google Apps for Work.
Understanding and Adopting a Cloud Mindset for your Emerging Business
Apr 28, 2015
Rackspace's Wes Henderson describes ways to make your app successful in the cloud.
Rackspace Launches CDN Partnership With Industry Leader Akamai
Apr 28, 2015
Today, Rackspace announces our launch of Rackspace CDN (Content Delivery Network) partnership with Akamai.
We’re Going Green at the New Rackspace UK Crawley Data Centre
Apr 23, 2015
Rackspace is thrilled to announce the opening of our new custom designed eco-friendly data centre in Crawley, UK, on Wednesday 22nd April.
Rackspace Speakers Take Over Ignite Conference
Apr 22, 2015
Microsoft Ignite (Chicago, May 4 – 8, 2015) is a unified enterprise technology conference hosted by Microsoft. From speaker sessions, to technical training and hands-on labs, Rackspace will be on hand to show how our managed cloud solutions can work for Microsoft users. Our expert team will cover new innovative technologies and provide guidance and […]
Introducing the (now) Fully-Managed Vyatta vRouter
Apr 21, 2015
We are very excited to announce that as of today, the Brocade Vyatta vRouter will be available to Managed Operations customers as a fully managed security and networking solution in the open cloud. Why is this a big deal, you ask? A little over a year ago, we partnered with networking specialist Brocade to make […]
How Rackspace Makes OpenStack Production-Ready
Apr 21, 2015
OpenStack is an open source project, not a product. With 17 integrated programs, three incubated programs and hundreds of unique configurable attributes, there are a massive number of potential configurations. How can you ensure the configuration you choose will meet your workload’s demand today and support your scaling needs in the future? Rackspace engineers and […]
Join Rackspace Digital at Imagine to See How Managed Cloud Enables Innovation for Magento Customers
Apr 20, 2015
Join Rackspace Digital at Magento Imagine next week to see how managed cloud helps Magento customers
Enterprise IT Professionals Rate Rackspace as Best IaaS Provider for Guaranteed SLAs and Tops In Hosted Private Cloud Adoption, According to 451 Research
Apr 17, 2015
Rackspace was named best IaaS Provider for Guaranteed SLAs and best In Hosted Private Cloud Adoption, in latest Vendor Window report from 451 Research.
Angler Exploit Kit Spreads Threat Finder Ransomware
Apr 16, 2015
Brad Duncan, security researcher at Rackspace, discusses a new ransomware named "Threat Finder."
Rackspace::Solve New York Preview: Managing Big Data
Apr 15, 2015
Rackspace Data Services helps companies maximize utilization, productivity and innovation. Come hear from our team at Rackspace Solve: New York on May 7 at the Conrad Hotel!
Rackspace::Solve NYC Spotlight: How to Keep Your IT Team Focused on Adding Business Value
Apr 14, 2015
Rackspace::Solve New York on May 7 will feature an in-depth look at our IT Transformation practice, which helps companies get the most out of their central IT resources.
New SharePoint Webinar: Can You Balance SharePoint ROI and Governance Needs?
Apr 13, 2015
If you have questions about running SharePoint in the cloud, our experts have answers. Our SharePoint webinar series is a three-part dive into a range of issues SharePoint users frequently experience. We started this series with the discussion, “What Is Cloud and Its Impact on the Future Of SharePoint?” Anyone who missed it can catch […]
Addressing Hybrid Architecture Complexity With New Docker Monitoring Plugin
Apr 09, 2015
It is now relatively easy to have hybrid infrastructures comprising containers, virtual servers and bare metal machines. Container adoption is getting easier than ever. Docker has been downloaded more than 200 million times and Google spins up more than 2 billion containers in a week. The downside to this ease in infrastructure creation is that […]
TWT: “OpenStack Is Everywhere”
Apr 07, 2015
*This posts originally appeared at https://www.twtgroup.ca/openstack-is-everywhere/ OpenStack is everywhere. You’ve probably used it in the last 24 hours, whether you know you did or not. These are two of the many insights we learned from Interzone’s OpenStack panel: “Masters of the OpenStack Universe.” TWT’s Shawn Freeman took on the role of moderator on the main stage Wednesday to […]
Announcing General Availability of Hosted Lync Enterprise
Apr 06, 2015
Do you use separate tools for desktop and app sharing, web-conferencing, instant messaging and Presence? Are all of your tools integrated with Outlook? Do you have to stop and think which collaboration tool you need for a particular activity? Challenges like these make it difficult to promote a collaborative culture. Having multiple collaboration tools can […]
Webinar: Why Private Cloud?
Apr 02, 2015
As the Rackspace Private Cloud team meets with companies, organizations, and individuals around the world, we often discuss the advantages of cloud and why a private cloud solution may be the right fit for them. I recently presented a webinar on “Why Private Cloud,” where I summarized the 3 top considerations driving customers to a […]
Rackspace and Chef Partnership Enhances Infrastructure Management and App Deployment Automation
Apr 01, 2015
Today, Rackspace is thrilled to announce a deeper strategic relationship with Chef that doubles down on our commitment to accelerating DevOps within organizations. Together, Rackspace and Chef will extend our relationship with a range of skill-building and services programs, including engineering collaboration, DevOps implementation content and training for Rackspace technical support staff. At Rackspace, we provide […]
Rackspace::Solve Atlanta Session Recap: “The New Normal”
Mar 31, 2015
Most IT professionals would agree that 2014 was a long year. Heartbleed, Shellshock, Sandworm and POODLE were just a subset of the vulnerabilities that caused many of us to stay up late and reach for more coffee. As these vulnerabilities became public, I found myself fielding questions from non-technical family members after they watched the […]
A Conversation With Redis Creator Salvatore Sanfilippo
Mar 30, 2015
On March 5 in San Francisco, Rackspace hosted our Redis Conference. Our goal was to gather the best and brightest in the Redis community and build better collaboration between app developers, database administrators and Redis to Go practitioners. Our featured speaker was Salvatore Sanfilippo, an open source software developer at Pivotal who’s best known as […]
Video: Who Is Going To Manage Your Cloud?
Mar 30, 2015
“Who is going to manage your cloud?” It’s a question we see shaping IT decisions for the next decade. The cloud’s speed, flexibility and price have opened up myriad opportunities for companies, but they’ve also created complexity. Companies must increasingly ask themselves if they want to spend their time looking for the hard to find experts to manage […]
Announcing Unlimited Availability of Neutron API
Mar 27, 2015
In November we had announced the Limited Availability of Neutron API, making it easier for Rackspace Cloud users to build rich network services and laying the foundation for a number of immediate and future network services. Please see that announcement here: http://www.rackspace.com/blog/build-rich-network-services-with-openstacks-neutron-api/ Today we are happy to announce the Unlimited Availability of Neutron API making […]
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight on Maptiv8: Bootstrapping, Pivoting, and Scaling thanks to Rackspace
Mar 26, 2015
As most entrepreneurs know, boostrapping can be a tricky path—especially when the founding team isn’t flush with cash. At Maptiv8, which transforms big data into beautiful UX, we know the realities of bootstrapping all too well. But over the past three years of our bootstrapped journey, Maptiv8 has scaled its operations, kept its team lean and pivoted towards […]
Gartner Webinar: “How Mainstream Customers Are Changing the Cloud”
Mar 26, 2015
Cloud computing, dominated only a few years ago by software developers and other early adopters, is now moving solidly into the mainstream of global business. Organizations of all sizes and maturity levels are using cloud solutions to host a broad variety of applications and workflows, from ecommerce to data analysis. How can this huge new […]
BoomTown: Taking Real Estate Beyond Location, Location, Location
Mar 25, 2015
In real estate, it’s no longer just about location, location, location. To help people find great homes (in great locations!) that fit specific needs, real estate professionals need the technology to offer the freshest information through user-friendly websites, to help their clients find and assess prospective properties easier. BoomTown was founded in Charleston in 2006 […]
Secure Your Cloud Server Deployment With Neutron Security Groups
Mar 25, 2015
Rackspace Open Cloud customers have consistently asked us for the ability to secure their cloud footprint without having to wrestle with complex security policies on individual cloud servers. The larger their fleet of Cloud Servers, the more useful it would be to have centralized control of security policies that could ease management overhead in a […]
Three Cloud Computing Myths, Debunked
Mar 19, 2015
This interview originally appeared here at superuser.openstack.org In this series of interviews, we’re talking to the new Individual Directors on the 2015 OpenStack Board of Directors. These Directors provide oversight of the Foundation and its budget, strategy and goals. The 24-person Board is composed of eight Individual Directors elected by the Individual Members, eight directors […]
Cloud Intelligence Launches Suppressions to Mute Non-Actionable Monitoring Notifications
Mar 17, 2015
Rackspace Cloud Monitoring notifies you the moment it detects an issue in your systems. But in certain situations, such as a scheduled maintenance period, you may not actually want these notifications. For example, if you are conducting a scheduled backup, you would plan on downgraded system performance, making any notification sent from Cloud Monitoring non-actionable. […]
SharePoint + Cloud Migration; We Have the Answers
Mar 16, 2015
SharePoint adoption is growing as businesses realize the productivity, security and convenience benefits of centralized collaboration. As it grows, planning, running, and securing SharePoint has become more time consuming for admins. Businesses hungry to get up and running on SharePoint without the deployment headaches are looking to hosted services to relieve the burdens and clear […]
Engaging Captive Audiences As Easy As OneTwoSee
Mar 13, 2015
Developer helps media and consumer partners monetize targets … Sponsorship is so much more than “logo-slapping.” Just because a big corporate logo is all over your favorite team’s arena doesn’t necessarily mean that the big corporation in question is activating its sponsorship effectively. To engage target audiences, savvy sports marketers are constantly looking for deeper […]
Rackspace Takes Top Honors at this Year’s Stevie Awards for Sales and Customer Service
Mar 12, 2015
It’s Stevie season once again, and we’re proud to report another strong showing at the annual awards ceremony in Las Vegas on February 27. Rackspace took home not one, but two Stevies and a People’s Choice this year. Rackspace prides itself on our willingness to go above and beyond to serve customers, and the Stevies […]
Lync Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Value Proposition
Mar 12, 2015
? So, you are considering Lync as a collaboration tool and as a potential PBX replacement. Now, you need to decide whether to deploy and self-manage an on-premise Lync solution or let a hosting provider deploy and manage it for you. To help you determine the best option, you can compare the total cost of […]
[infographic] Are We Moving From Ecom to Mcom?
Mar 11, 2015
Most of us know that mobile ecommerce is becoming increasingly important. But did you know that since 2010 mobile ecommerce has grown from $221 million in the US to over $12 billion? Just five years ago mobile accounted for less than one percent of total ecommerce sales (0.59%) and as of 2014 it accounted for […]
How to Avoid a 40-Minute Commute for a 30 Second Fix
Mar 10, 2015
Managing your IT infrastructure is a tough job and it’s especially tough on those given the task of maintenance, on-call rotations, and outages. Sometimes, the administrators who receive these alerts are far away from their computers and can’t reach them in a timely manner to investigate or resolve the issues at hand. On the surface, […]
Malicious Email Campaign Spreads Vawtrak Malware
Mar 10, 2015
Brad Duncan is a Security Researcher at Rackspace, where he investigates suspicious network activity. Reviewing alerts on blocked emails sent to Rackspace addresses, we occasionally discover malicious campaigns designed to spread malware. Our researchers investigate these leads to gather malware samples, identify threat actors, and determine other indicators of malicious activity. This blog entry discusses […]
How To Hack Your Startup’s PR
Mar 05, 2015
Over the last four months, I have had the opportunity to speak and mentor startups at just about every major accelerator here in Startup Nation – Israel. In doing so, I’ve seen a pattern evolve where public relations strategy is only discussed just prior to launch, if ever. I believe PR should be part of […]
Welcome to Acceleration Nation – Israel
Mar 04, 2015
While Israel is often referred to as Startup Nation, I have a slightly different name for it. I call it Acceleration Nation – not just because of the many accelerators here in the country, but because Israel is the most geographically efficient place in the world to observe and take part in the startup world. […]
Rackspace Ranked For 10th Consecutive Year In Sunday Times Best Companies Awards
Mar 03, 2015
The Sunday Times Best Companies Awards ceremony was held last week in central London and, for the tenth consecutive year, Rackspace was recognised for our outstanding approach to employee development and workplace welfare. This business-focused study is the result of detailed workplace analysis and the results are widely acknowledged as a barometer for new age […]
Rackspace Expands it Presence in StartupNation – Israel
Mar 03, 2015
I am thrilled to join the blogging team at Rackspace, where I serve as a brand ambassador in Israel. My role is to #BeHelpful – mostly by working with startups on messaging, PR and strategic communications. I also help curate and onboard new startups to the Rackspace Startup Program, and collaborate with our Enterprise with […]
Evolving the Next Generation of Production with DigitalFilm Tree and Rackspace
Mar 02, 2015
With Rackspace::Solve rapidly approaching, it’s my pleasure to share an update from all of us at DigitalFilm Tree, and what we like to call the Camera to Cloud Initiative — where we are looking to save Hollywood by eliminating physical transportation of media in the entertainment industry. Come see Guillaume speak at Rackspace Solve in […]
Exploit Kits and CryptoWall 3.0
Mar 02, 2015
Brad Duncan is a Security Analyst at Rackspace, where he investigates suspicious network activity.  Reviewing alerts on web traffic from Rackspace offices world-wide, we occasionally discover domains hosting exploit kits or other malicious files.  Our researchers investigate these leads to gather malware samples, identify threat actors, and determine other indicators of malicious activity.  This blog entry discusses one such recent investigation. […]
The Growing Market for Managed Cloud
Mar 02, 2015
With the cloud landscape continuing to mature, we see the cloud market bifurcating into two segments. The first segment is unmanaged infrastructure that we know today as IaaS. The other segment is cloud that includes managed services, also known as managed cloud.  As Rackspace pushes to extend its leadership position as the #1 managed cloud […]
[infographic] From Mainframes to Managed Cloud: How IT Workloads Have Evolved
Feb 27, 2015
We recently teamed up with Intel to develop an infographic charting the evolution of IT workloads. If you’ve been dying to know when the first email was sent, when BASIC was introduced, and which company first developed flash memory—you’ve come to the right place. More than half a century of IT innovation has resulted in […]
First Class Service With In-Place Upgrades: Rackspace Private Cloud Version 10
Feb 26, 2015
In addition to stability and scalability, enterprises need a private cloud that is highly available and can be upgraded without experiencing downtime or impacting critical business operations. In fact, several industry analysts have cited the pain of upgrading from one release to the next as an inhibitor to OpenStack adoption in the enterprise. Today, with […]
Last Call for RedisConf…Come Join the Redis Movement!
Feb 25, 2015
RedisConf is just around the corner! We’ve got a full day of inspiring keynotes, intensely practical sessions, and plenty of fun networking when we gather next Thursday, March 5th, at the Innovation Hanger located at 3601 Lyon Street in San Francisco. With over 300 registrants and 20 speakers from big names like Hulu, Pivotal, Heroku, […]
Omaze Fuels Charity Success with Star Power and Game-Changing Tools Powered by Rackspace
Feb 25, 2015
At a Los Angeles charity auction some years ago, NBA Hall-of-Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson offered one lucky bidder the chance to sit courtside with him at a game and join him for dinner after. The opportunity fetched the Boys & Girls Club of America a $15,000 donation. Ryan Cummins and Matt Pohlson, then graduate students […]
Batch, Streaming and Serving: Hortonworks Data Platform version 2.2 is Here
Feb 25, 2015
Over the last two years Rackspace has released several enhancements to its Cloud and Managed Big Data Platforms powered by the Hortonwork Data Platform, including support for different versioning, OnMetal, Spark and other enhancements. Our commitment to ensuring that our HadoopTM users have a current and relevant big data environment to meet the fast changing […]
SponsorHub’s Super Bowl XLIX Analysis Offers Incisive Brand Revelations
Feb 24, 2015
Editor’s Note: SponsorHub is a Rackspace customer that delivers analytics to the sports and entertainment industry. To view SponsorHub’s pre-and post-Super Bowl XLIX findings or to download the full presentation, visit http://slidesha.re/1A1mOxA. It’s Super Bowl Sunday. The clock reads 0:00 and a champion has been crowned. No, we’re not talking about the New England Patriots — although […]
Sign Up for The Rackspace CDN Early Access Program
Feb 24, 2015
If your business revolves around a website or web application, we know you’re thinking about performance on a daily basis. But you may not know just how impactful that performance can be on your bottom line. Did you know more than 30 percent of web visitors typically leave a site if that site doesn’t load […]
A Simple Solution for Managing the New MongoDB in Sitecore 7.5 and Above
Feb 23, 2015
Sitecore is one of the most popular and highly rated providers of Customer Experience Management technology (also known as Web Content Management or WCM). These are the applications that marketers rely on to power their websites. Rackspace Digital provides the Sitecore expertise, support, and an optimized cloud platform that removes all the technical headaches of […]
Cast Your Ballot Now For OpenStack Summit Vancouver Presentations
Feb 23, 2015
This year, thousands of OpenStack developers and users of OpenStack will flock to the annual OpenStack Summit, which takes place May 18 through May 22 in Vancouver, Canada. Thousands more submitted speaking proposals, with more than 60 coming from Rackspace specialists. Like last year, the Vancouver summit’s agenda will be determined by a public vote. If you’re a […]
NoSQL Mobile Application Challenge Results!
Feb 20, 2015
The ObjectRocket team challenged you. We knew you were full of ideas and we wanted to see them come alive using ObjectRocket. That’s why we started the NoSQL Mobile Application Challenge from August – November last year. You delivered. Here is the story of how we gave away $20,000 and free data stores hosting to […]
4 Tips for Rolling Out Collaborative Software and Ensuring Teams Use It
Feb 20, 2015
Collaboration among team members is necessary for any business to succeed, and company leaders are constantly striving to boost their teams’ productivity. After all, every business wants its employees to work smarter, not harder. Various collaboration tools and workgroup support systems can help increase productivity, but only if employees are actually using the tools – […]
Building A Disaster Recovery Solution Using Site Recovery Manager, Part 4: Maintaining, Migrating, and Upgrading
Feb 19, 2015
I hope you’ve been following our in-depth Building a Disaster Recovery Solution using VMware vCenter™ Site Recovery Manager™ (SRM) series. Today, I’m back to walk through the fourth and final leg of our journey. We’ve come a long way, and you should have a nice disaster recovery (DR) solution in place with test plans and […]
Building a Disaster Recovery Solution using Site Recovery Manager, Part 3: Deploying
Feb 18, 2015
In my last post, I outlined how to architect a solid VMware vCenter™ Site Recovery Manager™ (SRM) solution. At the beginning of, I reviewed how to leverage SRM, and also discussed the importance of the proper planning needed before using SRM. In this post, I’ll cover how to actually build and deploy an SRM-based solution. […]
The Battle Against Patent Trolls Starts Again
Feb 06, 2015
Everyone knows that Rackspace hates patent trolls, but we can only fight them one at a time. Solving the patent troll problem for everyone requires changing the system that aids and encourages troll behavior. Yesterday morning, Congress took a big step forward in trying to shut down these financial parasites. House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Bob […]
Managed Cloud: Arriving at the True Total Cost of Ownership
Feb 03, 2015
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis – a major reason companies migrate to the cloud – typically consists of pure number crunching. For example, hardware for a server upgrade has a fixed price, as does the software license. Paying for those incremental resources through a utility billing model is often much more cost effective. It’s […]
Panel Insights: #PowerOfSearch
Jan 30, 2015
Back in the early days of ecommerce, using the search function of an online store was long-winded and unpredictable. Retailers and their developers had to design systems that could cope with spelling mistakes and ambiguous searches and slowly but surely, we began to embrace that all-powerful search box and trust the results it provided. As […]
Dedicated VMware vCloud: A Managed Private Cloud Powered by VMware Technology and Rackspace Fanatical Support
Jan 28, 2015
Last week, Rackspace announced the unlimited availability of Dedicated VMware vCloud®, the most recent addition to our Managed Private Cloud portfolio. Dedicated VMware vCloud is a single-tenant, Rackspace-hosted, private IaaS cloud with a dedicated cloud management stack for each customer. It is proactively supported 24x7x365 by our VMware certified professionals up to the guest operating […]
Five Ways Rackspace is Making Adopting MSSQL 2014 and In-Memory Effortless
Jan 27, 2015
Rackspace and Microsoft have a long-standing partnership hosting enterprise applications. A four-time Microsoft Hosting Partner of the year, Rackspace already provides Fanatical Support for over 10,000 compute instances running Microsoft SQL Server. The symbiotic nature of infrastructure expertise and mature technology products is a focal reason customers choose hosted Microsoft solutions at Rackspace. The database […]
Office Hours Hangout: Learning about WordPress with CloudU
Jan 26, 2015
If you’ve ever wanted to host your own WordPress blog or learn more about the world’s most popular CMS, you’re in good company. By most counts, WordPress sites make up almost a quarter of all websites. Amongst CMS based sites, WordPress accounts for about 60 percent of the sites. Last week Rackspace was happy to announce […]
Rackspace Hosts RedisConf 2015 Developer Conference
Jan 23, 2015
Here at Rackspace, we have a strong commitment to open source software and communities, in particular open source databases. One such technology is Redis, which has seen a lot of growth since its inception in 2009. During the past six years, the community has grown to over 150 contributors with almost 5,000 code releases. If […]
What is cloud and its impact on the future of SharePoint?
Jan 22, 2015
Rackspace and AvePoint will co-host a free webinar on Tuesday, February 3rd at 11:30am ET to discuss “What is cloud and its impact on the future of SharePoint?” The webinar will feature four SharePoint MVP panelists: Dux Sy (CTO, AvePoint); Shyam Oza (Sr. Product Manager, AvePoint); Jeff DeVerter (Sr. Director, Rackspace); Todd Klindt (Architect, Rackspace). Register now for the webinar!
IT Resolution #2: Becoming a Service Provider to the Business
Jan 21, 2015
In continuation of our New Year’s Resolution for IT series, we’d like to offer up a more in-depth look into our second resolution: “Becoming a Service Provider to the Business.” Many of you may already be on your own journey to adopting a service provider model. This post and the January 28th webinar are designed […]
Rackspace and VMware Enter into Strategic Partnership to Deliver Managed Private Cloud to Enterprise
Jan 21, 2015
Today, Rackspace announces the unlimited availability of Dedicated VMware vCloud®, the most recent addition to our Managed Private Cloud portfolio. Dedicated vCloud is a single-tenant, hosted environment that enables enterprises to take the next step in their virtualization journey by offering advanced automation, self-service, hosted catalogs and access to the vCloud API and vCloud web […]
How Do You Improve Collaboration In An Increasingly Mobile World?
Jan 20, 2015
Whether it’s between two people or a dozen, good collaboration depends on effective communication, goal setting and on-the-fly problem solving. These factors come with challenges that mobility presents.
Cloud Office Hours Hangout: Cloud Architecture Trends We’re Following
Jan 19, 2015
The New Year begins with a fresh start and new ideas. If you happen to be working on a new application—or are redesigning one that you have in production—you may want to consider architecting your app to run on the cloud. To assist you with this, Rackers BK Box, Caleb Groom and Ryan Walker authored […]
Don’t Be Held Hostage By Ransomware Hackers
Jan 15, 2015
Your data footprint is getting larger. From documents and contracts to family photos and beloved songs, your data and files are important pieces of your life – both business and personal. What would you do if you could no longer access your data? Here are five tips to avoid falling victim to ransomware hackers.
Cloud Office At Rackspace – A Year In Review
Jan 14, 2015
Cloud Office at Rackspace thrived in 2014 with major product developments and huge customer wins. Each year Cloud Office teams strategize on how to provide the best services and products for our customers worldwide. The execution of those strategies in 2014 resulted in a mega year for Cloud Office and our customers alike. Here’s a Cloud Office year in review.
CRM Ain’t Enough In The Sales 2.0 World
Jan 13, 2015
As a startup, BuyerDeck focuses heavily on innovation. We have to balance high availability and innovation while creating a tool that connects buyers and sellers in real time and closes that feedback loop. A product like ours demands infrastructure that is available and up – downtime is simply unacceptable. At the same time, we need to deploy updates seamlessly. To do that, we leverage the Rackspace Cloud and ObjectRocket MongoDB.
Why Rackspace Managed Operations?
Jan 08, 2015
You have a business to run. You can’t get bogged down worrying about the day-to-day intricacies of infrastructure and operations. You’ve got bigger fish to fry than data backup, patching, security, proactive monitoring and incident response. You need a trusted partner to help you – to handle your cloud operations while you focus on building your business without the pain of hunting down and hiring top-dollar staff to do it for you. That’s where Rackspace Managed Operations comes in.
Cloud Databases Adds Replication Support And Enhanced UI Capabilities
Jan 08, 2015
As we kick off 2015, the Cloud Databases team has a few early gifts for you. Starting today, we support replication for Cloud Databases and added Control Panel integration for managing your configuration settings.
Top New Year’s Resolutions For IT [Infographic]
Jan 07, 2015
Happy 2015 to everyone in the IT industry! May all of your technology dreams and predictions come true! As many post their predictions for the cloud industry (including our very own CTO John Engates, with his Cloud Predictions for 2015) we’d like to offer up a few New Year’s Resolutions for IT decision makers to consider as they transition into the Managed Cloud era.
CloudU Adds WordPress Learning Series To 2015 Course Lineup
Jan 07, 2015
CloudU is launching a series of learning programs in 2015 aimed at making the cloud more accessible and easier to understand, no matter where you’re at in your IT career. The learning series is designed to reduce the ambiguity about the role of the cloud in a rapidly evolving IT industry. The first learning series will focus on installing, designing and implementing a fully functional WordPress site hosted on Cloud Sites.
With Field Service Management Software, Speed And Reliability Are Paramount
Jan 06, 2015
When your software keeps techs in the field connected; speed, reliability and uptime are imperative. When we started Bella FSM seven years ago, leveraging Rackspace managed hosting was a no-brainer. Why? Two words: Fanatical Support. We’re a small company with limited resources. We rely heavily on Rackspace to manage and operate our server infrastructure.
The Top 14 Posts Of 2014
Jan 05, 2015
As we dive headfirst into 2015, we wanted to take a quick a look back at the most popular posts we published in 2014. For the second consecutive year, our ongoing battle with patent trolls took center stage. We also saw new product and feature launches like OnMetal Cloud Servers and chat draw great interest. Without further ado, here are the top 14 Rackspace blog posts of 2014.
Keeping Your Inbox Safe This Holiday Season
Dec 23, 2014
The holiday season can literally be “the most wonderful time of the year” for Internet hackers. When spending and credit card use is up… so is criminal activity. With just five simple steps, however, you can greatly reduce your exposure to these crooks – or at least limit the amount of damage they can cause – and keep your inbox safe.
Solving Social Support On The Rackspace Cloud
Dec 22, 2014
At HelpSocial, we built our social media support apps and our API on the Rackspace Cloud. Why? Because the Rackspace Cloud is driving new innovation across various technology platforms, including social media.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: December 19
Dec 19, 2014
This week, we join the OpenPOWER Foundation, highlight big data for small businesses and showcase how MyDirectves is using the cloud to change how people make their medical wishes known. Check out all that and more in this week’s digest.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight: A Look Back At 2014
Dec 18, 2014
Let’s take a look back at 2014 and revisit the Rackspace Startup Program’s adventures and some of the startups that we highlighted through the year.
Public Folders Now Available In Hosted Exchange 2013
Dec 17, 2014
The wait is finally over for public folders in Hosted Exchange 2013. Exchange Public Folders let you share calendars, tasks, contacts and email across your organization. You can access folders from Outlook and other Exchange mail clients, the same way you access your personal folders. Starting today, Rackspace Hosted Exchange 2013 customers can log into the Cloud Office Control Panel and enable public folders.
MyDirectives: Voicing Your Medical Wishes Via The Cloud
Dec 17, 2014
MyDirectives is using the Rackspace Cloud to change the way people make their medical wishes known.
OpenPOWER: Opening The Stack, All The Way Down
Dec 16, 2014
Rackspace has publicly announced our affiliation with the OpenPOWER Foundation, and we are now an official member. OpenPOWER is a community dedicated to opening access to the lowest-level parts of servers: chips, buses, boards, firmware, and so forth. We anticipate that this movement will bring increased freedom and value to two other communities that we participate in: OpenStack and the Open Compute Project. We think that by working within this new community, Rackspace can deliver improved performance, value, and features for our customers.
How Startups Can Use Big Data
Dec 15, 2014
One of the biggest misnomers in the big data community is that the “big” aspect of your data is a driving force behind your choice to implement a big data solution. I have sat through vendor presentations where they tout the exabytes of information accumulated by companies like Twitter and Pinterest. While these are always good reference points of how the technology is evolving, our customers (and most companies) are not dealing with exabytes of data. The truth is, in the real world companies are utilizing big data technologies to get insights from seemingly small amounts of data. This drove me to create a very simple and direct approach to showcasing “How startups can leverage big data.”
Rackspace Weekly Digest: December 12
Dec 12, 2014
In this week’s digest, we take a look into the crystal ball and predict how the cloud will advance in 2015. We also talk about using Grafana to monitor your data; launch RackConnect RegionLink; and discuss the transition to an IT as a service broker.
Straight Up Startup Featuring Matt Wilbanks, CEO Of HelpSocial
Dec 11, 2014
In this edition of Straight Up Startup, HelpSocial CEO Matt Wilbanks offers insight into building a startup around social media customer service.
RackConnect RegionLink: Get Fast, Reliable, Secure Inter-Region Private Connectivity
Dec 11, 2014
Here, we take a deeper look at RackConnect RegionLink and discuss the importance of digital diversification while examining how RegionLink compares to alternatives.
RackConnect RegionLink: Reduce Latency, Increase Throughput Across Rackspace Regions
Dec 10, 2014
Today, we expand the RackConnect portfolio of connectivity services to include a new inter-region private connectivity service. RackConnect RegionLink is a fully service that enables you to transfer data between Rackspace Regions at a lower latency and with better throughput than over the Internet by utilizing an MPLS VPN connection over the Rackspace backbone.
Cloud Predictions For 2015
Dec 10, 2014
For the past few years I’ve used this holiday period as a chance to do some prognostication. It’s a fun exercise – looking back at trends from the previous 12 months and trying to predict what’s next. So what can we expect in 2015? Here are my predictions.
Use Grafana For All Of Your Monitoring Data, Rackspace Or Otherwise
Dec 09, 2014
Here we’ll show you how we make it simple to bring up a Grafana dashboard to generate monitoring data for any kind of server, our infrastructure can receive and display that information so you can have a consistent experience across all of your products, Rackspace or otherwise.
How To Manage The Transition To IT As A Service Broker
Dec 08, 2014
The time has come. IT must reinvent itself or risk becoming irrelevant. It’s just not possible for IT to function effectively any longer in a traditionally reactive role. Rather, IT must carve out a more strategic relationship within the business by becoming a service broker. So what does that entail?
Rackspace Weekly Digest: December 5
Dec 05, 2014
Want to know how Tipsy Elves survived the Shark Tank effect (again)? Or learn how to build a disaster recovery solution using Site Recover Manager? Or get an update on OpenStack? You can get all of that and more in this week’s digest.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On MuniBilling: Municipality Billing Software At Cloud Scale
Dec 04, 2014
Rackspace Startup Program member MuniBilling uses the scale of the cloud to offer a SaaS solution for small government and property management companies or any other entity that needs to bill for recurring payments.
Building A Disaster Recovery Solution Using Site Recovery Manager Part 2: Architecting
Dec 03, 2014
In my last post, I described how to use VMware® vCenter™ Site Recovery Manager™ to orchestrate the failover of a group of virtual machines (VMs) from one location to another. I also discussed the importance of planning when it comes to using Site Recovery Manager. This post outlines how to properly architect a solid Site Recovery Manager solution.
For Tipsy Elves, Ugly Christmas Sweaters (And Massive Web Traffic) Never Looked So Good
Dec 03, 2014
Since our appearance on Shark Tank late last year, Tipsy Elves' business has grown tremendously, and so has the amount of web traffic to our ecommerce site. We rely on Rackspace to ensure our site can handle the load.
At Texas Conference For Women, Rackers Highlight Women In Tech
Dec 02, 2014
Rackspace last month sponsored the Texas Conference for Women; it was a new experience for the company. For those that are unfamiliar, Thursday, November 13 marked the 15th anniversary of Texas Conference for Women. When Anita Perry took the title of first lady of Texas, she focused on hosting this event to empower and elevate women in Texas. By sponsoring the conference, Rackspace was able to spread our mission on elevating women in technology to a group of more than 6,000 attendees. We were also able to bring visibility to Rackspace as a brand and inform the public of our products, services and job openings.
7 Tips To Becoming An IT Service Broker
Dec 01, 2014
“IT as a Service Broker” ranked No. 4 in Gartner’s Top 10 Technology Trends for 2014. What’s a service broker you might ask? A broker is anyone who acts as a go-between in a transaction—just as a stockbroker buys and sells stock on behalf of a client. In this context, the “broker” is the central IT department that is offering cloud services to a “client,” who could be an internal end user, partner or customer.
The State Of OpenStack [Video]
Nov 26, 2014
A lot of the talk at OpenStack Summit Paris this month centered on the current state of OpenStack and its future. As the four-year-old project continues to grow and mature, what will OpenStack look like in five, 10 or 15 years? In this video, Rackers Jim Curry and Van Lindberg discuss OpenStack's future.
Considering ITO Longevity Or MSP Agility?
Nov 25, 2014
For customers who need a swift ROI, and even those who value return on agility (ROA), managed service providers (MSPs) are strongly considered a new and healthy alternative to traditional IT outsourcing (ITO).
RackConnect v3: The Hybrid Cloud Gets More Sophisticated (Monocle Not Included)
Nov 25, 2014
A vital component of Fanatical Support is educating our customers on the technology we employ. We also must engineer an experience that makes using that technology seamless and simple. This level of sophistication was an early goal of the RackConnect team and is one of the key improvements to the latest iteration of RackConnect v3.
Rethinking People Costs In Enterprise IT
Nov 24, 2014
In our newly available Rethinking People Costs in Enterprise IT white paper, we offer a financial perspective to help businesses consider how to evolve IT from a traditional cost center into a source of innovation.
Don’t Let Black Friday And Cyber Monday Take You Down
Nov 24, 2014
On Black Friday 2013 we and almost 200 other apps on the Shopify platform suffered outages and service disruptions due to our servers not being able to handle the traffic explosion. That day, we moved to Rackspace and were up and running throughout the weekend and Cyber Monday. Here are some of the steps we’ve taken to ensure Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2014 are bright days for Bold Apps.
Pour STEM Into Your Community And Watch It Grow!
Nov 21, 2014
As part of our Fanatical Support promise, Rackspace believes in investing in STEM and tech in our local communities. We believe that open sharing makes us all smarter and fortifies our community's technical and entrepreneurial foundations. We do this across the globe, from Texas to Australia. And it is especially evident in our mid-Atlantic dev office in Blacksburg Va. -- affectionately known as "Racksburg"
Rackspace Weekly Digest: November 21
Nov 21, 2014
This week, Forrester rated Rackspace Private Cloud a “strong performer;” we reduced the price of our DevOps Automation service; we talked about the scalability of RackConnect v3; and much more. Check it out now in the weekly digest.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: December 2014
Nov 20, 2014
Within the startup movement, there are plenty of events happening globally in December 2014. The Rackspace Startup Program is here to keep you up to date with valuable information on events and happenings inside the global startup community. Here is a partial list of global startup events complied by the contributors of StartupDigest.
Smarter Scaling With Rackspace And New Relic
Nov 20, 2014
At Rackspace, we’re immensely excited about our partnership with New Relic that helps power our DevOps Automation Service. Since announcing the partnership in early October, we’ve turned our attention maximizing the impact of Fanatical Support and Application Monitoring in solving common customer problems. In this post I’ll address one of these areas, auto scale.
Build Rich Network Services With OpenStack’s Neutron API
Nov 20, 2014
Today, we make it easier for Rackspace Cloud users to build rich network services with the availability of the OpenStack Neutron Networking API. This milestone greatly increases your ability to create and manage networking services and capabilities and makes it possible to add a number of immediate and future improvements.
Rackspace Wins Best Cloud Solution Award At MSPWorld
Nov 19, 2014
Rackspace recently earned the 2014 MSPWorld Cup Award for Best Cloud Solution at the MSPWorld Conference. The MSPWorld Cup, awarded by MSPAlliance, recognizes companies that demonstrate consistent efforts to advance the cause of cloud and managed service providers through cutting edge technology, services and solutions to the IT channel.
We’ve Improved Email Notifications For Cloud Monitoring Remote Checks
Nov 19, 2014
We have just released an enhancement in the notification emails for Cloud Monitoring remote checks to make it easier for you to digest the content. While the change is small, we would like to take this opportunity to give you an overview of the remote monitoring feature in the context of explaining the feature.
RackConnect v3: Massive Scalability In The Hybrid Cloud
Nov 18, 2014
We designed RackConnect and our hybrid cloud to deliver on the promise that you could have the best of both worlds - the security and predictability of dedicated servers combined with the scalability and programmatic control of the cloud. In keeping with this paradigm, the newest version of RackConnect – version 3 -- emphasizes scalability and your ability to “own the base and the rent the spike.”
Forrester Names Rackspace A ‘Strong Performer’ In Hosted Private Cloud; And We’ve Made It Even Stronger
Nov 18, 2014
Forrester Research, Inc. has named Rackspace Private Cloud (RPC) a “strong performer” in The Forrester Wave™: Hosted Private Cloud Solutions, Q4 2014. We believe that this rating is great recognition of the momentum we’re seeing with our OpenStack-powered private cloud solution. What we find even more exciting, however, are some areas of improvement that RPC can capitalize on to offer a stronger private cloud solution, which are some of the exact enhancements included in the latest release of Rackspace Private Cloud.
OpenStack Summit Paris: Federated Clouds Becoming A Reality [Video]
Nov 17, 2014
In this video from Openstack Summit Paris, CERN's Tim Bell and Rackspace DevOps Practice CTO Chris Jackson talk about cloud federation and the work Rackspace and CERN openlab are doing together.
Rackspace Elastic DevOps Resourcing – DevOps Expertise At Scale
Nov 17, 2014
We believe that DevOps is fundamental to delivering cloud management expertise at scale, irrespective of our customers' workload or solution. Part of delivering expertise at scale is transferring scale savings to customers to make it incredibly valuable. As of this week, we have cut the cost of DevOps Automation in half to a fixed monthly fee of $2,500.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: November 14
Nov 14, 2014
It was another rocking week here at The Rack. We joined the Microsoft Cloud OS Partner Network; launched Mailgun managed email; examined the difference between DIY MongoDB and ObjectRocket MongoDB; and much more. Check it all out in this week’s digest.
MongoDB DIY vs. MongoDB On ObjectRocket [Infographic]
Nov 13, 2014
This infographic highlights some of the more pervasive considerations for running MongoDB at scale in comparison to leveraging a managed service like ObjectRocket.
Explore The Five Pillars Of Cloudiness
Nov 13, 2014
A year and a half ago, we published several blog posts about the Pillars of Cloudiness. These posts served as a guide for architecting an application to take full advantage of the cloud’s capabilities. We realized that there was a wealth of information in these posts and we wanted to combine—and update—them into a white paper called The Cloud Pillars.
Mist.io: A Geekdom Startup Simplifying Server Management Across Clouds
Nov 13, 2014
Mist.io is a Rackspace Startup Program and Geekdom San Francisco member looking to simplify server management across multiple clouds.
Cloud At Your Pace – More Choices For Managed Hosting
Nov 12, 2014
We have added a new service that truly responds to our customers’ demands: support for Hyper-V Server and Microsoft Cloud OS. This is significant as Rackspace and our teams of experts now have the ability to design and deploy private clouds running on Microsoft’s Cloud OS.
Increase Email Engagement With Mailgun Managed Email Service
Nov 12, 2014
With Mailgun managed email, Mailgun experts advise customers on industry standards and veteran techniques, ensuring that good email doesn’t fall through the cracks.
Solving The IT Skills Gap
Nov 11, 2014
Despite a nearly 7 percent national unemployment rate, the unemployment rate in IT hovers just below 3 percent, according to a Dice report. Among IT hiring managers, 62 percent report that filling open positions is taking longer than it did last year, with some technology professionals reporting up to a six-month hiring cycle.
RackConnect v3: Bringing Dedicated Security To The Hybrid Cloud
Nov 11, 2014
Security - knowing your data and your business are safe - provides peace of mind. That’s why security is an area that we’ve focused on while building RackConnect v3, the latest version of hybrid cloud platform.
With Microsoft Private Cloud, We Make Your Cloud Work For You
Nov 10, 2014
Back in August, I unveiled Rackspace's step into Microsoft virtualization and private cloud offerings. Well, today I am honored to tell you that Rackspace now supports Microsoft’s cloud platform, which includes Microsoft Hyper-V, System Center, Windows Server and Windows Azure Pack, in all of our U.S. data centers. Additionally, Rackspace is now a member of the Microsoft Cloud OS Network.
A Cloud Server For Each Phase Of Your Application Journey
Nov 10, 2014
When we talk to our customers, we often hear one thing loud and clear: you want choice. You want us to have a robust portfolio where you have the flexibility to choose an option based on the price-performance requirements of your specific application or workload. The recent launch of Memory and Compute Workload-Optimized Cloud Servers provides you more options to choose from for each phase of your application development.
4 Steps To Help Your Organization Meet The Growing Demands On IT
Nov 10, 2014
In our new How to Meet the Growing Demands on IT white paper, we offer four practical steps to help organizations beginning to transition from a traditional on-premises hardware and software management approach to an internal cloud services broker approach.
ICYMI: OpenStack Summit Paris Recap
Nov 07, 2014
OpenStack Summit Paris is just about over. It was a great week. In case you missed it, here’s a roundup of our coverage from the Paris Summit. We’ll see you in Vancouver in May.
Production-Ready Application Stacks For Rackspace Private Cloud [Video]
Nov 07, 2014
Rackspace Private Cloud Senior Director of Product Management Bryan Thompson stopped by for a live Google hangout to talk about our new production-ready application stacks and the latest release of Rackspace Private Cloud. Here's a full recording of that hangout.
Simplifying OpenStack [Video]
Nov 06, 2014
In this video, we hear from Rackspace OpenStack experts about why making OpenStack simple, scalable and stable is integral to the project’s success.
Digging Into OpenStack Neutron [Video]
Nov 06, 2014
Rackers Drew Cox and Alan Bush caught up with James Denton, OpenStack Network Architect for Rackspace Private Cloud and author of Learning OpenStack Networking (Neutron), and Phil Hopkins, Rackspace Cloud Technologies Instructor, for a live Google Hangout digging into what’s new and what’s to come in Neutron. Here’s a full recording of that Hangout.
What’s Neu In Neutron At OpenStack Summit Paris?
Nov 06, 2014
Among the OpenStack projects getting the most attention here at the OpenStack Summit Paris is the Neutron networking project. Here I take a look at some of the new things in Neutron.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Fashion Metric: Predictive Analytics For Apparel Retailers
Nov 06, 2014
Rackspace Startup Program member Fashion Metric is a big data SaaS solution that empowers apparel retailers and brands to gather intelligence about their customers and personalize the online apparel shopping experience.
CERN, Rackspace Talk Cloud Federation From OpenStack Summit Paris [Video]
Nov 05, 2014
Rackers Drew Cox and Alan Bush caught up with CERN’s Tim Bell and Racker Chris Jackson this week for a live Google Hangout from OpenStack Summit Paris. Here's a full recording of that Hangout.
Federating OpenStack Clouds With CERN
Nov 05, 2014
At OpenStack Summit Paris this week, myself, along with CERN’s Tim Bell and Marek Denis, showed the progress we’ve made federating OpenStack clouds, and I’m incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made in a short space of time.
Communication Is Key To Getting More Women Involved In OpenStack [Video]
Nov 05, 2014
At the Women of OpenStack working breakfast this week at OpenStack Summit Paris, women got together to share their experiences, support each other and discuss ways to increase the number of women involved in OpenStack. In this video, we hear from some of the Women of OpenStack.
At OpenStack Summit Paris, Stability And Maneuverability Go Together Like Fine Wine And Cheese
Nov 05, 2014
In Paris this week, it feels like OpenStack has really turned the corner and has become a true enterprise cloud platform. 2014 is the year that OpenStack stabilizes and draws larger companies into the community.
An Inside Look At OpenStack Juno [Video]
Nov 04, 2014
Rackers Alan Bush and Drew Cox were able to catch up with Rackspace Principal Architects Kevin Jackson and Justin Shepherd for a live Google Hangout to dig into what’s new and exciting in Juno and other insights from OpenStack Summit. Here's video of that conversation.
OpenStack’s Maturity Shines At OpenStack Summit Paris [Video]
Nov 04, 2014
In this video, we take a look at day one of OpenStack Summit Paris and get some insight into how the event and the project have evolved.
Mimic – Mocks Not Driven By Tests
Nov 04, 2014
In this post, I would like to take you through the experiences and learnings I have had with testing Auto Scale, and how the ability to test it improved drastically using Mimic, an API-compatible mock service for Identity, OpenStack Compute and Load Balancers. You can learn more about Mimic at OpenStack Summit Paris this week.
What’s New In OpenStack Juno?
Nov 04, 2014
OpenStack gave birth to the tenth release, Juno, on October 16. This brought with it over 240 new features and well over 3,200 bugs squashed, making Juno the most stable and feature rich OpenStack release to date for enterprises to deploy. Let's take a closer look at what makes Juno tick.
OpenStack Summit Paris: OpenStack Is All About Choice
Nov 03, 2014
At OpenStack Summit Paris, customers discussed how OpenStack gives them more choice.
We Need To Simplify OpenStack
Nov 03, 2014
As OpenStack continues to grow, we, as a community, need to simplify OpenStack.
A DevOps Snapshot: Rackspace Survey Shows Businesses Benefits Of DevOps [Infographic]
Oct 31, 2014
A recent Rackspace-sponsored survey shows that DevOps can deliver business benefits, such as an increase in sales and customer conversions. This infographic highlights just some of the survey’s data, including the business benefits tied to DevOps tactics.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: October 31
Oct 31, 2014
Happy Halloween! It’s been a busy week here at Rackspace - we prepped for OpenStack Summit Paris; took a deep look at DevOps; added two new Cloud Servers flavors; heard from a Managed Operations customer; and more. Check it out in this week’s digest.
Workload-Optimized Cloud Servers: More Flexibility To Define Your Infrastructure
Oct 31, 2014
Based on your feedback about our virtual Cloud Servers, one thing is clear: the more flexibility you have in defining your infrastructure, the better. So today, we’re adding two new workload-optimized flavor classes to our Cloud Servers lineup that allow you to create servers that meet your specific compute and memory requirements. The new servers allow you to define storage completely separately from compute – they boot exclusively from Cloud Block Storage.
Email Best Practices: Sending Emails That Won’t Be Ignored
Oct 30, 2014
HubSpot and Rackspace have collaborated on the new ebook '9 Reasons People Are Ignoring Your Emails,' which contains tips to help make sure that your important emails get read; not ignored or trashed.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: November 2014
Oct 30, 2014
Within the startup movement, there are plenty of events happening globally in November 2014. The Rackspace Startup Program is here to keep you up to date with valuable information on events and happenings inside the global startup community. Here is a partial list of global startup events complied by the contributors of StartupDigest.
Businesses Are Finding Real Value, Cost Savings With DevOps
Oct 30, 2014
We polled 700 technology decision makers in the US, UK and Australia about DevOps adoption and found that among those familiar with DevOps 86 percent have either already implemented DevOps (51 percent) or is planning to adopt DevOps practices (35 percent). The survey confirmed that the business value of implementing DevOps is real.
Designing A Better DevOps Culture: An Inside Look At How Rackspace Does DevOps
Oct 29, 2014
frog design interviewed industry experts and practitioners for their insights and personal experiences with DevOps. When Rackspace’s San Francisco office opened its doors to us, we were uniquely pleased to have the opportunity to learn how its teams works to build an environment where DevOps can be a strategic advantage.
Bold Apps Extends Ops Team With Rackspace Managed Operations Service
Oct 28, 2014
With a Rackspace Managed Cloud and the Rackspace Managed Operations service Bold Apps doesn't worry about the infrastructure that’s powering our apps. It greatly simplifies what we do. Rackspace knows our products – it’s not just hosting our servers. With our previous host, the support we received was basically them saying “Here’s some server space, deal with it.”
Use Compliance To Build A Great Security Program
Oct 27, 2014
In August, Rackspace and Alert Logic hosted a webinar on how compliance and security are related. If you missed the event, here's a brief recap and full video of the webinar.
Where To Begin? The Journey To Managed Infrastructure Services And Greater Innovation
Oct 27, 2014
External cloud and managed infrastructure service providers offer attractive opportunities for IT to offload activities to focused vendors with economies of scale, experience and expertise.
OpenStack Summit Paris: Rackspace OpenStack Specialists To Share Expertise In City Of Light
Oct 24, 2014
OpenStack Summit Paris kicks of Monday, November 3 at Palais des congress de Paris. The five-day conference brings together OpenStack developers, users and administrators from around the globe to talk in depth about the open source cloud software. As an OpenStack founder, Rackspace will be at the Summit sharing OpenStack insights and updates through speaking sessions, book signings and more. Here’s where you can find our OpenStack experts throughout OpenStack Summit Paris.
Racksburg And Rocket Boy Homer Hickam Inspire And Launch Young Minds
Oct 24, 2014
Last month, Racksburg (the Rackspace Blacksburg offices) joined New River Valley Rocketry (NRVR) and several local community technology groups to support a very special STEM outreach rocket launch here in Virginia’s New River, attended by Homer Hickam of "October Sky" fame.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: October 24
Oct 24, 2014
This week, we hosted our final Rackspace::Solve event of 2014 in Chicago; launched our Cloud Office at Rackspace business unit; asked whether IT support can scale; and much more. Check it all out in the weekly digest.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On LifeCellar: Managing Digital Information On The Rackspace Managed Cloud
Oct 23, 2014
Rackspace Startup Program member LifeCellar used the Rackspace Managed Cloud to build a digital wallet to manage important life information.
Cloud Office At Rackspace: Fanatical Support For All Of Your Collaboration And Productivity Needs
Oct 23, 2014
Cloud Office at Rackspace is a one-stop shop for your collaboration and productivity tools. Under one roof we offer email hosting with Microsoft Exchange and Rackspace Email; collaboration with Microsoft SharePoint and Lync; file backup and protection with Jungle Disk; and more.
Infographic: The State Of SMB Cloud Adoption In 2014
Oct 22, 2014
In this infographic we look at some statistics on SMB cloud adoption rates, how businesses use the cloud and the benefits they are realizing as a result of adoption.
Cloud Databases Now Supports SSL
Oct 22, 2014
You asked and we answered: Rackspace Cloud Databases now supports SSL to encrypt connections between your applications and your Cloud Database instance.
Four Steps To A Better Hosted Exchange: A Buyer’s Guide
Oct 21, 2014
To help ensure you find a trusted email provider with solutions that fit your business needs, we’ve created a simple four-step Email Hosting Buyer’s Guide.
Is IT Support Going The Way Of The Milkman? Or Can It Scale?
Oct 21, 2014
When Rackspace launched more than 15 years ago, we sought and got lots of good advice — along with one bit of counsel that we’ve blatantly ignored. That nugget of conventional wisdom was that customer service and support – and especially the Fanatical Support that we sought to provide – would not “scale.” We’re hearing more of that sort of thinking of late. Yet the argument is more spurious than ever. Here I discuss why.
Rackspace::Solve Chicago: Partnerships Key To Overcoming Business Challenges
Oct 20, 2014
At Rackspace::Solve Chicago on Monday, a number of innovative companies shared stories about how they partner with Rackspace to overcome the pressing technology challenges that impact their businesses.
Rackspace::Solve Chicago: Guy Kawasaki’s 10 Rules Of Innovation
Oct 20, 2014
At Rackspace::Solve Chicago, tech evangelist and author Guy Kawasaki outlined his top 10 strategies for fostering innovation.
RackConnect v3: Security, Scalability, Sophistication
Oct 20, 2014
RackConnect v3, the latest iteration of our hybrid cloud platform, will be available to all new Rackspace customers starting October 23. This latest version of RackConnect delivers the same level of versatility while addressing the needs of our fastest growing and most security conscious customers by focusing on security, scalability and sophistication.
Thinking Globally, Acting Locally: Mexico City Office Is Big Step For Rackspace In Latin America
Oct 17, 2014
With the opening this week of our Mexico City office, Rackspace is committing to our customers and to the future of the Managed Cloud in Latin America.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: October 17
Oct 17, 2014
This week, we opened our new office in Mexico City, launched Cloud Big Data OnMetal, geared up for Rackspace::Solve Chicago and much more. Read all about it in this week’s digest.
Rackspace In Mexico: A New Office To Better Serve Old Friends
Oct 17, 2014
I was delighted yesterday to visit Mexico City and celebrate the opening of our new Rackspace office there, amid longtime customers, local dignitaries, and the Rackers on both sides of the border who have made this expansion possible. Here are excerpts from my remarks.
OpenStack Workshop At Grace Hopper Open Source Day 2014
Oct 16, 2014
This year, OpenStack participated in Open Source Day (OSD) at the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing (GHC) for the second time. The main focus of this year’s Open Source Day was humanitarian applications. Along with OpenStack, participating open source projects included Microsoft Disaster Recovery, Ushahidi, Sahana Software Foundation and others.
The Startup Pitch: Small Teams Making Big Impacts
Oct 16, 2014
Recently, while visiting our Rackspace office in Sydney, I had the privilege to attend a startup pitch competition organized by the Rackspace Australia/New Zealand (ANZ) Startup Program. On hand for the 2014 Small Teams Big Impact Award event were six startup finalists selected by a panel of independent judges based on the following criteria: Innovation, Disruption and Market.
Rackspace Takes On Fashion Retail At Fashion Digital New York
Oct 16, 2014
Where does fashion meet technology? At Fashion Digital. On Monday, October 20 and Tuesday, October 21, ecommerce retail leaders will meet in New York City to learn about transformative ecommerce technologies and online retail. Rackspace Digital will be there to discuss how we can help power your digital strategy.
SSL Protocol 3.0 Vulnerability (aka The ‘POODLE’ Issue)
Oct 15, 2014
Rackspace is tracking an industry-wide security issue broadly referred to as "POODLE," (Padding Oracle On Downgraded Legacy Encryption). This is a vulnerability affecting the SSLv3 protocol, and a number of Rackspace customers may be impacted. At this time, we are not aware of any attacks attempting to leverage the vulnerability, but we're closely monitoring the situation.
Rackspace::Solve Chicago: How Accruent Solves For Hypergrowth In A SaaS World
Oct 15, 2014
At Rackspace::Solve Chicago on Monday, October 20, Accruent will highlight how it is constantly optimizing our platforms; share its experience updating the infrastructure for companies that join the Accruent family; and share tips on how to effectively optimize infrastructure and eliminate points of failure. Register now for Rackspace::Solve Chicago.
CloudU Celebrates 5-Year Anniversary
Oct 15, 2014
October marks the five-year anniversary of the CloudU program. Since the program launched in 2009, CloudU has extended its global reach to over 20,000 learners from over 17 countries. To celebrate and recognize key members of the CloudU community, CloudU has launched “Who’s Who in CloudU,” an interactive billboard that highlights members of the CloudU community.
Big Data On Bare Metal: Don’t Sacrifice Performance For Flexibility
Oct 15, 2014
In the world of Big Data, bare metal is king. With Cloud Big Data OnMetal you can take advantage of the flexibility of the cloud and the performance of bare metal.
Rackspace::Solve Chicago: Zipline Labs Solves For Scale With DevOps
Oct 14, 2014
At Rackspace::Solve Chicago, Zipline Labs will highlight how it uses Rackspace DevOps Automation Service and the Rackspace Cloud to ensure that it can perform and scale in a secure way for future growth. Zipline will also demo its iOS app, which humanizes the transfer of money, before it's available in the app store.
Accelerating Science With OpenStack At Notre Dame
Oct 14, 2014
The Center for Research Computing (CRC) at the University of Notre Dame offers a heterogeneous high-performance computing environment where faculty, students and others can conduct scientific research. We selected OpenStack and Rackspace Private Cloud for a key component in our research cloud because we need to be dynamically flexible.
Rackspace::Solve Chicago: Building And Selling To The ‘Touch Generation’
Oct 13, 2014
There’s a new generation that has grown up with iPhones. They have never known a world without touch screens, smartphones and slick, snappy interfaces. At Rackspace::Solve Chicago, Paul do Forno from Razorfish will talk about building and selling to the 'touch generation.' Here's a sneak peek.
Considering Outsourcing IT Projects To Managed Hosting Or The Cloud? Review These 12 Critical Success Factors First (Especially No. 11)
Oct 13, 2014
If you’re in an organization investing in outsourcing IT projects to a managed hosting or cloud service provider, there are the 12 critical success factors you should consider.
Rackspace At VMworld Europe 2014: Managing All The Things
Oct 10, 2014
Rackspace experts will be out in full force next week at VMworld Europe 2014, as we take to the Fira Gran Via in Barcelona to showcase how Rackspace manages all the things through managed VMware®, managed OpenStack® and Managed Cloud.
New Images Available For OnMetal
Oct 10, 2014
Since the launch of OnMetal, you have asked us to expand the base images that we offer. Our goal is to have parity in what we support for our virtual Cloud Servers and OnMetal. Hence, we have been working hard to have other popular Linux distros supported for OnMetal. We are excited to let you know that we now support a substantial number of distros.
Straight Up Startup Featuring Aruni S. Gunasegaram, Vice President Of Client Services And Operations At Querium
Oct 10, 2014
In this edition of Straight Up Startup, Querium Vice President of Client Services and Operations Aruni S. Gunasegaram offers insight into building a startup.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: October 10
Oct 10, 2014
This week, we launch Fanatical Support for Google Apps for Work; prepare for Rackspace::Solve Chicago; hear from Rackspace customer Kendra Scott about its ecommerce growth; add new product capabilities; and more. Take a look in this week’s digest.
Guy Kawasaki To Showcase ‘The Art Of Innovation’ At Rackspace::Solve Chicago
Oct 09, 2014
Tech evangelist and author Guy Kawasaki will kick off Rackspace::Solve Chicago (Monday, October 20) with a unique keynote presentation examining the art of innovation. We caught up with Kawasaki for a sneak preview of his Rackspace::Solve Chicago keynote. In this video, Kawasaki examines the main points of the art of innovation; how to innovate; and the cost of innovation. He also discusses some of his favorite innovators.
Boot Rackspace Cloud Servers From A Cloud Block Storage Volume
Oct 09, 2014
Now you can boot Performance 1 and Performance 2 Cloud Servers from a network attached volume in Cloud Block Storage. Here we take a closer look at some of the benefits you get when you use this feature.
New DBA Services Offerings: Database Administration How You Want It
Oct 09, 2014
Based on your feedback, we have enhanced and updated our DBA Services offering for MySQL, MS SQL and Oracle databases. Why? Through our conversations with you, we discovered that our single subscription offering was being leveraged to three very different types of users, so we have introduced a new two-tiered DBA Services offering to better meet the needs of these different users.
Rackspace::Solve Chicago: Hear How Innovative Companies Solve Technical, Business Problems
Oct 08, 2014
After successful Rackspace::Solve events in San Francisco and New York, it’s Chicago’s turn to hear from some of the most innovative companies about how they’re solving some of their most pressing technical and business challenges. Rackspace::Solve Chicago is Monday, October 20 at The Peninsula. Register now.
DevOps Automation Offers Improved New Relic Integration
Oct 08, 2014
Rackspace DevOps Automation customers will soon be more tightly integrated into New Relic application performance monitoring than ever before.
Kendra Scott Brings The ‘Wow’ Factor To Ecommerce On Rackspace Managed Cloud
Oct 08, 2014
At Kendra Scott, our mission is to make our customers say 'Wow.' Whether that is through our jewelry, our great customer service, a simple and elegant buying experience or the speed with which our website responds – our customers have to be wowed. Kendra Scott found the right fit with a combination of Rackspace-managed bare metal servers and Cloud Servers. We also host our ecommerce platform, Magento Enterprise, at Rackspace.
Cloud Orchestration: A Symphony Of Automation And Efficiency
Oct 07, 2014
More than a year ago, we joined forces with the OpenStack Heat community with the goal of productizing the capabilities of orchestration. Today, Cloud Orchestration is generally available. It is a unifying product that will allow you to more easily create stacks using automated features that range from simple and click through to complex and customizable.
Want Fanatical Support For Google Apps For Work? You Got It!
Oct 07, 2014
Today, we take our Fanatical Support mission one step further: we’re offering Fanatical Support for Google Apps for Work. You read that right - we’ll support your Google Apps for Work. This is the first combination of Google technology and Rackspace Fanatical Support.
Secure Your Rackspace Deployment With Private Subnets
Oct 06, 2014
Here is a dilemma: suppose you have a bunch of Cloud Servers, say in the Rackspace DFW data-center. Now, on one hand, for security reasons, you want to keep them as isolated as possible from the outside world (ideally by assigning them private un-routable IP addresses), but on the other hand you want to have connectivity to the Rackspace service network in order to be able to consume cloud services. You also want them to have connectivity to the Internet in order to enable your organization's employees to access them from any remote location or to connect your offices to your cloud deployment. This post discusses how you can “hold the stick at both ends,” namely by allowing external connectivity while keeping maximum isolation of your Cloud Servers.
A Practical Guide To Getting Started With DR-To-The-Cloud
Oct 06, 2014
Some IT initiatives, such as disaster recovery, are natural fits for cloud computing. Yet it can be challenging to know exactly where to begin when it comes to configuring self-managed recovery plans and replicating virtual machines (VMs) from on-premises to a cloud service provider.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: October 3
Oct 03, 2014
Finally, fall is in the air. With each new season comes lots of exciting happenings, both here at the Castle and with our customers around the world. The first week of October has had its ups and downs—but we’re hoping the rest of the month will be one smooth ride into all things festive and Fanatical. Read all about it in this week’s edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On nurseVersity: A Nursing Test Prep Program Built On Rackspace Managed Cloud
Oct 02, 2014
Rackspace Startup Program member nurseVersity built an online test prep program for nursing students on the Rackspace Managed Cloud.
Why Cloud Sites And Cloud Files Are The Perfect Complement
Oct 02, 2014
Rackspace Cloud Files is a super easy, reliable and cost efficient way to store your Cloud Sites website content.
Rackspace::Solve NY: CloudMine Solves For Compliance In Mobile Environments [Video]
Oct 01, 2014
At Rackspace::Solve New York, CloudMine CTO Marc Weil talked about solving for HIPAA compliance in a mobile environment and how CloudMine uses a hybrid cloud infrastructure from Rackspace to help ensure its customers’ mobile data is secure. Here’s video of Marc’s presentation from Rackspace::Solve NY.
An Apology
Oct 01, 2014
Like other major cloud providers, we were forced to reboot some of our customers’ servers this past weekend to patch a security vulnerability affecting certain versions of XenServer, a popular open source hypervisor. This maintenance was especially difficult for many of you because it had to be performed on short notice, and over the weekend. We apologize for the downtime and inconvenience that you and others of our customers have suffered in recent days.
Rackspace::Solve NY: SumAll Solves For Big Data [Video]
Sep 30, 2014
At Rackspace::Solve New York, SumAll CEO Dane Atkinson showcased how SumAll uses ObjectRocket to solve for big data. He was joined by ObjectRocket CEO and Co-Founder Chris Lalonde. Here’s video of Dane’s presentation.
Using Docker Containers With CoreOS
Sep 30, 2014
I am a member of the Docker special interest group at Rackspace. We recently welcomed CoreOS CTO Brandon Philips to visit us to discuss using CoreOS with Docker containers with CoreOS. Here are some high-level takeaways.
What Role Will VARs Play In A Future Of Networked Hybrid Clouds?
Sep 30, 2014
With the recent introduction of more comprehensive partner networked ecosystems such as the VMware vCloud Air Network and the Microsoft Cloud OS Network, the value that a VAR traditionally brings to a customer wedded to their on-premise solutions has changed significantly. VARs must look to align more closely with managed service providers (MSPs) to continue to provide value to their customers in this hybrid world.
8 Steps CIOs Can Take To Bring Shadow IT Into The Light
Sep 29, 2014
Nearly every IT leader these days is wresting with Shadow IT – the dynamic in which end users obtain IT solutions from cloud service providers without informing corporate IT. In fact, CIO Magazine’s 2014 State of the CIO Survey results revealed four out of five IT leaders feel IT projects done without IT involvement are creating problems.
Try RackConnect v3 In Our Limited Availability Program
Sep 29, 2014
The third and latest iteration of RackConnect, the Rackspace Hybrid Cloud connectivity solution, is now available to a select group of customers through our Limited Availability program.
Cloud Server Reboots (Standard, Performance 1 and Performance 2)
Sep 27, 2014
Recently, an issue that has the potential to impact a portion of the Public Cloud environment was reported. Our engineers and developers continue to work closely with our vendors and partners to apply the solution to remediate this issue. While we believe in transparent communication, there are times when we must withhold certain details in […]
Rackspace Weekly Digest: 26
Sep 26, 2014
It’s been a busy and productive week at Rackspace. We continued our streak of challenging, and winning, against patent trolls. We updated Rackspace Private Cloud to feature industry-leading stability and massive scalability. We doubled down to prepare for one of the largest ecommerce events of the year: The Shop.org Summit in Seattle. Read all about […]
Shop.Org Summit 2014: Are You Ready For Retail’s Digital Rush?
Sep 26, 2014
The Shop.org Summit is one of the largest ecommerce events of the year. This year, the summit heads to Seattle from Monday, September 29 to Wednesday, October 1. Rackspace Digital Specialists will be on hand at booth No. 938 at Shop.org ready to talk about the convergence of commerce and content.
Shellshock Bash Bug: Protect Your Systems
Sep 25, 2014
A security vulnerability affecting GNU Bash (CVE-2014-6271), also known as the Shellshock bug or vulnerability, has been discovered. According to research, the bug could be used to remotely take control of a system that uses Bash, which is part of many Linux systems. Rackspace customers that use Bash as their shell should apply the vendor-recommended patch as soon as possible.
Rackspace::Solve NY: Appboy Solves For Rapid Customer Growth, Scale Through DevOps [Video]
Sep 25, 2014
At Rackspace::Solve New York, Jon Hyman, Appboy co-founder and CIO talked about how Appboy leverages DevOps to solve for rapid customer growth and scale. Here’s video of Jon’s talk, with an introduction from General Manager of the DevOps Business Segment at Rackspace Prashanth Chandrasekar.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: October 2014
Sep 25, 2014
Within the startup movement, there are plenty of events happening globally in October 2014. The Rackspace Startup Program is here to keep you up to date with valuable information on events and happenings inside the global startup community. Here is a partial list of global startup events complied by the contributors of StartupDigest.
Industry-Leading Uptime Guarantee, Improved Scalability: Rackspace Private Cloud
Sep 25, 2014
Rackspace Private Cloud has been updated to offer an industry-leading 99.99 percent OpenStack uptime guarantee, scalability up to 200 physical nodes and support for DevOps Automation Services.
Deploying Humanitarian Applications On OpenStack At Grace Hopper Open Source Day
Sep 24, 2014
In October, Rackers will once again take OpenStack to the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing.
Rackspace::Solve NY: DigitasLBi Solves Complexity For Brands, Their Customer Experiences [Video]
Sep 24, 2014
At Rackspace::Solve New York, DigitasLBi Vice President and General Director of Technology Tony Bailey talked about how the agency solves complexity for brands and their customer experiences. Here’s full video of Tony’s presentation.
RPC Insights Wrap Up: Get The Most Out Of Rackspace Private Cloud
Sep 23, 2014
Just as summer comes to a close, so does our RPC Insights series. This series of webinars and blog posts by Rackspace Sales Engineer James Thorne provided detailed information and guidance to help you get started with Rackspace Private Cloud. Here’s a recap of the RPC Insights series.
Winter is Coming. Again: New And Improved Rackspace Tools To Prepare Your Site For Holiday Shopping Traffic
Sep 23, 2014
Last year on our Office Hours Hangout, we spent a few weeks discussing some strategies and tools for scaling ecommerce sites in anticipation of traffic during the holiday season. Rackspace has added several tools and services that can help as you prepare for this year’s holiday traffic rush. We'll discuss those this Thursday at 1 p.m. CDT on our Office Hours Hangout.
Culture, Rackers Make Rackspace Australia One Of ‘Best Places To Work 2014’
Sep 22, 2014
Since we opened the Rackspace Australia office, we have worked to capture the essence of what makes Rackspace great – the culture, the people, the passion – and bring it to this part of the world. And Rackspace Australia’s recent recognition as one of the best places to work in Australia – for the second consecutive year -- shows that we’re leading a successful charge.
Another Patent Troll Slain. You Are Now Free To Rotate Your Smartphone.
Sep 22, 2014
Rotatable Technologies is now an ex-patent troll. I say “ex-troll” because its patent, US Pat. No. 6,326,978, has been declared unpatentable by the US Patent and Trademark Office in response to a challenge (called an Inter Partes Review, or IPR) filed by Rackspace. This continues our streak of challenging, and winning, against patent trolls.
Rackspace::Solve NY: Solving For Powering The Cloud
Sep 19, 2014
Two key themes that were woven into the fabric of Rackspace::Solve New York on Thursday were velocity and agility – and that the underpinnings of our infrastructure must deliver the performance that empowers your business to achieve those goals.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: September 19
Sep 19, 2014
Rackspace::Solve New York; a letter from our new CEO to Rackers; the DevOps team takes home two Stevie Awards; and more in this week's digest.
Rackspace::Solve New York: Collaboration Is Key To Overcome Business Challenges
Sep 19, 2014
Among the presentations this week at Rackspace::Solve New York, one clear theme emerged: the power of collaboration.
Rackspace::Solve NY: Growing Your Business With Private Cloud
Sep 18, 2014
During a panel at Rackspace::Solve New York, Michelle Bailey, senior vice president of digital infrastructure and data initiatives at 451 Research, moderated a panel on opportunities in private cloud.
Rackspace::Solve NY: The ‘Second Stage Cloud’
Sep 18, 2014
Businesses have moved beyond the exploration phase of the cloud and are now at the rationalization phase, the second of three technology adoption cycles, James Staten, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research told the crowd Thursday at Rackspace::Solve New York.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Enplug: Digital Billboards For Live Social Streams Powered By Rackspace Managed Cloud
Sep 18, 2014
Rackspace Startup Program member Enplug is building a global network of social digital billboards and screens powered by Rackspace Managed Cloud.
Cloud Load Balancers: Monitor Bandwidth And Average Connection From The Control Panel
Sep 17, 2014
Starting today, Rackspace Cloud customers using Cloud Load Balancers will be able to once again see graphs of incoming and outgoing bandwidth as well as average connection information for the past 24 hours for these traffic management devices.
A Defining Moment For Rackspace
Sep 17, 2014
As many of you may have seen, yesterday Rackspace made two big announcements: 1) we announced the end of formal evaluation of M&A transactions, and 2) we announced that I have been named CEO of Rackspace. We believe these announcements coupled with our laser-sharp focus on Fanatical Support and managed cloud services have Rackspace primed for future success. Here is the full text of the email I sent to all Rackers yesterday afternoon discussing these announcements.
A Smarter Alternative To Data Center Expansion
Sep 17, 2014
How can IT regain a seat at the innovation table? The answer is simple - by aggressively refocusing resources on true core competencies and areas of differentiation, and investing in areas that truly create business value for the organization.
On DevOps And Soccer: Building A Winning Team
Sep 16, 2014
At O'Reilly Velocity this week I talked about how the main drivers that helped turn around the US Men's National Soccer Team are also needed to push forward the DevOps movement.
Ice Buckets Of…Security Awareness?
Sep 16, 2014
At Rackspace, our security team works diligently to increase security awareness at all levels of the company, like the Ice Bucket Challenge increased awareness of ALS around the globe.
Come See Rackspace SharePoint Specialists At SPTechCon
Sep 16, 2014
SPTechCon starts today in Boston, and as the No. 1 managed SharePoint specialist, Rackspace will have several of our SharePoint experts on-hand throughout the show sharing their expertise and helping you get up to speed on all things SharePoint. Here’s where you can find them.
LifeCellar: Security, Flexibility And Support On The Managed Cloud
Sep 16, 2014
When it comes to a cloud provider, LifeCellar has three key requirements: security, flexibility and support. We found those and more with the Rackspace Managed Cloud.
Rackspace Cloud University Earns Bronze Brandon Hall Learning Excellence Award
Sep 15, 2014
Rackspace Cloud University (CloudU) earned a bronze award for excellence in the Best Custom Content category on September 10 as part of the 20th Annual Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards.
Rackspace DevOps Sees Double At This Year’s Stevie American Business Awards
Sep 15, 2014
The Rackspace DevOps team took home two Stevie Awards for the Rackspace DevOps Automation Service at The 12th Annual American Business Awards.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: September 12
Sep 12, 2014
This week, we gear up for Rackspace::Solve New York, show you how to set up your Rackspace email on the iPhone 6 and launch a new Master Agent Program. Check out all that and more in the weekly digest.
4 Reference Architectures To Optimize Your Ecommerce
Sep 10, 2014
Our Rackspace Digital application specialists put together four reference architectures that optimize the right mix of price, performance and control for most businesses to help you make the most out of your ecommerce platform.
Does A Hosted Virtualized Environment Require New Tools?
Sep 10, 2014
Many enterprises have invested millions of dollars over the years in IT management, monitoring and automation solutions for their data centers. So a natural question that arises when considering migration of workloads to hosted environments is around management tools. What new capabilities will be required? What new skills will our organization need? Is our existing toolset extensible at all?
Rackspace::Solve New York: How CloudMine Solves For High Mobile Performance In Regulated Environments
Sep 09, 2014
At Rackspace::Solve New York on September 18, CloudMine will present how it solves for high mobile performance in regulated environments. Here's a sneak peek from CloudMine and registration information for Rackspace::Solve New York.
Upgrading To iPhone 6? Setting Up Your Rackspace Email Is A Snap.
Sep 09, 2014
iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were announced today. If you’re upgrading to iPhone 6, you can setup your Rackspace Hosted Exchange email in less than two minutes and in only a few clicks.
Rackspace::Solve New York: How Under Armour Solves For Rapid Ecommerce Growth
Sep 08, 2014
At Rackspace::Solve New York on September 18, Under Armour will discuss how it partners with Rackspace to solve for rapid ecommerce growth. Here's a sneak peek from Under Armour and registration information for Rackspace::Solve New York.
How bfw Advertising Protects Its Web Apps
Sep 08, 2014
bfw Advertising is a full service advertising agency with expertise in building websites. However, bfw Advertising does not have expertise in cloud or Web Application Firewall (WAF) technologies. In order to focus on its business, bfw Advertising turned to Rackspace Managed Cloud and Alert Logic.
Expanding Our Partner Network With A Master Agent Program
Sep 08, 2014
As part of our continued effort to better serve our partners, we’re expanding our Rackspace Partner Network to include a new Master Agent/Agent Program, a program through which a new segment of partners can offer Rackspace Managed Cloud and award-winning Fanatical Support to their end customers.
How Downtime Impacts The Bottom Line 2014 [Infographic]
Sep 08, 2014
This year’s research confirms that downtime is still causing headaches for end-users and IT professionals. However, in addition to the frustration caused by outages, it’s also costing businesses more than ever. Take a look in the How Downtime Impacts the Bottom Line 2014 infographic.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: September 5
Sep 05, 2014
This week, we geared up for Rackspace::Solve New York; heard how noHold, Inc. uses the Managed Cloud; highlighted how infoplum-AFP handled billions of web requests during the World Cup; and much more. Check out all that and more in the weekly digest.
Rackspace::Solve New York: How SumAll Solves For Big Data, Scale
Sep 04, 2014
At Rackspace::Solve New York on September 18, SumAll will discuss how it uses ObjectRocket and Rackspace to solve the challenges of big data and scale. Here's a sneak peek from SumAll and registration information for Rackspace::Solve New York.
Cloud Sites Helps infoplum – AFP Handle Billions Of FIFA World Cup Web Requests
Sep 04, 2014
The Rackspace Cloud Sites team helped infoplum - AFP handle a major traffic crunch of soccer fanatics looking for real-time match info during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The infoplum application was embedded on 161 websites, which were served to a worldwide audience in more than 20 countries and in more than 15 languages throughout the entire 32-day global soccer phenomenon. This resulted in 4.1 billion web requests, or 153 million hits per day and over 100 million pageviews.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Flickflyer: A Marketplace Video Platform Built On Rackspace Managed Cloud
Sep 04, 2014
Rackspace Startup Program member Flickflyer has used the Rackspace Managed Cloud to build an app that allows users to create and post video advertisements for items they're selling.
Bot Protection: How To Stop Web Bots In Their Tracks
Sep 03, 2014
Bot protection is key if you want to protect your website and your business.
Rackspace::Solve New York: Solve Tough IT Challenges
Sep 03, 2014
At Rackspace::Solve New York (Thursday, September 18 at The Cipriani Wall Street), an exciting roster of cutting-edge companies will discuss about how they use technologies like virtualization, ecommerce, big data, DevOps and cloud architectures to drive real results and overcome technology challenges. Register now.
Migrating Virtualized Workloads To Hosted Environments: An IT Auditor’s Perspective
Sep 03, 2014
We asked Dan Ross, Security Risk Manger at Rackspace, to address common security and compliance questions that enterprise customers have around migration of virtualized workloads.
Artificial Intelligence Provider noHold Answers The Call With Rackspace Managed Cloud
Sep 02, 2014
Artificial Intelligence provider noHold chose Rackspace Managed Cloud to deliver a world-class hybrid solution that combines the security and data integrity that its customers demand with the human touch of Rackspace Fanatical Support.
To Cloud Or Not To Cloud: The Uncertain Future Of The Traditional Enterprise App
Sep 02, 2014
There’s a debate raging in IT about what steps established organizations should take to move their older traditional applications to the cloud.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: August 29
Aug 29, 2014
This week, we unveiled a downloadable DevOps e-book, talked more about DevOps adoption and the CALMS framework, gave an update on Cloud Metrics and much more. Take a look in this week’s digest.
An Overview Of Disaster Recovery And Mitigation In The Cloud For Emerging Businesses
Aug 28, 2014
In the emerging business world, concepts like Disaster Recovery are often swept under the rug due to the added cost, but the reality is that downtime is a far worse consequence and the price of a modest Disaster Recovery plan in the cloud is marginal compared to what that downtime could cost your business.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: September 2014
Aug 28, 2014
Within the startup movement, there are plenty of events happening globally in September 2014. The Rackspace Startup Program is here to keep you up to date with valuable information on events and happenings inside the global startup community. Here is a partial list of global startup events complied by the contributors of StartupDigest.
Cloud Metrics: Working Toward A Public Launch
Aug 27, 2014
An important part of Rackspace's monitoring pipeline is the metrics that we gather in the process. We have a small team called Cloud Metrics that is dedicated to these metrics. We are otherwise known as the Blueflood team since we authored the blueflood.io project, which is the technology at the heart of our Cloud Metrics service. We've been hard at work improving this part of our business and some changes are underway that I think are worth sharing.
Five Reasons Why Migrating Virtualized Workloads Can Be Easier Than Expected
Aug 27, 2014
While it may seem that migration would require significant changes, selecting the right service provider and platforms can dramatically minimize the risk of operational disruption. This is particularly true for organizations seeking to migrate workloads to hosted VMware environments.
We’re Collaborating With Chameleon To Enable A New Future For Cloud Computing Research
Aug 26, 2014
Last week, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and a consortium of researchers announced funding for two cloud testbeds, named “Chameleon” and “CloudLab,” that will power academic research. Rackspace is participating in the Chameleon testbed.
Free, Blazingly Fast Disk I/O Gives StreetLight Data An Edge
Aug 26, 2014
StreetLight offers its customers dynamic analytics for marketing, location planning and more that help them better understand who visits certain areas and when, and the company uses the Rackspace Managed Cloud, including Cloud Block Storage, to quickly deliver that data.
Building The DevOps Mindset: Agile Collaboration at Work
Aug 25, 2014
The goals of DevOps may sound beneficial, but how does all this play out in the real world? The Rackspace-sponsored, free downloadable e-book, The DevOps Mindset, answers this question by featuring interviews with tech professionals who are putting DevOps into action. Each discussion focuses on essential components of the approach, the challenges of getting started and recommendations for other companies.
Quantifying DevOps Capability: It’s Important To Keep CALMS
Aug 25, 2014
DevOps doesn't need a 400-page operating manual, but at minimum it needs a scaffold to hold together key components and concepts so you can assess your capability, compare yourself to your peers and build clear programs to manage deficits. This framework already exists in the community in the acronym we know as CALMS.
A New Kind Of Cloud: Managed Cloud [Video]
Aug 22, 2014
At the Gartner Catalyst Conference last week, Rackspace CTO John Engates spoke about the challenges of a commodity cloud, the changing expectations of cloud consumers and the power of Managed Cloud. Here's video of the full presentation.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: August 22
Aug 22, 2014
This week, we showcased our vision for hybrid cloud powered VMware solutions, got ready for VMworld, opened up a new developer contest and more. Check it out in the weekly digest.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Fanchimp: Social Media Marketing Built On Rackspace Managed Cloud
Aug 21, 2014
Fanchimp is a fast and easy social media marketing tool for small and medium businesses that is built on Rackspace Managed Cloud.
OnMetal Weekly Byte 4: Why Are We So Excited About OnMetal? [Video]
Aug 21, 2014
In this video blog series, we give you an inside look at the story behind OnMetal, our new API-driven instantly provisioned bare metal servers. Here, the OnMetal team talks about why we’re so excited about OnMetal.
Rackspace Vision For Hybrid Cloud Powered VMware Solutions
Aug 21, 2014
Rackspace is one of the select VMware Service Providers in the Premier tier of the recently rebranded VMware vCloud Air Network, which fosters a stronger alliance and go-to-market strategy to better serve our customers through VMware technology building blocks. Rackspace and VMware collaborate to create a shared ecosystem of the brightest technical talent for VMware solutions with more than a decade of expertise in managed hosting and world class Fanatical Support.
Mitigating Application Security Threats With The Cloud
Aug 20, 2014
More data and higher stakes are adding to the pressure to maintain bulletproof application security. Rackspace Managed Cloud can help you meet your application security goals faster and gain a competitive edge.
How Web Bots Affect Your KPIs And Your Bottom Line
Aug 20, 2014
Web bots can influence your KPIs and negatively impact your company’s bottom line.
Build The App Of Your Dreams
Aug 19, 2014
The NoSQL Mobile App Challenge opened this month, giving developers across the US and Canada the chance to build a mobile app that showcases their creativity and innovation without the pain of managing their infrastructure. To help you get started, we created ObjectRocket and Rackspace accounts tailored specifically to the needs of contestants. The only requirement for each app entered is that it must use ObjectRocket NoSQL data services with either MongoDB or Redis.
On Motorcycles And SUVs: The Power Of Managed Cloud
Aug 19, 2014
There’s a lot of talk in the cloud market about the differences between managed and unmanaged clouds. I look at it this way: comparing unmanaged and managed clouds is like comparing a motorcycle to an SUV. Both will get you from point A to point B relatively quickly – but that’s pretty much where the functional similarities end.
The Need For Proactive Security
Aug 18, 2014
We are only half way through 2014, and I can already state with confidence that the number of security breaches making headlines this year will continue to increase. More than 50 percent of all breaches will be caused by an application-layer breach, and the most common form of application-layer breach is an attack on a website.
Rackspace At VMworld 2014: Managing All The Things
Aug 18, 2014
Rackspace VMware experts will be out in full force next week at VMworld 2014, as we take to San Francisco’s Moscone Center to showcase how Rackspace manages all the things through Managed Virtualization, Managed OpenStack and Managed Cloud.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: August 15
Aug 15, 2014
This week, we launched our DevOps Advisory Service; ObjectRocket unveiled a fully-managed Redis service; we heard more from Rackspace::Solve San Francisco presenters; and we got a glimpse at some coming attractions in MongoDB. And that’s not all. Check out what you may have missed in the weekly digest.
Rackspace::Solve SF: CoreOS Solves For What’s Next [Video]
Aug 14, 2014
CoreOS is a Linux-based operating system for massive server deployments. Its goal is to enable warehouse-scale computing on top of a minimal, modern operating system. Rackspace::Solve San Francisco, CoreOS CEO Alex Polvi said, “we’re all trying to build warehouse scale machines,” and CoreOS enables that. Here's video of Polvi's presentation.
Straight Up Startup Featuring John Courtney, Founder And CEO Of Endao
Aug 14, 2014
John Courtney, CEO and founder of Endao, a platform for building Business Process Management (BPM) software, talked to the Rackspace Startup Program about the lessons he learned building a startup.
OnMetal Weekly Byte 3: Customer Value [Video]
Aug 14, 2014
In this video blog series, we give you an inside look at the story behind OnMetal, our new API-driven instantly provisioned bare metal servers. Here, the OnMetal team talks about the benefits that OnMetal customers should expect at scale.
ObjectRocket Adds Fully-Managed Redis Service
Aug 14, 2014
Using the same principles we apply to our fully-managed MongoDB service, our ObjectRocket team now offers full automation, support and management of Redis so developers can focus on their applications and not maintaining their databases.
Rackspace::Solve SF: Zulily Solves For The Coming Tidal Wave Of Choices [Video]
Aug 13, 2014
Zulily is one of the world’s fastest growing ecommerce sites. The company must be able to navigate massive, event-driven traffic spikes and make intelligent technology choices to ensure flexibility and scale. At Rackspace::Solve San Francisco, Zulily and Avail Partners talked about solving for the coming tidal wave of choices. Here's full video of that presentation.
Virtualization Or Cloud? 5 Questions To Help You Decide.
Aug 13, 2014
Because both virtualization and cloud can provide significant benefits, the best way for any team to evaluate both options is to think about what they want from their infrastructure using five key questions.
Rackspace::Solve SF: SunPower Solves For ‘The Internet Of Everything’ [Video]
Aug 12, 2014
SunPower is a leader in global solar innovation. Solar power ties into what SunPower CIO Richard Robinson calls “the internet of everything." In this video from Rackspace::Solve San Francisco, Robinson talks with Rackers Robert Scoble and John Engates about the internet of everything.
Startups’ Success Demands Specialists
Aug 12, 2014
Rackspace customer Mark Cuban Companies relies on Rackspace Managed Cloud to power many of its businesses and recommends it to a number of its startups to help them avoid being swallowed up by the Shark Tank Effect.
Get DevOps Advice From Rackspace Specialists With DevOps Advisory Service
Aug 12, 2014
Rackspace DevOps Advisory Service is a one-time service where Rackspace DevOps specialists advise you on how to adopt a DevOps model and be more agile with infrastructure.
Rackspace::Solve SF: Chartboost Solves For Big Data With MongoDB [Video]
Aug 11, 2014
Chartboost runs one of the largest MongoDB databases in the world, and writes to a database of one billion objects. At Rackspace::Solve San Francisco, Chartboost Co-Founder and CTO Sean Fannan talked about how Chartboost manages scale and growth. Here's full video of that conversation.
MongoDB’s Coming Attractions
Aug 11, 2014
I spend most of my days hacking on MongoDB environments, so it's easy for me to get pumped about new features when I hear about them. And there are a few recent MongoDB updates and announcements that have me particularly excited.
How ObjectRocket Gives Free MongoDB Backups To Everyone
Aug 11, 2014
We changed the database business in June when we offered free backups to anybody using MongoDB. We share our expansive disk infrastructure with the community to help folks get backed up, so they can sleep easy. It’s not an add-on. It’s not an upcharge. You don’t even have to be an ObjectRocket customer to benefit from these backups.
Diving Into Continuous Integration As A Newbie
Aug 08, 2014
As an intern in the Rackspace Blacksburg office, I had my first experience with continuous integration (CI), and I wanted to learn more about it. I believe that the best way to learn is through hands-on experience, so I picked up a story that involved experimenting with the CI infrastructure.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: August 8
Aug 08, 2014
In this week’s digest, we hear from DDP Yoga about how it prepped its website ahead of a Shark Tank appearance; we explain where IaaS fits in the Rackspace Managed Cloud; we showcase some of the great content from Rackspace::Solve San Francisco; and much more.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On HelpSocial: A Social Customer Service App Built On The Rackspace Managed Cloud
Aug 07, 2014
HelpSocial, a Rackspace Startup Program member founded by two former Rackers, is building its social customer service app on the Rackspace Managed Cloud.
Rackspace::Solve SF: New Relic CEO Talks Big Data In The Managed Cloud Age [Video]
Aug 07, 2014
Lew Cirne, CEO of New Relic, a software analytics company, took the stage at Rackspace::Solve San Francisco to give attendees advice on harnessing the power of big data in the Managed Cloud age. Here's video of Cirne's talk.
OnMetal Weekly Byte 2: The Power Of Open Platforms [Video]
Aug 07, 2014
In this video blog series, we give you an inside look at the story behind OnMetal, our new API-driven instantly provisioned bare metal servers. Here, the OnMetal team talks about why OnMetal was built on OpenStack software and Open Compute hardware.
Invitamos a las empresas mexicanas a conocer nuestro concepto único de Managed Virtualization, desde EMC Forum México
Aug 07, 2014
La relevancia de Latinoamérica -y en especial de México- ha aumentado tanto para Rackspace en los últimos años, que actualmente establecemos nuestra primera oficina en la región, ubicada en la Ciudad de México. Con nuestra llegada, queremos acercar a las empresas mexicanas a nuestro Fanatical Support, que desde hace 15 años ha contribuido al crecimiento de negocios de todos los tamaños alrededor del mundo. Arrancando con nuestras primeras actividades locales estaremos presentes en EMC Forum México 2014, hoy, 7 de Agosto, desde el Centro Banamex de la Ciudad de México.
Where Does IaaS Fit Into The Managed Cloud?
Aug 06, 2014
Infrastructure-as-a-Service is and remains a critical component in the Rackspace Managed Cloud. Think of it this way: our IaaS by default comes with service; we no longer offer raw, unmanaged infrastructure.
Rackspace::Solve SF: Alex And Ani Solves For Hyperscale Ecommerce Growth [Video]
Aug 06, 2014
At Rackspace::Solve San Francisco, Alex and Ani Vice President of Digital Strategy, Ryan Bonifacino, took the stage to discuss how the company’s digital strategy helped accommodate revenue growth that skyrocketed from $80 million in 2012 to $230 million a year later. Here's full video of the conversation.
Web Bot Technology: How Scrapers And Botnet Operators Work
Aug 06, 2014
To better protect your site from web bots, it’s important to understand how these malicious programs operate.
Rackspace::Solve SF: WePay Digs Into Rapid Growth, Scale Through DevOps [Video]
Aug 05, 2014
At Rackspace::Solve San Francisco, Bill Clerico, CEO of Rackspace customer WePay, talked about how WePay solved for rapid customer growth and scale through DevOps and gained a competitive edge. Check out the full video of Clerico’s on-stage conversation.
Preparing DDPYOGA.com For The Shark Tank Effect
Aug 05, 2014
When DDP Yoga got a call from Shark Tank, Rackspace helped ensure our website could stand up to the onslaught of traffic known as "the Shark Tank effect."
3 Enterprises Growing In A Cloudy World
Aug 04, 2014
For mature enterprises, the cloud represents a way to get out from under the constraints of traditional IT. Unlike businesses born in the cloud, the existing systems and business processes in these organizations present unique challenges to cloud adoption. The company examples below offer three different stories of traditional IT teams growing into the cloud with measurable success.
Rackspace::Solve SF: Docker CEO On The Future of Applications [Video]
Aug 04, 2014
At Rackspace::Solve San Francisco last week, Docker CEO Ben Golub took the stage to discuss the future of applications. Here is video of Golub’s full Rackspace::Solve presentation.
Scaling Cloud Infrastructure Despite Brain Drain And Ad Hoc Processes
Aug 04, 2014
As development makes changes to the software, operations has to manually install the new virtual code and tweak the configurations manually every time they create a new server. Equally problematic, virtual server instances proliferate unchecked, leading to thousands of dollars in unexpected charges from the cloud service provider. This leads to a slash-and-burn server destruction scramble that accidentally takes down the production platform and disgruntles many of those new users. Heavy sighs emanate from the CTO’s office. What’s to be done?
Rackspace Weekly Digest: August 1
Aug 01, 2014
This week, we held our first of three Rackspace::Solve events; launched Rackspace developer+; updated Cloud Databases; heard from Managed Cloud customer Rip Curl; and much more.
Vote Now For Rackspace OpenStack Summit Paris Presentations
Aug 01, 2014
Voting is open now for proposed presentations for OpenStack Summit Paris (November 3 through November 7). Here are proposed speaking sessions that Rackers have submitted. Voting closes on Wednesday, August 6.
OnMetal Weekly Byte: The Story Behind OnMetal [Video]
Jul 31, 2014
In this video blog series, we give you an inside look at the story behind OnMetal, our new API-driven instantly provisioned bare metal servers. Here, the OnMetal team talks about the motivation behind building OnMetal.
4 Ways Enterprises Can Extend IT Without Breaking The Budget
Jul 31, 2014
Today, enterprise IT is expected to do much more with fewer resources. Here are four alternatives to traditional outsourcing that enterprise IT departments can use to extend their capabilities.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: August 2014
Jul 31, 2014
Within the startup movement, there are plenty of events happening globally in August 2014. The Rackspace Startup Program is here to keep you up to date with valuable information on events and happenings inside the global startup community. Here is a partial list of global startup events complied by the contributors of StartupDigest.
4 Ways Growing Businesses Can Extend IT Without Breaking The Budget
Jul 30, 2014
Small IT departments that don’t have enterprise budgets at their disposal are often squeezed for resources without being able to easily outsource their work. Here are four alternatives to traditional outsourcing that small IT departments can use to extend their capabilities without throwing enterprise-level cash at the problem.
Managed Cloud: The SysOps Approach vs. The DevOps Approach
Jul 30, 2014
The Managed Operations service level within our Managed Cloud includes two different approaches: System Administration or DevOps Automation. Here, we would like to help you understand how each of these offerings can help meet the needs of your cloud workloads and ultimately your business.
Rackspace developer+ Program: For Developers, By Developers
Jul 30, 2014
Rackspace developer+ is a monthly infrastructure credit and more that, combined with our new competitive infrastructure prices, helps provide developers the core of almost any scalable cloud application you want to build.
Stop Mis-Targeting Your Customers
Jul 29, 2014
At Appreciation Engine we help businesses better understand who their customers are. Our engine parses social signal generated by a brand's customers. This is a hefty operation for any software product, so we rely on Rackspace Cloud Databases to handle our data and to scale our platform in a cost-effective manner while addressing our constantly growing data needs.
Rip Curl Rides The Wearable Technology, Managed Cloud Waves For Detailed Surf Data
Jul 29, 2014
To help its customers capture and analyze surf data, Rip Curl built the Rip Curl SearchGPS Watch, web site, mobile app and social network, powered by the Rackspace Managed Cloud and ObjectRocket MongoDB Database-as-a-Service.
Rackspace::Solve San Francisco: Video Highlights
Jul 29, 2014
Here is a brief video with highlights from Rackspace::Solve San Francisco.
Rackspace::Solve San Francisco: Speed, Flexibility And Scale Take Center Stage
Jul 29, 2014
At Rackspace::Solve San Francisco, cutting-edge companies shared how they overcome pressing business challenges with innovative solutions that help them increase their speed, flexibility and scale.
Cloud Databases Introduces Enhanced Support, More Database Types, Larger Flavors And More Storage
Jul 28, 2014
Today, we launch significant updates to Cloud Databases, including support for new database types like MySQL 5.6, Percona Server 5.6 and MariaDB 10; larger flavors; and more storage.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: July 25
Jul 25, 2014
This week, with launched the general availability of OnMetal; OpenStack turned four; and Rackspace was named EMC’s 2014 Service Provider of the Year for Innovation. Check out all that, plus some more goodness, in this week’s digest.
Rackspace::Solve: How Alex And Ani Solves For Hyperscale Growth In Digital, Ecommerce
Jul 25, 2014
At Rackspace::Solve, Ryan Bonifacino, Vice President of Digital Strategy, Alex and Ani, will show how the ecommerce giant scales for massive growth.
Tapping Into Mobile Commerce 2014 [Infographic]
Jul 24, 2014
What a difference a year makes! We published the first mobile ecommerce infographic last year. Since then, all the stats suggest that mobile has continued its meteoric rise as an ecommerce powerhouse. View the updated infographic here.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Artifact Uprising: Making Tangible, Eco-Friendly Products For Digital Photos On The Rackspace Managed Cloud
Jul 24, 2014
Artifact Uprising, a Rackspace Startup Program member, makes tangible, eco-friendly products for digital photos, and it's building its business on the Rackspace managed cloud.
OnMetal Shows Phenomenal Performance In Early Benchmarks
Jul 24, 2014
Since we launched the limited availability of OnMetal™ Cloud Servers – single-tenant bare-metal servers provisioned quickly via the cloud – last month, our customers are intrigued by our promise of “elasticity of the cloud, plus economy of colocation” - particularly the economy side of it. Today, OnMetal moves into general availability and we unveil its pricing. We also show you how it performed in a series of benchmark tests.
CoreOS Will Solve For What’s Next At Rackspace::Solve SF
Jul 23, 2014
At Rackspace::Solve San Francisco, CoreOS CEO Alex Polvi will present 'Solving For What's Next' and highlight how CoreOS enables warehouse-scale computing on top of a minimal, modern operating system.
Mobile Fundamentals Reading List
Jul 23, 2014
Regardless of what business you’re in, mobile will touch the way you work and do business. We’ve seen the growing impact of mobile and have written extensively on the topic. Here’s a list of our top mobile articles that dig into managing the mobile experience inside (infrastructure) and out (design).
Web Bots: What Every Website Owner Needs To Know
Jul 23, 2014
Web bots are a serious issue that every website owner needs to be aware of.
The Rise Of The Remote Workforce
Jul 22, 2014
We recently hosted a webinar, The Rise of the Remote Workforce: How to Better Communicate and Collaborate Across Area Codes. Here, you can listen to a full recording of the webinar.
Cloud Databases A Big Hit With Knowledge Base Provider HelpIQ
Jul 22, 2014
Knowledge base provider HelpIQ is growing quickly and is using Rackspace Cloud Databases and Performance Cloud Servers to help it scale.
Rackspace Is EMC’s 2014 Service Provider Of The Year For Innovation
Jul 21, 2014
Rackspace has been named EMC’s 2014 Service Provider of the Year for Innovation, an achievement that recognizes Rackspace for demonstrating a commitment to developing innovative solutions that allow our customers to maximize the value of their digital data.
That Time When OpenStack Turned Four
Jul 21, 2014
OpenStack is four. This is huge. In just four years, the community and the project have come a long way. And OpenStack's fifth year is an important one.
Light Of Pi: Cloud Monitoring With LEDs
Jul 18, 2014
It can be overwhelming to manage all of the notifications from a cloud monitoring system, so we built an LAD notification system for cloud monitoring alerts. Here, we walk you through how to make one of your own.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: July 18
Jul 18, 2014
This week, we officially launched Rackspace managed cloud; took leaders positions in two Gartner Magic Quadrants for Cloud-Enabled Managed Hosting; prepped for OSCON; and partnered with AvePoint for SharePoint data protection and control. Check out all this and more in this week’s digest.
Picture It Settled: A Geekdom Startup Building A Negotiation-Modeling Platform On The Rackspace Managed Cloud
Jul 17, 2014
Picture It Settled, a Geekdom startup and a member of the Rackspace Startup Program, is building negotiation-modeling software for the legal field.
Rackspace Earns Spots In Leaders Quadrants Of Gartner Magic Quadrants For Cloud-Enabled Managed Hosting For North America And Europe
Jul 17, 2014
Rackspace has been named a leader in the 2014 Gartner Magic Quadrants for Cloud-Enabled Managed Hosting for North America and Europe based on our ability to execute and completeness of vision. These Magic Quadrants focus on the service layer on top of cloud infrastructure, rather than solely on the infrastructure itself. That’s where our managed cloud focus fits perfectly.
SharePoint Content Management And Auditing Challenges Solved With AvePoint And Rackspace
Jul 17, 2014
For many organizations, Microsoft SharePoint is a dynamic set of workspaces with a constant inflow and modification of user generated content. But managing all of that content can be a daunting task for administrators.
Monitor Like A Pro With Server-Side Configuration
Jul 16, 2014
We’ve heard your feedback: you want to apply preferred configurations across your entire environment, and you want it to be fast. You want to save and iterate on your favored set-up and use it as a template that can be shared. You want to update configurations in mere seconds. Server-side Configuration gives you what you’ve been asking for: configuration files that can be easily updated, shared, and used with automation tools.
Enterprise-Class SharePoint Protection And Control With AvePoint And Rackspace
Jul 16, 2014
By combining the industry expertise provided by Rackspace’s SharePoint team with the confidence of AvePoint’s award-winning DocAve Software Platform for data protection, management and reporting, we’ve developed one of the most secure and manageable hosted SharePoint experiences around.
At OSCON, Rackers Will Showcase All Things Open Source
Jul 16, 2014
OSCON 2014 is upon is. We’ll have a number of Rackspace specialists on-hand throughout the event talking about all things open source. We’re pumped to head to Portland to highlight the projects we’ve contributed to and collaborate and innovate with the open source community. Here's what we're up to at OSCON 2014.
A Day In The Life: Managed Cloud [Video]
Jul 15, 2014
In this video, Rackspace Chairman, Co-Founder and CEO Graham Weston discusses the launch of Rackspace managed cloud.
Managed Cloud, Expertise Help DigitalFilm Tree Survive Pilot Season
Jul 15, 2014
With a managed cloud, DigitalFilm Tree knew it was covered when it had questions about its television and film collaboration software at 4 a.m. during pilot season.
Managed Cloud: A New Way To Stay Fast And Lean
Jul 15, 2014
Today, we define a new industry category - managed cloud. We’re targeting businesses and developers who want to tap the power of the cloud without the pain of running everything themselves — and the expense of recruiting or contracting with experts in dozens of complex technologies. To do that, we're launching two enhanced service levels for public cloud customers, restructuring our pricing model, creating a developer+ program and updating our SLAs.
A Managed Cloud Built On Fanatical Support [Video]
Jul 15, 2014
In this video, Rackspace President Taylor Rhodes and some Rackspace customers highlight the benefits of a managed cloud built on Fanatical Support.
New To Hadoop? Here’s A Handy Guide To Get You Started (Part 2)
Jul 14, 2014
So you wanna learn you some Hadoop, eh? Well, get ready to drink from the firehose, because the Hadoop ecosystem is crammed full of software, much of which duplicates efforts, and much of which is named so similarly that it's very confusing for newcomers. In the second piece of this two-part series, I cover more peripheral or optional features.
Inside My Home Rackspace Private Cloud, OpenStack Lab, Part 7: LBaaS
Jul 14, 2014
With a useful OpenStack lab up and running, it’s time to take advantage of some more advanced features. The first that I want to look at is adding the OpenStack Networking LBaaS (Load Balancer) to my Rackspace Private Cloud.
Three Reasons To Be Excited About The AvePoint And Rackspace Partnership
Jul 14, 2014
The new partnership between AvePoint and Rackspace - which we launched this week from the electrified halls of Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2014 in Washington, DC - provides Rackspace customers the ability to access enhanced hybrid and cloud-based environments.
From Buspreneur To Racker: Innovation, Twists And Turns
Jul 11, 2014
My StartupBus journey led to me eventually becoming a Racker. What an awesome ride.
On StartupBus, Career Opportunities And Ink
Jul 11, 2014
In 2011, I first rode the StartupBus. That led to my career at Rackspace (and my StartupBus tattoo).
Rackspace Weekly Digest: July 11
Jul 11, 2014
In this week's digest, we look ahead to Rackspace::Solve San Francisco, examine the Patriot Act and your data, add support for Microsoft Private Cloud and much more.
Evaluating Enterprise Content Solutions
Jul 10, 2014
This infographic highlights some of the better-known enterprise web content management solutions. Listed are the strengths and some current customers for each option, along with suggested next steps to consider if you’re planning a CMS implementation for your enterprise.
Rackspace Now Supports Microsoft Private Cloud
Jul 10, 2014
Today, Rackspace adds support for Microsoft Private Clouds, which gives you more choice in which type of Private Cloud environment powers your business.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Ember: An Online Video Advertising Platform On The Rackspace Cloud
Jul 10, 2014
Rackspace Startup Program member Ember offers an online video advertising platform that offers its customers an alternative to TV ads to enable them to optimize ad spend.
Overcome Business Challenges At Rackspace::Solve
Jul 09, 2014
How can DevOps free up my developers? How can I scale MongoDB? How can I ensure my ecommerce site doesn’t crumble under massive growth? These questions and many more are at the heart of a series of one-day summits Rackspace is hosting called Rackspace::Solve. The first is Monday, July 28 at the St. Regis in San Francisco.
Law Enforcement Access To Data In The Cloud
Jul 09, 2014
Bank of England CIO Peter Finch issued a misinformed warning in a recent article, telling companies that if your cloud provider is an “American company, it is likely that your data and processing is now subject to the American Patriot Act. And, if it is integrated to your infrastructure, it is likely that all your services are subject to the Patriot Act.” Such advice not only misinterprets and misrepresents US law, it misleadingly implies that US cloud providers are somehow both unable and unwilling to protect the data entrusted with them by their customers from US law enforcement agencies. Finch’s statement is inaccurate. Here, I’ll highlight what you need to know about your data and the Patriot Act.
O’Reilly Velocity: Building Self-Adaptive Autonomous Infrastructure [Video]
Jul 08, 2014
In his keynote address at the O'Reilly Velocity conference in Santa Clara, Calif., Rackspace Senior Product Manager James Colgan explained how growing companies can get better performance by moving past mere infrastructure automation and toward self-adaptive and autonomous infrastructure. Check out video of James’ Velocity keynote.
Attach Dropbox Files Into Rackspace Webmail With A Single Click
Jul 08, 2014
Later this week, we’re releasing a new feature that allows you to easily attach files directly from your Dropbox into Rackspace Webmail. This means that after a quick 'account sync,' all of your Dropbox files are just a click away.
Rackspace::Solve: WePay Scales Swiftly With DevOps Automation, Managed Cloud
Jul 08, 2014
At Rackspace::Solve San Francisco on July 28, payment services company WePay will showcase how it uses Rackspace Managed Cloud and DevOps Automation Service to accommodate swift growth and scale. Here's a sneak peek from WePay and registration information for Rackspace::Solve.
New To Hadoop? Here’s A Handy Guide To Get You Started (Part 1)
Jul 07, 2014
So you wanna learn you some Hadoop, eh? Well, get ready to drink from the firehose, because the Hadoop ecosystem is crammed full of software, much of which duplicates efforts, and much of which is named so similarly that it's very confusing for newcomers. In the first of this two-part series, I cover the most common and core pieces of functionality.
Inside My Home Rackspace Private Cloud, OpenStack Lab, Part 6: Upgrading
Jul 07, 2014
In this post, I'll outline the steps to go from Rackspace Private Cloud v4.2.1 to v4.2.2 using the Rackspace Private Cloud Chef Recipes.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On RunLastMan: Online Fundraising For Sports Fans
Jul 03, 2014
Rackspace Startup Program member RunLastMan, an Ireland-based fundraising site through which clubs, organizations and charities raise money through sports betting, is growing quickly on the Rackspace Cloud.
Five Things To Know About Cloud Security In 2014
Jul 03, 2014
Every year, Alert Logic publishes a Cloud Security Report. In it, we analyze real-world security data aggregated from the 2,200-plus customers that use Alert Logic solutions in cloud, hosted and on-premises environments. Based on our latest research, here are five things that we think everyone should know about cloud security in 2014.
A DevOps State Of Mind
Jul 02, 2014
The tech industry is buzzing with the term DevOps. Here, I want to focus on the thought process to get to a DevOps State of Mind.
Making The Mobile Experience Seamless
Jul 02, 2014
The bulk of our screen time is shifting to mobile devices. It’s gone from laptops and desktops to smartphones and tablets. In the midst of this change, companies need to consider the differences in developing for on-the-go devices as opposed to those used at a desk.
Email For Ecommerce: Marketing Emails
Jul 02, 2014
If you run an ecommerce site, email is critical to your business. In this blog series, we dig deeper into some of the areas ecommerce sites should consider when working with email. Here, we examine marketing emails.
8 Tips To Make Your Business Mobile
Jul 01, 2014
In an upcoming webinar (Thursday, July 10 at 11 a.m. CDT) we'll share eight tips to make mobile work for your business - and we'll share some of those tips here too.
Skip Traditional Virtualization: CoreOS On OnMetal
Jul 01, 2014
The ability to create machine instances using OpenStack APIs on physical hardware, with the speed and ease we’ve come to expect for cloud deployments is a huge advancement in infrastructure technology. And it’s made possible by Rackspace OnMetal. And paring OnMetal with CoreOS, a lightweight Linux distribution for massive server deployments, will help you squeeze the maximum value from your hardware.
With OpenStack Icehouse, CERN Is Closer To Cloud Federation
Jun 30, 2014
Federated and interoperable OpenStack clouds are on the horizon, as code development work, led by a CERN research fellow sponsored by Rackspace as part of a CERN openlab project, has been included in the latest OpenStack release, Icehouse.
Loadscale: A Little Agent For Scale
Jun 27, 2014
I just came aboard as a summer intern here at Rackspace, and immediately, I’m getting my hands dirty on some pretty cool projects. The first of which is Loadscale, a little tool that has a simple function: ping an Autoscaling group’s load balancer and see if servers need to be added or removed from the load balancer. This little project was to run alongside the load balancer and Autoscaling (codename: otter) team’s projects.
Designate Gaining Momentum As OpenStack DNS-as-a-Service
Jun 27, 2014
The OpenStack Technical Committee recently decided to incubate Designate, an authoritative multi-tenant DNS-as-a-Service for OpenStack that features a command line client, REST API and integrates with Nova, Neutron and Keystone.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: June 27
Jun 27, 2014
From outlining the differences between commodity cloud providers and managed cloud specialists to hearing how Pantheon uses Rackspace OnMetal, this week was chock full of news. Check out all of that – and more – in this week’s digest.
Which Workloads Should Growing Businesses Move To The Cloud?
Jun 26, 2014
If your business has yet to tap into the cloud’s full potential, here are some workloads you should consider moving to the cloud.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: July 2014
Jun 26, 2014
Within the startup movement, there are plenty of events happening globally in July 2014. The Rackspace Startup Program is here to keep you up to date with valuable information on events and happenings inside the global startup community. Here is a partial list of global startup events complied by the contributors of StartupDigest.
Commodity Cloud Providers vs. Managed Cloud Specialists
Jun 26, 2014
If you type “cloud computing + commodity” into a search engine, you’ll see that in recent months, the two have become seen as virtually synonymous. Many industry pundits now sweepingly assert that all cloud services are akin to red durum wheat or West Texas crude. All are identical. All prices and profits will be pushed lower and lower and the biggest players will drive everyone else out of business.
Free Backups For MongoDB
Jun 25, 2014
ObjectRocket now offers free daily backups for any MongoDB instance, of any size, running anywhere.
Stay In The Conversation With Microsoft Lync From Rackspace
Jun 25, 2014
Have you ever missed an important instant message when you were out for lunch? Or spent 10 minutes searching emails for a conversation with a colleague only to remember it was over IM? Have you ever thought a conversation would go smoother if only we were face to face? Today, Rackspace is launching Microsoft Lync, a unified communications tool that solves these problems for you and your colleagues
What Does It Take To Hit A 10X Performance Improvement?
Jun 25, 2014
In a recent guest post entitled “Performance at Scale: SSDs, Silver Bullets and Serialization” for High Scalability, Aaron Sullivan, a Principal Engineer at Rackspace, took a close look at the problem of trying to increase performance across software and hardware systems.
Email For Ecommerce: Transactional Email
Jun 25, 2014
If you run an ecommerce site, email is critical to your business. In this blog series, we dig deeper into some of the areas ecommerce sites should consider when working with email. Here, we examine transactional email.
Docker With The Rackspace Open Cloud
Jun 24, 2014
Docker Inc. recently unveiled an exciting new open source project called Libswarm designed to make the using containers in the public cloud a lot easier. Rackspace has been working closely with both Docker and core Docker contributors to make this project possible and accelerate users’ ability to confidently put their containers in the cloud.
Thinking Outside The Box With Hybrid Cloud, New Technologies
Jun 24, 2014
When you’re a digital agency working for ecommerce customers, you have to stay nimble and on top of the latest technologies. At Gracious Studios, we rely heavily on open source and open standards, including the Rackspace Hybrid Cloud.
APAC Customers Can Now Use Performance Cloud Servers
Jun 24, 2014
In the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, companies are hungry for speed and reliability. Simply put: Performance is key. Starting today, our customers in the APAC region can benefit from the speed, reliability and affordability of Performance Cloud Servers
Pantheon: Containers Running On Bare-Metal IaaS Will Disrupt The EC2 Virtualization Model Of Cloud Computing At Scale
Jun 24, 2014
We’ve all been trained to think of 'The Cloud' as generic virtual machines on demand à la EC2. At Pantheon we believe this VM-centric compute model will be supplanted by a simpler, vastly more efficient model of cloud computing: containers running on bare-metal infrastructure provisioned via API.
Bigger Is Better: Introducing The CloudU Big Data MOOC
Jun 23, 2014
Have you heard of MapReduce? How about Data Lake or petabytes? If you’ve heard these big data terms before and weren’t sure exactly what they meant, it’s time to find out. CloudU today is launching its “Bigger is Better” Big Data Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).
NoSQL = No Worries: Rackspace, ObjectRocket Power Mobile App Challenge
Jun 23, 2014
Rackspace and ObjectRocket want to inspire developers around the globe to be creative. We want to help them build applications that solve pressing problems – both today and in the future. With that in mind, we’re launching the NoSQL Mobile App Challenge – a new contest through which Rackspace and ObjectRocket will provide the tools that empower developers to build user-friendly, sophisticated mobile apps that have real world impact.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: June 20
Jun 20, 2014
In this week's digest, we dig into OnMetal, hear from Kabbee about the managed cloud, add chat to Rackspace Webmail and much more.
Rackspace President Taylor Rhodes Unveils OnMetal In GigaOm Structure Keynote [Video]
Jun 19, 2014
Rackspace President Taylor Rhodes took the stage at GigaOm Structure to deliver a keynote on the right (and wrong) way to scale. During his presentation, Taylor unveiled OnMetal. See video of Taylor's keynote here.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Tricky: Helping Skaters Share Video On The Rackspace Cloud
Jun 19, 2014
Rackspace Startup Program member Tricky is using the Rackspace Cloud to enable skateboarders to record and share video clips of their tricks.
OnMetal: The Right Way To Scale
Jun 19, 2014
Today, Rackspace is waging war on complexity. We want to offer a simpler way to scale. We do this with a new product line called OnMetal.
Finally, Elastic Computing That You Don’t Have To Share
Jun 19, 2014
When it comes to IT, companies that are operating at scale have been telling us for years that they wish they could get the agility of the multi-tenant public cloud, along with the simplicity, consistent performance, and predictable cost of single-tenant servers. Well, I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to choose between the two anymore. Rackspace today is announcing the early availability of a new product that will change the way the world thinks about scaling production applications. It’s called OnMetal — and it delivers elastic computing that you don’t have to share.
Email For Ecommerce: Managing Your Reputation
Jun 18, 2014
If you run an ecommerce site, email is critical to your business. In this blog series, we dig deeper into some of the areas ecommerce sites should consider when working with email. Here, we examine managing your reputation.
How Cloud Sites Rises To Super Spikes
Jun 17, 2014
Here is a guide of the measures your Cloud Sites team takes in an effort to provide the smoothest transition during a high traffic event.
Kabbee Slams The Brakes On Unsupported Infrastructure
Jun 17, 2014
London-based Kabbee got fed up with the lack of support it received from its previous hosting provider. It turned to Rackspace for a managed cloud partner to share its journey.
Why We Craft OpenStack (Featuring Software Developer Craig Vyvial)
Jun 16, 2014
In this video series, we hear straight from some of OpenStack’s community members from Rackspace about how the fast-growing open source project has evolved, what it needs to continue thriving and what it means to them personally. Here, we talk to Software Developer Craig Vyvial.
Instant Messaging (Chat) For Rackspace Webmail
Jun 16, 2014
Instant Messaging is almost as critical a business communication tool as email or the telephone. Our Rackspace Email customers have made this clear to us in recent months - and we’ve listened. So please join us in welcoming newest member of the Rackspace Webmail application suite: Chat.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: June 13
Jun 13, 2014
This week, we share how you can make the most out of your ecommerce email programs, hear from our customer VitusVet.com and let you in on the secrets behind technology mega trend adoption.
Welcome To RPC Insights
Jun 13, 2014
Installing Rackspace Private Cloud is pretty straightforward, but it’s even faster if you have a helpful guide to walk you through installation, basic usage and a few specific use cases. It’s my pleasure to introduce RPC Insights – a new series of blog posts and webinars that will help you build, develop and manage Rackspace Private Cloud deployments.
Navigating The Rackspace Marketplace
Jun 12, 2014
When navigating the Rackspace Marketplace for the right solution, I put myself in the customer’s position and try to satisfy their requirements as if they were my own. Here is some advice on navigating the Rackspace Marketplace.
Straight Up Startup Featuring Daniel Menard, CEO Of Double Stallion Games
Jun 12, 2014
Daniel Menard, CEO of Double Stallion Games, took the time to talk with the Rackspace Startup Program about what’s at the core of his company’s culture, team cohesion and building a community around customers and product. What follows are Daniel’s thoughts on bringing arcade style games to mobile.
Why Restaurant Meals – And Managed Clouds – Taste Better
Jun 12, 2014
Let’s be honest, food rarely tastes as good when you make it yourself at home as it does when it’s prepared in a restaurant by a professional chef. It’s one of the reasons that people go out to dinner. You should think of your cloud the same way: you can do it all yourself, or you can trust the experts and use a managed cloud.
Who’s Responsible For Technology Mega Trend Adoption?
Jun 11, 2014
Whose responsibility is it to ensure that Australia's (and the world's) big businesses are embracing technology mega trends?
Getting The Most Out Of Your Ecommerce Email Programs
Jun 11, 2014
If you run an ecommerce site, email is critical to your business. In this blog series, we'll dig deeper into some of the areas ecommerce sites should consider when working with email.
Rackspace CTO John Engates Talks Native Cloud Support For Docker At DockerCon14
Jun 10, 2014
In his keynote at DockerCon in San Francisco, Rackspace CTO John Engates showcased how Rackspace is working with Docker to develop native cloud support for Docker that will work with any cloud. Here's video from the talk.
Six Types Of B2C Customers And Their Purchase Journeys [Infographic]
Jun 10, 2014
This infographic visualizes some of the latest research on customer buying behaviors, and the stages customers pass through while deciding to purchase.
Distributed Databases: Design Scalability And Availability Into Apps From Day One
Jun 10, 2014
Designing scalability, availability and fault-tolerance into applications and databases from the very start is the new imperative. Cloud computing has enabled a technology boom. However, many companies still struggle to keep their heads above water when it comes to database scalability
Confidence, Support Help VitusVet.com Find Success
Jun 10, 2014
When you’re launching a startup, you have to trust that your cloud provider is going to prepare you for success. Support and confidence are imperative. When we launched VitusVet.com earlier this year, choosing Rackspace as our cloud provider was a no-brainer. I had been a Rackspace customer since 2005 and was well versed in the power of Fanatical Support. There was no other provider I would trust to help launch my new venture.
Contribution And Collaboration In The Docker Community
Jun 09, 2014
Docker is the next generation of virtualization and we’re proud to be on the cutting edge of one of the major transformations in IT. We have been working in close partnership with core Docker contributors for more than four months to make the code stronger. Our hope is that the Docker open source project will be a key component of a planet scale cloud.
Understanding OpenStack Designated Code Sections – Three Critical Questions
Jun 09, 2014
After nearly a year of discussion, the OpenStack board launched the DefCore process with 10 principles that set us on path towards a validated interoperability standard. We created the concept of “designated sections” to address concerns that using API tests to determine core would undermine commercial and community investment in a working, shared upstream implementation.
A Perfect Complement: OpenStack At Cloud Foundry Summit
Jun 09, 2014
Cloud Foundry Summit kicks off today in San Francisco. At the event, I will be co-presenting about integration between Cloud Foundry and OpenStack.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: June 6
Jun 06, 2014
This week, we share our definition of managed cloud, hear from our customer mShopper, get ready for IRCE and much more.
Building Trust, Interoperability At OpenStack Summit
Jun 06, 2014
The OpenStack Summit is about relationships. As developers, we meet up twice a year at the Summit and then return home and resume communication via IRC and email. Spending time in person with other members of the community gives you the opportunity to form a bond and, more importantly, build trust – a community without trust can’t thrive. Over the past few weeks, I’ve had time to reflect on OpenStack Summit Atlanta. Here, I’d like to share some of my thoughts.
Celebrate 10 Years Of IRCE With Rackspace Digital
Jun 05, 2014
IRCE is one of the largest ecommerce events in the world, and 2014 looks like it will prove to be bigger than ever. IRCE is celebrating 10 years of bringing digital retailers together, and Rackspace will be representing in style.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On GMEX: A Metals Marketplace On The Rackspace Managed Cloud
Jun 05, 2014
Rackspace Startup Program member Global Material Exchange (GMEX) has built its online marketplace for industrial metals on the Rackspace Managed Cloud.
MongoDB And Hadoop: Connect Your Data
Jun 05, 2014
Data processing platforms do not exist in siloes. That is why it is increasingly important for Rackspace to provide interoperability between datastores. This enables customers to choose the best technology for their data processing needs, without being restricted to a single tool. For this post, we will look at two of our most popular data platforms: our ObjectRocket MongoDB service and our Hadoop-based Cloud Big Data Platform service.
The Risks And Hidden Dangers Of Outdated Technology
Jun 04, 2014
Are you still clinging to your trusty old server that’s gracefully aging towards obsolescence? Perhaps you are still running important applications on older servers with old operating systems because they’re “good enough” and still “work fine.” In many respects, your old server is like a trusty old car. You know where the kinks are and it gets you where you need to go. But lurking below the surface of that trusty old car, and your old server, can be hidden risks that can result in very big problems, even dangers, usually when least expected.
What Is Managed Cloud?
Jun 04, 2014
At some point, most busy, successful people — and busy, successful businesses — find it wise to focus on what they do best and let specialists do the rest. That’s a big part of the appeal of what we at Rackspace call managed cloud.
Connecting Your Data: Hadoop Summit 2014
Jun 03, 2014
Big data is here! And as we head to Hadoop Summit this week, here are three things we're excited to talk to the community about.
mShopper: Lightning Fast At A Fraction Of The Cost On Rackspace Cloud
Jun 03, 2014
mShopper, a Rackspace customer, greatly improved page load times and saved money doing it on the Rackspace Cloud.
Scale Up And Down Based On Load With Rackspace Auto Scale
Jun 02, 2014
Here, I address one of the common questions I get from customers: How do I use Rackspace Auto Scale to enable a number of servers to increase and shrink based on load?
Recap: CommVault, Rackspace Partnership Gets Fanatical At PartnerPalooza 2
Jun 02, 2014
CommVault, a Rackspace Marketplace partner, recently attended Rackspace PartnerPalooza 2. Here are some of our takeaways.
A Change In The Patent Troll Landscape
May 30, 2014
The push for patent validity is having a direct impact on how patent trolls do business. This is evidenced by Erich Spangenberg announcing that he will step down as head of IPNav, a well-known patent troll with which Rackspace has battled for years.
Sustainability Shines In Springtime
May 30, 2014
Traditionally, April and May mark the busiest months of year for our Sustainability team, which is part of our Corporate Social Responsibility Team (CSR). Yes, there is the obvious Earth Day celebration that takes place during that time, but I want to share some of the highlights from the last six weeks on what the team is working on here at Rackspace.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: May 30
May 30, 2014
This week, sustainability shines, Engagency talks about its Sitecore business, we welcome the dawn of managed cloud and much more. Check it out in this week’s digest.
The Dawn Of Managed Cloud
May 29, 2014
It’s still early days, but there is a fast growing segment of cloud customers who want a partner to do the heavy lifting for them. They want someone to manage the day-to-day operations that keep their workloads and their businesses running. They want a managed cloud.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: June 2014
May 29, 2014
Within the startup movement, there are plenty of events happening globally in June 2014. The Rackspace Startup Program is here to keep you up to date with valuable information on events and happenings inside the global startup community. Here is a partial list of global startup events complied by the contributors of StartupDigest.
Choosing An Open Source Content Management System [Infographic]
May 29, 2014
This infographic helps decipher some of the key differences between three of the most popular open source CMS platforms: WordPress, Drupal and Joomla.
Why We Craft OpenStack (Featuring Software Developer Diane Fleming)
May 28, 2014
In this video series, we hear straight from some of OpenStack’s community members from Rackspace about how the fast-growing open source project has evolved, what it needs to continue thriving and what it means to them personally. Here, we talk to Software Developer Diane Fleming.
The Pros And Cons Of Rebuilding Your Environment During Migration
May 28, 2014
So you’ve made up your mind that you’re going to move workloads onto a service provider’s infrastructure. Now you’re faced with a big question: should I rebuild my environment while migrating to avoid more disruption later? Here are eight pros and a few cons to consider when making your decision.
Ramping Up Your Brand’s Online Presence
May 27, 2014
Many companies that came to prominence in the age of the internet understand that their brands exists both on and offline. However, more traditional brick and mortar companies—those that sold goods when a shopping cart was something you physically pushed in a store— may find themselves struggling with creating their online brand. Here are three considerations for those companies as they look to ramp up their online presence.
Managed Infrastructure Frees Engagency To Focus On Sitecore Business
May 27, 2014
Having a dedicated team of Rackspace Sitecore hosting specialists a phone call away means that Engagency can stay focused on what we do best. Freeing up those cycles lets us please our customers by providing a level of support that would have been impossible otherwise, while at the same time letting us focus on accelerating Engagency's success as a business.
Enterprise Adoption, Interoperability And Speed Dominate OpenStack Summit
May 23, 2014
At the OpenStack Summit Atlanta, thousands of developers, operators and users got together for five days to discuss and share the incredible strides made possible in their world due to OpenStack. Here are some of the themes that I heard over and over again during conversations and presentations
Rackspace Weekly Digest: May 23
May 23, 2014
In this week's digest we warn about unmanaged clouds, hear from Alex and Ani about scale, highlight a bad day for patent reform and much more.
ParLevel Systems: A Geekdom Startup Disrupting The Vending Machine Industry On The Rackspace Cloud
May 22, 2014
Geekdom-based startup ParLevel Systems is looking to disrupt the vending machine industry with a plug and play monitoring and management system.
Business Isn’t Nine-To-Five, Email Shouldn’t Be Either
May 22, 2014
Business is no longer just nine-to-five. It doesn’t wait for you to be at your desk. Heck, in today’s world of fast-paced business transactions and telecommuting, you may not even have a desk. Your employees need access to their email – it’s the lifeline of business communication, anytime, anywhere. With Rackspace Hosted Exchange you can access synced mail, contacts, calendars, tasks and notes from your desktop, browser, tablet and mobile device. Let’s take a brief look at each.
Start Small, Think Big: From Virtualization To Hybrid Cloud [Webcast]
May 22, 2014
Join me (Rackspace CTO John Engates) Wednesday, May 28 at 2:00 p.m. EDT for a webcast during which I'll preview new trends in virtualization and provide insight into the challenges and payoffs of moving from virtualization to hybrid cloud.
Rackspace UK Ranks 6th, Achieves Master Status For Best Workplaces
May 22, 2014
This week, Rackspace UK placed sixth on the Great Place To Work Institute’s UK’s Best Workplaces list (we were recognised in the large category of companies with 500-plus employees). And while that recognition was enough to elate us all; we also achieved Master Status, which is awarded to companies that have been on the list for 10 consecutive years. Rackspace is just the fourth organisation to achieve Master Status.
A Sad Day For Patent Reform. A Bad Day For Innovation.
May 21, 2014
Score one for the patent trolls. It is beyond disappointing to write this, but the Senate Democratic Leadership today shelved the patent litigation reform legislation that could have dealt a major blow to patent trolls.
Evade The Breach
May 21, 2014
You’ve heard it before: information security isn’t easy. There’s no perfect security policy or piece of technology that will protect your business from all attacks. However, security is a process and processes can always be improved. Last month, the great folks at Accruent invited me to talk about this topic at the annual Accruent Insights 2014 conference held in Austin, Texas. Its users wanted to know more about the Target breach and the Heartbleed attack, as well as strategies for strengthening their security safeguards against unknown threats.
Why You Should Care About Your Business’ Mobile Strategy
May 21, 2014
On this Thursday's Office Hours Hangout (1 p.m. CDT Thursday, May 22), we'll discuss mobile strategy and how to focus your company's mobile efforts.
9 Considerations For A Successful Migration
May 21, 2014
Most system administrators are not only concerned with improving IT capabilities, but also how to best transition to a new environment. 'How do I get my app, website, database,or development environment onto a new infrastructure, with the least amount of hassle?' Every day, Rackspace assists our customers with hundreds of migrations from websites, to applications, to databases. Here are some of our key best practices for a successful migration.
OpenStack Isn’t Just For Boys [Video]
May 20, 2014
Last week I attended my first OpenStack Summit, which was hugely successful in helping me get up-to-speed on the latest developments in open source. But during my dozens of conversations with some of technology’s top thinkers, I couldn’t help but wonder: Where are all the women?
Taking Advantage Of The Peak Moments For Record-Setting Growth
May 20, 2014
For a hyper-growth multi-channel retailer like Alex and Ani, it’s all about scale. We have to be ready for the peak moments, and our ecommerce platform has to be prepped to handle whatever comes our way.
The Cloud Warning Label
May 20, 2014
Cloud computing is an ever more powerful business tool, when properly managed. But the unmanaged clouds that most vendors are selling come with a dark side that is seldom disclosed. If they were consumer appliances or prescription drugs, these clouds would be tagged with a list of warnings.
3 Reasons Customers Abandon Their Shopping Carts, And How To Stop It
May 19, 2014
Abandoned shopping carts are the bane of ecommerce stores. Here are three reasons customers abandon their shopping carts without purchase, and some steps you can take to address them.
The Evolution Of TCO Cost Benefit Analysis For Hybrid Clouds
May 19, 2014
Historically, IT managers and leaders have relied on tools like TCO, or “Total Cost of Ownership,” to analyze and stack rank various projects and IT priorities. This approach works well when the types of application services being delivered aren’t changing much; it’s simply a cost comparison. Unfortunately, this approach does not account for leveraging cloud technologies with utility fee models or service provider expertise.
Three Key Observations From OpenStack Summit Atlanta
May 16, 2014
At the OpenStack “Juno” Summit in Atlanta this week, more than 4,500 people packed the convention center to learn, share and experience the awesome that is the OpenStack community. Here are my three key observations from OpenStack Summit Atlanta.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: May 16
May 16, 2014
This week, we took OpenStack Summit by storm; shared our stance on the cloud price war; and heard about the power of human support from an ecommerce customer. Check out all that and more this week in the Rackspace digest.
From Essex To Icehouse: The OpenStack Evolution Will Be Televised
May 15, 2014
DigitalFilm Tree, a Rackspace customer, talks about its OpenStack journey as it builds more of its pre- and post-production business on OpenStack and Rackspace.
Where The Enterprise And DevOps Meet
May 15, 2014
I recently attended the CIO Europe Summit, hosted by CDM Media. There was a first for me at this event: a CTO for a major global bank gave a 30-minute talk on DevOps to his peers.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Bon Affair: Wine Spritzer That Popped On Shark Tank
May 15, 2014
Rackspace Startup Program member Bon Affair put a new twist on wine spritzer, and Rackspace specialists helped it pop on Shark Tank.
Atlanta Summit Showcases OpenStack’s Maturity
May 14, 2014
OpenStack Summit Atlanta this week crushed any doubt about whether people are taking OpenStack and doing great things with it. The Atlanta Summit – the largest so far with roughly 4,700 attendees – was concrete proof that OpenStack and the community around it are maturing and adoption is increasing at a tremendous clip.
OpenStack Today. OpenStack Tomorrow. [Video]
May 14, 2014
Rackspace Lead Cloud Evangelist Scott Sanchez (@scottsanchez) and I (Niki Acosta, Rackspace Cloud Evangelista (@nikiacosta)) sat down with SiliconANGLE’s theCUBE this week at OpenStack Summit Atlanta to talk about OpenStack today and OpenStack’s future.
So, You Want To Be An OpenStack Contributor?
May 13, 2014
If you want to be an OpenStack contributor, where do you begin? A trio of Rackers explained it best in a breakout session at OpenStack Summit Atlanta.
The Copyrightability Of APIs In The Land Of OpenStack
May 13, 2014
Last week, the Federal Circuit overturned the District Court judgment in Oracle v. Google, finding that the Java API is copyrightable. This move overturns the expectations of businesses and developers and is likely to negatively impact how they leverage APIs going forward.
Speed, Agility Key To OpenStack ‘Superusers’
May 13, 2014
At OpenStack Summit Atlanta, a new breed of OpenStack user was introduced: the superuser. These superusers turned to OpenStack for speed.
Proactive Expertise, Hybrid Technologies Drive Ecommerce Growth
May 13, 2014
Dafiti is the fastest growing fashion operator in Brazil. Our ecommerce sites need to perform at their best, which is why we trust Rackspace.
Just Rebels? Or A Rebel Alliance? [OpenStack Summit Keynote Video]
May 13, 2014
In his keynote presentation this week at OpenStack Summit Atlanta, Rackspace Cloud Architect Troy Toman called on the community to build bridges between operators and developers and to work together to co-create the future of cloud computing. Here is full video of Troy’s keynote.
OpenStack Marketplace: Browse And Build OpenStack Clouds
May 12, 2014
In the spirit of creating a truly open ecosystem for clouds of all kinds, the OpenStack Marketplace lets interested users and developers browse products, services, applications, consultants and training solutions. It also lets users compare different OpenStack providers to choose the right service or get the tools they need to build and host it themselves.
Co-Creating OpenStack
May 12, 2014
As we go into this week of work together at OpenStack Summit Atlanta I want people to remember that what we are doing is no small thing. It requires real coordination, cooperation and sustained effort to build this interoperable cloud operating system, real conviction to create the foundation on which the future will be built.
The Cloud Price War Versus The True Value Of Cloud
May 12, 2014
There’s been a lot of talk lately about cloud pricing. The perception seems to be that to tap the power of the cloud you need only acquire some low-cost infrastructure and you’re good to go. This is a false premise.
The Treasure Of OpenStack Trove: Its History And Its Future
May 09, 2014
Trove is a Database/Datastore as a service and is the newest integrated OpenStack project. You’re sure to hear more about Trove at OpenStack Summit Atlanta next week, but today I’d like to take a walk down memory lane with Trove, and talk about how it went from a small project started within Rackspace to the treasure it is today.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: May 9
May 09, 2014
This week we prepare for OpenStack Summit Atlanta, highlight our activities at EMC World, hear from DevOps customer Ranker and much more.
Hortonworks Data Platform In The Cloud: 3 Clicks To Cluster
May 08, 2014
Today we’ve made two key updates to our Cloud Big Data Platform powered by Apache Hadoop, including support for the latest Apache Hadoop distribution from Hortonworks (Version 2.1) for deployment on Cloud Big Data Platform.
Icehouse: The Enterprise-Grade OpenStack Release
May 08, 2014
In April, the OpenStack Foundation released Icehouse, the ninth release of the OpenStack cloud platform. The general consensus seems to be that while Icehouse has some compelling new features, the focus of this version of OpenStack is on enterprise-grade readiness. Here's a look at what makes Icehouse enterprise-grade.
ZeroVM, UTSA Partnership To Investigate Future Cloud Use Cases
May 08, 2014
Rackspace's sponsorship of ZeroVM runs deep. The company has formed a three-year partnership with the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) to undertake advanced research projects that investigate how to make cloud computing with ZeroVM more valuable for everyone.
How To Migrate Traditional Apps To The Hybrid Cloud
May 08, 2014
I’ve gotten a lot of questions about hybrid cloud. What’s the right approach? How long does migration take? What needs to be done in preparation? What benefits can our organization expect to receive? Today, I thought it might be valuable to share some answers, which I did recently at EMC World.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On TrintMe: A Social App To Express Your True Feelings
May 08, 2014
Rackspace Startup Program member TrintMe makes a social app that lets you share your true feelings with your friends without the fear of rejection.
Hear From Rackspace Digital Customers, Partners At Magento Imagine 2014
May 07, 2014
Need to kick start your ecommerce platform? Looking to sharpen your digital strategy? Rackspace will have a team of experts on hand next week at the 2014 Magento Imagine eCommerce Worldwide Conference in Las Vegas. The event, for which Rackspace is a Diamond sponsor, runs Monday, May 12 through Wednesday, May 14.
How To Be A Smart(er) Architect
May 07, 2014
When I became an infrastructure architect at a large, privately owned consumer-goods store, I was so excited to be on the technology leading edge, a thought leader, and a trendsetter. I imagined all of the cool, new things I’d get to use, build, design, and possibly deploy. It was like playing with Legos or Lincoln Logs, except this was the real world and people were going to consume solutions that I designed so I knew they had better be good.
Why We Craft OpenStack (Featuring Software Developer Anne Gentle)
May 07, 2014
In this video series, we hear straight from some of OpenStack’s community members from Rackspace about how the fast-growing open source project has evolved, what it needs to continue thriving and what it means to them personally. Here, we talk to Software Developer Anne Gentle.
Five Weaknesses That Kill App Performance
May 07, 2014
Performance issues are at the heart of why many apps don’t meet user expectations and die a slow death. Here are five performance weaknesses that impact the end user experience of any app.
CloudU Sponsors Open BigCloud And Open Compute Project Workshop
May 06, 2014
As CloudU continues to extend its reach beyond its online presence, the program will sponsor the first ever Open BigCloud and Open Compute Project (OCP) Workshop at The University of Texas in San Antonio (UTSA). The event will take place Wednesday, May 7 and Thursday, May 8 on the UTSA campus.
Building A Disaster Recovery Solution Using Site Recovery Manager Part 1: Planning
May 06, 2014
VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager is used to orchestrate the failover of a group of virtual machines (VMs) from one location to another. It’s a really useful tool to have in your arsenal to tackle the daunting task of disaster recovery (DR), especially if you take a little time to plan for how and when it will be used.
Context Is Key: With DevOps Automation Our Developers Can Focus On Code, Not Servers
May 06, 2014
Development is all about context. To have engineers digging into server issues and bouncing back and forth between developing and server management results in a huge loss of context. Developers require concentration and jumping from coding to fighting fires sets back progress. With Rackspace DevOps Automation Service, our developers can focus on code.
OpenStack Summit Atlanta: Where To Find Rackspace Specialists
May 06, 2014
Rackspace will be out in full force at OpenStack Summit Atlanta next week. Throughout the week we're hosting a number of speaking sessions, a keynote presentation from Troy Toman and a bunch of other awesome events. Here's what we'll be up to in Atlanta.
Performance Cloud Servers Coming To Australia
May 05, 2014
Six months ago we launched our most powerful model of cloud servers that are designed to provide an unparalleled level of application performance—and starting 13 May, our Australian customers can also leverage the reliability of Rackspace Performance Cloud Servers, from our Sydney data centre along with our US and UK data centres.
Email Hosting: The Road To Competitive Advantage [Infographic]
May 05, 2014
The right hosted email partner can be a game changer for business by helping to maintain email accessibility and performance while keeping employees focused on the high-value tasks that drive a competitive advantage. This infographic highlights some mind-boggling numbers related to business email.
Overcome The Challenges Of Operating An OpenStack Private Cloud [Upcoming Webinar]
May 02, 2014
For an upcoming webinar, “Challenges in Operating an OpenStack Private Cloud,” we’ve gathered a trio of experts who have spent their careers in Rackspace support and now specialize in supporting customers in our Rackspace Private Cloud organization.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: May 2
May 02, 2014
This week, fans slung drinks to Scoble with Slingr, we showcased our plans for EMC World, we shared a Project Solum update and much more. Check it all out in this week’s digest.
Why We Craft OpenStack (Featuring Rackspace Software Development Manager Glen Campbell)
May 01, 2014
In this video series, we hear straight from some of OpenStack’s top contributors from Rackspace about how the fast-growing open source project has evolved, what it needs to continue thriving, what it means to them personally, and why they are active contributors. Here, we talk to Software Development Manager Glen Campbell.
Why Slingr Loves Rackspace (And Why Rackspace Is Invaluable For Growing Startups)
May 01, 2014
Rackspace empowers Startup Program member Slingr, a location-based gifting app, to focus on its product, venues and users without worrying about infrastructure. See it in action in this video featuring Robert Scoble.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: May 2014
May 01, 2014
Within the startup movement, there are plenty of events happening globally in May 2014. The Rackspace Startup Program is here to keep you up to date with valuable information on events and happenings inside the global startup community. Here is a partial list of global startup events complied by the contributors of StartupDigest.
Migrating From Redis To MongoDB – A Real-World Example
Apr 30, 2014
A customer approached us recently with a new NoSQL-data requirement for an instrumentation system we had helped them with before. Here's how we helped them migrate from Redis to MongoDB.
Prove Your Gut Feeling Wrong; Embrace Big Data [Webinar]
Apr 30, 2014
In a recent webinar, we showcased how to embrace big data in your business. Here, you can view the webinar in full.
Redefining Hybrid Cloud, Partnership At EMC World
Apr 30, 2014
At EMC World next week, Rackspace and EMC will showcase our partnership and highlight how together, we build best-in-class hybrid cloud and enterprise storage solutions that are a best fit for our customers.
The ‘Sequel To SQL’ (The Proof Is In The Pudding!)
Apr 29, 2014
After extensive testing earlier this year and learning what we did about Rackspace’s Performance Cloud Servers, we decided it was high time to put our own recommendations to the test. So we approached a long-time common Clustrix-Rackspace customer about consolidation and migration of their production social network gaming environment.
Why We Craft OpenStack (Featuring Rackspace Principal Engineer Chuck Thier)
Apr 29, 2014
In this video series, we hear straight from some of OpenStack’s top contributors from Rackspace about how the fast-growing open source project has evolved, what it needs to continue thriving, what it means to them personally, and why they are active contributors. Here, we talk to Principal Engineer Chuck Thier.
Taking The Rackspace Hybrid Approach To The Bank
Apr 29, 2014
In this guest post, Rackspace customer Kurtosys highlights what drew it to a hybrid cloud architecture powered by Rackspace specialists.
Project Solum Goes Full Steam Ahead To Milestone 1
Apr 28, 2014
After less than six months in development, Project Solum has accomplished the first development milestone (Milestone 1). This important event allows deployment of code from Github via Heat to generate a running app deployed to Docker containers using a generalized (Heroku) build pack for the app stack.
Does Support Still Matter In The World Of Hybrid IT?
Apr 28, 2014
Over the last three years, we’ve seen the emergence of hosted hybrid clouds as a great alternative for enterprises looking for a balance between the agility and flexibility public clouds provide and the security and control of private clouds. As a result, the way enterprises think about support needs to change.
Redefining The Hybrid Cloud At EMC World 2014
Apr 28, 2014
EMC World 2014 kicks off next week in Las Vegas and Rackspace will be there in full force highlighting our decade-long partnership with EMC and discussing how we’re working together to redefine the hybrid cloud. Here’s a look at what we’re up to as EMC World rocks the Venetian Monday, May 5 through Thursday, May 8.
Stanford Students, Professors Dig Into OpenStack [Video]
Apr 25, 2014
Rackspace Training for OpenStack recently headed to Palo Alto, Calif. to give Stanford University students and professors hands-on experience with the OpenStack cloud project. Check out this video to hear what the Stanford community has to say about OpenStack.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: April 28
Apr 25, 2014
This week, we highlighted how we helped customers through Heartbleed, showed you how to use Cloud Monitoring on Rackspace Private Cloud, prepped for the Big Data revolution and much more. Take a look at all that and more in this week’s digest.
CloudU Kicks Off Big Data Online Course In A Big Way
Apr 24, 2014
We have a saying in Texas: Bigger is better. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that CloudU, based in San Antonio, Texas, is getting bigger, too. To kick-off CloudU Big Data Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) activities, we’ve asked Dave Feinleib to be the featured author of this learning series.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On StudyOnBoard: Virtual Group Study Rooms
Apr 24, 2014
Rackspace Startup Program member StudyOnBoard leverages the Rackspace Cloud to build it's platform for online group study rooms.
Using Cloud Monitoring On Your Rackspace Private Cloud
Apr 24, 2014
Here we walk you through what's required to set up Cloud Monitoring on Rackspace Private Cloud.
Preparing For The Big Data Revolution
Apr 23, 2014
It is no accident that we have recently seen a surge in the amount of interest in big data. Businesses are faced with unprecedented opportunities to understand their customers, achieve efficiencies and predict future trends thanks to the convergence of a number of technologies. Businesses need to take every opportunity to store everything they can. Lost data represents lost opportunities to understand customer behaviour and interests, drivers for efficiency and industry trends.
Object Storage Tomorrow: Erasure Coding
Apr 23, 2014
My last post talked about the benefits of Object Storage today. My next few posts will talk about the future direction of Object Storage technology, and the upcoming features that you should be aware of. Today, I will talk about Erasure Coding. Once again, this post will be Swift-centric, but many of these concepts will likely be embraced by other platforms as well.
Specialist Interactive: 5 Questions To Answer Before Migrating Your App To Rackspace
Apr 23, 2014
Here are five questions you should ask before starting a migration to Rackspace (or any other hosting provider). We'll also be holding a Google+ Hangout out on Thursday, April 24 with other Rackers to discuss these questions in more detail.
Hosted Microsoft Lync Instant Messaging And Video Calling Now In Beta
Apr 23, 2014
Last week, we gave you a sneak peek at the instant messaging and video calling capabilities that are coming in Hosted Microsoft Lync at Rackspace. Today, Hosted Microsoft Lync is available through an Early Access program (beta).
Open Source Databases And The Cloud: Takeaways From The Percona MySQL Conference [Video]
Apr 22, 2014
At the Percona MySQL conference, Rackspace sat down with SiliconANGLE’s 'The Cube' to discuss the conference, the community and the work Rackspace is doing in the data space. Here is the full video and some key takeaways about open source databases and the cloud.
Is Your Business Email Secure?
Apr 22, 2014
How can you make sure the information in your email remains private and only accessible to the intended recipients? Can you risk hours or even days of email downtime due to a virus that employees unknowingly spread?
Why We Craft OpenStack (Featuring Rackspace Software Developer Ed Leafe)
Apr 22, 2014
In this video series, we hear straight from some of OpenStack’s top contributors from Rackspace about how the fast-growing open source project has evolved, what it needs to continue thriving, what it means to them personally, and why they are active contributors. Here, we talk to Software Developer Ed Leafe.
Embracing Mobile First Design
Apr 21, 2014
It’s time for online businesses and retailers to put an emphasis on mobile development rather than treating it as an afterthought.
Strategising For Spikes
Apr 21, 2014
Strategising for spikes in your online business is really important yet, astonishingly, many organizations, namely some here in Australia, are still not doing it effectively. I believe that ineffective preparation for online spikes is inexcusable with the technology available today.
Heartbleed: Stopping The Bleeding With Expertise At Scale
Apr 21, 2014
Rackers throughout the company worked long hours to provide expertise and service at scale to help our customers combat the Heartbleed OpenSSL vulnerability.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: April 18
Apr 18, 2014
This week we hear from Performance Cloud Servers customers, get Cloud Databases monitoring in the Control Panel, break up with an online store and much more.
SQL Is Dead, Long Live SQL!
Apr 17, 2014
“Big Data” is one of the biggest buzzwords in the technology industry today – you can’t read the tech press or look at social media without seeing it. But what do we mean by Big Data, and what’s wrong with our old friend “little data” that has served us well for 30 odd years.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On WayScout: Discover, Create And Share Mobile Guides
Apr 17, 2014
Rackspace Startup Program member WayScout uses the Rackspace Cloud to power its app that empowers users to create and share localized mobile guides of cities.
How Performance Cloud Servers Are Delivering Measurable Impact
Apr 17, 2014
Since releasing Performance Cloud Servers late last year, we've been thrilled by the response from customers. We knew that enhancing speed, throughput, reliability and scalability would be embraced, but it's still heartening to hear about the measurable impact directly from customers. Here, we highlight some of the most tangible performance gains we’ve seen and heard about.
What Can Object Storage Do For Me Today?
Apr 16, 2014
In this post, I will discuss what benefits Object Storage can provide for you today. As there are a variety of solutions to choose from, each offering different pros, cons and price-points, I will focus on OpenStack Swift, the open-source Object Storage component of OpenStack, as it is vendor-agnostic and freely available to everyone.
Catch The Problem Before It Occurs: Cloud Databases Monitoring With A Few Clicks
Apr 16, 2014
Cloud Databases instances are already preconfigured with a default set of metrics, including CPU, memory, disk usage, average load, network and MySQL specific metrics. You can monitor both real-time statistics and historical trends in usage using our API and our CLI. However, you have told us that you want that capability with a friendly user interface too. Today we extend monitoring of Cloud Databases into our Control Panel.
Cloud Security In An Agile World
Apr 16, 2014
Recent activity with the Heartbleed vulnerability has the industry reeling and re-evaluating their security controls. We recently posted about the Rackspace response to this event, but while security is top-of-mind we'd like to share a new white paper on the topic of "Cloud Security in an Agile World."
Instant Messaging And Video Calling Coming Soon With Hosted Lync
Apr 15, 2014
It’s estimated that 80 percent to 90 percent of businesses use some type of instant messaging to connect and collaborate with colleagues and customers. But using third-party instant messaging that does not integrate with your Outlook and Exchange can be cumbersome and a waste of valuable time and resources. This is where Hosted Lync by Rackspace can help.
Why We Craft OpenStack (Featuring Rackspace Product Manager Jarret Raim)
Apr 15, 2014
In this video series, we hear straight from some of OpenStack’s top contributors from Rackspace about how the fast-growing open source project has evolved, what it needs to continue thriving, what it means to them personally, and why they are active contributors. Here, we talk to Product Manager Jarret Raim.
Google+ Hangout: Rackspace Specialists To Discuss Patching Heartbleed At Scale
Apr 15, 2014
On April 16, we'll host "Stop the bleeding: How to patch Heartbleed at scale," a live Google+ Hangout where Rackspace security and operations specialists will join me to discuss the unique challenges presented by the Heartbleed vulnerability and how Rackspace proactively responded.
The Award For Better Performance And Lower Cost Goes To…The Rackspace Public Cloud
Apr 15, 2014
Rackspace helped the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) move to a fully optimized cloud platform built on open standards and we now run the majority of our external online services in the Rackspace Cloud.
Going Hybrid With vSphere And OpenStack
Apr 14, 2014
Over the past 12 months, I have spoken with a number of companies that are currently conducting OpenStack evaluations or using it in small projects. Almost all of these users are current VMware customers with legacy application workloads that understand that OpenStack is not something they can ignore, but they often struggle to understand its true value and how it should impact their current vSphere deployments.
Five Reasons I’m Breaking Up With Your Online Store
Apr 14, 2014
Hello Website Owner, We have something we need to talk about. It's not you, it’s not me, it’s your website. Consider me one of the legions of disgruntled web shoppers who’ve had it up to their https with underperforming sites. But in the interest of fairness, I wanted to let you in on the top five offenses—all of which you are guilty of.
UPDATED: The ‘Heartbleed’ OpenSSL Vulnerability
Apr 13, 2014
Updated April 12, 2014: Part of our Fanatical Support promise is ensuring the security and health of your solution, and our Rackspace infrastructure and internal systems. When the entire Linux Community, including Rackspace, was notified of the “Heartbleed” vulnerability within OpenSSL (the encryption software found in many Linux systems), we immediately took action to audit, identify, and remediate any customer devices, and Rackspace systems and infrastructure that may have been exposed to this vulnerability.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: April 11
Apr 11, 2014
In this week's digest we help you battle the 'Heartbleed' vulnerability, talk about why we craft OpenStack, get ready for ChefConf and much more.
Straight Up Startup Featuring Clayton Selby, Founder Of SocialREST
Apr 10, 2014
In this edition of Straight Up Startup we talk to Clayton Selby, founder of SocialREST, a tool that uses conversion metrics information to close the referral loop on social media.
It’s Time To Send That $1 Million Proposal. Is Your Email Working?
Apr 10, 2014
What happens when it’s time to send that $1 million proposal that could take your business to the next level, and your email is down? To ensure your email works as promised, Rackspace Hosted Exchange offers an unmatched, financially-backed 100 percent uptime guarantee.
Protect Your Systems From ‘Heartbleed’ OpenSSL Vulnerability
Apr 09, 2014
Part of our Fanatical Support promise is to ensure the security and health of your systems. So when the entire Linux Community, including Rackspace, was notified yesterday of the 'Heartbleed' vulnerability within OpenSSL, we began plans to proactively patch your affected servers where we could.
What Do Chef And DevOps Mean To Rackspace? Find Out At ChefConf
Apr 09, 2014
At ChefConf 2014, we'll talk about how Rackspace uses DevOps and Chef.
Rackspace Is Cooking Things Up At ChefConf 2014
Apr 09, 2014
Rackspace and our team of DevOps Automation specialists are headed to San Francisco next week for ChefConf 2014! Be sure to drop by booth #126 to find out more about our DevOps Automation Service and managed support for DevOps tools to help automate the process of deploying and scaling applications.
Why We Craft OpenStack (Featuring Rackspace Principal Architect Kurt Griffiths)
Apr 09, 2014
In this video series, we hear straight from some of OpenStack’s top contributors from Rackspace about how the fast-growing open source project has evolved, what it needs to continue thriving, what it means to them personally, and why they are active contributors. Here, we talk to Principal Architect Kurt Griffiths.
In Ecommerce, Performance Means Speed, And Speed Drives Revenue
Apr 08, 2014
In this guest post, Rackspace ecommerce customer Digital Options highlights how Performance Cloud Servers helped its website perform five to eight times faster.
Find The Right Infrastructure With The Windows Workload Reference Architecture Tool
Apr 08, 2014
Whether you are developing a new app, looking to move Exchange or SharePoint or building/moving your website into a hosted environment, the one question we consistently get here at Rackspace is: “Exactly what infrastructure do I need to meet my specific requirements?” To help answer that we’ve built an easy to use online tool designed to help you determine the infrastructure architecture and set of products you need to get started.
Moving Toward Responsive Design
Apr 07, 2014
Responsive web design—where the same HTML is styled according to the end user’s device—is one way to improve engagement on mobile screens, which is especially necessary for ecommerce shops that risk losing a sale if their mobile site isn’t up to snuff.
Empowering Our Partners To Be Hybrid Cloud Specialists
Apr 07, 2014
2014 is a big year for our Partner Network as we sharpen our partners’ expertise in the hybrid cloud to assist them in becoming cloud specialists. To do that, we’re refreshing and simplifying our Partner Network to make it more competitive and providing more opportunities to learn the latest cloud and hybrid technologies.
CyberPatriot Students Gain The Fanatical Edge
Apr 06, 2014
Out of the many community programs that Rackspace lends it time and talent, one particular student program that has received targeted mentoring is the CyberPatriot competition, a nationwide high school cyber security challenge created by the Air Force Academy.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: April 4
Apr 04, 2014
This week's digest features product updates, webinar recaps, customer stories and much more.
Come See Rackspace Specialists At PyCon 2014
Apr 04, 2014
PyCon 2014 kicks off Wednesday in Montreal, and a cadre of Rackspace specialists will be on hand hosting informative workshops, speaking sessions and demonstrations. Be sure to find us at the show. Here's a list of what we're up to at PyCon 2014.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Querium: Mobile Learning Software Built On The Rackspace Cloud
Apr 03, 2014
Querium, a Rackspace Startup Program member, offers a mobile learning software platform that delivers personalized, bite-sized lessons to help students master critical skills to prepare them for college and beyond.
Simply Backup Cloud Sites With CodeGuard
Apr 03, 2014
Cloud Sites backups are the No. 1 feature you've requested. Today, the wait for backups is over with CodeGuard.
Using DevOps Tools To Achieve Continuous Integration: Webinar Recap
Apr 03, 2014
In a recent webinar, we showcased “Using DevOps Tools to Achieve Continuous Integration.” A full recording of that webinar and the presentation slides are available now.
Don’t Let Language Be A Barrier…Especially On Social Media
Apr 02, 2014
If a person posts a bad comment or negative experience with your company, and it goes viral, is anyone in your company monitoring for it? How about if it’s in a foreign language? Is anyone at your company equipped to quickly respond to this urgent situation if it’s not in your native tongue?
Cloud Images For The Open Cloud: Import, Export And Share Images
Apr 02, 2014
This week we’re bringing you Cloud Images, a cool new feature powered by OpenStack that opens up the cloud even more. The free service allows you to import, export and share images with other users.
Mute Cloud Monitoring Notifications With Suppressions
Apr 01, 2014
Today we launched suppressions in Cloud Monitoring. Suppressions add the ability to schedule a time wherein a specified set of notifications will be muted.
Building Trust On A Hybrid Cloud
Apr 01, 2014
In this guest post, Rackspace customer Troux Technologies highlights how a hybrid cloud and trust in its cloud provider help it succeed.
Customize Configuration Settings For Cloud Databases
Apr 01, 2014
Starting today you can customize configuration settings for Cloud Databases instances using the API or Trove command line tool. This capability allows you to optimize configuration settings based on the needs of your workload.
Speak Up! Contact Your Senators To Fight Patent Trolls
Mar 31, 2014
Today is an important day in the fight against patent trolls. I urge you to contact your senators and have your voice heard.
Webinar Recap: What Kind Of Relationship Are You Seeking With Your Database?
Mar 31, 2014
Last week, we hosted a live webinar, “Making Choices: What Kind of Relationship are you Seeking with your Database?,” in which we dug into the options available for the database tier of modern applications, particularly in the cloud. Check out the full webinar and slide presentation here.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: March 28
Mar 28, 2014
We’ve had an incredible week at Rackspace, from launching ObjectRocket in our Hong Kong data center to celebrating the first anniversary of the Open Cloud Academy, our educational training program based in downtown San Antonio. Read all about it in this week’s edition of the weekly digest.
Open Cloud Academy: Making Geeks in San Antonio for One Year
Mar 28, 2014
Last week, I attended the one year anniversary party of the Open Cloud Academy, a Rackspace-sponsored educational organization designed to arm students with affordable IT training and industry standard certifications. Tucked away in the same building as Geekdom in downtown San Antonio, this hands-on program is the perfect solution for people who love technology but […]
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: April 2014
Mar 27, 2014
Within the startup movement, there are plenty of events happening globally in April 2014. The Rackspace Startup Program is here to keep you up to date with valuable information on events and happenings inside the global startup community. Here is a partial list of global startup events complied by the contributors of StartupDigest.
Create Cloud Files Container-Level Access Control Policies
Mar 27, 2014
In this blog post, we show you how to set up a new user with Role-Based Access Control and apply container-level access control with Cloud Files Access Control Lists.
A Day In The Life Of A Rackspace Cloud Specialist
Mar 26, 2014
At Rackspace, one of the key components of our focus on service and Fanatical Support is to help guide you through the best solutions for your specific environment. To do this, we have a team of Rackspace Cloud Specialists at the ready.
ObjectRocket Blasts Off In Hong Kong
Mar 26, 2014
Just 13 months after we acquired industrial strength MongoDB Data-as-a-Service ObjectRocket, the service is now available in our Hong Kong data center. This follows the launch of ObjectRocket in the UK earlier this year.
Sharpening Our DevOps Expertise For Your Innovative App
Mar 26, 2014
Rackspace would not be able to innovate faster or operate at massive level of scale without a DevOps culture and we're continuing to deepen our DevOps expertise. With DevOps Automation Service our DevOps specialists share what we've learned with you.
How A Specialist Helps You Perform At Your Best
Mar 25, 2014
Performing at the top of your game is key. That’s true for everything: from running a marathon to running a business – performing your best drives success. Here, Rackspace customer MapMyFitness talks about how a hybrid cloud helps it achieve peak performance.
Leveraging The Frizziness Index: How Weather Data Impacts Consumer Behavior
Mar 24, 2014
While it may be difficult to predict the weather, predicting how the weather impacts consumer purchases is becoming easier. During a SXSW panel, Vikram Somaya, General Manager of the WeatherFX division at The Weather Company, discussed the influence of weather on sales.
Bridge The Digital Divide With Rackspace And Acquity Group At Adobe Digital Marketing Summit 2014
Mar 24, 2014
At the Adobe Digital Marketing Summit 2014, Rackspace and Acquity Group will co-present "Bridging the Digital Divide with Enterprise Digital Platform."
Rackspace Weekly Digest: March 21
Mar 21, 2014
In this week's digest we hear from SumAll, a Rackspace customer; highlight a new Cloud Block Storage feature; discuss end-of-life for Windows Server 2003; and much more.
Creating Dynamic Host Files With Chef
Mar 21, 2014
Maintaining host files on standard *nix system has been traditionally done by hand. This becomes a challenge as the number of systems grows and is more true in the cloud model, where you might add/delete servers at a higher rate. One solution would be to use DNS and use a local zone to store your host name to IP mapping. If you are using Chef for automation, here is another example on how to automatically generate the host file entries.
Are You Prepared For When Spikes Occur? Join Us At eCommerce Expo To Find Out
Mar 20, 2014
Rackspace is sponsoring the 2014 eCommerce Expo March 26 and March 27 at Australia’s Melbourne Conference & Exhibition Centre. Arrian Mehis, Director of Technical Services at Rackspace, will present 'Leveraging the Cloud for Seasonal Peaks.'
Rackspace Startup Spotlight On Xtrant: A Cloud-Based Project Platform Built On The Rackspace Cloud
Mar 20, 2014
In this startup spotlight we look at Xtrant, a cloud-based project platform built on the Rackspace Cloud.
An Introduction To Developing On OpenStack From DeveloperWeek
Mar 20, 2014
At DeveloperWeek Conference & Festival 2014, Rackspace Director of Training and Education Tony Campbell showcased how to develop on OpenStack. Here are his presentation slides.
Join Us At Spartups Demo Day At Rackspace SFO
Mar 19, 2014
Five early-stage startups will showcase what they’ve built this Friday at Spartups Demo Day 2014 at Rackspace San Francisco (SFO). The startups will highlight what they’ve created during the Spartups program, a four-month mentorship-driven accelerator program.
How Can You Reduce Time-To-Resolution? Solve For The 70%
Mar 19, 2014
Here, Rackspace Marketplace partner VictorOps discusses making remote engagement a reality for DevOps teams.
Cloud Block Storage Volume Cloning Now In Control Panel
Mar 19, 2014
Starting today you can create copies of existing Cloud Block Storage volumes from the Control Panel with Volume Cloning.
Sprint Zero – On Designing The Right Thing
Mar 19, 2014
I had the privilege of co-hosting a workshop on how to think about designing the right thing. During our presentation at Mind the Product 2013, we talked about how our teams use four practical tools to execute product design: Desired Outcomes, Product Box, Back Planning, and Requests and Agreements.
Windows Server 2003 End-Of-Life Support Rapidly Approaching: What’s Your Action Plan?
Mar 18, 2014
Windows Server 2003 is fast approaching its end-of-life. Microsoft has announced the official date for end-of-life support as July 14, 2015. While many administrators are well aware of this fact, there are still nearly a million servers across the globe currently running live applications on Windows Server 2003.
In The Cloud, Scale And Performance Are Imperative
Mar 18, 2014
In this guest post, Rackspace customer SumAll showcases the scale, performance and cost improvements it achieved when moving its MongoDB from AWS to ObjectRocket by Rackspace.
Inside My Home Rackspace Private Cloud, OpenStack Lab: From Bare-Metal To Seven Nodes (My Cloud So Far)
Mar 17, 2014
For the last several weeks I’ve been explaining the setup of my home Rackspace Private Cloud and OpenStack lab. We've gone from bare-metal to a seven-node cloud. Here's a recap of what we've done so far.
A SXSW Interactive Recap From Rackspace Specialists
Mar 17, 2014
We had dozens of Rackspace specialists on the scene at SXSW in Austin last week. Throughout the festival we had a full schedule of events, sessions and talks. We also had Rackers covering the latest and greatest tech news and insights. Here’s what we covered before, during and after SXSW 2014.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: March 14
Mar 14, 2014
In this week's digest, Rackspace specialists head to SXSW; discuss our DevOps tools; highlight the differences between Cloud Foundry and Solum; and much more.
The Slash Factor: The Secret Sauce To A Hackathon That Rocks
Mar 13, 2014
Held during SXSW, the Slashathon hackathon was like none other - developers had just a half-day to assemble teams, dream up an idea focusing on musical artists and develop a prototype using myriad sponsored technologies available. Then, they had to present it to a panel of judges including rock star and guitar hall-of-famer Slash.
Women In Tech Initiatives Take Spotlight At SXSW
Mar 13, 2014
In recent years, the days before, during and after SXSW have become a playground for announcing new products, from Foursquare in 2009 to Flavors.me in 2010 and TOMS sunglasses in 2011. This year, the spotlight was trained on initiatives and programs designed to help more women build careers in technical and management positions.
TrueAbility: A Geekdom Startup Developing A Technical Assessment Platform On The Rackspace Cloud
Mar 13, 2014
TrueAbility is a Rackspace Startup Program member and Geekdom company building a technical assessment platform on the Rackspace Cloud.
SXSW: Encouraging Girls To Pursue Careers In Tech
Mar 13, 2014
In less than a month I will become a father. At SXSW this year, I had two particular panels circled in my schedule—Hacking Princess Culture: Girls, Games & Science and Leaning Out: How Online Dads Raise Kids Offline.
CodeDay: Getting High School Students Excited About Code
Mar 13, 2014
Rackspace recently participated in a CodeDay event during which high school students developed cool projects and got excited about code.
Cloud Orchestration: Automating Deployments Of Full Stack Configurations
Mar 12, 2014
Today we are releasing the Cloud Orchestration API to help configure and deploy your cloud stack topologies and applications.
Blastro Networks Powers SXSW Domelandia Broadcast With The Rackspace Cloud
Mar 12, 2014
Transmission II: Domelandia, an exclusive SXSW party, was streamed live online by Rackspace customer Blastro Networks and the Rackspace Cloud powered the broadcast.
Linux For Ladies: A New Tech Education Program For Women
Mar 12, 2014
At SXSW we unveiled our newest program designed specifically for women who are interested in pursuing technology careers, specifically in Linux. The program is called 'Linux for Ladies.'
From Dedicated Hosting, To Public Cloud, To Hybrid Cloud: A Customer’s Journey [Webinar]
Mar 12, 2014
This Thursday at 11 a.m. CDT, join Rackspace customer Troux Technologies and Rackspace for a live webinar during which they’ll tell the Troux hybrid journey story.
Get To Know The DevOps Tools Supported By Rackspace Specialists
Mar 12, 2014
Our Rackspace DevOps engineers are specialists in a number DevOps tools and use them to automate your environment through our DevOps Automation Service. Here’s a quick cheat sheet highlighting tools we support.
A Tale Of Two Approaches To The Platform Service Layer: Cloud Foundry And Solum
Mar 11, 2014
Getting an application designed, tested and running, then updating and improving it is no easy task. There is a continuing quest for tooling that delivers automation of this work to allow more focus on what matters most: fast, efficient development. This tooling is often referred to as application “Platform-as-a-Service” or “PaaS.” Unfortunately, this term tends to mask a distinction we’ve found in two types of customer needs leading to different preferred approaches to use of a platform service layer.
Leveling Up Developers At Rackspace
Mar 11, 2014
The Rackspace Developer Conference, dubbed 'Rax.io,' is an opportunity for the brilliant technical minds inside our company to engage, educate and empower each other to continue solving really tough problems for customers.
Support Is Ending For Microsoft Exchange 2003. Are You Ready? [Infographic]
Mar 11, 2014
Microsoft is ending support for Exchange 2003 in just a few weeks. In this infographic, we outline some options to help you determine your next move.
Half The Cost, 6x The Performance: Massive Scale In The Rackspace Cloud
Mar 11, 2014
In this post, Gutensite, a Rackspace customer and Rackspace Marketplace partner highlights how it saved money and increased performance on the Rackspace Cloud.
Rackspace Deploys Teams Of Specialists At SXSW 2014
Mar 11, 2014
With the launch of Rackspace Digital last week at the W Hotel, we introduced our team of digital specialists laser focused on content, commerce and mobile. Over the weekend, as more of SXSW 2014 came alive, Rackspace deployed additional teams of specialists on the ground to engage with event goers at festival venues inside the Austin city limits.
SXSW Startup Village Comes Alive
Mar 08, 2014
In the Startup Village at SXSW we've set up a studio to interview startups. One of the first to drop by was Felt, an iPad app that takes the pain out of buying and sending greeting cards.
Rackspace Digital A Hit With Partners At SXSW
Mar 08, 2014
At SXSW, Rackspace officially launched Rackspace Digital, a new practice built around our expertise in content, commerce and mobile. Here, we talk to partners about Rackspace Digital.
Clubbing The Patent Trolls And Fighting Back At SXSW
Mar 08, 2014
This week, we took the patent trolls conversation to SXSW, where Rackspace Special Counsel Alan Schoenbaum joined an all-star lineup of panelists to discuss how we can protect ourselves from the tsunami of patent lawsuits.
SXSW Day 1: Gary Vaynerchuk Tells You How To ‘Crush’ SXSW
Mar 08, 2014
Author, angel investor and brand strategist Gary Vaynerchuk kicked off day one of SXSW Interactive with a blueprint on how to navigate the madness of sensory overload that is SXSW.
Kicking Off SXSW With A Crawl
Mar 07, 2014
SXSW started off with a crawl - the Startup Crawl, that is - but soon it will be in full swing.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: March 7
Mar 07, 2014
In this week's digest, SXSW, StartupBus, Windows deployments, NoSQL, a new social support app and much more.
StartupBus Finals Celebrate Innovation, Creativity [Video]
Mar 07, 2014
The StartupBus finals were held this week at Rackspace. More than 30 startups - formed in 72 hours on a cross-country bus trip - competed. Check out which startup won.
StartupBus Revs Into Rackspace On Way To SXSW; Semi-Finalists Chosen [Video]
Mar 05, 2014
StartupBus revved to Rackspace headquarters this morning in the name of innovation. On each of the seven buses, teams had 72 hours to design, build and launch applications while traveling 60 miles per hour. Check out the arrival of StartupBus and the list of semi-finalists.
Get In The Ring With Rackspace And Slash At Slashathon During SXSW
Mar 05, 2014
Rackspace is a sponsor of next week's Geeklist-powered Slashathon, a music-focused hackathon founded by former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash.
Automate Your Deployment Process
Mar 05, 2014
The goal, no matter how complex your application, is to allow anyone on your team to deploy in one step.
10 Things Business Email Should Include
Mar 05, 2014
When you're looking for an email hosting provider, it's important to look for one that focuses on business email, not consumer email. There is a difference. Business email is the lifeline of your business. You need a business email hosting provider that understands the mission-critical nature of email for business.
The NoSQL Landscape: An Interactive Infographic
Mar 04, 2014
NoSQL datastores are thriving. This infographic examines the NoSQL landscape and looks at MongoDB, Redis and CouchDB.
Hybrid Cloud Provides Vital Help For Heroes
Mar 04, 2014
In this post, UK-based charity Help for Heroes highlights how a hybrid cloud provides resilience and security and the ability to scale.
Join Us At The Austin Women In Tech Networking Event During SXSW
Mar 04, 2014
We're co-sponsoring an Austin Women in Tech networking event on Tuesday, March 6 during SXSW.
Inside My Home Rackspace Private Cloud, OpenStack Lab, Part 4: Neutron
Mar 03, 2014
After following the first three posts, we now have a Rackspace Private Cloud powered by OpenStack running with two Controllers (HA) and three Computes. So now what? Well the first thing we need to do is get our hands dirty with the OpenStack Networking component, Neutron, and create a network that our instances can be spun up on.
Build Content, Commerce And Mobile Applications With Rackspace Digital
Mar 03, 2014
Rackspace has created a new team that brings together the experience we have built over the last 14 years supporting the digital engagement platforms for some of the world’s leading brands. This new initiative is called Rackspace Digital.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: February 28
Feb 28, 2014
In this week's digest, we prepare for SXSW, take home another Stevie Award, take OpenStack for a spin, advance the open cloud movement and much more.
Rackspace Specialists Bringing The Awesome At SXSW 2014 #SXRackspace
Feb 27, 2014
Rackspace plans to have a massive presence next week at SXSW Interactive – the Austin conference where top tech titans discuss everything from the latest in robotics to the best way to run your websites. Here's a full list of events and happenings and where you can find our Rackspace specialists throughout SXSW.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: March 2014
Feb 27, 2014
Within the startup movement, there are plenty of events happening globally in March 2014. The Rackspace Startup Program is here to keep you up to date with valuable information on events and happenings inside the global startup community. Here is a partial list of global startup events complied by the contributors of StartupDigest.
Exploring The Universe Of Big Data [Infographic]
Feb 27, 2014
In this infographic, we visualize some of the biggest—and most intriguing—sources of data in the world, some from our own customers.
Taking OpenStack For A Spin: Using The Rackspace Private Cloud Sandbox
Feb 26, 2014
In this post, I walk though a high-level setup of the Rackspace Private Cloud Sandbox.
Making Choices: What Kind Of Relationship Are You Seeking With Your Database?
Feb 26, 2014
As data evolves and becomes more complex it begs the question, 'What type of relationship are you seeking with your database?'
How Is Rackspace Different?
Feb 26, 2014
How is Rackspace different? It’s a question that I get all the time. When I answer it, I highlight the Rackspace philosophy and focus on our values. Sometimes, showcasing why Rackspace does things a certain way is more effective than talking about what Rackspace does.
Got $1 Million? Get A Month Of On-Site SharePoint Expertise
Feb 25, 2014
If you want to tap into our SharePoint expertise, we’ve got a deal for you: for $1 million all six of our SharePoint MVPs will work directly with your company, on-site (U.S. only, please!) for a full month.
DevOps = Better Execution
Feb 25, 2014
Every business wants to execute better; and adopting a DevOps makes better execution possible.
Advancing The Open Cloud Movement
Feb 25, 2014
This week, we’re helping advance the open cloud movement by joining a new open source project – Pivotal’s Cloud Foundry Foundation - as a Platinum sponsor.
Developing, Deploying Quickly On The Cloud
Feb 25, 2014
In this guest post, Rackspace Customer TeamSourcing discusses how it uses the Rackspace Cloud and OpenStack to develop and deploy swiftly.
Inside My Home Rackspace Private Cloud, OpenStack Lab, Part 3: Installing A High Availability Rackspace Private Cloud With Chef Cookbooks
Feb 24, 2014
In the first two posts I covered the basics: what hardware is involved and the basic network services that form the basis of my Rackspace Private Cloud install. In this post, I set up Rackspace Private Cloud to give an OpenStack environment consisting of highly available Controllers running as a pair with services such as the OpenStack APIs, Neutron, Glance and Keystone and three compute servers allowing me flexibility to do some testing.
Community Team Brings Home Rackspace’s 4th Stevie Award
Feb 24, 2014
The Rackspace Community Team took home a silver award for Best Use of Technology in Customer Service – Computer Services at the eighth annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. This marks Rackspace’s fourth Stevie Award in two years.
Microsoft Is Ending Support For Exchange 2003. What’s Your Next Move?
Feb 24, 2014
On April 8, 2014, Microsoft will end support for Exchange 2003. What does this mean for you and your business? Here, we discuss your options.
Cast Your Ballot Now For OpenStack Summit Atlanta Presentations
Feb 21, 2014
Voting is now open for sessions at OpenStack Summit Atlanta (May 12 through May 16). Here's a roundup of proposed speaking sessions from Rackspace OpenStack experts. Voting closes Sunday, March 2.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: February 21
Feb 21, 2014
This week, we prep for SCALE 12x; look at a new partnership to help manage cloud spend; dive into one Racker's home lab; explain some of the differences between OpenStack as a project, product and service; and much more.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Endao: Quickly Build Business Process Management Tools
Feb 20, 2014
Rackspace Startup Program member Endao is a platform for building Business Process Management (BPM) software with the goal of improving the design and deployment experience.
Manage, Control Your Cloud Spend With Cloud Cruiser For Rackspace Private Cloud
Feb 20, 2014
Today, Rackspace and Cloud Cruiser are partnering to offer integrated, intelligent financial management software for the Rackspace Private Cloud (RPC).
Mobile + Ecommerce = M-Commerce
Feb 19, 2014
M-commerce is not just a buzzword; it's for real. And is worth learning about. Why? Because it can make you money.
Innovate or Die: Changing Your Mindset About Cloud [Upcoming Webinar]
Feb 19, 2014
Tomorrow at noon Central, join Rackspace Cloud Evangelists Scott Sanchez and I for “Innovate or Die: Changing Your Mindset About Cloud.” During the live webcast we’ll discuss the mindset shift from traditional IT to DevOps and automation, and highlight why some companies are turning to OpenStack-powered private clouds to fuel innovation.
Breaking Ground On One Of The UK’s Greenest Data Centres
Feb 19, 2014
Today we break ground on our new UK data centre, which was designed from the ground up to be green.
The Power Of The Cloud In Your Pocket
Feb 18, 2014
To make it easier to manage your cloud on the go, we’ve added some seriously powerful monitoring information to the Rackspace Mobile App for iOS and Android devices.
OpenStack: The Project, The Rackspace Product And The Rackspace Service
Feb 18, 2014
There are often questions about the differences between the various OpenStack distributions and offerings. I answer whenever possible by drawing the distinction between OpenStack as the open source project and as the products and services available to help make it a production-ready cloud platform.
How Appboy Scales Effectively With Rackspace
Feb 18, 2014
Here, Rackspace customer Appboy highlights how it leverages the Rackspace Hybrid Cloud to scale its leading mobile relationship management platform.
Take The Break-Fix Challenge At SCALE 12x
Feb 17, 2014
The 12th Annual Southern California Linux Expo (SCALE 12x) kicks off Friday at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport, and Rackspace will be there hosting informative workshops and holding a contest to see if you’ve got what it takes to fix a broken server.
Inside My Home Rackspace Private Cloud, OpenStack Lab, Part 2: The Networking
Feb 17, 2014
In the first part of this series, I introduced the kit that makes up my home lab. There’s nothing unusual or special in the kit list, but it certainly is affordable and makes entry into an OpenStack world very accessible. This post explains some more basics of my networking: DHCP, DNS, Proxy and TFTP.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: February 14
Feb 14, 2014
In this week's digest, we hear how Glassdoor uses the Rackspace Hybrid Cloud; dig into solutions design with Cinder; say goodbye to our retiring CEO; and more.
Straight Up Startup: Naruby Schlenker, Co-Founder Of Ordoro
Feb 13, 2014
In this edition of Straight Up Startup, we feature Naruby Schlenker, co-founder of Ordoro, a web app that empowers ecommerce stores to manage orders, inventory and shipping.
Pre-Aggregated Analytics And Social Feeds Using MongoDB [Video]
Feb 13, 2014
This week, we hosted a live webinar during which two ObjectRocket by Rackspace customers, Appboy and Untappd, highlighted how they use MongoDB and other data services on the cloud. Here is a full video recording of the webinar.
Laying Cinder Block (Volumes) In OpenStack, Part 2: Solutions Design
Feb 13, 2014
Here, I review some reference architectures and design principles for building OpenStack Cinder solutions using both commodity-off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware as well as third-party storage solutions.
Women In Computer Science Being Bold At Harvard University
Feb 12, 2014
Last weekend, a group of Harvard Women in Computer Science students put on an amazing technical women's conference called WECode (WE = Women Engineers). Rackspace also participated in this excitement
Rackspace Email & Apps: 2013 Year In Review
Feb 12, 2014
2013 was a big year for Rackspace email hosting services. How big? Let’s take a look at the numbers and the updates.
Easy Analytics On Rackspace Cloud Databases With Chartio
Feb 12, 2014
In this guest post, Rackspace Cloud Tools partner Chartio discusses data analytics on Rackspace Cloud Databases with Chartio.
Next Generation Hadoop Platform Support At O’Reilly Strata 2014
Feb 11, 2014
At this year’s O’Reilly Strata event we will showcase our support of the newest genesis of the Hortonworks Data Platform (2.0), a release that we believe represents a paradigm shift in the perception of what you can use Hadoop to accomplish.
Cloud Intelligence, Performance Cloud Servers Lead To Network I/O Boost
Feb 11, 2014
Cloud Intelligence helped Glassdoor pinpoint a network I/O issue in a NoSQL cluster, and moving that cluster to Performance Cloud Servers nearly doubled network performance.
The Shoulders Of A Giant
Feb 10, 2014
By now, many of you have read that Lanham Napier is retiring as CEO of Rackspace, after 14 years with the company. This is a bittersweet day — not just for him, but for all the Rackers and customers and partners and shareholders who have worked with him and have been inspired by him over the years.
Leading And Leaving
Feb 10, 2014
I’m retiring from Rackspace. Our co-founder and executive chairman, Graham Weston, will step in to replace me as CEO, and will run the company in partnership with our president, Taylor Rhodes, while the board conducts a careful search for a long-term CEO, among internal and external candidates.
Inside My Home Rackspace Private Cloud, OpenStack Lab, Part 1: The Setup
Feb 10, 2014
Over the past year I’ve been using a home lab for quick, hands-on testing of OpenStack and Rackspace Private Cloud. This post is about the tech involved and how it is set up.
Rackspace Training For OpenStack Continues University Tour In 2014
Feb 10, 2014
Rackspace Training for OpenStack is continuing its tour of colleges and universities this year with stops in Berkeley and the University of Portland, with more to come.
Turn Your Ops Team Into MongoDB Believers
Feb 10, 2014
Here are some ways you can showcase the advantages of MongoDB to your Ops team as you look to use it as the database for a production app or site.
What’s New In Rackspace Hosted Exchange 2013
Feb 07, 2014
Rackspace Hosted Exchange 2013, which is now in general availability, adds a host of features that make dealing with email less of a hassle, while maintaining the capabilities that make it a breeze.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: February 7
Feb 07, 2014
In this week's digest, we discuss our policy on contributing to open source; welcome back CloudU; take a look at the new Open Compute Lab at UTSA; and much more.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Knowji: Combining Education, Technology For Language Acquisition Apps
Feb 06, 2014
Knowji, a Rackspace Startup Program member, is using the Rackspace Cloud to build apps that combine education and technology to help people quickly learn vocabulary and languages.
Introduction To Cloud Monitoring
Feb 06, 2014
This is one of a collection of posts I've written recently to provide a high-level introduction to all of the products and services available within a Rackspace Cloud Account. Here, I provide an introduction to Cloud Monitoring.
Fundamentals Of Cloud Architecture: The Seed Config [Video]
Feb 05, 2014
In this video, I show you how the Cloud Launch Team uses some fundamentals of cloud architecture to help you eliminate technical debt from your cloud configuration and prepare you for success in the future.
A Look Inside The Open Compute Lab At UTSA [Video]
Feb 04, 2014
The Open Compute Certification and Solution Laboratory at UTSA is the only one in the U.S. and one of only two in the world. It will create exiting new opportunities for collaboration and the adoption of open source hardware.
CloudU Is Back: Welcome To Our Social Learning LMS
Feb 04, 2014
We've relaunched Cloud University (CloudU), our social learning management system (LMS) designed to help you sharpen your cloud knowledge.
Overcoming The Challenges Of Records Retention And Privacy Regulations
Feb 04, 2014
In this guest post, Rackspace customer Jordan Lawrence showcases how it leverages Rackspace technologies to help its clients overcome the challenges of records retention and privacy regulations.
Operating An OpenStack Powered Private Cloud [Video]
Feb 03, 2014
Last week, we hosted 'Behind the Curtain: Operating an OpenStack Powered Private Cloud,' a webinar during which we dug into the components that allow Rackspace to offer and operate Rackspace Private Cloud Software in an as-a-Service model. Here's video of the webinar.
Spreading The Love From The Cloud This Valentine’s Day
Feb 03, 2014
In this guest post, Rackspace customer LoveCoups.com highlights how Rackspace Performance Cloud Servers help it scale its dynamic website for Valentine's Day traffic spikes while saving money and improving performance.
Rackspace’s Policy On Contributing To Open Source
Jan 31, 2014
We’re changing Rackspace policy so that Rackers are free to contribute to and participate in any public open source project of their choice that has an established open source license.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: January 31
Jan 31, 2014
Super Bowl-driven traffic, patent trolls, Open Compute, Geeklist and more in this week's digest.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: February 2014
Jan 30, 2014
Within the startup movement, there are plenty of events happening globally in February 2014. The Rackspace Startup Program is here to keep you up to date with valuable information on events and happenings inside the global startup community. Here is a partial list of global startup events complied by the contributors of StartupDigest.
Open Compute Project Gaining Momentum
Jan 30, 2014
There’s a philosophy shift happening in hardware and at the fifth Open Compute Summit this week in San Jose the Open Compute Project gathered more steam.
Introduction To Cloud Backup
Jan 30, 2014
This is one of a collection of posts I've written recently to provide a high-level introduction to all of the products and services available within a Rackspace Cloud Account. Here, I provide an introduction to Cloud Backup.
President Pushes For Patent Reform In State Of The Union Address
Jan 29, 2014
In his State of the Union Address last night, President Obama called for Congress to take action against patent trolls.
Signing Up For Cloud Servers
Jan 29, 2014
Here, we walk you through how to sign up for Rackspace Cloud Servers and detail some things to keep in mind during the signup process.
Say ‘Hello Heat!’ With Havana-Powered Rackspace Private Cloud
Jan 29, 2014
Project Heat, which was recently introduced in OpenStack Havana. Heat is available as a technology preview with the latest release of the Rackspace Private Cloud. Here, I talk about Heat and we will say Hello to Heat with a simple 'Hello Heat' exercise.
Open Compute Lab Comes To UTSA
Jan 28, 2014
The Open Compute Project (OCP) this week established North America’s first Open Compute Certification and Solution Laboratory at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). The news was shared at the Open Compute Summit in San Jose.
New Year, New Cloud: Geeklist Gets Geekier In 2014
Jan 28, 2014
Here, Geeklist, a social collaboration platform for developers, discusses its move to the Rackspace Cloud from a trio of disparate providers and how it's upping its geek cred in 2014.
Open, Hybrid, Interoperable: The Cloud’s Future
Jan 28, 2014
At its core, hybrid cloud is about flexibility and choice. It's with that in mind that we at Rackspace support Cisco’s vision for InterCloud,
Don’t Let Your Site Get Sacked On Super Bowl Sunday
Jan 27, 2014
Super Bowl Sunday is fast approaching. Companies pay millions of dollars to get that coveted 30 second commercial spot. For many big name companies, Super Bowl Sunday breeds big traffic numbers. It’s imperative that their websites and apps can stand up to the traffic blitz that this global event implies.
Renewable Energy Use Earns Rackspace EPA Green Power Partner Recognition
Jan 27, 2014
For the second consecutive year, Rackspace has been named an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Green Power Partner and featured on the Top 30 Tech & Telecom List.
Are You Making Data Matter?
Jan 27, 2014
From making UPS deliveries more fuel efficient to reducing the dropout rate in Alabama schools, these creative initiatives use the power of data to make a difference. The initiatives highlighted in the 'Making Data Matter' slideshow have one thing in common: they’re multi-pronged, data-driven approaches to solve old problems with new data-driven insights.
Behind The Curtain: Operating An OpenStack Powered Private Cloud (Webinar)
Jan 24, 2014
Join us Thursday, January 30 at 10 a.m. for a webinar in which we'll discuss how you can operate an OpenStack powered private cloud.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: January 24
Jan 24, 2014
In this week's digest, we check in with the ZeroVM Design Summit; hear from a customer using the cloud to save Hollywood; discuss a new Cloud Databases feature; and much more.
ZeroVM Design Summit, Day 2: Examining OpenStack Swift Integration
Jan 24, 2014
Yesterday, during day two of the ZeroVM Design Summit, we examined integration with other technologies, particularly OpenStack Swift (the technology behind Rackspace Cloud Files).
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Double Stallion Games: Mobilizing Arcade-Style Games
Jan 23, 2014
In this spotlight, we talk to Double Stallion Games, a Rackspace Startup Program member that is building mobile, arcade-style games on the Rackspace Cloud.
Introduction To Cloud Load Balancers
Jan 23, 2014
This is one of a collection of posts I've written recently to provide a high-level introduction to all of the products and services available within a Rackspace Cloud Account. Here, I provide an introduction to Cloud Load Balancers.
ZeroVM Design Summit, Day 1: Digging Into Use Cases, Architecture & More
Jan 23, 2014
A couple months ago we acquired the team behind ZeroVM, the lightweight open source application hypervisor. At that time we promised that more was coming soon – and now we have started to say what some of the plans are for this new technology. This week was our coming-out party at the first ever ZeroVM Design Summit at the University of Texas at San Antonio
Why Startups Should Think ‘Mobile First’
Jan 22, 2014
Mobile web traffic is expected to eclipse fixed traffic by 2016. For startups, a mobile strategy should be a top priority.
Laying Cinder Block (Volumes) In OpenStack, Part 1: The Basics
Jan 22, 2014
One OpenStack project that seems to get less attention than others, such as Nova and Neutron, is the Cinder block storage service project. I though it may be helpful if I wrote a series of blog posts that dive into the Cinder project. I'll start, in this post, by walking through the basics.
Protect Your Sites With Rapidly Deployed WAF Rules
Jan 21, 2014
In this post, Rackspace Cloud Tools partner CloudFlare highlights how to product web sites from attack with rapidly deployed WAF rules.
Backup Cloud Databases In A Few Clicks, Directly Through The Cloud Control Panel
Jan 21, 2014
You can now create and manage your backups in Rackspace Cloud Databases directly from the Control Panel with a simple user interface.
Using The Cloud To Save Hollywood
Jan 20, 2014
Here, DigitalFilm Tree CTO Guillaume Aubuchon discusses how his company is using Rackspace Performance Cloud Servers and OpenStack to disrupt how Hollywood studios collaborate.
‘Hidden’ https Options For Rackspace Cloud Load Balancers
Jan 20, 2014
If you have a site that is served over https only, you might be interested in a “hidden” feature of Rackspace Cloud Load Balancers.
OpenStack Takes Center Stage At linux.conf.au
Jan 17, 2014
At linux.conf.au and the miniconf that kicked off the event, OpenStack was a main topic of discussion.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: January 17
Jan 17, 2014
In this week's digest, we announce a new President for Rackspace, earn a spot on FORTUNE's 100 Best Companies to Work For, launch Cloud Big Data Platform into limited availability; and much more.
Sportybird: A Geekdom Startup Building A Community Around Youth Soccer
Jan 16, 2014
In this startup spotlight we talk to Sportybird, a member of the Rackspace Startup Program and a Geekdom company that is building software for youth soccer coaches and parents.
Why Rackspace Was Named One of FORTUNE’S 100 Best Companies To Work For
Jan 16, 2014
We at Rackspace got some great news this morning: FORTUNE magazine ranked us No. 29 on its annual list of 100 Best Companies to Work For. This is our sixth time to be named to this prestigious club in the last seven years, and the highest ranking that we’ve achieved.
Reliable, Increased I/O Performance With SSD Cloud Servers
Jan 16, 2014
In this guest post, Rackspace customer and partner Bitlancer, a cloud consulting and software provider, shares its experience with Rackspace Performance Cloud Servers.
Introduction To Cloud Files
Jan 16, 2014
This is one of a collection of posts I've written recently to provide a high-level introduction to all of the products and services available within a Rackspace Cloud Account. Here, I provide an introduction to Cloud Files.
Time Is Running Out To Take The Puppet Labs DevOps Survey
Jan 15, 2014
Rackspace partner Puppet Labs is conducting a DevOps survey to check the pulse of DevOps. The survey closes this Friday.
Upcoming Webinar: How Appboy And Untappd Scaled With MongoDB
Jan 15, 2014
at 11 a.m. PST/1 p.m. CST Wednesday, February 12, we’re hosting a webinar during which we’ll highlight the fundamentals of ObjectRocket, Rackspace’s managed service for MongoDB, and hear from two Rackspace customers, Appboy and Untappd, as they share their stories of MongoDB on the cloud.
Four Considerations For A Smooth Hadoop Implementation
Jan 15, 2014
In this guest post, Rackspace Cloud Big Data Platform customer Orzota discusses some things to consider when implementing a Big Data strategy.
The Verdict On MongoDB, From Devs And Ops
Jan 14, 2014
MongoDB, the leading NoSQL database, incites a lot of passion on the web. There are some who love this schemaless database and others who think it’s overrun with challenges. We polled several of our Rackspace developers and operations engineers to find out what they think of MongoDB.
Cloud Big Data Platform Ready For More Hadoop Apps
Jan 14, 2014
A few weeks ago we told you about our Cloud Big Data Platform. Today, our Cloud Big Data Platform moves from Early Access into Limited Availability.
Ecommerce Re-platforming: Tips For Success
Jan 13, 2014
Ecommerce sites re-platform about every three to four years. Here are some tips for ecommerce re-platforming success.
A New President For Rackspace
Jan 13, 2014
One of the best parts of my job as CEO is when I get to promote a deserving leader. It’s a chance for us to say to the world: here’s the kind of leader that we admire and reward with bigger challenges. Today, I’m pleased to announce the appointment of Taylor Rhodes as President of Rackspace.
Black Girls Code: Inside The Ideation Workshop
Jan 10, 2014
As a volunteer for Black Girls Code, I was invited to run an ideation workshop.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: January 10
Jan 10, 2014
In this week's digest, we offer introductions to Cloud Servers and Cloud Databases; look at how long it took some web companies to reach a million users; highlight automation and parallel testing; and much more.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Untappd: Socially Share, Explore The World Of Beer
Jan 09, 2014
Here, we talk to Untappd, a Rackspace Cloud customer and member of the Rackspace Startup Program, about its social network for beer lovers.
Introduction To Cloud Databases
Jan 09, 2014
This is one of a collection of posts I've written recently to provide a high-level introduction to the products and services available within a Rackspace Cloud Account. Here, I provide an introduction to Cloud Databases.
Automate All The Things!
Jan 08, 2014
Many companies - large, small, public, private, start-ups - are looking into test automation, continuous integration (CI) and continuous deployment (CD) to get their code to customers as efficiently as possible, while not sacrificing quality or reliability. They realize that automation is essential for them to scale up and be competitive.
Introduction To Object Storage
Jan 07, 2014
In this blog post, I will discuss what Object Storage is, what it is good for and what it is not good for. I hope that by the end of this post you will feel that it is a technology that warrants some serious investigation!
An Inside Look At Rackspace’s Global Culture [Video]
Jan 06, 2014
Recently, Dave Sims, Rackspace lead storyteller and videographer, travelled abroad interviewing international customers about the hybrid cloud. During the trip, he stopped at three of Rackspace’s offices to capture what it is like to live and work in each unique environment.
Optimization For Parallelization
Jan 06, 2014
Testing shouldn't be difficult to implement, and it definitely shouldn’t be slow. One way to implement and speed up testing is to run all your tests in parallel, rather than sequentially.
Journey To A Million Users [INFOGRAPHIC]
Jan 06, 2014
The length of time it takes for web-based companies to reach a million users has sharply decreased. What once took several months, or even years, now takes just a few months. In this infographic, we look at some of the most successful companies on the web and their journeys to one million users.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight: Looking Back At 2013
Jan 02, 2014
Here, we take a look back at 2013 and revisit some of the stories and adventures from the Rackspace Startup Program.
Introduction To Cloud Servers
Jan 02, 2014
This is one of a collection of posts I've written recently to provide a high-level introduction to all of the products and services available within a Rackspace Cloud Account. Here, I provide an introduction to Cloud Servers.
The Top 13 Posts Of 2013
Dec 31, 2013
From our battle with patent trolls to getting a handle on Rails, we covered a number of topics this year. Here are the top 13 blog posts that we published in 2013.
On The Web, Speed And Reliability Matter
Dec 30, 2013
In this guest post, mobile app maker Bizness Apps talks about the speed and reliability it achieves with Rackspace.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: January 2014
Dec 26, 2013
Within the startup movement, there are plenty of events happening globally in January 2014. The Rackspace Startup Program is here to keep you up to date with valuable information on events and happenings inside the global startup community. Here is a partial list of global startup events complied by the contributors of StartupDigest.
Rackspace Cloudvent Calendar Day 24: Presents! Rackspace Discounts And Partner Network
Dec 24, 2013
I thought our customers could benefit from a Cloudvent calendar during the month of December (our take on an Advent calendar). Each day, I'll offer tips and tricks for the Rackspace Cloud.
Rackspace Cloudvent Calendar Day 23: Static Sites In Cloud Files
Dec 23, 2013
I thought our customers could benefit from a Cloudvent calendar during the month of December (our take on an Advent calendar). Each day, I'll offer tips and tricks for the Rackspace Cloud.
Soaring To The Inc. 5000 – How The Hybrid Cloud Propelled Our Business To Success
Dec 23, 2013
In this guest post, Rackspace customer SMS Masterminds highlights how a Hybrid Cloud gave its business the boost it needed to land a coveted spot on The Inc. 5000.
Rackspace Cloudvent Calendar Day 22: Supernova
Dec 22, 2013
I thought our customers could benefit from a Cloudvent calendar during the month of December (our take on an Advent calendar). Each day, I'll offer tips and tricks for the Rackspace Cloud.
Rackspace Cloudvent Calendar Day 21: Monitor All The Things
Dec 21, 2013
I thought our customers could benefit from a Cloudvent calendar during the month of December (our take on an Advent calendar). Each day, I'll offer tips and tricks for the Rackspace Cloud.
Rackspace Cloudvent Calendar Day 20: Attach A Running Cloud Server To A Cloud Network
Dec 20, 2013
I thought our customers could benefit from a Cloudvent calendar during the month of December (our take on an Advent calendar). Each day, I’ll offer tips and tricks for the Rackspace Cloud.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: December 20
Dec 20, 2013
In this week's digest, we feature ugly Christmas sweaters, cloud predictions, a Performance Cloud Servers discount and much more.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On ZEEF: Filtering Information Using Human Expertise
Dec 19, 2013
In this spotlight, we look at ZEEF, a startup and Rackspace Cloud customer that seeks to connect users to the most relevant information on the web based on knowledge and expertise.
Surviving The Shark Tank Effect (In Ugly Christmas Sweaters)
Dec 19, 2013
Tipsy Elves, an ecommerce company that specializes in ugly Christmas sweaters, recently appeared on Shark Tank. To ensure its website stood up to the flood of traffic, dubbed 'the Shark Tank effect,' Tipsy Elves contacted Rackspace.
Attach, Detach Networks From Live Cloud Servers Via The Control Panel
Dec 19, 2013
In May, we launched the ability for you to attach or detach networks from Next Generation Cloud Servers (Performance and Standard flavors) via the Rackspace API. Now, you have the same capability through the Rackspace Control Panel.
Rackspace Cloudvent Calendar Day 19: Backing Up Your Cloud Database
Dec 19, 2013
I thought our customers could benefit from a Cloudvent calendar during the month of December (our take on an Advent calendar). Each day, I’ll offer tips and tricks for the Rackspace Cloud.
Improving End User Experience With The Rackspace Cloud
Dec 19, 2013
In this guest post, Rackspace Cloud Tools partner Cedexis highlights how the Rackspace Cloud improves availability of digital websites or mobile applications while reducing latency.
OpenStack Havana-Powered Rackspace Private Cloud Now In Unlimited Availability
Dec 18, 2013
Last month, we launched an early access program for the latest version of Rackspace Private Cloud powered by the Havana release of OpenStack. The response has been great and we have incorporated your feedback into our Unlimited Availability launch, which is available today for free and supportable by our talented team of experts.
The Passion To Let Developers Code
Dec 18, 2013
We recently caught up with Chris Lalonde, Co-Founder of ObjectRocket, to talk about MongoDB and ObjectRocket’s MongoDB database-as-a-service solution. Here, he talks about letting developers focus on their code.
Cloud Predictions For 2014
Dec 18, 2013
Here, Rackspace CTO John Engates looks into the crystal ball to see what the cloud holds for 2014.
Rackspace Cloudvent Calendar Day 18: Packer And Rackspace
Dec 18, 2013
I thought our customers could benefit from a Cloudvent calendar during the month of December (our take on an Advent calendar). Each day, I’ll offer tips and tricks for the Rackspace Cloud.
Performance Cloud Servers: The Gift That Keeps On Giving
Dec 17, 2013
If you haven’t had the chance to try Performance Cloud Servers, we have a holiday treat for you that’s too good to refuse: when you sign up for Performance Cloud Servers we will give you $50 off per month for the first six months – up to $300 total -- with no obligations, hidden terms or secret catches.
Rackspace Cloudvent Calendar Day 17: Using Airbrake To Track Errors
Dec 17, 2013
I thought our customers could benefit from a Cloudvent calendar during the month of December (our take on an Advent calendar). Each day, I’ll offer tips and tricks for the Rackspace Cloud.
Building A SaaS Business On The Cloud
Dec 17, 2013
In this guest post, Cloudwords, a Rackspace customer that offers a SaaS-based translation management solution discusses building a SaaS business on the cloud.
The Difference Between Per-User And Per-Server SharePoint
Dec 16, 2013
At Rackspace, we offer Per-User SharePoint and Per-Server SharePoint. Here, I discuss the difference between the two.
Rackspace Cloudvent Calendar Day 16: Use SDKs
Dec 16, 2013
I thought our customers could benefit from a Cloudvent calendar during the month of December (our take on an Advent calendar). Each day, I’ll offer tips and tricks for the Rackspace Cloud.
Rackspace Cloudvent Calendar Day 15: RackConnect And knife-rackspace
Dec 15, 2013
I thought our customers could benefit from a Cloudvent calendar during the month of December (our take on an Advent calendar). Each day, I'll offer tips and tricks for the Rackspace Cloud.
Rackspace Cloudvent Calendar Day 14: How Much Cloud Files Storage Am I Using?
Dec 14, 2013
I thought our customers could benefit from a Cloudvent calendar during the month of December (our take on an Advent calendar). Each day, I'll offer tips and tricks for the Rackspace Cloud.
Rackspace Cloudvent Calendar Day 13: Oops: Purging Objects From The CDN
Dec 13, 2013
I thought our customers could benefit from a Cloudvent calendar during the month of December (our take on an Advent calendar). Each day, I'll offer tips and tricks for the Rackspace Cloud.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: December 13
Dec 13, 2013
This week, we extended Fanatical Support to include DevOps Automation; we updated our Geek Gift Guide for 2013; and we highlighted some of the most common myths of OpenStack.
Straight Up Startup Featuring Sean Hamawi, Director & Co-Founder, Plutora, Inc.
Dec 12, 2013
In this edition of Straight Up Startup we talk to Sean Hamawi, director and co-founder of Plutora, Inc., a Rackspace Startup Program member that offers SaaS-based IT management solutions.
Think Private Clouds Are Only For The Enterprise? Think Again!
Dec 12, 2013
Businesses of all shapes and sizes leverage Rackspace Private Cloud (RPC) powered by OpenStack as a key component of their architecture. Here, I discuss when a private cloud makes sense for your business.
Accelerate DevOps Adoption For Faster Innovation
Dec 12, 2013
Today, we extend Fanatical Support with the limited availability of Rackspace DevOps Automation Service, a new managed support service that helps you take advantage of the modern tools that DevOps companies use to automate the deployment and scaling of their infrastructure, which accelerates product releases and improves deployment quality.
Rackspace Cloudvent Calendar Day 12: Need More Space? Add Cloud Block Storage
Dec 12, 2013
I thought our customers could benefit from a Cloudvent calendar during the month of December (our take on an Advent calendar). Each day, I'll offer tips and tricks for the Rackspace Cloud.
Rackspace CTO John Engates Discusses HealthCare.gov: Google+ Hangout Recap
Dec 11, 2013
During last week's Google+ Office Hours Hangout, Rackspace CTO John Engates stopped by to talk about HealthCare.gov. Here's video of the Hangout..
What A Developer Gets With ObjectRocket
Dec 11, 2013
We recently caught up with Chris Lalonde, Co-Founder of ObjectRocket, to talk about MongoDB and ObjectRocket’s MongoDB database-as-a-service solution. Here, he talks about what developers get with ObjectRocket.
Rackspace Cloudvent Calendar Day 11: vagrant-rackspace
Dec 11, 2013
I thought our customers could benefit from a Cloudvent calendar during the month of December (our take on an Advent calendar). Each day, I'll offer tips and tricks for the Rackspace Cloud.
Will OpenStack Havana Break The Ice With Application Developers?
Dec 10, 2013
At OpenStack Summit Hong Kong, I moderated a panel titled 'OpenStack for Enterprise Developers: Should They Care?' Here's a recap and some thoughts on how Havana helps make OpenStack more developer-friendly.
Rackspace Cloudvent Calendar Day 10: Redirect HTTP To HTTPS On Your Cloud Load Balancer
Dec 10, 2013
I thought our customers could benefit from a Cloudvent calendar during the month of December (our take on an Advent calendar). Each day, I'll offer tips and tricks for the Rackspace Cloud.
Get Stress-Free Email Management With Rackspace Hosted Exchange 2013, Now In Early Access
Dec 10, 2013
Rackspace Hosted Exchange 2013, which is now in Early Access, gives you big mailboxes, big public folders and big attachments to take the stress out of email management.
Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst Talks Transparency During Rackspace Visit
Dec 09, 2013
At Rackspace, transparency is one of our core values; and last week, Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst swung by our San Antonio headquarters to share a glimpse into plans to increase transparency in government and to protect the online privacy and data of citizens.
Three OpenStack Myths To Consider As We Close Out 2013
Dec 09, 2013
We’re three and a half years into OpenStack and there is still confusion about exactly what OpenStack is, how to compare OpenStack to other cloud platforms, and specific use cases for OpenStack. I find myself having the same conversations over and over again in an attempt to debunk the myths and misperceptions in the market.
Rackspace Cloudvent Calendar Day 9: Cloud Queues: You’ve Got Messages!
Dec 09, 2013
I thought our customers could benefit from a Cloudvent calendar during the month of December (our take on an Advent calendar). Each day, I'll offer tips and tricks for the Rackspace Cloud.
Rackspace Cloudvent Calendar Day 7: Lock It Down: Role-Based Access Control
Dec 07, 2013
I thought our customers could benefit from a Cloudvent calendar during the month of December (our take on an Advent calendar). Each day, I'll offer tips and tricks for the Rackspace Cloud.
Rackspace Cloudvent Calendar Day 6: Rumm: A CLI Tool For The Rackspace Cloud
Dec 06, 2013
I thought our customers could benefit from a Cloudvent calendar during the month of December (our take on an Advent calendar). Each day, I'll offer tips and tricks for the Rackspace Cloud.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: December 6
Dec 06, 2013
In this week's digest, we celebrate the Innovation Act passing in the House; share some MongoDB insight; talk about HealthCare.gov; and much more.
House Passes Innovation Act, Deals Major Blow To Patent Trolls
Dec 05, 2013
The U.S. House of Representatives today overwhelmingly passed the Innovation Act, dealing a major blow to non-practicing entities (NPEs), more commonly known as patent trolls.
Choosing The Right Cloud Provider For Your MongoDB Database
Dec 05, 2013
Yesterday, I discussed some of the limitations of running DIY MongoDB on the public cloud. If you decide to host MongoDB with a cloud provider, here are some thoughts on how to chose the right one.
Rackspace Cloudvent Calendar Day 5: Now On Rackspace Deployments: Minecraft
Dec 05, 2013
I thought our customers could benefit from a Cloudvent calendar during the month of December (our take on an Advent calendar). Each day, I'll offer tips and tricks for the Rackspace Cloud.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Iexpress.Me: Make Your Digital Life Beautiful
Dec 05, 2013
Rackspace Startup Program member Iexpress.Me is a design platform for people who want to personalize and beautify their digital life.
Stress-Free Scaling Of MongoDB With ObjectRocket
Dec 04, 2013
We recently caught up with Chris Lalonde, Co-Founder of ObjectRocket, to talk about MongoDB and ObjectRocket’s MongoDB database-as-a-service solution. Here, he talks about using ObjectRocket for stress-free MongoDB scaling.
What Can We Learn From HealthCare.gov?
Dec 04, 2013
At 1 p.m. Central on Thursday, December 5 I will join the live Rackspace Office Hours Hangout on Google+ to discuss some of the lessons learned from HealthCare.gov's launch, the 'tech surge' to fix it and its re-launch.
Rackspace Cloudvent Calendar Day 4: Auto Scale API
Dec 04, 2013
I thought our customers could benefit from a Cloudvent calendar during the month of December (our take on an Advent calendar). Each day, I'll offer tips and tricks for the Rackspace Cloud.
3 Limitations Of DIY MongoDB On The Public Cloud
Dec 04, 2013
Do you implement MongoDB yourself or use a cloud service provider? In this post, I look at some of the limitations of DIY MongoDB on the public cloud.
Rackspace Cloudvent Calendar Day 3: Avoiding Disaster: Polyglot Backup
Dec 03, 2013
I thought our customers could benefit from a Cloudvent calendar during the month of December (our take on an Advent calendar). Each day, I'll offer tips and tricks for the Rackspace Cloud.
Ecommerce Upgrade: Higher Performance, Lower Costs In The Hybrid Cloud
Dec 03, 2013
In this guest post, Rackspace customer LoveSac highlights how the Hybrid Cloud kicked its ecommerce platform into high gear.
Rackspace Cloudvent Calendar Day 2: Automating SSH Keys
Dec 02, 2013
I thought our customers could benefit from a Cloudvent calendar during the month of December (our take on an Advent calendar). Each day, I'll offer tips and tricks for the Rackspace Cloud.
Cyber Monday: Don’t Let Slow eCommerce Sites Frustrate Online Shoppers
Dec 02, 2013
Today is Cyber Monday – the unofficial online shopping holiday. There’s no doubt that ecommerce sites will be slammed with increased web traffic as shoppers clamor for the best deals. And you better hope your ecommerce site can handle the load, because slow websites and site crashes are among the main frustrations online shoppers encounter during the holidays, according to our recent survey.
Rackspace Cloudvent Calendar Day 1: Cloud Overview
Dec 01, 2013
I thought our customers could benefit from a Cloudvent calendar during the month of December (our take on an Advent calendar). Each day, I'll offer tips and tricks for the Rackspace Cloud.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: November 29
Nov 29, 2013
In this week's digest, we highlight how to work with Ops engineers; our CTO's visit to Washington, D.C.; one customer's use of ObjectRocket and the Rackspace Cloud; and much more.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: December 2013
Nov 29, 2013
Within the startup movement, there are plenty of events happening globally in December 2013. The Rackspace Startup Program is here to keep you up to date with valuable information on events and happenings inside the global startup community. Here is a partial list of global startup events complied by the contributors of StartupDigest.
Support Small Businesses This Saturday
Nov 27, 2013
It wasn’t too long ago that Rackspace was a small business. And many of our customers are small businesses, too. We’re super excited to be a Corporate Supporter of Small Business Saturday® on November 30.
Load Testing Your Site With Load Impact: Google+ Hangout Recap
Nov 27, 2013
In our most recent Google+ Office Hours Hangout we talked with Rackspace Cloud Tools partner Load Impact about its load testing tool and how it can help you prepare for high traffic events.
More Transparency Helps Get HealthCare.gov On The Road To Recovery
Nov 26, 2013
At Rackspace, one of our core values is full disclosure and transparency. That’s why I was pleased to see transparency in action early this week in Washington, D.C. I was invited to the White House to get an inside look at the workings of HealthCare.gov and share ideas with our nation’s top tech staff.
Geekdom SF Hosts Highground Hackathon For Mental Health; More Planned
Nov 26, 2013
Rackspace’s Geekdom San Francisco recently co-hosted a hackathon with Highground Hackers. The focus of the hackathon was to develop solutions to mental health issues.
Don’t Throw Your Code Over The Wall: 5 Ways To Work With Ops Engineers
Nov 26, 2013
While the tech world is shifting to more of a DevOps structure, in many places the invisible wall that separates developers and operations engineers is still pretty high. Here are some suggestions from different Rackspace employees on how to best handoff your app to the ops team instead of just throwing the code over the wall.
Fine-Tuned Hardware To Run MongoDB
Nov 26, 2013
We recently caught up with Chris Lalonde, Co-Founder of ObjectRocket, to talk about MongoDB and ObjectRocket’s MongoDB database-as-a-service solution. Here, he talks about running MongoDB on fine-tuned hardware.
Tapping Scalability (And Good Beer) With ObjectRocket And MongoDB
Nov 25, 2013
In this guest post, Untappd shares how it uses ObjectRocket MongoDB and Rackspace to power its social mobile app for beer enthusiasts.
Celebrating Openness: The OpenCo Conference Comes Rackspace San Francisco
Nov 22, 2013
Openness is something our business not only strives for but also deeply benefits from, so it was with great pleasure I recently helped coordinate a unique event in our San Francisco office. OpenCo is a special kind of conference that is a mix between a traditional business conference and an artist’s open studio.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: November 22
Nov 22, 2013
This week, we officially launched Rackspace Auto Scale, updated Cloud Databases and brought our Performance Cloud Servers to Dallas. Check out all that and more in the weekly digest.
Being The Largest Hybrid Cloud Customer At Rackspace
Nov 21, 2013
I'm thrilled to be the General Manager for Apps@Rackspace, which comprises Rackspace Email, SharePoint@Rackspace and Jungle Disk. These three businesses make Apps@Rackspace the largest Rackspace customer.
Challenges With Running MongoDB In The Cloud
Nov 20, 2013
We recently caught up with Chris Lalonde, Co-Founder of ObjectRocket, to talk about MongoDB and ObjectRocket’s MongoDB database-as-a-service solution. Here, he talks about the challenges of running MongoDB in the cloud.
Start Using Auto Scale Today
Nov 20, 2013
Here, I will walk you through the process of using Rackspace Auto Scale. While using the API is probably what most developers will use, one of the advantages of our Auto Scale implementation is that it is really simple to use from the Control Panel.
Easily Scale Your Cloud With Rackspace Auto Scale
Nov 20, 2013
The biggest benefit of the cloud is its ability to scale. Today, we make that easier with Unlimited Availability of Rackspace Auto Scale—a new tool that empowers you to grow or shrink your cloud dynamically.
Get More From Your Data With Rackspace Cloud Intelligence
Nov 20, 2013
Do you need help deciphering the signal from the noise so you can concentrate on what’s most important to you? The new Rackspace Cloud Intelligence data visualization platform, which is available today, delivers insightful, actionable and customized messages to help you manage your deployments.
Talking Cloud Sites, Our Web Hosting Platform: Google+ Hangout Recap
Nov 19, 2013
In our most recent Google+ Office Hours Hangout we talked in depth about Cloud Sites, our platform for hosting websites and blogs. You can view the full Hangout here.
Cloud Databases: New Features, Better Value
Nov 19, 2013
As the holiday season kicks into high gear, we want to share an early gift with you: we’ve added a host of new capabilities to Cloud Databases and are passing along some of the savings we have achieved as the product has scaled.
Rock N’ Roll With Performance Cloud Servers
Nov 19, 2013
In this guest post, Rackspace customer Blastro Networks highlights how Rackspace Performance Cloud Servers cranked up the quality of its live concert video streams.
The Innovation Act Moves Forward
Nov 18, 2013
The Innovation Act (HR 3309) – a bill we support -- is headed to markup by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, November 20. The bill is designed to curtail patent troll lawsuits by making a number of changes to how patents are litigated. It is the single most comprehensive patent reform bill to reach a markup since the America Invents Act was passed in 2011.
Let’s Encourage Innovation: Thoughts From OpenStack Summit Hong Kong
Nov 18, 2013
Earlier this month, OpenStack Summit took to the global stage. More than 3,500 attendees joined together in Hong Kong to dive deeper into OpenStack from three key perspectives: the operator, the developer and the user.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: November 15
Nov 15, 2013
This week, our new Performance Cloud Servers became available in two more regions, we launched a new version of Rackspace Private Cloud, we heard about MongoDB from an ObjectRocket customer and much more.
Performance Cloud Servers Zoom Into Chicago, London Regions
Nov 14, 2013
Our Performance Cloud Servers are now available in our Chicago and London regions.
How I Learned MongoDB
Nov 14, 2013
After seeing a lot of online discussion around non-relational databases, and having talked to a number of customers looking for help with MongoDB, I knew that it was time to get my feet wet with non-relational databases. Here are some of the steps I took and resources I used to learn MongoDB.
Rackspace Talks Business Email In San Francisco
Nov 14, 2013
The Rackspace email team recently had the pleasure of hanging out at the 2013 REALTORS® Conference & Expo in San Francisco. It was a great opportunity to educate and demonstrate the value of hosted email services with REALTORS from every region of the country.
Straight Up Startup…Featuring Benjamin M. Zises, Founder & CEO Of RetailMLS
Nov 14, 2013
In this edition of Straight Up Startup we talk to RetailMLS founder and CEO Benjamin N. Zises about the ins and outs of building a startup.
MongoDB Makes Storing Data Easy
Nov 13, 2013
We recently caught up with Chris Lalonde, Co-Founder of ObjectRocket, to talk about MongoDB and ObjectRocket’s MongoDB database-as-a-service solution. Here, he talks about how MongoDB makes storing data easy.
Rackspace Private Cloud Is Now Powered By OpenStack Havana
Nov 13, 2013
The newest version of Rackspace Private Cloud software is available for Early Access now, and it's based on the latest and greatest OpenStack release: Havana.
Leading Mobile Relationship Management Platform Appboy Scales Horizontally With ObjectRocket MongoDB
Nov 13, 2013
In this guest post, Appboy, a leading mobile relationship management platform, highlights how it uses ObjectRocket MongoDB database-as-a-service.
What Do We Mean By ‘Fanatical’?
Nov 12, 2013
We think of Fanatical as being one part great technology and one part great people. The interaction between the two is what enables our customers to leverage the power of the latest and best technologies and achieve their business goals.
Bringing OpenStack To Oregon State University
Nov 12, 2013
This week, Rackspace Training for OpenStack is teaching an OpenStack Fundamentals course at Oregon State University. Here, the director of the university's Open Source Lab talks about OpenStack.
Q&A: New Kingmakers Author Discusses The Rise Of Developers
Nov 11, 2013
We caught up with Stephen O'Grady, author of The New Kingmakers, to talk about the rise of developers.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: November 8
Nov 08, 2013
From the launch of our new Performance Cloud Servers to making some big announcements at OpenStack Summit in Hong Kong, there’s been a lot going on at the Rack this week. Check it out in this week’s edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest. New Cloud Servers Drive More Than 6X Performance Boost Thanks to our […]
OpenStack In 2013: By The Numbers
Nov 08, 2013
Cost savings is the No. 1 business driver for OpenStack clouds, according to a survey released at OpenStack Summit Hong Kong that examined who is using OpenStack and what they're using it for.
Developing Ice House: Inside The OpenStack Design Summit [Video]
Nov 08, 2013
Developers are the heart and soul of OpenStack. At OpenStack Summit Hong Kong, developers are hacking on Ice House, the next release of OpenStack. For this video, Rackspace Video Storyteller Dave Sims went inside the Design Summit to capture the collaborative spirit of OpenStack developers.
Hallway Catch Up: Interviews With OpenStack Innovators [Video]
Nov 08, 2013
At OpenStack Summit Hong Kong I caught up with OpenStack Innovators for quick, candid video interviews on working with OpenStack and their plans for the future.
Rackspace Performance Cloud Servers: Google+ Hangout Recap
Nov 07, 2013
This past week we had a special Cloud Office Hours, where we got to talk with Erik Carlin, the director of product in charge of our new Performance Cloud Servers. These new servers give customers 2.1X CPU, up to 3.6X more bandwidth and 59X more disk I/O, thanks to quick SSD drives and the 10Gb/s network connections we've hooked them to. The improvement in performance makes a huge difference for customers with data-heavy applications.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Sverve: Connecting Brands And Influencers For Social Media Marketing
Nov 07, 2013
Rackspace Startup Program Member Sverve aims to connect social media influencers and businesses for win-win partnerships.
Big News Brews At OpenStack Summit Hong Kong
Nov 07, 2013
There were a number of big news announcements at OpenStack Summit Hong Kong. Here's a roundup of some of the biggest.
Rackspace, CERN openlab Push For Cloud Federation At OpenStack Summit
Nov 07, 2013
At OpenStack Summit Hong Kong, I shared the stage with Tim Bell, CERN’s manager of infrastructure, to provide an update on the CERN openlab research project that is digging deeper into federated hybrid clouds built on OpenStack.
OpenStack For Research, Academia: MIT, Rackspace Take The Stage At OpenStack Summit [Video]
Nov 07, 2013
At OpenStack Summit Hong Kong, Rackspace and MIT took the keynote stage to discuss how OpenStack is being used in academia and how it is powering sophisticated research projects. Here's full video of the presentation.
New Cloud Servers Drive More Than 6x Performance Boost
Nov 06, 2013
In this guest post, Rackspace customer Commissions Inc. talks about how the number of transactions per second on its SQL Server improved six to eight times over its previous cloud with Rackspace Performance Cloud Servers
A New Loyalty Program For Cloud Servers
Nov 06, 2013
Today, we are launching a new loyalty program that offers savings on our cloud compute products. The essence of the program is simple: the more you use and the longer you stay, the more you save.
OpenStack Summit: OpenStack’s Impact On Academia
Nov 06, 2013
OpenStack is driving true change in academia. At OpenStack Summit Hong Kong, I spoke about the need for the community to rally around research organizations and universities.
Powering Research (And Cookie Baking Robots) With OpenStack At MIT
Nov 06, 2013
At OpenStack Summit Hong Kong, Jonathan Proulx of MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory highlighted how the lab is using OpenStack to power dozens of research projects.
OpenStack Summit Goes Global
Nov 06, 2013
OpenStack Summit Hong Kong is the largest Summit yet, a sign that there is a global hunger for OpenStack. Check out this video and see why.
OpenStack Summit: Hybrid Cloud Tears Down Siloes, Fuels Collaboration
Nov 05, 2013
At OpenStack Summit Hong Kong, a number of users outlined how they benefit from OpenStack clouds, including DigitalFilm Tree, which is using an OpenStack private cloud and Rackspace public cloud to fuel collaboration.
Think Bigger. Perform Better.
Nov 05, 2013
Performance. That’s a word I hear more and more as I meet with Rackspace customers. It’s what most of us strive for in business, and in life. We want things done faster, more precisely, and more reliably — from our morning coffee to our business projects and goals.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: November 1
Nov 01, 2013
We’re bringing you tips for better business performance, an event guide for the Rackspace Startup Program and a whole lot of Hong Kong in this week’s edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest.
Rackspace Is Ready To Rock At OpenStack Summit Hong Kong
Oct 31, 2013
As a founder of OpenStack, Rackspace will be out in full force at OpenStack Summit Hong Kong. From book signings and speaking engagements to a great party, meetups and more, we’re ready to talk OpenStack and show you why it’s the best choice for your cloud infrastructure.
The Rackspace Cloud Has Arrived In Hong Kong
Oct 31, 2013
The Rackspace Cloud is now available in our new Hong Kong (HKG) region. This marks our third new region in 2013.
Happy Birthday Cloud Block Storage!
Oct 31, 2013
We launched Cloud Block Storage into unlimited availability a year ago and we now have thousands of customers using it. To celebrate Cloud Block Storage and to further our goal of more reliable, simple and flexible block storage in the cloud, we are lowering Cloud Block Storage pricing for both standard and SSD volumes.
Rackers Taking The Stage At OpenStack Summit Hong Kong
Oct 30, 2013
Next week, 4,000 to 5,000 stackers are expected to converge upon OpenStack Summit Hong Kong. Here's a schedule of speaking engagements featuring Rackers that will help you learn more about how users and developers can leverage OpenStack.
Answering The Call For Performance
Oct 30, 2013
Every day our customers ask how they can improve their performance — in terms of speed, throughput, reliability and predictability. Rackspace helps customers achieve the performance their users and business demands with a three-part recipe: hybrid, open and Fanatical.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: November 2013
Oct 30, 2013
Within the startup movement, there are plenty of events happening globally in November 2013. The Rackspace Startup Program is here to keep you up to date with valuable information on events and happenings inside the global startup community. Here is a partial list of global startup events complied by the contributors of StartupDigest.
Go Beyond The Stack And Think Like A Startup
Oct 29, 2013
In IT, we talk about the stack – a lot. Whether it’s the LAMP stack, the Windows stack, the technology stack; we have the tendency to look for things in a neat and orderly stack that comprises distinct, specific layers. The problem is – that model is no longer applicable. I'll talk about this tomorrow at Dublin's Web Summit.
Strata Hadoop World 2013: New Tools For Big Data On The Hybrid Cloud
Oct 29, 2013
At Strata Conference and Hadoop World 2013 this week, we'll highlight our new big data platforms and welcome two new partners to our Cloud Tools Marketplace.
Rackspace Cloud Experts Take On Grizzly In Second OpenStack Book
Oct 28, 2013
Rackspace cloud experts Kevin Jackson and Cody Bunch joined forces to work on the second edition of the OpenStack Cloud Computing Cookbook. Here, we talk to the authors, who will be signing copies of the book at OpenStack Summit Hong Kong.
Achieve Faster Times To Insights With New Cloud And Managed Big Data Platforms
Oct 28, 2013
We’ve built out a portfolio of data services aimed at adding value and expertise to the world of Apache Hadoop and to give you a choice to find which platform (or mix of platforms) is the best-fit choice for you data. We now offer a Big Data platform on dedicated servers, external storage and public and private clouds.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: October 25
Oct 25, 2013
In this week's digest ZeroVM, Solum, Continuous Integration, Extra Life and much more take the spotlight.
Love Is In The Air At FutureStack
Oct 25, 2013
This week, New Relic is hosting its first annual FutureStack conference in San Francisco, where developers and technologist are coming together to imagine and craft the future of modern software. Since both Rackspace and New Relic focus on equipping you with the tools to build mind-blowing applications, we'd like to help you get started.
Solum: Open Development From Day One
Oct 24, 2013
The way businesses build and consume open source software is radically changing and we’re fortunate to be at the vanguard of that change with the Solum project.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Lanica: Develop Beautiful, Engaging Mobile Games
Oct 24, 2013
Rackspace Startup Program member Lanica built a platform that empowers developers to build engaging games for mobile environments.
Outlook 2013: 5 Hot New Features
Oct 24, 2013
Ready to upgrade to the latest version of the most popular email client? Great, because Microsoft Outlook 2013 is here and ready for you to download via your Rackspace Email & Apps Control Panel. Here is a sample of the new and improved features.
Innovation Act Aims To Disarm Patent Trolls
Oct 23, 2013
Today, the ongoing war against patent trolls and the push for sorely-needed patent law reform took a massive step forward with the introduction of the Innovation Act of 2013, a long-awaited, aggressive piece of legislation that aims to thwart patent trolls and their spurious lawsuits.
Business Growth, Expansion Made Easy
Oct 23, 2013
Here, Rackspace customer and partner CyberlinkASP talks about how Rackspace has helped it become one of CIOReview's 20 most promising cloud companies.
High Availability (HA) With Galera For Rackspace Private Cloud
Oct 22, 2013
In this post, I will leverage the high availability (HA) as implemented in Rackspace Private Cloud and outline steps to replace the default Active/Passive MySQL master-master replication with Active/Active Galera multi-master replication.
ZeroVM: Smaller, Lighter, Faster
Oct 21, 2013
Today, we acquired ZeroVM, a lightweight open-source hypervisor built to run cloud applications. Where traditional cloud architectures move the data to the app for processing, ZeroVM flips that approach and moves the app to the data, which dramatically increases speed of access and decreases latency.
The Business Advantages Of Continuous Integration
Oct 21, 2013
In this guest post, Allan Chappell, a developer with Rackspace partner Promet Source, outlines the business advantages and key principles of Continuous Integration.
RackerGamers Playing For Extra Life – Be Heroes For Kids!
Oct 21, 2013
Every year a group of Rackers, their friends and family members get together to participate in a great charity called Extra Life. The main event is a marathon 24-hour game-a-thon full of every imaginable computer, console and tabletop game. Every penny raised goes to the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: October 18
Oct 18, 2013
In this week's digest we celebrate Ada Lovelace Day; offer a Developer Discount; show how Mailgun uses Docker; and much more.
Mobile And Cloud – A Perfect Yin And Yang For Enterprise Mobility
Oct 17, 2013
Rackspace and FeedHenry partnered today to deliver a completely open, cloud-based Mobile Application Platform designed to be the most flexible, scalable and secure solution in the industry.
Straight Up Startup…Featuring Michael Borohovski, CTO And Co-Founder Of Tinfoil Security
Oct 17, 2013
In this edition of Straight Up Startup we talk to Tinfoil Security CTO and co-founder Michael Borohovski about the ins and outs of building a startup.
Build Your Dreams On The Rackspace Cloud With Our Developer Discount
Oct 17, 2013
Part of our commitment to developers is to give you the tools you need to create, hack and build awesome things. To help, we’re offering a Developer Discount program in the US and UK that gives developers $300 in Rackspace Cloud credits over six months.
Rackspace Training Gets Virginia Tech Pumped For OpenStack
Oct 16, 2013
Rackspace Training for OpenStack recently headed to Virginia Tech to give a crew of Hokies a hands-on experience with OpenStack and the cloud.
Cloud, Infrastructure And Economics
Oct 16, 2013
Amid all of the buzz around cloud technology, it is critical for IT organizations to understand the economic aspects of this technology beyond differences between CapEx and OpEx that have been discussed ad nauseam.
SharePoint Customers: It’s Your Data, Not Ours!
Oct 16, 2013
Today is a special day. After months of hard work, the SharePoint team at Rackspace is finally ready to flip the switch on our new Per-User SharePoint online offering and make it available to all.
Ada Lovelace Day: Celebrate Women In STEM
Oct 15, 2013
Today is Ada Lovelace Day, which recognizes women in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields who we see as heroes. In honor of this special day, I want to talk about a number of exciting things Rackspace has done (and is doing) to honor some of our brightest female Rackers while engaging young women to pursue careers in tech.
Webinar Recap: Do I Have A Big Data Problem?
Oct 15, 2013
In a recent webinar we asked you to consider the question: 'Do I have a Big Data problem?' Here's a full recap.
With ‘Minds Wide Open,’ TEDx Draws Sold Out Crowd To Castle
Oct 15, 2013
At Rackspace, we pride ourselves on driving creative conversations by bringing together thinkers with diverse experiences, skill sets and perspectives. That’s why on Saturday we were incredibly excited to welcome a sold out crowd to our global headquarters for the fourth rendition of TEDx San Antonio.
Scale Your Testing: Prepare for More
Oct 15, 2013
Testing is a good thing. It has to be – the world is telling us it is. Nevertheless, people struggle with how to do testing well and at scale.
One Of The Big Phish
Oct 14, 2013
At Rackspace, Fanatical Support is part of everything we do, especially when it comes to security, which is why we take security education and awareness for our employees seriously. One way we do this, is through internal phishing campaigns.
How Mailgun Uses Docker And Contributes Back
Oct 14, 2013
In this post and accompanying video, I talk about why Mailgun is excited about containers, how we use Docker and how we contribute back.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: October 11
Oct 11, 2013
In this week's digest we look at how Pantheon uses containers, highlight high availability, get a visit from a senator and more.
Maximizing Performance And The Role Of Benchmarks
Oct 10, 2013
Here, I examine the role of benchmarks as tools to evaluate the performance of a system and the importance of proper design and best practices to give applications the performance that is required by the business.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On SocialREST: Social Insights That Matter
Oct 10, 2013
Rackspace Startup Program member SocialREST makes software designed to provide its customers actionable insight into how users interact with their social applications.
Drive Revenue Through Your Website With The Cloud Affiliate Program
Oct 09, 2013
Want to promote Rackspace while earning revenue through your website? With the Rackspace Cloud Affiliate Program it’s simple.
Sen. Wendy Davis Stops By Rackspace In Early Campaign Visit
Oct 08, 2013
In one of her first campaign stops since announcing her candidacy for Texas Governor, State Senator Wendy Davis stopped by The Castle, Rackspace's San Antonio headquarters, for a brief Q&A and tour (including a trip down our famous slide).
Implementing High Availability (HA) For Rackspace Private Cloud
Oct 08, 2013
In this article, I’ll demystify some of the concepts of high availability (HA) and explain how they are implemented in the Rackspace Private Cloud.
How Pantheon Uses Containers For Faster Scaling, Lower Cost
Oct 07, 2013
There’s growing interest among demanding technology companies in containers, a form of operating system-level virtualization. One company that is using containers for swift scaling at a lower cost is Rackspace partner Pantheon.
Containers: Delivering Disruption From The Bottom Of The Stack
Oct 07, 2013
In this guest post, Pantheon CTO David Strauss discusses how his company uses containers to skip the VM overhead and spin up and scale applications with speed.
What I Learned As A Junior Developer Writing Tests For Legacy Code
Oct 04, 2013
As a junior developer at Rackspace, at times I feel a drive to continue pushing out code that I think will make the product stronger. But untested legacy features could buckle and sometimes break under the weight of my new features
Rackspace Weekly Digest: October 4
Oct 04, 2013
In this week's digest, we call for transparency around government surveillance and from patent trolls; prep for #Hack4Good; dig into the hybrid cloud; and much more.
A Day In The Life: Racksburg [Video]
Oct 04, 2013
In the latest edition of his 'Day In The Life' video series, Rackspace video storyteller Dave Sims visited our Blacksburg, Va. office (lovingly called 'Racksburg).
The Fanatical Faces of Rackspace Private Cloud: Christian Foster
Oct 03, 2013
In this edition of Fanatical Faces of Rackspace Private Cloud, we talk to Christian Foster about joining Rackspace and the future of the cloud, and we marvel at his golf prowess.
Think Big, Drive Forward: Inspiration From The Grace Hopper Celebration For Women In Computing
Oct 03, 2013
Facebook COO and author of Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg kicked off the Grace Hopper Celebration for Women in Computing in Minneapolis by asking the 4,600 women in attendance one question: 'What would you do if you weren’t afraid?'
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Ordoro: Smart Shipping For Ecommerce
Oct 03, 2013
Rackspace Startup Program member Ordoro is out to change how ecommerce storefronts manage shipping operations.
Hybrid Cloud Architecture 101: Dream It, Build It
Oct 03, 2013
Think about hybrid cloud as a box of various Lego blocks. Those are your resources, and you need to think about how you can assemble those resources to build what you want. If you can dream it, you can build it.
Shine A Light On Government Surveillance
Oct 02, 2013
The NSA's PRISM data collection programs and resulting probes have ignited concerns about government surveillance. We think Congress should pass transparency legislation, such as the Surveillance Transparency Act of 2013, by Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), and the Surveillance Order Reporting Act, by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), as soon as possible.
Why Translation Apps Can’t Cut It For Customer Service
Oct 02, 2013
Despite their usefulness, translation apps just can’t cut it when it comes to customer service.
Hack4Good And Make The World Better
Oct 02, 2013
This weekend Rackspace is a gold sponsor of #Hack4Good, a global hackathon hosted by Geeklist that focuses on bringing together the best engineers, designers, project builders and entrepreneurs in the world to build projects that help humanity. The goal is simple: #Hack4Good wants to make the world a better place.
Celebrate Freedom: Debian Now Supported In Rackspace Managed Cloud
Oct 02, 2013
Debian recently celebrated its 20th birthday. As part of the festivities, Rackspace now offers Fanatical Support for the Debian distribution of Linux with our Managed Cloud Service Level!
Do You Have A Big Data Problem?
Oct 02, 2013
In an upcoming webinar, we will discuss key considerations, common patterns and technical gotchas you need to be mindful of in order to address the three defining characteristics of big data: Volume, Velocity and Variety
Are You Prepared For The Holiday Rush?
Oct 01, 2013
Rackspace and ecommerce agency Corra recently hosted a webinar on '5 Tips to Survive the Holiday Rush.' To see a summary of this webinar, check out the two-minute video here.
Ready Your Site For Holiday Traffic: Google+ Hangout Recap
Oct 01, 2013
Brace yourself: the holiday shopping season is coming. In our most recent Hangout we highlighted ways you can prepare your ecommerce site for the influx of holiday traffic.
Hybrid Cloud Is A Choice, Here’s Why
Oct 01, 2013
I’ve spent a lot of time lately trying to help people understand that hybrid cloud is like happiness – it isn’t something you can buy.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: October 2013
Oct 01, 2013
Within the startup movement, there are plenty of events happening globally in October 2013. The Rackspace Startup Program is here to keep you up to date with valuable information on events and happenings inside the global startup community. Here is a partial list of global startup events complied by the contributors of StartupDigest.
Hey Patent Trolls, The FTC Has A Few Questions For You
Sep 30, 2013
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) wants to get a better understanding of patent trolls by going directly to the source – the trolls themselves, and they are going to use their statutory power to get it.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: September 27
Sep 27, 2013
In this week's digest, we head to Yahoo! Hack USA, highlight why a hybrid cloud is better, launch Role-Based Access Control and much more.
For Nirvanix Customers, Rackspace Is Here To Help
Sep 27, 2013
If you’re a Nirvanix customer, you can take advantage of free data migration to Rackspace Cloud Files and also receive the first month of Cloud Files storage at no charge (up to $1,500).
Reduce Human Error With Role-Based Access Control For Rackspace Cloud
Sep 27, 2013
Over the next few months, we're rolling out Role-Based Access Controls (RBAC), which give you the ability to create additional users for your account and assign roles to users that allow certain levels of access.
Time-Based Access Tools For Devs
Sep 26, 2013
In this screencast, I discuss time-based access codes, Rackspace Cloud Tools partner Dome9 for server access, and ways you can grant temporary access to a file that lives on Cloud Files and the importance of having time-based multi-factor access for your users.
Federate Your On-Prem VMware Environment With Hosted VMware And OpenStack-Powered Clouds
Sep 26, 2013
On September 25, we hosted a webinar to discuss our new VMware offering and what the hybrid cloud future looks like. You can watch the full webinar here.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Mijura: Stress Free Task Management
Sep 26, 2013
Rackspace Startup Program member Mijura creates online task management software that makes teamwork less stressful and more productive.
Rackspace Training For OpenStack: Meet The Instructors
Sep 25, 2013
We recently expanded our Rackspace Training for OpenStack offerings. In these videos, we introduce you to two of the instructors: Scott Purcell and Chad Miller.
Developers: Celebrate Collaboration, Innovation At Yahoo! Hack USA
Sep 25, 2013
As part of our ongoing support for developers, we're sponsoring this weekend's Yahoo! Hack USA in Sunnyvale and offering free cloud accounts to the teams throughout the event.
10 Reasons Why A Hybrid Cloud Is Better
Sep 25, 2013
The hybrid cloud is the future for many companies. Businesses large and small are turning to blended infrastructure because it combines the best of all worlds: public cloud, private cloud and dedicated servers working together in any combination.Here are 10 reasons why a hybrid cloud is better for your business and your customers:
Webinar Recap: Empower, Innovate, Transform: How IT Maintains Relevancy In A Cloud World
Sep 25, 2013
In a recent webinar, we discussed how to successfully implement ITaaS. You can view the full webinar here.
Using Magento In The Hybrid Cloud: Google+ Hangout Recap
Sep 24, 2013
With the holiday shopping season approaching, last week's Hangout focused on using Magento, the open source ecommerce application, to help with online sales. Here's a full recap and video.
Just In Time For Shop.org 2013: Three New Oracle Commerce Reference Architectures
Sep 24, 2013
Next week, Rackspace will head to Shop.org Annual Summit 2013. Come check us out and hear more about our three new Oracle Commerce reference architectures.
Building, Cultivating Big Ideas On A Hybrid Cloud
Sep 24, 2013
Here, Rackspace Hybrid Cloud customer TrackVia talks about how blending dedicated servers and the public cloud helps it maintain a stable and highly available infrastructure.
Demystifying The Hybrid Cloud: Five Common Characteristics Of Hybrid Cloud Architectures Part 2
Sep 23, 2013
In this two-part blog series, we seek to eliminate some confusion by digging deeper in to the common characteristics of hybrid cloud architectures. In this second installment, we showcase the next three common characteristics of hybrid cloud architectures: performance optimization; security requirements; and corporate policy, compliance and SLAs.
A House Of (Digital) Learning
Sep 23, 2013
BiblioTech, the nation's first all-digital library, opened recently in San Antonio. And, oddly enough, the idea for the paperless library and community technology center started with a physical book.
Giving Back As A Volunteer For Black Girls Code
Sep 20, 2013
Rackspace is generous about giving back, and one organization we support is Black Girls Code, which provides young girls of color workshops for in-demand skills in technology and computer programming so they can become masters of their technological worlds
Rackspace Weekly Digest: September 20
Sep 20, 2013
This week, we expanded our Rackspace Training for OpenStack offerings; helped demystify the hybrid cloud; hosted a PartnerPalooza; and took home another Stevie Award. Read about all that and more in the weekly digest.
How .NET Powers RackConnect And The Hybrid Cloud
Sep 19, 2013
RackConnect, which connects your dedicated and cloud environments, has grown up to be the backbone of our hybrid cloud. What many people don’t know is that RackConnect is built on top of the .NET Framework.
Straight Up Startup…Featuring Adam Brimo, CEO And Co-Founder Of OpenLearning
Sep 19, 2013
In this edition of Straight Up Startup, Adam Brimo, co-founder and CEO of OpenLearning, shares insight into getting your startup off the ground.
Fuel Your Career With Rackspace Training For OpenStack
Sep 19, 2013
We’ve expanded our Rackspace Training for OpenStack offerings to give you a few more ways to boost your OpenStack brainpower and fuel your career.
A Day In The Life: RackerPalooza [Video]
Sep 18, 2013
If there’s one thing all Rackers agree on, it’s that no two days at the office are alike when you work at Rackspace. Check out this clip by our video storyteller extraordinaire Dave Sims, who filmed, produced and edited 'A Day In The Life: RackerPalooza' in just a single day.
San Antonio Area Foundation Partners With Rackspace For Nonprofit Technology Summit
Sep 18, 2013
The San Antonio Area Foundation is partnering with Rackspace for its Nonprofit Technology Summit on Friday, September 27 at Rackspace's Castle headquarters.
Open Cloud Earns Rackspace Another Stevie Award
Sep 18, 2013
This week, the Rackspace Open Cloud earned us a Bronze Stevie Award in the Computer Services Company of the Year category in the 11th Annual American Business Awards. It’s the third Stevie Award that Rackspace has won in the past two years.
Blueflood Metrics Discovery: Implementing Search
Sep 18, 2013
This summer, we brought several interns aboard at our San Francisco Office (SFO). In this blog series, these interns share tales of their times as Rackspace summer interns. In this post, intern Vir Ratanasangpunth shares his experience.
Plugging In To Our Powerful Ecosystem Of Partners At PartnerPalooza
Sep 17, 2013
This week, we brought 39 of our most strategic Cloud Tools Partners to the Castle, our headquarters in San Antonio, for a full day of networking at the first-ever PartnerPalooza.
Social Automation, Blueprints And Deployment Services
Sep 17, 2013
Our philosophy of 'social automation' led to a desire for anyone to be able to contribute to the automation scripts and blueprints used by Rackspace Deployment Services. Find out more in this video.
A Sneak Peek At Geekdom San Francisco: Google+ Hangout Recap
Sep 17, 2013
During last week's Google+ Office Hours Hangout, we got an inside look at Geekdom San Francisco. Here's a full recap and video of the Hangout.
BrightTALK Presents: OpenStack 101: An Introduction To Private And Hybrid Clouds
Sep 17, 2013
Join me and Rackspace Director of Strategy Scott Sanchez at 2 p.m. Wednesday, September 18 for the BrightTALK webinar 'OpenStack 101: An Introduction to Private and Hybrid Clouds.'
The Freedom To ‘Go Do It’ In The Hybrid Cloud
Sep 17, 2013
In this guest post, AfterCollege vice president of engineering Steve Girolami talks about how his company uses the Rackspace Hybrid Cloud to make its developers' lives easier.
Demystifying The Hybrid Cloud: Five Common Characteristics Of Hybrid Cloud Architectures Part 1
Sep 16, 2013
In this two-part blog series, we seek to eliminate some confusion by digging deeper in to the common characteristics of hybrid cloud architectures. In this first installment, we talk about what the hybrid cloud is and why you should consider it, and highlight the first two common characteristic of hybrid clouds: legacy application architectures and large-scale cloud consumption.
Developer To Product Manager: Put The Kettle On
Sep 13, 2013
I had been a developer for a few years, but never felt as smart or as accomplished as my teammates. One day my manager pulled me into a conference room and I agreed to make the transition to Technical Product Manager.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: September 13
Sep 13, 2013
In this week's digest, we prep for spiky holiday web traffic, earn a spot on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, quickly install Rackspace Private Cloud and much more.
The Fanatical Faces Of Rackspace Private Cloud: Bryan Thompson
Sep 12, 2013
In this edition of Fanatical Faces of Rackspace Private Cloud, Bryan Thompson talks about moving to Texas, the cloud and OpenStack.
Upcoming Webinar: Transform, Empower, Innovate: 3 Must-Do Steps For IT To Maintain Relevancy In A Cloud World
Sep 12, 2013
In this upcoming webinar I will discuss how to successfully implement ITaaS and how hybrid cloud complements these efforts by offering architectural attributes that give your business the best fit for your workloads.
Rackspace Earns DJSI Recognition For Second Straight Year
Sep 12, 2013
For the second consecutive year, Rackspace is included as member on the Dow Jones Sustainability North American Index (DJSI), an internationally-recognized, independent benchmark that sets the standard for sustainable business performance.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On ForeUP: Simple, Powerful Golf Software
Sep 12, 2013
Rackspace Startup Program member ForeUP offers a completely cloud-based golf management and marketing software.
Installing Rackspace Private Cloud In 20 Minutes Or Less
Sep 11, 2013
Here, I walk through how to install Rackspace Private Cloud in 20 minutes or less.
True Friends And Family: Rackers Band Together To Help One Of Our Own
Sep 11, 2013
One of our Core Values at Rackspace is to 'treat Rackers like friends and family.' And when Racker Krystal Cantu was badly injured, her fellow Rackers banded together to help.
The Path To Master Programmer
Sep 11, 2013
This summer, we brought several interns aboard at our San Francisco Office (SFO). In this blog series, these interns share tales of their times as Rackspace summer interns. In this post, intern Stewart Smith shares his thoughts on what it takes to become a master programmer.
Deployment Services Was Made For Developers
Sep 10, 2013
Rackspace Deployment Services provides a simple, repeatable and automatic way to set up cloud environments for applications and frameworks. Find out more in this video.
New Report Shows Chilling Effect Patent Trolls Have On Startups, VCs
Sep 10, 2013
Startups and their venture capital investors are caught in the crosshairs of patent trolls, but the damage these unscrupulous litigants are inflicting isn’t just legal or financial – it’s hampering business and stifling innovation, according to a new report that reaffirms the urgent need for aggressive legislative action by the U.S. Congress.
Rackspace Deployment Services: Google+ Hangout Recap
Sep 10, 2013
During last week's Cloud Office Hours, we talked about Rackspace Deployment Services. Here's the video of the full Hangout. And be sure to tune in to our next Hangout on Thursday at 1 p.m. CST when we'll talk about Geekdom San Francisco.
Get A Head Start On The Holiday Rush
Sep 10, 2013
Wondering how you will get your ecommerce website ready for the holidays? Tune in to our free webinar, Early Planning is the Key to Online Holiday Success, 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18, to get a head start.
Overcome Frightening Seasonal Traffic With The Hybrid Cloud
Sep 10, 2013
In this guest post, Rackspace Hybrid Cloud customer Spencer's and Spirit Halloween highlights how a hybrid cloud infrastructure helps it weather seasonal traffic that spikes 100 to 1,000 times during the Halloween season.
Rackspace Training For OpenStack Heading To Four Major Universities
Sep 09, 2013
Rackspace Training for OpenStack will offer hands-on OpenStack training at Virginia Tech, the University of the Incarnate Word, the University of Texas at Austin and Oregon State University in coming months.
Integrating Stripe With Your Rails App
Sep 09, 2013
In this video, I walk through the steps to integrate Stripe into a Rails app.
Online Payments Made Easy With Stripe
Sep 06, 2013
Stripe, a Rackspace Cloud Tools partner, simplifies the process for accepting online payments. In this video, I walk through a situation where my friend integrates Stripe payments to her online business and some simple customizations you can easily make.
VMworld 2013: Enterprise Is Crawling Toward 21st Century IT
Sep 06, 2013
Here, Rackspace's Sarbeet Johal highlights some of his observations from VMworld 2013.
My ‘Funatical’ Summer At Rackspace
Sep 06, 2013
Here, summer intern Pranjali Ganoo recounts some of her experiences as a Rackspace intern.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: September 6
Sep 06, 2013
In this week's digest, we look at how high performance computing and open technologies fuel research; the opening of Geekdom San Francisco; use cases for Rackspace Private Cloud; and much more.
How I Learned Microsoft .NET
Sep 05, 2013
If you want to get started learning Microsoft's .NET framework, here are a few suggestions I have for you.
Geekdom Opens In San Francisco: Get Involved In A Developer-Centric Workspace
Sep 05, 2013
Today, Geekdom San Francisco opens its doors to provide a new home for developers and startups alike. If you’re working on developer-focused opportunities, or are building something intimately connected to cloud computing, there’s no better place to be close to the action.
The Fanatical Faces Of Rackspace Private Cloud: Justin Shepherd
Sep 05, 2013
In this edition of the fanatical faces of Rackspace Private Cloud, Principal Architect Justin Shepherd talks about OpenStack, Rackspace and the cloud.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On CrowdTogether: Social Media Tools That Facilitate Community Engagement
Sep 05, 2013
Here, Rackspace Startup Program member CrowdTogether talks about its Rackspace-powered free crowdsourcing platform that marketing managers, event promoters and entertainers can use to activate and engage their community members.
Private Cloud Use Cases And Respective Application Architectures
Sep 05, 2013
Here, I outline three of the most popular use cases we see today in Rackspace Private Cloud, and also add some color commentary on the application architectures that are typically used when designing your environments.
Accelerate Your Career With OpenStack: Upcoming LPI Webinar
Sep 04, 2013
Join Rackspace Director of Strategy Scott Sanchez and Rackspace Cloud Evangelista Niki Acosta on Tuesday, September 10 at 1 p.m. CDT for 'Accelerating Your Career With OpenStack,' the next installment in the LPI Webinar series.
Cloud, HPC And Open Technologies Converge To Fuel Research, Innovation
Sep 04, 2013
A group of 30 key stakeholders and decision-makers from academia and industry got together at Argonne National Laboratory last week to share their views on how open computing solutions can best support existing and emerging use cases in a range of research disciplines and high performance workloads.
Building The Cloud Monitoring Dashboard
Sep 04, 2013
This summer, we brought several interns aboard at our San Francisco Office (SFO). In this blog series, these interns share tales of their times at Rackspace. Here, Nathan Jordan highlights how he contributed to building the Cloud Monitoring dashboard.
Using Deployment Services At Rackspace To Quickly Create Cloud Configurations
Sep 03, 2013
Rackspace has used Deployment Services internally for several months now. In this video, you can see how we use it to quickly create cloud configurations.
Google+ Hangout Recap: If IT Is The ‘How,’ The Business Is The ‘Why’
Sep 03, 2013
In last week’s installment of our Cloud Office Hours Hangout, we talked about some of the business use cases in the cloud.
Bringing Go To The Cloud With The Gophercloud SDK
Sep 03, 2013
Rackspace is investing in Go by creating a multi-cloud software development kit (SDK) for the Go programming community called Gophercloud. It will support OpenStack first, Rackspace Cloud second.
Rackspace Culture: Annual San Francisco Bike-B-Q
Aug 30, 2013
Once you've got a decent number of bike riders and an award-winning bike workshop and bike parking area, what do you do next? A Bike-B-Q, of course.
Long Live Fanatical Support
Aug 30, 2013
Here, summer intern Kalon Stephen recounts some of the highlights of his Rackspace internship.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: August 30
Aug 30, 2013
In this week's digest, we talk about government surveillance and your data; Big Data on OpenStack; automated deployments; VMworld and much more.
Government Surveillance And Your Data
Aug 29, 2013
The National Security Agency and its PRISM initiative have prompted many Internet users to question when the government can see their data, and under what circumstances. We think this is a good time to reiterate how Rackspace handles customer data.
OpenStack Marconi API
Aug 29, 2013
Rackspace Cloud Queues is backed by the open source project, Marconi. In this post, Oz Akan, Development Manager for Rackspace Cloud Queues and an active contributor to Marconi, walks us through the project.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: September 2013
Aug 29, 2013
Within the startup movement, there are plenty of events happening globally in September 2013. The Rackspace Startup Program is here to keep you up to date with valuable information on events and happenings inside the global startup community. Here is a partial list of global startup events complied by the contributors of StartupDigest.
Big Data On OpenStack
Aug 29, 2013
Big Data and OpenStack are among two of the most mentioned terms in the data center today. Here, we look at Big Data on OpenStack.
The Fanatical Faces of Rackspace Private Cloud: Anne Gentle
Aug 29, 2013
In this edition of the fanatical faces of Rackspace Private Cloud, Software Developer and Content Stacker Anne Gentle talks about OpenStack documentation, Rackspace and tennis.
Rackspace Hybrid Cloud + ObjectRocket MongoDB = Simple, Scalable And Highly Available SaaS Applications
Aug 29, 2013
In a webinar last week, we highlighted the Rackspace Hybrid Cloud, ObjectRocket MongoDB and scalable SaaS applications. Watch the full webinar here.
VMworld 2013: Rackspace Thought Leaders Talk Open Source, DevOps And More
Aug 28, 2013
At VMworld 2013, Rackspace CEO Rick Jackson and Rackspace Director of Strategy Scott Sanchez each sat down with SiliconAngle to discuss open source, OpenStack, hybrid cloud, DevOps and more. Here's full video of both interviews.
A .NET Developer’s Guide To The World Of Open Source
Aug 28, 2013
Crossing over to the world of open source from Microsoft .NET can be confusing for a developer. Here's a guide to help you through.
My Priority List Today, Tomorrow And Every Day After That
Aug 28, 2013
This summer, we brought several interns aboard at our San Francisco Office (SFO). In this blog series, these interns share tales of their times as Rackspace summer interns. In this post, intern Andrew Taber shares his experience.
If You Open Source It, They Will Come
Aug 28, 2013
There's value in dedicating some of your company's resources to open source software development, beyond just making sure that you have the software you need, when you need it.
Q&A: Rackspace Open Compute Engineer Aaron Sullivan
Aug 27, 2013
We caught up with Rackspace Open Compute Engineer Aaron Sullivan for an update on the Open Compute Project at Rackspace.
Cloud Applications Automated For You: Rackspace Deployment Now Available To All Customers
Aug 27, 2013
Launching common apps on the Rackspace Cloud is easier than ever with our automated application deployment service, which is now available to all users.
Q&A With Sprout Social: Fast Growth, Swift Innovation In The Hybrid Cloud
Aug 27, 2013
In this Q&A we talk to Rackspace Hybrid Cloud customer Sprout Social about its business, its infrastructure and how it overcame the challenges of rapid growth.
Network Virtualization Takes Top Billing At VMworld
Aug 26, 2013
During the opening keynote at VMworld 2103, VMware CEO Pat Gelsinger evangelized network virtualization while also updating the crowd on VMware's role in OpenStack.
Develop it. Wear It. Win it. $10K Giveaway @ TechCrunch Disrupt
Aug 26, 2013
We're offering you a chance to pitch your wearable technology startup to Robert Scoble and a panel of judges at TechCrunch Disrupt for a chance to win $10,000 in cash.
Rackspace Is The No. 1 Hosting Provider To The Top 1,000 Retailers For The Third Straight Year
Aug 26, 2013
For the third consecutive year, InternetRetailer.com has named Rackspace the No. 1 hosting provider to the top 1,000 retailers in the US; a recognition that shows Rackspace is a true retail hosting specialist.
A New Home For The Rackspace San Francisco Innovation Office
Aug 23, 2013
Rackspace San Francisco (lovingly called “SFO”) made a big move last week to the third floor in our current SoMa building. Our San Francisco office has expanded to 99 Rackers and we need more space to allow future growth.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: August 23
Aug 23, 2013
In this week's digest, we look at VMworld, SXSW and OpenStack Summit Hong Kong; our Dedicated VMware vCenter Server and Brocade Vyatta vRouter offerings; and much more.
Vote Now For Rackspace OpenStack Summit Hong Kong Presentations
Aug 23, 2013
OpenStack Summit Hong Kong is fast approaching and voting is open for the sessions and presentations you'd like to see. Here's a roundup of proposed speaking sessions from Rackspace's experts. Voting closes on August 25.
Voting Is Open For SXSW Interactive 2014 Sessions
Aug 23, 2013
The voting process for South By Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) 2014 sessions is open. There are a number of Racker-led essions in the PanelPicker. Here's a sneak peek.
GAO Study Confirms Overbroad Patents Feed Opportunistic Trolls
Aug 22, 2013
The U.S. Government Accounting Office (GAO) released a long awaited study on the consequences of patent litigation by patent trolls that validates the position that overbroad software patents are the primary reason trolls are able to target and extort settlements from legitimate businesses
Sharpen Your Disaster Recovery, Resiliency Strategy At VMworld
Aug 22, 2013
The focus of any IT company should be on innovation, not disaster recovery. At Rackspace, we offer several resiliency services. We'll also talk about them at VMworld next week.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Variable Action: Smart Software, Faster Websites
Aug 22, 2013
Rackspace Startup Program member Variable Action uses the Rackspace Cloud to power it's business, which is dedicated to innovative programming and development to unlock the true potential of the web.
The Fanatical Faces Of Rackspace Private Cloud: Joe Burke
Aug 22, 2013
In this edition of the fanatical faces of Rackspace Private Cloud we talk to Joe Burke, Director of Enterprise Architecture for Rackspace Private Cloud, about his cloud journey and joining Rackspace.
Brocade Vyatta vRouter Now In Unlimited Availability
Aug 22, 2013
Today, the Brocade Vyatta vRouter is available to all of our Cloud Account customers through unlimited availability..
VMworld 2013: Come Talk OpenStack And VMware With Rackspace
Aug 21, 2013
At Rackspace, we have a full portfolio that offers you solutions powered by VMware and powered by OpenStack. It’s all about choice. And next week, our Rackspace experts will be evangelizing this choice at the 10th anniversary of VMworld in San Francisco. Here's what we'll be up to.
PCI Compliance In Rackspace Hybrid Cloud
Aug 21, 2013
There are various architectural options that can help your ecommerce business achieve PCI-DSS compliance while using hybrid cloud infrastructure.
When Big Data Meets Marketing
Aug 21, 2013
In this guest post, Rackspace Cloud Tools partner SimpleRelevance highlights how to leverage big data and marketing to boost business.
A Summer Of Coding At SFO
Aug 21, 2013
This summer, we brought several interns aboard at our San Francisco Office (SFO). In this blog series, these interns share tales of their times as Rackspace summer interns. In this post, intern Kishan Karunaratne shares his experience.
In Case You Missed It! Webinar: Addressing PCI Compliance In Hybrid Clouds
Aug 21, 2013
On August 6, we conducted a panelist-style joint webinar with Rackspace Cloud Tools Marketplace partner CloudPassage and GigaOm to discuss addressing PCI issues in hybrid cloud environments. Here's a recap, and video of the full webinar.
Cloud Modularity: Google+ Hangout Recap
Aug 20, 2013
Last week during our Cloud Office hours, we covered modularity in the cloud, another one of the Pillars of Cloudiness.Here's a recap, and a full video of the Hangout.
Extend On-Premise VMware Environments To The Hybrid Cloud
Aug 20, 2013
With the launch of Dedicated VMware vCenter Server, you can extend your VMware capacity off-premise, while still maintaining the same level of control, agility and governance you are used to in your own data centers
Upping Our Marketing Game @ SXSW [Infographic]
Aug 20, 2013
How do you fully measure and capture an integrated campaign at a national tech conference?This infographic tries to capture and measure our marketing footprint at South By Southwest (SXSW) Interactive 2013.
Worldwide Ecommerce Sales Are Growing. Is Your Business Ready?
Aug 19, 2013
In this guest post, Rackspace Cloud Tools partner Transverse highlights the importance of having the right billing system.
Understanding Performance Differences Between Private And Public Cloud
Aug 19, 2013
I often see businesses adopt hybrid cloud strategies, whereby services consumed span private and public cloud platforms.Here, I look at how private and public cloud platforms stack up against each other from a performance perspective.
Introducing LPI Webinars: What is OpenStack?
Aug 16, 2013
The Linux Professional Institute will kick off a new webinar series next week. The first is "What is OpenStack?" Join me and Rackspace Director of Strategy Scott Sanchez as we describe OpenStack and the technologies involved.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: August 16
Aug 16, 2013
In this week's digest, we look at the first half of 2013; the journey to the hybrid cloud; creating the OpenStack Security Guide; migrating 200 servers half-way across the country; and much more.
UK Customers Joining Rackstories Customer Culture Portal
Aug 16, 2013
Rackstories, the Rackspace customer culture portal, has grown to include more than 30 European contributions from customers based in the United Kingdom.
Upcoming Webinar: Simple, Scalable, Highly Available Databases With MongoDB
Aug 15, 2013
MongoDB is seeing widespread adoption by developers. Join us August 22 for a free webinar in which we'll discuss how MongoDB and a hybrid cloud infrastructure can help boost your business' performance.
Straight Up Startup…Featuring Adam Lyons, CEO Of Insurance Zebra
Aug 15, 2013
In this edition of Straight Up Startup we talk to Adam Lyons, CEO of Insurance Zebra, an insurance comparison engine to ease the insurance shopping experience.
The Fanatical Faces Of Rackspace Private Cloud: Tech Writer Karin Levenstein
Aug 15, 2013
In this edition of the fanatical faces of Rackspace Private Cloud we talk to Karin Levenstein, a Technical Writer on the Rackspace Private Cloud team, about the cloud, OpenStack and more.
Customers Say Hybrid Cloud Is The Future, Rackspace Survey Finds
Aug 15, 2013
We’ve heard from our customers that while the public cloud is great it isn’t right for every application or workload; and our recent survey confirms that US and UK enterprises are turning to the hybrid cloud to overcome the limitations of a public cloud-only infrastructure.
Servers Take To The Sky For Data Center Migration
Aug 14, 2013
Last weekend, we conquered land and sky to migrate nearly 200 servers from our IAD data center our DFW data center. The migration allows us to consolidate operations into larger, more cost- and energy-efficient data centers. It also allows customers to take advantage of the full Rackspace Hybrid Cloud portfolio.
Simple Steps To Secure Your Startup
Aug 14, 2013
Many startups view security in the same light as flood or fire insurance; it doesn’t get the same love that building an application or growing the company gets. But every day that startup founders neglect security is another day they’re exposing themselves to serious risk. Here are some simple steps to secure your startup.
OpenStack Security Guide: One Week, 38,000 Words, A Lot Of Security
Aug 14, 2013
I recently had the privilege to participate in the second 'book sprint' for OpenStack in Annapolis, Md.The outcome of our session was the OpenStack Security Guide, a 38,000-word handbook featuring practical security guidance for cloud operators.
Examining Horizontal Scaling: Google+ Hangout Recap
Aug 13, 2013
During last week's Google+ Office Hours Hangout, we talked about horizontal scaling in the cloud.Here's a recap, and a full video of the Hangout.
The Journey To A Hybrid Cloud: A Look At The First Six Months Of 2013
Aug 13, 2013
I am impressed as I look at the innovations we completed in the last six months. Here are some of the milestones and accomplishments we hit on our journey to the hybrid cloud.
We’re Bringing Unlocked: The Hybrid Cloud To San Francisco
Aug 12, 2013
Thursday, we be bring Unlocked: The Hybrid Cloud to San Francisco. Unlocked is a free full-day cloud workshop to help developers, architects and engineers design cloud applications the right way.
Join The Cloud Queues Early Access Program Today
Aug 12, 2013
Starting today, you can begin testing and exploring the Rackspace Cloud Queues service.
OpenStack Nova-Scheduler And vSphere DRS
Aug 12, 2013
In this post, I review Compute resource scheduling, a.k.a. nova-scheduler in OpenStack and Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS) in vSphere and show how DRS compares with nova-scheduler and the impact of running both as part of an OpenStack implementation.
Rackspace Cloud Migration Services: Complimentary, Hassle-Free Migrations To The Hybrid Cloud
Aug 12, 2013
You can now move to the Rackspace Hybrid Cloud with ease with our complimentary, hassle-free Cloud Migration Service.
[Video] Another Fanatical Friday: A Day In The Life
Aug 09, 2013
In the latest edition of video storyteller Dave Sims' 'Day In The Life' video series, we get an inside look at another Fanatical Friday at Rackspace.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: August 9
Aug 09, 2013
In this week's digest, we shine a spotlight on patent trolls; discuss OpenStack and VMware; talk about Open Cloud Academy updates; and much more.
Exposing Patent Trolls
Aug 08, 2013
This week, our allies at the Electric Frontier Foundation (EFF) launched Trolling Effects, a user friendly online resource for businesses and others who have been targeted by patent trolls.
The Cloud Is Not All Or Nothing: An Insider’s Look
Aug 08, 2013
There is one misconception about the cloud that I frequently hear: people believe that in order to take advantage of the cloud you have to go all in or nothing at all.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On AutoRef: Moving The Auto Buying Process Online
Aug 08, 2013
Rackspace Startup Program member AutoRef is out to ease the pain of buying a vehicle by letting you compare final offers online, before going to the dealership.
The Fanatical Faces Of Rackspace Private Cloud: Ryan Yard
Aug 08, 2013
In this edition of the fanatical faces of Rackspace Private Cloud we talk to Ryan Yard, Senior Manager for the Enterprise Architecture team, about the cloud, OpenStack and more.
9 Things You Need For Drupal Development
Aug 07, 2013
In this guest post, Josh Koenig, co-founder of Drupal platform and Rackspace partner Pantheon, discusses nine things you need for Drupal development.
Business Email Hosting And Email Archiving Are Better Together
Aug 07, 2013
There are several reasons business email hosting and email archiving are better together. Check out this video and learn why.
Agility In The Cloud: Google+ Hangout Recap
Aug 06, 2013
During last week's Google+ Office Hours Hangout, we talked about agility in the cloud.Here's a recap, and a full video of the Hangout.
Hybrid Cloud, Rackspace Advisory Services Help Acquity Group Stay Competitive: Video
Aug 06, 2013
In this video, Rackspace Hybrid Cloud customer Acquity Group discusses how Rackspace Advisory Services helped it build its custom hybrid cloud and technology strategy.
Must Have App: Rosie Makes Grocery Shopping Convenient
Aug 05, 2013
In this edition of Must Have App, we look at Rosie, an app that offers a fast and convenient way to shop for groceries in your community.
Create Failure Resilient Web And Mobile Apps
Aug 05, 2013
In this guest post, Rackspace Cloud Tools partner BlazeMeter discusses the value of performance and load testing in creating failure resilient web and mobile apps.
Open Cloud Academy Update: New Network Operations Class, 17 Graduates, Internships
Aug 05, 2013
It's been almost five months since we launched the Open Cloud Academy, and we've got some cool updates to tell you about: a new Network Operations track, the graduation of our first cohort of students and an internship program.
Architecting VMware vSphere For OpenStack
Aug 05, 2013
One of the most common questions I hear is 'How does OpenStack compare with VMware?' This question often reveals a common misunderstanding of how OpenStack matches up with VMware. In this post, I'll provide an overview of the OpenStack Nova Compute architecture and how vSphere integrates with that project.
Licensing, Hacking And Government: Key Themes From OSCON 2013
Aug 02, 2013
Last week, OSCON brought together people in the open source community. Some of the key themes this year included licensing your open source project, hardware hacking and open source and the government.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: August 2
Aug 02, 2013
In this edition of the Weekly Digest we testify about copyright law; profile a new face in the Rackspace Private Cloud; help you make the move from Windows Server 2003 to 2012; and much more.
Creating Scalable Web Apps: An Insider’s Look
Aug 01, 2013
One of the main draws to the hybrid cloud is creating an app that might be small today but could scale to be huge tomorrow. However, scalability is not something that happens right out of the box; it has to be built into your app and infrastructure.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: August 2013
Aug 01, 2013
Within the startup movement, there are plenty of events happening globally in August 2013. The Rackspace Startup Program is here to keep you up to date with valuable information on events and happenings inside the global startup community. Here is a partial list of global startup events complied by the contributors of StartupDigest.
Internet Industries Are ’Content Creators’ Too
Aug 01, 2013
Earlier this year, the House Judiciary Committee launched a 'comprehensive review' to examine the role of technology and existing copyright laws in innovation. The first set of hearings included only representatives from the music, movie and visual arts communities. Today we had the chance to testify, and told Congress that copyrightable content also includes all of the software code written by professional computer programmers.
The Fanatical Faces Of Rackspace Private Cloud: Kenneth Hui
Aug 01, 2013
In this new blog series, we profile the fanatical faces of Rackspace Private Cloud. Today, we talk to Kenneth Hui about the cloud, OpenStack and more.
Got Python Questions? Ask Our Experts In The Rackspace Community
Aug 01, 2013
Each month we'll host a Python Ask-Me-Anything in the Rackspace Community during which a Racker Python expert will open a post for questions and reply to every (reasonable) question asked on that post, over the course of three days.
Are You Still Running Windows Server 2003?
Jul 31, 2013
As Microsoft plans to end support for Windows Server 2003 in 2015, now is the perfect time to migrate your workloads to Windows Server 2012 so you don’t get left in the cold when support ends.
How BuiltLean Survived the Front Page of Reddit, And The Traffic That Followed
Jul 31, 2013
Rackspace customer BuiltLean found itself on the front page of Reddit, and the barrage of traffic that followed was massive. Here, the company recounts how it survived.
Speeding Up Page Load Times
Jul 31, 2013
There is nothing more annoying than a site not loading when you are browsing the web. Check out this video to learn how to speed up page load times.
What’s The Difference Between Email Backup And Email Archiving?
Jul 31, 2013
A common mistake businesses make is confusing simple data backup and email data archiving. Because we hear about this confusion so often, we developed the 'Email Archiving or Email Backup?' whitepaper.
Security In The Cloud: Google+ Hangout Recap
Jul 30, 2013
During last week's Google+ Office Hours Hangout, we talked about some of first steps to achieve security in the cloud. Here's a recap, and the full video of the Hangout.
PCI Compliance In The Cloud – Webinar August 6
Jul 30, 2013
Rackspace Cloud Tools Marketplace partner CloudPassage recently achieved certification as a Level 1 Payment Card Industry-Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) service provider. In an August 6 webinar, we'll dig deeper into PCI compliance in the cloud with GigaOM and CloudPassage.
Expanding Our Scope: Rackspace’s Global Language Initiatives
Jul 30, 2013
Globalizing computing technology means customers can host from anywhere. This creates a diverse international footprint and as the industry grows the ability to speak a foreign language will be a key differentiator.
Making Financial Software Easier In The Hybrid Cloud
Jul 30, 2013
In this guest post, Rackspace Hybrid Cloud customer FundApps discusses how a hybrid cloud delivers the performance and reliability it requires.
Congratulations To Rackspace Startup Program Member TrueAbility On Successful Funding Round
Jul 29, 2013
Today, we congratulate Rackspace Startup Program member TrueAbility for raising $2 million in its first round of venture funding.
Caring For Your Pets In OpenStack
Jul 29, 2013
OpenStack can be deployed in a variety of ways to overcome a wide range of disasters at the infrastructure level and when doing so, we're aiming to achieve one thing: remove any single point of failure (SPOF).
Rackspace Weekly Digest: July 26
Jul 26, 2013
It’s been a huge week for us at Rackspace. We’ve developed a new partnership with the Lean In nonprofit, made strides in our battle against patent trolls and had a huge presence at OSCON in Portland. You can read all about it – and more – in this week’s edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest.
Looking At ‘Perfect’ As A Verb, Not An Adjective
Jul 26, 2013
At OSCON, Alex Martelli, senior staff engineer at Google and member of the Python Software Foundation, argued that when it comes to software development 'perfect' should be used as a verb, not an adjective.
Cloud Portability: Value Of The Multi-Cloud Toolkit
Jul 25, 2013
This week at OSCON, I discussed cloud portability with Multi-Cloud Toolkits. Here, I highlight some of the key points.
Architecting An Ecommerce Site: An Insider’s Look
Jul 25, 2013
If you are an ecommerce business looking to leverage the hybrid cloud, check out this video in which the Cloud Launch Team takes you through a real life example of how it would architect a solution.
My New Role
Jul 25, 2013
I sent the following email to Rackers this morning: Hey Rackers, I have not given you an update on my personal situation since early March. I do have some news to share that impacts my life at Rackspace.
Open Source Solves J.K. Rowling Mystery
Jul 25, 2013
With OSCON underway this week in Portland, it's fitting that open source software played a major role in the discovery that Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling penned a new book under a pseudonym.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On RetailMLS: Search For The Retail Real Estate Market
Jul 25, 2013
RetailMLS, a Rackspace Startup Program member, is the first multiple listing service (MLS) dedicated exclusively to the retail real estate market.
The 5 Pillars of Cloudiness Presented At OSCON
Jul 24, 2013
Building apps for the hybrid cloud is different than building apps to run purely on dedicated gear. This is why my team and I created the Five Pillars of Cloudiness at Rackspace, and I was happy to present them at the Unlocked session this week at OSCON in Portland.
Technology Vs. Technical Expertise: My Ride On The ‘Highway Thru Hell’
Jul 24, 2013
Relying solely on technology and not on technical expertise led me to take a harrowing drive on a highway so notorious for dangerous conditions that it is the subject of a reality television show.
Moving Your Team To DevOps To Leverage The Hybrid Cloud
Jul 24, 2013
At the Unlocked session at OSCON this week, I presented how DevOps is key to help power applications on the hybrid cloud.
Tips To Get Started On The Hybrid Cloud
Jul 24, 2013
As you begin to take advantage of the cloud, here are some tips that will help you get started.
Is Email Archiving Better In The Cloud?
Jul 24, 2013
One question we frequently hear from you is: Is email archiving better in the cloud?
The Fifth Wave: How Are Cloud Computing & Big Data Transforming IT?
Jul 24, 2013
Last month, I joined three leading tech executives at Cloud Expo New York to talk about how cloud computing and Big Data are transforming enterprise IT. You can see the video (and catch video of my keynote presentation) here.
The STOP Act Aims To Thwart Patent Trolls
Jul 23, 2013
The patent reform effort on Capitol Hill continues to make progress. Yesterday, Representatives Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and Judy Chu, D-Calif., introduced H.R. 2766, Stopping the Offensive Use of Patents Act (the STOP Act).
Third Thursday Open Q&A: Google+ Hangout Recap
Jul 23, 2013
This past Google+ Hangout took place on the Third Thursday, meaning that the floor was open to general Q&A for anyone interested in the cloud. Here's a recap.
IronMQ Now In Rackspace’s Chicago Data Center
Jul 23, 2013
Iron.io’s IronMQ is now available in the Rackspace Chicago (ORD) data center; giving you an easier way to build high-scale, distributed cloud applications.
Fueling Fast Growth With Hybrid Cloud
Jul 23, 2013
In this guest post, Rackspace Hybrid Cloud customer Behance highlights how a mix of dedicated servers and cloud resources helps it grow swiftly.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: July 19
Jul 19, 2013
This week, we became one step closer to defeating patent trolls that have attempted to extort hundreds of thousands of dollars from companies like Rackspace that actually create value. We also talked about the value of dedicated servers and how marketing leaders are ranking technology as the No. 1 area for improvement in their departments....
OpenStack At Three Years Old, And Beyond
Jul 19, 2013
Today, OpenStack turns three years old. We've seen many milestones. As we enter our fourth year, there are some key areas where our community can work together to make OpenStack even better and get even more people involved.
OpenStack – Birth Of The Open Cloud
Jul 19, 2013
In this mini-documentary to commemorate OpenStack's Third Anniversary, we hear from some of the project's founders and early contributors as they look back to the initial collaboration that ignited the OpenStack open source movement.
Manage Your Rackspace Cloud From Your iPhone
Jul 19, 2013
We’ve updated our Rackspace Cloud mobile app for iOS, adding a number of new features and functions that make it easier for you to manage your cloud from your iPhone.
Cloud Databases And Block Storage Benchmarks: Cost Of Performance And The Overprovisioning Tax
Jul 18, 2013
To help you make informed decisions on your cloud design, we created performance benchmarks for Cloud Databases and Cloud Block Storage.
An Insider’s Look At The Cloud Launch Team
Jul 18, 2013
Over the next three weeks, you'll get an insider’s look into the Cloud Launch Team and see how we create the best solutions to address customer needs. In this first video, we introduce the process that we use to solve problems.
On Patent Trolls, Parallel Iron, Hadoop And Innovation
Jul 18, 2013
The New York Times last Sunday published an article by David Segal, “Has Patent, Will Sue: An Alert To Corporate America,” in which the owner of IPNav is exposed as an unapologetic patent troll. One thing the article did not discuss was why IPNav’s and Parallel Iron’s patent assertions over the use of Hadoop are so egregious.
Straight Up Startup…Featuring Mike Colosimo, CEO Of thrdPlace
Jul 18, 2013
In this edition of Straight Up Startup, thrdPlace CEO Mike Colosimo discusses building a startup.
Sounding The Battle Cry In The War On Patent Trolls
Jul 17, 2013
In a major step in the ongoing war against patent trolls, 50 trade associations, coalitions and public interest groups today sent an open letter to Congress to urge congressional leaders to take action to address abuses of the legal system by patent assertion entities.
Corra: Full Service Ecommerce On The Rackspace Cloud
Jul 17, 2013
Corra, a Rackspace partner, is a full service ecommerce agency that specializes in ecommerce design, development, systems integration, strategy and support. Check out this video for more info on Corra and Rackspace.
The Expertise To Help Developers In The Cloud
Jul 17, 2013
Architecting an application that takes full advantage of the scalability and flexibility of the cloud is key. Our Launch Managers are here to help with any questions that you may have.
Are You Cashed Out On Hardware Or Cashing In On Cloud?
Jul 17, 2013
As your business moves to the cloud, the focus should be on turning IT into less of a cost center and more of a revenue center.
Rackspace Is One Of The 25 Best Tech Companies To Work For In 2013
Jul 16, 2013
For the fourth consecutive year, our culture of collaboration and vast professional training opportunities have earned us a spot on Business Insider’s list of The 25 Best Tech Companies To Work For In 2013.
Talking About DNS – Google+ Hangout Recap
Jul 16, 2013
Each Thursday from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. CST, our Cloud Launch Team offers office hours on our Google+ page to give people a chance to ask questions and learn more about the cloud. Last week, we discussed DNS
5 Stages Of SharePoint User Adoption
Jul 16, 2013
In nine years working with SharePoint, I've noticed certain patterns in user adoption. Here, I will talk about the typical five stages of user adoption that I see in organizations.
The Value Of True Dedicated Computing
Jul 16, 2013
Dedicated hardware is one of the pillars of the Rackspace Hybrid Cloud, which our customers tell us has improved the performance, reliability and overall cost of their infrastructure.
Scaling A Drupal Community With Authenticated Users
Jul 15, 2013
In this guest post, Stephen Pope of Project Ricochet, a Rackspace partner and Drupal web development and design firm, discusses scaling a Drupal community with authenticated users.
Explore The Android App World With Rex
Jul 15, 2013
This week's Must Have App comes from Rex, which helps you discover new Android apps through recommendations based on the apps you already use and love
Rackspace Weekly Digest: July 12
Jul 12, 2013
In this edition of the weekly digest, we highlight our new Rackspace Cloud mobile app for Android, hear from hybrid cloud customer Coastal.com, discuss rogue IT, showcase a new app that connects SharePoint and Cloud Files and more.
Why Would I Want Physical Servers?
Jul 11, 2013
One question that I think should be asked more often is, 'I have my entire architecture in the cloud, so why would I want a physical server?'
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Tutti Dynamics: Practice With Musical Masters
Jul 11, 2013
Rackspace Startup Program member Tutti Dynamics creates interactive music software that enables users to practice playing their instruments with master musicians.
Go Android, Go Mobile: Manage Your Rackspace Cloud On-The-Go
Jul 11, 2013
We've updated our Rackspace Cloud mobile app for Android. Now you can create and manage first and next generation cloud servers on-the-go and access our award-winning Fanatical Support from the app.
Rackspace, CPS Energy Push For Clean Energy, Better Air Quality
Jul 11, 2013
Today, Rackspace is hosting the San Antonio Clean Technology Forum's 'Keeping It Clean: Our Air, Our Health' forum, which brings together political, business and civic leaders to discuss air quality in the San Antonio region. Rackspace and CPS Energy work together to promote clean energy and better air quality.
Connect SharePoint 2013 To Cloud Files With New Rackspace Cloud Storage App
Jul 10, 2013
We've built a SharePoint 2013 app that allows you to log into your Rackspace Cloud account and access Cloud Files storage from SharePoint. The app is available now in the Microsoft Office store.
Do You Need A Data Scientist?
Jul 10, 2013
Data science is hard but it isn’t dark magic.If you are thinking about whether or not you need a data scientist, then here are some questions and insights to consider.
Helping You Sift Through New Technologies
Jul 10, 2013
With open sourced software providing increasingly easy access to technology, the IT landscape is constantly changing. Fortunately, we got you covered at Rackspace.
Has Rogue IT Infiltrated Your Organization?
Jul 10, 2013
Rogue IT occurs when teams outside of IT venture out on their own to pursue IT-based solutions. In a new white paper, you can learn ways to identify, reign in and manage Rogue IT.
Connecting With Rackspace
Jul 09, 2013
There are many different channels through which you can reach out to us at Rackspace. Let's break down some of the ways you can get in touch.
Hybrid Cloud: The Better Way
Jul 09, 2013
In this guest post, Rackspace Hybrid Cloud customer Coastal.com highlights how a hybrid cloud has helped it become the largest online retailer of eyeglasses and contact lenses in North America.
Get Real-Time Analytics While Processing High-Scale Transactions
Jul 09, 2013
In this guest post, Rackspace Cloud Tools partner Clustrix discusses the importance of processing online transactions and analyzing the data in real-time.
Why I Get Outside The Tech Bubble And Volunteer
Jul 08, 2013
I recently spent a week being a counselor for 10- and 11-year-olds at Camp Okizu, a camp whose mission is to provide peer support, respite, mentoring and recreational programs to meet the needs of members of families affected by childhood cancer. It reminded me of the importance of getting outside the tech bubble and volunteering.
Conversations From Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition (IRCE) 2013
Jul 08, 2013
Here are some things we heard from ecommerce organizations last month when we visited the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition (IRCE) 2013 in Chicago.
Meeting The High Quality Video Needs Of Real Estate Agencies On The Rackspace Cloud
Jul 08, 2013
In this guest post, Rackspace customer Smartvisite discusses how it uses Cloud Files to meet the web communication and media needs of real estate agencies.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: July 5
Jul 05, 2013
In this week's digest we look at our hybrid cloud collaboration with CERN openlab; discuss how Rackspace stands behind Code For America Fellows; hear from a hybrid cloud customer; and more.
July Webinars: Capacity Planning; NoSQL & Big Data; Exceptional Cloud Services
Jul 03, 2013
This month, we have a number of free webinars scheduled on topics including capacity planning; NoSQL and big data; and Exceptional Cloud Services.
Hybrid Cloud: The Best Of All Worlds
Jul 03, 2013
The hybrid cloud blends the best of all worlds - dedicated bare metal servers, public clouds and private clouds. Here, the Cloud Launch Team discusses the advantages of hybrid cloud.
Business Email 101 – Step 8: Migrating Your Email
Jul 03, 2013
If you've followed the Business Email 101 Guide, it is now time to decide how to handle your existing email data and move it to a new business email provider. Here are some considerations for email migration.
Migration Mania: Google+ Hangout Recap
Jul 02, 2013
Each Thursday from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. CST, our Cloud Launch Team offers office hours on our Google+ page to give people a chance to ask questions and learn more about the cloud. Last week, we discussed cloud migrations.
Where Should I Host My DNS And Email?
Jul 02, 2013
One question that I would like to see our customers ask is, 'Should I host my DNS or email with Rackspace?'
Stay The Course, Survive The Spikes With The Hybrid Cloud
Jul 02, 2013
In this guest post, Rackspace Hybrid Cloud customer MapMyFitness discusses how a hybrid cloud helps it survive traffic spikes and improves reliability, availability and scale.
How Rackspace Supports Code For America Fellows
Jul 02, 2013
At Rackspace, we want to support Rackers who are accepted for Code for America Fellowships. Rackers who are accepted can take the year off to work for Code for America and are guaranteed a job of similar pay and responsibility upon their return.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: July 2013
Jul 01, 2013
Within the startup movement, there are plenty of events happening globally in July 2013. The Rackspace Startup Program is here to keep you up to date with valuable information on events and happenings inside the global startup community. Here is a partial list of global startup events complied by the contributors of StartupDigest.
What’s Your Ecommerce Strategy?
Jul 01, 2013
When was the last time you reviewed your ecommerce strategy? In our new white paper you'll find an introductory four-step primer on the importance of an ecommerce strategy.
We’re Collaborating With CERN openlab For Hybrid Cloud-Powered Research
Jul 01, 2013
Today, we’ve formed a new contributor agreement with CERN openlab through which Rackspace will deliver a hybrid cloud solution featuring OpenStack-powered public and private clouds that will help CERN advance its important research.
Rackspace Is A Leader In The First Gartner Magic Quadrant For European Managed Hosting
Jun 28, 2013
Rackspace has been named a leader in Gartner's first Magic Quadrant for European Managed Hosting.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: June 28
Jun 28, 2013
In this week's digest we look at the latest version of our OpenStack-powered Private Cloud Software, hear from a hybrid cloud customer, launch Rackspace DBA Services and much more.
Directory Sync: Easy Active Directory Integration For Your Email
Jun 28, 2013
Today, Rackspace Directory Sync is available for all US and UK Email & Apps customers.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On eKita: Education Technology For The World
Jun 27, 2013
Rackspace Startup Program member eKita is building a solution that standardizes education technology to provide a complete academic workflow platform for students and teachers.
How Do My Hosting Decisions Today Affect Tomorrow?
Jun 27, 2013
One question that more people should ask is: 'How can I design a configuration within my budget today that gives me all the options for growth and stability down the road?'
Hadoop Summit 2013: New Hadoop Tools For The Hybrid Cloud
Jun 27, 2013
This week we'll be at the Hadoop Summit 2013 in Santa Clara, Calif. Come see us, attend our keynote and learn more about how we are bringing Hadoop and an advanced set of business tools to the hybrid cloud.
Hacking Human Behavior
Jun 26, 2013
It's important for startups to understand the concepts of behavioral economics to hack the behavior of potential customers.
Rackspace Private Cloud Now On OpenStack Grizzly; Adds Virtual Networks, Active Directory Integration
Jun 26, 2013
Today, we launched the latest version of Rackspace Private Cloud Software, which is built on OpenStack Grizzly and adds new features including Active Directory and LDAP integration; OpenStack Networking; and advanced block storage support.
Questions About The Cloud? Contact The Cloud Launch Team
Jun 26, 2013
The Cloud Launch Team is here to help you take advantage of the cloud. In this video, hear from Cloud Launch Managers about a few reasons you should give the Cloud Launch Team a call if you're considering the cloud.
Rackspace DBA Services: Expert Assistance For Database Administration
Jun 26, 2013
Today, we are adding a new layer of support to help your organization manage its databases across the lifecycle: Rackspace DBA Services.
Come Test Again: Join Us For Our Second Appium Hackathon
Jun 25, 2013
Join us Monday, July 1 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. (PDT) for our second Appium mobile testing hackathon at Rackspace's San Francisco office.
Growing And Scaling With Big Data On The Hybrid Cloud
Jun 25, 2013
In this guest post, Mike Prince, Founder of Corporation Wiki, a Rackspace Hybrid Cloud customer, discusses how his company uses the hybrid cloud to handle big data and scaling.
Third Thursday Q&A: Google+ Hangout Recap
Jun 25, 2013
Each Thursday from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. CST, our Cloud Launch Team offers office hours on our Google+ page to give people a chance to ask questions and learn more about the cloud. Last week, we introduced Third Thursday Q&A where we openned the floor to questions from you.
Automate Your Deployments: Quickly, Easily Launch Your App In The Rackspace Cloud
Jun 25, 2013
With Rackspace Deployment Services you can automate deployment of your applications in the Rackspace Cloud without manual installation. Today, Rackspace Deployment Services is available for an Early Access preview.
Rackstories – The Rackspace Customer Culture Portal
Jun 25, 2013
Introducing Rackstories, the Rackspace customer culture portal brought to you by Rackspace’s Customer Reference Program.
Ignite Innovation: Turn Developers Loose On Hybrid Cloud
Jun 24, 2013
In a recent webinar, Rackspace Senior Manager of Solution Engineering Terrence DeJager and I examined the concrete steps you and your business must take to spark innovation and creativity among developers.
Did You Miss Cloud Expo? Here’s A Recap
Jun 21, 2013
In case you missed any of the Rackspace keynotes or any other sessions at Cloud Expo, we've created a Storify collection of tweets, videos, photos and more of the social buzz for each day of the conference.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: June 21
Jun 21, 2013
In this edition of the weekly digest, we talk about the hybrid cloud with Fidelity and HubSpot, chat about scalable websites with FLO Cycling, offer Scheduled Images in next generation Cloud Servers and much more.
CommVault Honors Rackspace With Partner Of The Year Award
Jun 21, 2013
Rackspace has been recognized by CommVault as its 2013 MSP/Cloud Partner of the Year in the Americas region.
Webinar Recap: Creating A Sound E-Commerce Strategy – The Inventory
Jun 20, 2013
There’s a lot to consider when building out an e-commerce strategy – there is no one-size-fits-all approach that works for every organization. In this video, we discuss how to build an inventory for a successful e-commerce strategy for business, technical and security departments.
Do I Have To Move Everything To Take Advantage Of The Cloud?
Jun 20, 2013
“Cloud Questions You Didn’t Even Know You Had" looks at topics that folks might not even consider as they look toward taking advantage of the cloud. Today, we discuss the question: do I have to move everything to take advantage of the cloud?
Rackspace, HubSpot And Fidelity Talk Hybrid Cloud At GigaOm Structure
Jun 20, 2013
At GigaOm Structure, Rackspace CTO John Engates, HubSpot CIO Jim O'Neill and Fidelity Vice President Keith Shinn sat down to talk about the OpenStack-powered hybrid cloud.
No Tradeoffs: The Power Of A True Hybrid Cloud
Jun 20, 2013
At GigaOm Structure yesterday, I highlighted the benefits of the hybrid cloud and invited two customers, Fidelity and HubSpot, to discuss their hybrid cloud plans.
Straight Up Startup…Featuring Harry Marshall, CEO Of myFIVEby
Jun 20, 2013
In this edition of Straight Up Startup, myFIVEby CEO Harry Marshall provides insight on startups.
App Testing Stops Bank Robbery
Jun 20, 2013
In this guest post, Rackspace Cloud Tools partner Appvance discusses the importance of app testing.
The Human API Helps Mailgun Stay Nimble
Jun 19, 2013
I feel that we could use an API in person-to-person communication, which is why I am a big proponent of having a 'human API' to connect different teams.
Monitoring The Metrics That Matter
Jun 19, 2013
Rackspace partner New Relic today launched the Rackspace Load Balancers plugin that lets you monitor your load balancers within the New Relic interface.
Big Data Analytics Powered By The Rackspace Hybrid Cloud
Jun 19, 2013
Today, we teamed up with SiSense to power its Prism 10X business analytics software on the Rackspace Hybrid Cloud to reduce the cost and complexity of Big Data deployments.
Business Email 101 – Steps 6 & 7: Shopping Providers
Jun 19, 2013
Over the last month, we’ve covered the ins and outs of figuring out how to evaluate and choose business email as laid out in the Business Email 101 Guide. At this point, we’re ready to go shopping for email.
Webinar Recap: Understanding Cloud Block Storage: Performance, Options And Use Cases
Jun 18, 2013
In a recent webinar, Rackspace's J.R. Arredondo explained Cloud Block Storage and how it can help boost your business’ performance. Check out a recording of the webinar and the presentation here.
Scheduled Images Available Now On The Open Cloud
Jun 18, 2013
You now have access to Scheduled Images for your next generation Cloud Servers.
FLO Cycling Stops By To Chat About Scalable Websites: Google+ Hangout Recap
Jun 18, 2013
Each Thursday from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. CST, our Cloud Launch Team offers office hours on our Google+ page to give people a chance to ask questions and learn more about the cloud. Last week, customer FLO Cycling stopped by to discuss scalable websites.
Red Hat Summit 2013 Recap
Jun 18, 2013
The 2013 Red Hat Summit was my second one and I enjoyed it more than last year. Quite a few people asked for a recap and some takeaways from the Summit and that’s what I hope to do in this post.
We’re One Of Computerworld’s Best Places To Work In IT
Jun 18, 2013
For the sixth consecutive year, our unique culture, training opportunities and dynamic work environments have earned us a spot among IDG’s Computerworld Best Places To Work in IT.
Using Content Search In SharePoint 2013
Jun 17, 2013
The Content Search Web Part (CSWP) is a new feature in SharePoint 2013. Here, I'll walk you through how to use it.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: June 14
Jun 14, 2013
In this edition of the weekly digest, we talk about the hybrid cloud in the enterprise, proactive monitoring strategies, using open source principles in a startup and much more.
Webinar Recap: Building Bridges With Hybrid Cloud
Jun 13, 2013
Rackspace OpenStack Evangelist and Technology Strategist Wayne Walls recently discussed the infrastructure of the hybrid cloud in a webinar. If you missed out on the action, you can check out a full recording here.
Is There A Difference Between Performance And Site Load Times?
Jun 13, 2013
This week kicks off a new series called “Cloud Questions You Didn’t Even Know You Had, which looks at topics that folks might not even consider as they look toward taking advantage of the cloud. Today, we discuss the question: is performance different than load times?
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Screenleap: Share Your Screen With Someone Today
Jun 13, 2013
Rackspace Startup Program member Screenleap provides a screen-sharing web app that easily allows users to share their desktop screen to anyone with a web connection.without having to download additional software.
Learn How To Cloud At Unlocked: The Hybrid Cloud
Jun 13, 2013
This week, Rackspace embarks on a global journey across the globe called Unlocked: The Hybrid Cloud. Unlocked is a free one-day cloud workshop sponsored and hosted by Rackspace that we’ll hold in several major cities across the globe to help you determine which cloud environment is the best fit for your application.
Cut The Red Tape; Build Your Startup On Open Source Principles
Jun 12, 2013
I knew that if I ever started a company, I would build it on some of the principles that drive open source projects.That's what I did with Mailgun.
The Rackspace Customer Experience Secret Sauce
Jun 12, 2013
I was recently interviewed by blogger and friend Pete Abilla about Rackspace's unique philosophy on customer experience.
Business Email 101 – Steps 4 & 5: What Type Of Email Do You Need?
Jun 12, 2013
Now that you've identified your business' email system needs, it's time to determine which type of email fits your requirements: hosted webmail, hosted Exchange and dedicated Exchange.
Your Data Is Your Data. Period.
Jun 11, 2013
Since the news broke about the so-called PRISM surveillance and data collection program run by the NSA, we’ve received a lot of questions regarding whether Internet companies can be forced by the government to access and disclose data that is stored by customers in the cloud or in dedicated environments.
Webinar Recap: Be Resilient And Ready With Rackspace
Jun 11, 2013
In a recent webcast, Rackspace Enterprise Cloud Strategist Paul Croteau fielded tech questions and explained how Rackspace can help you create your own disaster recovery plan. Here's a recap of the webinar with mp3 audio and slides.
Proactive Monitoring Strategies For Cloud Apps: Google+ Hangout Recap
Jun 11, 2013
Each Thursday from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. CST, our Cloud Launch Team offers office hours on our Google+ page to give people a chance to ask questions and learn more about the cloud. Last week, we focused on proactive monitoring strategies for cloud apps.
SharePoint In The Cloud
Jun 11, 2013
One of the most common discussions that I've heard recently is around SharePoint in the cloud - specifically what it is, what it does and how it can be used.
Cloud Expo: So Much To Do, So Little Time
Jun 10, 2013
At Cloud Expo this week we'll be livestreaming our in-booth sessions and offering cool contests for attendees. Come learn about the cloud and have some fun.
Must Have App: Discover Books, Connect With Friends On BookShout!
Jun 10, 2013
This week's Must Have App comes from BookShout!, which builds a community around digital books.
Why Hybrid Cloud Is A Must Have For The Enterprise
Jun 10, 2013
Rackspace CTO John Engates and James Staten, vice president and principal analyst with Forrester, recently got together for a recorded webinar discussing public, private and hybrid cloud. Here's the full video.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: June 7
Jun 07, 2013
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest, we take a closer look at cloud-powered wearable technology, celebrate another victory in our fight against abusive patent trolls and highlight the Rackers presenting at Cloud Expo.
Migrating To The Rackspace Open Cloud
Jun 06, 2013
There are many solutions to consider as you migrate to the cloud. Here are a few key points that are invaluable when integrating Rackspace services into your application. Our goal is to ensure your move to the Rackspace Cloud is a smooth and successful transition.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Bucketfeet: Artist Inspired Footwear For Global Beings
Jun 06, 2013
Rackspace Startup Program member Bucketfeed designs and sells artist-inspired footwear.
New Cloud Servers SLA…And Why It Matters
Jun 06, 2013
Today we are pleased to introduce a new and improved SLA for our Next Generation Cloud Servers service, powered by OpenStack.
The White House Storms Into The Fight Against Patent Trolls
Jun 06, 2013
This week the White House laid out a slate of proposals, including five executive actions and seven legislative recommendations, 'to protect innovators from frivolous litigation' by patent trolls.
Drupal In The Cloud – Tutorial
Jun 05, 2013
In this tutorial I will show you how to get that Drupal application from running on old hardware and also give you some automation tools to get it flyin' in the cloud.
Big Data Analytics With No Waiting
Jun 05, 2013
Here, Rackspace Cloud Tools partner XtremeData discusses Big Data analytics.
Business Email 101 – Step 3: Defining Email Requirements
Jun 05, 2013
The next step in considering business email is defining email system requirements.
Backup WordPress To Cloud Files With UpdraftPlus
Jun 05, 2013
Setting up a backup solution should be the first thing you do after installing WordPress. Here, UpdraftPlus developer David Anderson discusses backing up WordPress to Cloud Files with UpdraftPlus.
Come See Rackspace Cloud Experts Speak At Cloud Expo
Jun 04, 2013
Heading to Cloud Expo? Be sure to check out the many Rackspace cloud experts speaking at the event. And if you can't make it, follow them on Twitter for updates.
Backup Strategies For Cloud Web Apps: Google+ Hangout Recap
Jun 04, 2013
Each Thursday from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. CST, our Cloud Launch Team offers office hours on our Google+ page to give people a chance to ask questions and learn more about the cloud. Last week, we focused on backing up your configuration.
Break Out The Shaker – Salting Passwords For Tighter Security
Jun 04, 2013
In this video I talk about the importance of salting a password (or appending a long string of random characters) before hashing for stronger password protection.
The Human Cloud: Wearable Technology’s Impact On Society
Jun 04, 2013
In a recent study, we found that the majority of users of wearable technology, such as Google Glass, say that these cloud-powered devices enhance their lives.
Must Have App: Ziptask – Leave Outsourcing To The Pros
Jun 03, 2013
This week’s must have apps come from Ziptask, which offers a cloud-based web app for fully managed outsourcing.
The News From Nice: Talking Open Cloud With Global Telcos At The TMForum
Jun 03, 2013
I recently spoke at the TMForum, a summit of global telecommunications providers in Nice, France. In this video interview, I talk about the benefits the cloud can deliver to telcos.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: May 31
May 31, 2013
In this week's digest we look at inspiring change in IT, Brocade Vyatta vRouter in the open cloud, one-click Drupal and Joomla installations and much more.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: June 2013
May 31, 2013
Within the startup movement, there are plenty of events happening globally in June 2013. The Rackspace Startup Program is here to keep you up to date with valuable information on events and happenings inside the global startup community. Here is a partial list of global startup events complied by the contributors of StartupDigest:
Install Drupal And Joomla On Rackspace Cloud Sites With One Click
May 31, 2013
With our new CMS installer on Cloud Sites you can quickly and easily install Drupal and Joomla.
You Can DevOps!
May 30, 2013
I was in a customer briefing recently and the conversation turned to adopting a DevOps model. Here are some tips on how your business can DevOps.
Score Your Free Ticket To Cloud Expo
May 30, 2013
We’re giving away free VIP Gold Pass tickets to Cloud Expo 2013! That’s right; you can join us for free with just a few clicks. It’s our way of saying thank you to our customers, fans and friends.
Build Your Ecommerce Strategy With Rackspace At IRCE 2013
May 30, 2013
Next week, Rackspace is heading to the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition in Chicago. While at the event, check out how our customer, LoveSac, leveraged the Rackspace Cloud to create a seamless customer experience.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On okdo.it: Bootstrapped Productivity Software
May 30, 2013
Rackspace Startup Program member okdo.it makes productivity software that marries email and task management.
VPN Gateway, Firewall And NAT Capabilities Now Available In The Open Cloud
May 30, 2013
Rackspace customers can now use the Brocade Vyatta vRouter, a software-based networking appliance, in the next generation open cloud.
Open And Secure, On Demand
May 30, 2013
Rackspace once again advances the state of cloud computing with networking services on demand, powered by the Brocade Vyatta vRouter.
Which Workloads Do Enterprises Move To The Cloud?
May 29, 2013
For years we've said that the 'cloud is for everyone, but not for everything.' This infographic highlights which workloads and applications enterprises move to the cloud.
Business Email 101 – Step 2: How To Host Your Email?
May 29, 2013
Not all hosted email is the same. After making the decision to host, your next step is to determine what kind of hosting you need.
Auto-Scaling In The Cloud: Google+ Hangout With RightScale Recap
May 28, 2013
Each Thursday from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. CST, our Cloud Launch Team offers office hours on our Google+ page to give people a chance to ask questions and learn more about the cloud. Last week, we focused on auto-scaling your configuration.
How To Inspire, Encourage Change In IT
May 28, 2013
At Cloud Connect, one of the most common questions I received was about managing change. Here, I look at a few things IT leaders might find useful to help teams navigate their entry into the cloud.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: May 24
May 24, 2013
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest, we look at Cloud Files updates, how Mad Men's Peggy Olson could use the cloud, a new bill to battle patent trolls, Mailgun integration and much more.
Webinar Recap: C-Suite Disruption: Reinventing The Executive Ranks In A Cloud World
May 23, 2013
The changes in the IT landscape are forcing C-level executives to evaluate even the most basic businesses practices that they’ve held sacred. To learn more, check out a full recording of the recent webinar "C-Suite Disruption: Reinventing the Executive Ranks in a Cloud World."
Straight Up Startup…Featuring Phil Vickman, Marketing Director Of Promet Source
May 23, 2013
In this edition of Straight Up Startup, Promet Source Marketing Director Phil Vickman provides insight on startups.
How The New Patent Abuse Reduction Act Levels The Playing Field
May 23, 2013
The patent abuse fight is picking up momentum, and we have new ammunition. Yesterday, the senior Senator from Texas, John Cornyn, introduced the Patent Abuse Reduction Act of 2013 (the “PAR Act”), a breath of fresh air in the battle against patent trolls and their brazen abuse of the patent system.
Why I Joined Rackspace Part II – The Products And The Strategy
May 22, 2013
Alan Perkins recently joined Rackspace as Director of Product and Technology, Asia Pacific. In this two-part series, he discusses why he joined Rackspace.
Get Mailgun Now, Directly Through The Cloud Control Panel
May 22, 2013
You can now use Mailgun, the email automation engine we acquired in August, directly within the Cloud Control Panel.
Business Email 101 – Step 1: In-House Or Hosted Email?
May 22, 2013
When considering your business email, the first decision you need to make is where to run it – on-premise or hosted.
What Mad Men’s Peggy Olson Could Do On The Cloud
May 21, 2013
In a recent episode of Mad Men, Peggy Olson pitches Heinz ketchup. If Peggy made that same pitch today, what could she do on the cloud?
Must Have App(s): Create A Mobile App Or HTML5 Website In Minutes With Two Apps By Drifty
May 20, 2013
This week's must have apps come from Drifty, which makes Codiqa and Jetstrap, easy-to-use cloud-based tools for developing mobile apps and websites using web technologies.
Your Most Pressing Cloud Questions Answered In These Upcoming Webinars
May 20, 2013
Starting tomorrow and over the next few weeks, we’re bringing you a series of free webinars to help you drive innovation and improve your business’ cloud strategy.
Cloud Files Update: New API-Only And Control Panel Features
May 20, 2013
Rackspace Cloud Files users now have finer control over how to manage objects and containers with several exciting new API and Control Panel features that we rolled out this week.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: May 17
May 17, 2013
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest, we join our allies in the fight against patent trolls, offer Fanatical Support for developers and their code, catch up with Steve Wozniak and much more.
Up Your Game With The Open Cloud
May 17, 2013
If your mobile app ever gets a featured spot in an app store or endorsed by Oprah, you could experience mind-blowing traffic to your site. Up your game with Rackspace – we got your back.
Attach, Detach Networks From A Live Cloud Server
May 16, 2013
You can now attach and detach networks from a live Cloud Server. You no longer need to create a snapshot of the server, and then build a new server from that image to attach or detach a network to/from a server.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Plutora: Aussie-Built Enterprise IT Release Management Software
May 16, 2013
Sydney-based Plutora, a Rackspace Startup Program member, makes Enterprise IT Release Management software that automates the planning, management and deployment of complex releases and test environments.
CA World 2013 Shines Spotlight On Cloud Evolution
May 15, 2013
At CA World 2013 in Las Vegas last month, we had the opportunity to share industry insight from our cloud customers and highlight our approach to helping customers with their journeys to the cloud. Here are some key takeaways from the event.
Why I Joined Rackspace Part I – The Company And Its Values
May 15, 2013
Alan Perkins recently joined Rackspace as Director of Product and Technology, Asia Pacific. In this two-part series, he discusses why he joined Rackspace.
Free 8-Step Guide To Business Email
May 15, 2013
After 13 years of offering business-grade email hosting and helping millions of customers navigate business email choices, we’ve compiled a guide to address the most common variables involved in the business email choice.
Provision Additional IPv4 Addresses In The Open Cloud
May 14, 2013
You can now provision additional IPv4 addresses on your Cloud Servers in the next generation Rackspace Cloud.
An Army Is Forming To Battle Patent Trolls
May 14, 2013
Last week, our fight against patent trolls took a big step forward, as a 'big tent' meeting hosted by the Coalition for Patent Fairness swelled into a standing-room only affair.
Is Your Site Driving Sales Away?
May 14, 2013
This infographic details some stats around the importance of paying attention to your site experience and how ecommerce hosting on the cloud can help. For more, check out The Ecommerce Customer Experience guide.
Must Have App: Take Your Heath Records To The Cloud With drchrono
May 14, 2013
In this edition of Must Have App we look at drchrono, an app that streamlines the patient-caregiver experience. From electronic health records to medical billing and patient profiles, drchrono provides heath professionals and patients an all-in-one solution.
We’re Investing In Cloudant For NoSQL DBaaS
May 14, 2013
At Rackspace, our goal is to provide developers the best tool for the job. Today, we're fortifying our partnership with Cloudant, a NoSQL DBaaS provider that further enables us to give developers choice in which database flavor they use on the Rackspace Cloud.
Rackspace Developer Support: Fanatical Support For Your Code
May 13, 2013
Today we launch Rackspace Developer Support, an extension of our Fanatical Support specifically for developers. Rackspace Developer Support marks the first time we will officially support your application code.
Rackspace On Startups: Steve ‘Woz’ Wozniak
May 13, 2013
Rackspace On Startups is a video series that explores insights from tech evangelists and founders – from Woz to Graham Weston. Here, Apple Co-Founder Steve 'Woz' Wozniak talks about Apple's humble beginnings and offers advice to startups.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: May 10
May 10, 2013
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest, we highlight the hybrid cloud, Google Glass, Bike to Work Day and much more.
Don’t Ruffle Your Feathers – Rackspace Has Your Back
May 10, 2013
Downtime can upset customers. Reliable apps need a reliable cloud, and the Rackspace Cloud powered by OpenStack was created from the ground up to help make sure you stay online. Don’t let downtime ruffle your feathers – we’ve got your back.
At Rackspace San Francisco, Cycling Is In Our Blood
May 09, 2013
Today is Bike to Work Day in San Francisco. Dozens of Rackers in Rackspace’s San Francisco office participated. Here, I look at how cycling to work has become a key component of Racker SF culture (and some of the struggles that come with riding a bike to work in a major city).
New Cloud Control Panel: A Behind The Scenes Look [Video]
May 09, 2013
Want to learn more about what the new Rackspace Cloud Control Panel means for you and your business? Check out the recording of this webinar for a behind the scenes look.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On RentHouseMap: Mapping Rental And Shared Properties In The UK
May 09, 2013
RentHouseMap (previously known as Cravify), a Rackspace Startup Program member, built a search engine that aggregates rental and shared properties from the largest real estate portals in the UK and displays them on a single, interactive map.
Our Appium Hackathon Was A Success, More To Come
May 08, 2013
Roughly 30 Appium hackers attended the hackathon we co-hosted with Sauce Labs last week. Thanks to all who attended. We plan to hold more hackathons soon, so stay tuned.
Open Cloud Helping UTSA Obtain Tier 1 Status
May 08, 2013
The open cloud, which the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) uses to power its scientific and academic research efforts, is a crucial component of the school's plan to become recognized as a Tier 1 university.
Why Google Glass Matters To Rackspace And Developers
May 08, 2013
Topics like Google Glass and the Age of Context are new kinds of conversation starters. They will have huge impacts on Rackspace and its business in coming years.
New Survey Says Customers Crave Hybrid Clouds
May 07, 2013
The hybrid cloud offers the best of all worlds. It allows you to blend the best of the public cloud with private cloud and bare metal servers into one common architecture. And RightScale’s 2013 State of the Cloud Survey confirmed that customers want hybrid clouds.
New Ecommerce Customer Experience Guide
May 07, 2013
You can build a slick site filled with popular products and rock-bottom prices, but if customers don’t trust your site or find themselves unable to navigate from browsing to cart to payment, your site could be doomed for failure.
Five Cloud Stats CIOs Can’t Afford To Ignore
May 07, 2013
In the article 5 Reasons Cloud Computing is Enterprise Ready, we explore the top reasons CIOs need to consider cloud in their long-term IT strategy.
Breaking Down Barriers At DevOpsDays Austin
May 06, 2013
Several Rackers presented at DevOpsDays Austin last week, an event that has become the must-attend conference to bring development and operations together and break down barriers. Here are some takeaways from the event.
Rackspace On Startups: Graham Weston
May 06, 2013
Rackspace On Startups is a video series that explores insights from tech evangelists and founders – from Woz to Graham Weston. Here, Rackspace Chairman and Co-Founder Graham Weston talks about why Rackspace loves startups.
Must Have App: Love Where You Work With Good.Co
May 06, 2013
Our first Must Have App is Good.Co, a professional networking app built to help you find joy and meaning in your career and to help employees discover their strengths and how they fit within their role or company culture.
Calculate The Cost Of Downtime At EMC World
May 03, 2013
Downtime is costly. We've built a Downtime Cost Calculator to help you determine the cost of downtime. We'll also discuss this issue in depth next week at EMC World in Las Vegas.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: May 3
May 03, 2013
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest we showcase EMC World 2013, a Rackspace Autoscale survey, ObjectRocket in our Chicago data center, a strong patent troll ally and much more.
Don’t Fear Things That Go Bump In The Night
May 03, 2013
When you host at Rackspace, you are not just getting our cloud infrastructure, you are also getting our world class Fanatical Support. We love our customers and want to do everything possible to help, and if you have a question or concern we’re here 24x7x365.
Senator Charles Schumer Shows Leadership On Patent Abuse
May 02, 2013
This week, Senator Charles Schumer announced his intention to strengthen the fight against patent trolls.
What Are Marketers Creating On The Open Cloud?
May 02, 2013
Marketers are concerned with two things when it comes to digital campaigns: ease and performance. They need simple solutions that work and can withstand traffic spikes due to campaign efforts and seasonality. Here are some of the things marketers are creating on the open cloud.
Enterprise Cloud Forum: Maximize ROI In This New Cloud World
May 02, 2013
In the latest installment of the Enterprise Cloud Forum we discussed how enterprises are leveraging a cloud business model to maximize ROI. Check out the presentation and mp3 recording here.
Pay As You Go In The Cloud (And For Dinner Parties)
May 02, 2013
The cloud is a utility service and you pay for it based on your hourly usage. Let’s use an analogy of hosting a dinner party to better understand the power of utility pricing.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Taxi For Two: London’s Taxi Sharing Solution
May 02, 2013
Taxi for two, a Rackspace Startup Program member, is building a service that lets users share taxis to save on cab fares and reduce their carbon footprint.
Tapping Into Mobile Ecommerce [Infographic]
May 01, 2013
This infographic details the cloud-powered mobile ecommerce boom and some advice to help you win the click.
Rackspace At EMC World: Transforming Into The Cloud
May 01, 2013
At EMC World 2013 in Las Vegas next week, you’ll hear how joint solutions from Rackspace and EMC help helping enterprise IT leaders meet challenges head on through a hybrid mix of cloud and dedicated infrastructure.
Integrate Web, Mobile Apps Into Windows With The Rackspace Cloud SDK For Microsoft.NET
May 01, 2013
Rackspace has built tools that help developers bring web or application development to the Rackspace Cloud. The Rackspace Cloud SDK for Microsoft.NET and Rackspace’s PowerClient help you utilize common cloud features for development.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: May 2013
May 01, 2013
Within the startup movement, there are plenty of events happening globally in May 2013. The Rackspace Startup Program is here to keep you up to date with valuable information on events and happenings inside the global startup community. Here is a partial list of global startup events complied by the contributors of StartupDigest:
The Cloud Expert Is In: Hangout With Rackspace Every Week During G+ Cloud Office Hours
Apr 30, 2013
Each Thursday we'll host an 'Office Hours Hangout' on Google Plus. Office Hours Hangouts are informal conversations between Rackers and customers on a variety of cloud topics. Join us May 2 at 1 p.m. when we'll talk about building a scalable WordPress configuration in the cloud.
Autoscale Survey – Tell Us What You Want
Apr 30, 2013
We will soon add an autoscaling service, Rackspace Autoscale, that allows you to automatically add or remove resources in response to server load. We invite you to complete an autoscaling survey to tell us your needs, wants and abilities to integrate with this new product.
ObjectRocket MongoDB Now In Our Chicago Data Center
Apr 30, 2013
ObjectRocket, the industrial strength MongoDB database-as-a-service company that we acquired in February, is now available in our Chicago data center. This means you can now use ObjectRocket as part of your Rackspace deployments.
App Of The Week: A New Series Just For App Developers And Users
Apr 29, 2013
We're introducing a new blog series called App of the Week where we'll showcase great apps developed by Rackspace friends, partners and Rackspace Startup Program members.
Rackspace On Startups: Sean Kane
Apr 29, 2013
Rackspace On Startups is a video series that explores insights from tech evangelists and founders – from Woz to Graham Weston. Here, Springboard co-founder Sean Kane shares his thoughts on how startups are no longer encumbered by their geography.
Join Us At The Appium Mobile Testing Hackathon
Apr 29, 2013
Join us Thursday, May 2 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. (PDT) for an Appium mobile testing hackathon at Rackspace's San Francisco office.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: April 26
Apr 26, 2013
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest, we spotlight Cloud Monitoring updates, the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Managed Hosting, cloud myths and more.
Go From A Cloud Beginner To A Cloud Big Timer
Apr 26, 2013
If you are just getting started with the cloud, system administration or software development, Rackspace has a number of tools to help you go from a cloud beginner to a cloud expert.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Cheersable: Say ‘Cheers’ To Friends Wherever They Are
Apr 25, 2013
Great things happen over drinks. And Rackspace Startup Program member Cheersable has launched an app that will enable you to share drinks with friends, regardless of location.
Is Deployment (Or Fear Of Deployment) Killing Your Website?
Apr 24, 2013
In this guest post, Josh Koenig, co-founder of Drupal platform and Rackspace partner Pantheon, discusses how to make deployments less stressful and less scary.
Cloud Monitoring Adds Server Monitoring, Graphs And More
Apr 24, 2013
Last fall Rackspace announced the unlimited availability of Cloud Monitoring, our highly available API-driven monitoring system that is changing how we deliver Fanatical Support. Since then, we have been quietly adding features; and today we’re making those features available through unlimited availability, and we’re unveiling even more.
Email Management Made Simple
Apr 24, 2013
Rackspace's Directory Sync service, which is available to select new and existing customers through a preview program (beta), will automatically update your Hosted Exchange or Rackspace Email accounts with your Active Directory users.
Rackspace’s 7th Annual Global Green Day
Apr 24, 2013
Rackspace is committed to being responsible stewards of the earth as we reduce our environmental impact and contribute to the communities we serve. That’s why today we’re hosting our 7th Annual Rackspace Green Day.
Tea Time: Because We Won’t Stand For A Standup
Apr 23, 2013
My team has never had a standup meeting. Instead, we have tea time. This helps us accomplish the same goals of a standup with none of the angst.
Top Cloud Computing Myths Of 2013 [Infographic]
Apr 23, 2013
All of the information and misinformation around the real benefits of cloud computing is enough to make your head spin. To stop the spinning, we've compiled the top cloud myths still prevalent in 2013.
Reflections On OpenStack Summit Portland: Inside The ‘Hallway Track’
Apr 23, 2013
OpenStack Summit Portland drew nearly 3,000 people to discuss the open source cloud software. A lot of the key conversations, however, didn't take place in the sessions. It was in the hallways where heated discussions were held.
Rackspace Is Named A Leader In Gartner Magic Quadrant For Managed Hosting For North America
Apr 23, 2013
Rackspace has been recognized as a market leader in Gartner’s 2012 Magic Quadrant for Managed Hosting, North America for the second consecutive year.
It’s Demo Day…TechStars Cloud Class Of 2013 In San Antonio
Apr 22, 2013
At TechStars Cloud Demo Day 2013, 12 entrepreneurial companies presented their ideas to a packed house at San Antonio's Empire Theater. Here is the TechStars Cloud Class of 2013.
Keeping Track Of Cloud Costs With Cloudability
Apr 22, 2013
It's important for developers to monitor cloud costs. In this screencast, I'll show you how Rackspace Cloud Tools partner Cloudability can be a big help.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: April 19
Apr 19, 2013
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest, we spotlight OpenStack Summit Portland, women in the cloud and the future of the open source technologies.
Getting More Women Involved In OpenStack
Apr 19, 2013
OpenStack is making great strides to invite and include women through internships, support, breakfasts and meetups. Here, we talk to some of the women who make OpenStack great and who are working to get more women involved.
A Closer Look At OpenStack Operations Guide [Video]
Apr 19, 2013
At OpenStack Summit Portland, the team that authored OpenStack Operations Guide during a five-day book sprint earlier this year held a panel discussion to answer questions and receive feedback from the community.
Open Compute Gains More Awareness At OpenStack Summit
Apr 19, 2013
Like OpenStack, the Open Compute Project is growing in awareness and participation. That was evident at OpenStack Summit Portland this week.
Marketing Your Mobile App
Apr 18, 2013
You've developed an awesome mobile app - now how do you market it?
NSA Opens The Kimono On Its OpenStack
Apr 18, 2013
In a surprising keynote, National Security Agency (NSA) shared details of its OpenStack environment at OpenStack Summit Portland.
OpenStack: The Next 10 Years [Video]
Apr 18, 2013
We're just three years into the OpenStack revolution. Where will it go in the next 10? Here, we explore that question.
Straight Up Startup…Featuring Ross Walker, CEO Of CircleFive
Apr 18, 2013
In this edition of Straight Up Startup, CircleFive CEO Ross Walker provides insight on his startup journey.
Solving The OpenStack Talent Gap
Apr 17, 2013
We’re in trouble. We’re facing an unprecedented shortage of IT talent in cloud, and in this case, specifically within OpenStack.
OpenStack Summit Portland Keynote: Rackspace, HubSpot Take The Stage [Video]
Apr 17, 2013
Check out the full video of Rackspace and HubSpot taking the keynote stage at OpenStack Summit Portland.
UTSA Uses Open Hybrid Cloud For Research And Academic
Apr 17, 2013
Rackspace and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) have designed an advanced OpenStack-powered platform to fuel academic research, computational power and big data that will revolutionize how scientists and scholars leverage the cloud.
OpenStack Summit Portland Day 2 Recap
Apr 17, 2013
The second day of OpenStack Summit Portland put the spotlight on the users. It was also another big day for news. Here’s a recap of the second day of the Summit.
Users Take Spotlight At OpenStack Summit Portland
Apr 17, 2013
The second day of OpenStack Summit Portland was all about the users, as several high profile OpenStack users shared their stories.
OpenStack 2013: The Year Of The User
Apr 16, 2013
Users are now building businesses and doing great things on OpenStack. At OpenStack Summit Portland this week, we're seeing that 2013 is clearly the year of the user.
How HubSpot Uses The Open Hybrid Cloud
Apr 16, 2013
Here, Rackspace customer and OpenStack contributor HubSpot discusses how it uses Rackspace's open hybrid cloud powered by OpenStack.
Cloud Files Aids In Resume Reinvention
Apr 16, 2013
Purzue uses Rackspace Cloud Files to serve millions of media files without worrying about storage limits or CDN.
OpenStack Summit Portland: Powering The Future Of Cloud [Video]
Apr 16, 2013
In this video, we hear from Rackspace, Dell, Scalr and the OpenStack Foundation about the importance of OpenStack, the growth of OpenStack Summit and how the OpenStack project is powering the future of cloud computing
Rackspace Weekly Digest: April 12
Apr 12, 2013
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest we encounter another patent trolll, ramp up our OpenStack involvement, prep for OpenStack Summit Portland, help mobile app developers and more.
Abolish The Patent, Vanquish The Troll
Apr 12, 2013
Recently, we were sued by a Patent Assertion Entity (PAE), or patent troll, called Rotatable Technologies, which owns a patent that it claims covers the screen rotation technology standard in just about every smartphone. Today we filed a challenge to Rotatable’s patent in the patent office.
Nginx Support Enables Massive Web Application Scaling
Apr 12, 2013
Your web applications need to scale, especially during demanding traffic events. Nginx is a high-performance web server and reverse proxy that can help you do that. Today, we are extending our Managed Cloud Fanatical Support to include the installation, troubleshooting, patching and performance tuning of Nginx.
Collaborating With Our Customers In The Cloud
Apr 11, 2013
Several weeks ago, I flew out to San Francisco and got to talk with a lot of developers about their applications and the cloud. There were three points that almost every developer brought up: scaling their app, initial deployment and feature requests.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Refundo: Combining The Local Community Bank With Innovative Technology
Apr 11, 2013
Rackspace Startup Program member Refundo offers mobile banking services to underserved customers.
Building Content-Rich Mobile Apps
Apr 10, 2013
Trigger.io Reload and Rackspace Cloud Files make possible to achieve fast performance for content-rich mobile apps by storing media locally within the app, while also allowing fast updates from the cloud.
Saying Goodbye To A Great Customer, And Great Friend
Apr 10, 2013
Allen Stern was a long-time Rackspace customer. And he became a personal friend shortly after I joined Rackspace. Allen passed this last week.
OpenStack Summit Portland: Up Your Game With Rackspace
Apr 10, 2013
Rackspace will be at OpenStack Summit Portland in full force next week (April 15 through April 18). Here's just a sampling of what's going on.
Maximize ROI In The Cloud
Apr 10, 2013
In the next installment of the Enterprise Cloud Forum, we will help you understand how enterprises are leveraging a cloud business model to maximize ROI and why traditional models that only focus on simple cost benefits often overlook the real value.
So You’re Ready To Migrate To The Open Cloud
Apr 10, 2013
We know that many developers have the technical capability to perform a migration, but we can focus on the migration for you so you can continue to focus on your application
Managed Cloud Lets Brightpod Focus On Business, Not IT
Apr 10, 2013
In this guest post, Rackspace customer Brightpod talks about how Rackspace Managed Cloud helps it focus on its business, instead of its infrastructure.
Join Rackspace Experts At OpenStack Summit Portland
Apr 09, 2013
OpenStack Summit Portland runs Monday, April 15 to Thursday, April 18. Here’s where to find Rackspace experts during the Summit.
How To Use The Objective-C Mailgun SDK
Apr 09, 2013
I added an Objective-C interface to send email via Mailgun using my own iOS interface instead of using Apple's `MFMailComposeViewController.` This library is now open sourced on Github and available via Cocoapods.
Pillars of Cloudiness: No. 1 – Parallel Computing
Apr 09, 2013
There are five essential pillars of cloudiness. In this recurring blog series, we’ll count down from No. 5 to No. 1. In this fifth and final post, we discuss parallel computing.
Ramping Up Our OpenStack Investment, Involvement
Apr 09, 2013
At Rackspace, our commitment to OpenStack is stronger than ever. As we head into OpenStack Summit Portland, I want to take a moment to update everyone on our progress.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: April 5
Apr 05, 2013
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest discuss suing a patent troll, preparing for OpenStack Summit Portland, Cloud Databases updates and more.
Why Rackspace Is Suing The Most Notorious Patent Troll In America
Apr 04, 2013
Today we drove a stake into the ground in our dogged fight against patent trolls – we sued the most notorious patent troll in America.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On PetExec: Helping Dog Daycares Manage Their Business
Apr 04, 2013
Rackspace Startup Program member PetExec uses the Rackspace Cloud to power its web-based system for doggie daycare owners to manage their businesses.
Prepping For A High Traffic Event: Make Sure You Aren’t Limited
Apr 04, 2013
You’ve worked hard on your application and are gearing up for a major event. But before the big day comes, there is one important point to remember as you plan for a high traffic event: ensure they API limit is set accordingly.
Get Free Rackspace Certification For OpenStack At OpenStack Summit
Apr 03, 2013
Beef up your resume and flex your OpenStack muscle with free Rackspace Certified Technician for OpenStack exams at OpenStack Summit Portland.
Larger Flavors, More Storage For Cloud Databases
Apr 03, 2013
We have updated Rackspace Cloud Databases to offer higher memory flavors, more storage, storage capacity alerts and enhanced user management.
Chartio And Rackspace Cloud Databases
Apr 03, 2013
In this guest post, Rackspace customer Chartio discusses Rackspace Cloud Databases.
Rackspace Cloud Files In The Classroom
Apr 03, 2013
Saint Francis High School initiated a one-to-one program that loans an iPad to each of its 1,700 students and 100 teachers for the academic year. The school turned to Cloud Files to distribute content to the 1,800 iPads.
Six Tips For A Smooth Cloud Migration
Apr 03, 2013
Developers and businesses commonly ask what steps are required to migrate on-premise apps to the cloud. After working on Rackspace’s Cloud Ready team for the past two years, I found these tips can help you begin your journey to the cloud.
Eliminate Downtime Due To Data Center Or Cloud Outages: GenieDB For MySQL
Apr 03, 2013
In this guest post, Rackspace Cloud Tools partner GenieDB discusses how to achieve uninterrupted availability for MySQL applications, even in the event of a data center or cloud outage.
True Community: Open Cloud Community Member Visits Rackspace
Apr 02, 2013
We had our first in-person visit from one of the members of the new Rackspace Open Cloud Community. Check it out.
Run Like Rackspace: Continuous Updates
Apr 02, 2013
In the cloud era, the legacy model of software updates is broken. Vendors selling five years of support services for a point-in-time release of their cloud platform and companies offering to customize a forked version of a cloud software stack for an individual customer are doing it wrong. To achieve true business acceleration, Run Like Rackspace through constantly updated, rigorously tested cloud software backed by world-class operations and support.
Pillars of Cloudiness: No. 2 – Modular Design
Apr 02, 2013
There are five essential pillars of cloudiness. In this recurring blog series, we’ll count down from No. 5 to No. 1. In this fourth post, we discuss modular design.
Monitoring Your App’s Cloud Infrastructure
Apr 01, 2013
When you host your app in the cloud, you want to make sure that the infrastructure that runs it is up and available. There are two methods I always set up to monitor my app's servers: ping checks and HTTP checks.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: March 29
Mar 29, 2013
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest we defeat a patent troll, acquire a developer-focused cloud services company, prep you for a technical job interview and more.
How Our New Acquisition Speeds Development
Mar 29, 2013
Our acquisition of Exceptional Cloud Services is another step to filling out developer toolkits. The Exceptional service provides critical error reporting and Airbrake collects error data from applications and rolls into a single view. This visibility is critical when you’re at Silicon Valley speed.
An Exceptional New Racker: Quick Questions For Exceptional Cloud Services Founder Jonathan Siegel
Mar 28, 2013
Jonathan Siegel is a repeat entrepreneur, angel investor, father of six and leader of Exceptional Cloud Services - Rackspace’s most recent acquisition.We caught up with Jonathan for a few quick questions.
Rackspace, RightScale Partner For Multi-Cloud management of Application-Centric OpenStack Clouds
Mar 28, 2013
Rackspace Cloud Tools partner RightScale added new capabilities to its cloud management platform that enable you to use and manage multiple clouds with ease. including Rackspace Private Cloud and first- and next-generation public clouds.
Mathematics Cannot Be Patented. Case Dismissed.
Mar 28, 2013
Score one for the good guys. Rackspace and Red Hat just defeated Uniloc, a notorious patent troll.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Shoplinkz.com: Leading The March Into Social Shopping
Mar 28, 2013
Rackspace Startup Program member Shoplinkz.com is building a social shopping site on the open cloud.
We’ve Acquired Exceptional Cloud Services!
Mar 28, 2013
We have acquired Exceptional Cloud Services and its suite of developer solutions, including error tracking and Redis-as-a-Service capabilities, to enhance our toolset for developers deploying and managing applications on the open cloud.
Monitor Your Application For Performance And Cost
Mar 27, 2013
To ensure your app is performing correctly and to control costs, it is important to monitor three things: physical infrastructure, application health and spend.
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words: Data Visualization For Your App
Mar 27, 2013
Data visualization is more than a buzzword - it helps businesses and technical folks view and interpret massive amounts of data like incoming customers, products sold, total traffic and more
Moving Your Microsoft Licenses To The Cloud
Mar 27, 2013
There is often a lot of confusion around licensing as Microsoft IT Pros look to move their configuration from an on premise location to a cloud hosting provider. Here are a few pointers to help you out as you begin this process.
Restructure Your IT Organization To Be A Profit Center In A Cloud World
Mar 27, 2013
In the latest installment of the Enterprise Cloud Forum we highlighted how IT organizations need to reorganize and retrain IT talent to be most effective in a cloud world. If you missed the live webinar, you can view the presentation and download the mp3 recording.
Rackspace Takes a Look at the ERLANG Language
Mar 26, 2013
In this interview with Joe Armstrong and Robert Virding, two of the co-creators of the Erlang programming language, Duncan McGreggor, Sr. Engineering Manager at Rackspace gets a journey through Erlang’s background, look at its strengths, and ponder the future of computing in a distributed world. Joe: http://www.sics.se/~joe/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/joeerl Robert: https://github.com/rvirding?tab=repositories Twitter: https://twitter.com/rvirding Duncan: http://cogitat.io/ Twitter:...
The Case for Hosted Exchange: For Users
Mar 26, 2013
With nearly three hours a day spent in email, having an email system that reduces the burden on internal IT and gives business users all the features they want is essential. Here are some reasons why Hosted Exchange is great for users.
Robot FIESTA To Invade Downtown San Antonio
Mar 26, 2013
Robots will compete head-to-head this week when Robot FIESTA invades San Antonio as part of the Alamo-FIRST Regional.
Run Like Rackspace: Accelerate Your Business
Mar 26, 2013
With Rackspace Private Cloud, you can “Run Like Rackspace.” You can have an OpenStack-powered cloud in your data center, with the operational benefits of our experts managing, monitoring and supporting your private cloud.
Pillars Of Cloudiness: No. 3 – Scaling Horizontally
Mar 26, 2013
There are five essential pillars of cloudiness. In this recurring blog series, we’ll count down from No. 5 to No. 1. In this third post, we discuss scaling horizontally.
Vulnerability Assessment And Penetration Testing: Identify And Fix Flaws
Mar 25, 2013
Enterprises must protect the integrity of their application and data by proactively identifying potential attack vectors or vulnerabilities. There are two ways in which these vulnerabilities can be identified: vulnerability assessments and penetration testing.
And The Text Editor Madness Champion Is…
Mar 23, 2013
One thing all developers are passionate about is the text editor that they use to code. We fielded a bracket with 16 text editors where you can vote for your favorites. It was down to Emacs and Vim for the championship. See who won the crown.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: March 22
Mar 22, 2013
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest we showcase Text Editor Madness, the Open Cloud Academy, the fight against patent trolls and more.
Customize Your Infrastructure With Hybrid Hosting: Webinar
Mar 21, 2013
Join GigaOM Research and Rackspace on Monday, March 25 at 10 a.m. PT for “Hybrid hosting: Customizing your infrastructure for your growing business,” an hour-long webinar that discusses blended hosting strategies and how they might be right for your business.
Straight Up Startup…Featuring Frederick ‘Suizo’ Mendler, COO And Co-Founder of TrueAbility
Mar 21, 2013
In this edition of Straight Up Startup, TrueAbility COO and Co-Founder Frederick 'Suizo' Mendler provides insight on his startup journey.
How The Open Cloud Powers Academic And Scientific Research
Mar 21, 2013
Universities are using the open cloud to fuel their academic and scientific research. Here, UTSA and MIT discuss the power of the open cloud.
OpenStack Operations Guide: One Week, One Book
Mar 20, 2013
A dream team of writers and OpenStack contributors got together for a week-long book sprint resulting in the publication of OpenStack Operations Guide.
Reliable Apps Require A Reliable Cloud
Mar 20, 2013
As developers begin deploying their applications to the cloud, one thing that they should consider is the infrastructure of their cloud host.
Easily Move Microsoft Apps To The Open Cloud With Active Directory Support
Mar 20, 2013
We are extending our Managed Cloud Fanatical Support to include the skillset of a Microsoft Active Directory administrator (installation, configuration, monitoring and patching, troubleshooting , etc.).
Open Cloud Academy: Bridging The Cloud Computing Skills Gap
Mar 20, 2013
This week Rackspace opened the doors to the Open Cloud Academy, an educational program designed to arm students with affordable IT certifications, specifically around open cloud technologies
Turn Big Data Into Big Dollars
Mar 20, 2013
Big Data can drive big dollars. For any growing business, that’s the bottom line. As the amount of information in the world grows, your enterprise needs to start turning these bytes into bank. One way to do that is to move Big Data to the cloud.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: March 15
Mar 15, 2013
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest we showcase SXSW Interactive 2013, Vagrant 1.1 support; the case for Hosted Exchange and more.
ReachLocal: Home Repairs Through ClubLocal
Mar 15, 2013
How do you extend the Uber model to not just car rides but to local merchants? By creating ClubLocal, ReachLocal’s new space that makes it easy for anyone to schedule and book a local merchant for their needs all through their phone in less than a minute. Just like Uber, ClubLocal allows you to book...
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On OpenGov Foundation: Data-Driven Disruption To Open Government
Mar 14, 2013
The OpenGov Foundation, a Rackspace Startup Program member, is working to open government and is developing and deploying tools that help citizens contribute.
Get Insight Into Your iOS, Android Apps
Mar 14, 2013
Rackspace Cloud Tools partner New Relic offers real-time performance data for native iOS and Android mobile apps.
Develop On The Rackspace Open Cloud With Vagrant
Mar 14, 2013
Developing on the Rackspace Open Cloud is now easier with the new Rackspace provider driver in Vagrant 1.1.
Cloud Files: One Less Thing To Worry About
Mar 14, 2013
Rackspace customer Work For Pie talks about how Cloud Files paired with open source technologies helps it overcome the challenge of handling file storage.
How To Integrate Social Media Into Your Marketing Programs
Mar 13, 2013
Today’s B2B marketers increasingly feel the pressure to quickly adopt social media and integrate it into their daily marketing activities. Here, I discuss integrating social media into marketing programs.
SXSW Interactive Roundup
Mar 13, 2013
Rackspace is out at SXSW Interactive in full force. Here, we aggregate and update our coverage from the iconic tech festival.
Installing Rails On A Mac
Mar 13, 2013
Installing Rails can be one of the trickiest things to overcome for a newbie to Ruby and Ruby on Rails. Here, I walk you through installing Rails on a Mac.
It’s a Wrap…The Rackspace Open Cloud Experience At SXSW Interactive
Mar 12, 2013
SXSW Interactive 2013 is a wrap. Here's a look back at The Rackspace Open Cloud Experience at SXSW.
White House Pushes For 1M Additional STEM Graduates Over Next Decade At SXSW
Mar 12, 2013
As the world becomes more high tech, there is an increasing need for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) professionals, Brian Forde, senior advisor to the U.S. CTO, said at SXSW.
The Case For Hosted Exchange [Infographic]
Mar 12, 2013
Hosted Exchange dramatically reduces the deployment costs of Exchange and offloads most of the administrative duties, like spam filtering and backups, to a trusted cloud provider. This infographic looks at the high-level reasons why Hosted Exchange is the best choice for business.
Food For Thought: Strange Marketing Techniques At SXSW Help Keep Austin Weird
Mar 12, 2013
Exhibitors at SXSW Interactive are taking creative measures to rally for the attention of nearly 20,000 festival-goers expected to flood Austin's streets this week. And Rackspace partner TriNet is driving buzz in a unique way.
Pillars Of Cloudiness: No. 5 – Security
Mar 12, 2013
There are five essential pillars of cloudiness. In this recurring blog series, we’ll count down from No. 5 to No. 1. In this first post, we discuss security.
Join The Rackspace Open Cloud Community At SXSW
Mar 11, 2013
The Rackspace Open Cloud Community is on-hand throughout SXSW Interactive to get you signed up and tuned in to what's going on in the community and its forums.
SXSW: What Leap Motion’s New Controller Means For Web Sites
Mar 11, 2013
The Leap Motion Controller, a device that allows you to control your computer with hand motions in mid-air, created quite a buzz with its public debut at SXSW Interactive. We caught up with the Leap Motion team to find out more. Check out the video.
Reddit Co-Founder Pushes For Open Web At SXSW
Mar 09, 2013
At SXSW Interactive, Reddit co-founder and Internet activist Alexis Ohanian called for an open Internet and highlighted the importance of open source technologies.
E-Retailer Tealet Drinks The Cloud Tea
Mar 09, 2013
At SXSW Interactive today, we caught up with Rackspace-powered startup Tealet about how it prepares for growth and scale.
Inside The Rackspace Winner’s Circle At SXSW: Startups Using Open Cloud
Mar 09, 2013
Let's take a look inside the Rackspace Winner's Circle at SXSW and see how companies are using open cloud technologies.
Tapworthy Author Josh Clark At SXSW: ‘We’re All Cloud Developers Now’
Mar 09, 2013
In his standing-room only presentation at SXSW Interactive entitled 'Where No Geek Has Gone Before,' Tapworthy author Josh Clark said he believes the future of sensor-rich devices will take us well beyond mobile to new forms of interaction.
At SXSW, Cloud Is On Startups’ Minds
Mar 09, 2013
We asked startups at SXSW to share their thoughts on the cloud. Here's what they said.
Scoble On SXSW
Mar 08, 2013
We asked Robert Scoble to share his thoughts on SXSW Interactive 2013. Here’s what he had to say.
Rackers Prepare For Drone Games At SXSW
Mar 08, 2013
A team of Rackers is preparing to compete in the Drone Games this weekend at SXSW Interactive. This video showcases some of their prep work.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: March 8
Mar 08, 2013
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest we showcase Rackspace Private Cloud updates, SXSW Interactive, the open cloud revolution and more.
StartupBus Winners Revealed, Head To SXSW [Video]
Mar 08, 2013
The StartupBus Finals took place yesterday at Rackspace's Castle headquarters. In this video, we showcase the startups that participated and announce the winner.
StartupBus Finals At Rackspace & SXSW Startup Crawl 2013
Mar 07, 2013
The StartupBus Finals were held today at Rackspace headquarters. Find out who won the Buspreneur Battle. And, later today, SXSW Startup Crawl 2013 kicks off in Austin.
A Day In The Life: Work Differently
Mar 07, 2013
The arrival of the StartupBus was just one of many things that happened today at Rackspace's Castle headquarters. Here, Rackspace Video Storyteller Dave Sims captures it all as part of his 'Day In The Life' video series.
The Open Cloud: Putting Our Mouth Where Our Money Is
Mar 06, 2013
For the past two and a half years, Rackspace has been leading the open cloud revolution — a movement to break the grip of closed, proprietary cloud vendors and instead put choice and power in the hands of customers. Now we’re ready to tell the world what we’ve been doing — and what we can do to boost businesses of all sizes.
Deploying, Managing Rackspace Private Cloud Just Got Easier
Mar 06, 2013
Today we took another step forward with Rackspace Private Cloud that will simplify running an open cloud in your data center.
StartupBus Cruises Into The Rackspace Castle En Route To SXSW
Mar 06, 2013
StartupBus rolled into Rackspace's San Antonio headquarters today, bringing with it 150 'buspreneurs' charged with conceiving, designing, building and launching new startups in just 72 hours.
The Rackspace Open Cloud Storms SXSW Interactive 2013
Mar 05, 2013
Rackspace will be at SXSW Interactive 2013 in full force throughout the weekend. Here's a lineup of where you can find us and when.
How Downtime Impacts The Bottom Line [Infographic]
Mar 05, 2013
If your website goes down, that can result in lost revenue. Check out this infographic for insight into how downtime can impact the bottom line.
Reshape Your TCO With The Cloud
Mar 05, 2013
Migrating to the cloud can create new savings, change the way you think about costs and provide scalability benefits. Here I look at TCO in the cloud.
Rackspace And Magento eCommerce Forums
Mar 04, 2013
Rackspace hits the road this week with Magento and several of our top partners to deliver an eCommerce experience that will reveal a multitude of ways to make the most of your Magento storefront.
Get Fully Managed SharePoint On The Rackspace Open Cloud
Mar 04, 2013
Rackspace Cloud Servers for SharePoint offer the flexibility and cost savings of the open cloud, delivered with our award-winning Fanatical Support, plus the SharePoint support, management and expertise that only Rackspace offers.
Evolve Applications, Speed Innovation With The Cloud
Mar 04, 2013
I frequently interact with customers who are trying to shape a cloud strategy. The adoption process can be challenging, but the proper deployment of a cloud platform can produce long-term savings in time and money, while fueling innovation.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: March 1
Mar 01, 2013
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest, we discuss our acquisition of ObjectRocket, the Open Cloud Community, prepping for SXSW success, why startups love the Open Cloud and much more.
Enterprise Cloud Forum Recap: Prepare For DevOps Success
Feb 28, 2013
If you missed the latest installment of the Enterprise Cloud Forum, we have a recording and the presentation available now.
Tackling Cloud Economics And Shadow IT
Feb 28, 2013
Rackspace Cloud Tools partner Apptio discusses why businesses must track cloud usage and costs.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: March 2013
Feb 28, 2013
Within the startup movement, there are plenty of events happening globally in March 2013. The Rackspace Startup Program is here to keep you up to date with valuable information on events and happenings inside the global startup community. What follows is a partial list of global startup events complied by the contributors of StartupDigest:
Top 5 Reasons Startups Love The Open Cloud
Feb 28, 2013
I just got back from a trip to L.A., which is experiencing a massive startup movement. While all of the startups that I met are different, they all share a love for Rackspace and the Open Cloud. Here are five reasons startups love the Rackspace Open Cloud.
Tips To Steer Your Startup To SXSW Success
Feb 28, 2013
Are you a startup heading to SXSW Interactive? We can help you prepare your website or application for SXSW success.
Help Us Build Something Great: The Open Cloud Community
Feb 28, 2013
We recently launched the new Rackspace Open Cloud Community, where you can interact with your peers and nearly 5,000 Rackers. The cornerstone of a great community is its participants, and we’re asking you to come along and share your expertise with the rest of us.
An Ecosystem Instead Of An Amoeba: The Complete Cloud Solution For Your Business
Feb 27, 2013
While it is tempting to think of the cloud as a single-cell organism consisting of raw compute power; the truth is that the cloud is more of an ecosystem with many unique parts that interact with each other. The Rackspace open cloud is a complete solution for your business to host its application.
SharePoint eBook: Your Most Pressing SharePoint Questions Answered
Feb 27, 2013
We've compiled insights from our SharePoint experts and MVPs into a new SharePoint eBook.
Why Rackspace Will Support MongoDB
Feb 27, 2013
This morning, we announced the acquisition of ObjectRocket, a MongoDB database as a service that is highly available, automatically sharded and lightning fast. Here's why we're excited about acquiring ObjectRocket and building an offer around MongoDB.
ObjectRocket Acquisition FAQ
Feb 27, 2013
Here we answer questions you may have about Rackspace's acquisition of ObjectRocket.
Rackspace Social Media Support Team Wins Customer Service Stevie Award
Feb 26, 2013
Rackspace’s Social Media Support Team this week took home a silver award for Front Line Customer Service Team of the Year at the seventh annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.
Solve Your Big Data Needs With Rackspace and Apache Hadoop
Feb 26, 2013
The demand for Big Data solutions continues to grow, and to help you tackle Big Data workloads, we have partnered with Hortonworks, the premiere open-sourced Apache Hadoop enterprise distribution, to provide application support and best-in-breed architecture design.
Understanding Cloud ROI
Feb 26, 2013
Understanding cloud ROI requires consideration of several factors relevant to your enterprise application portfolio and specific computing needs. Here's a look at how to think about cloud ROI.
Get An Inside Look At The Rackspace ‘Castle’ Via Google Street View
Feb 26, 2013
You can now get a look inside Rackspace's headquarters - known as "The Castle" - through an inside Google Street View. Take a virtual stroll through our unique HQ.
Webinar: Deploy A Cloud App Running On Windows
Feb 25, 2013
Join Rackspace and Making Sense for a webinar in which we’ll show you how to take full advantage of the Windows 8 interface and how to help your clients excel in interoperability using the Rackspace Cloud API and Microsoft .NET.
Drupal Updates Keep Your Site Current, Secure
Feb 25, 2013
There are often updates to Drupal core, themes and modules that power your Drupal site. You want to make sure to update your site to get the latest and greatest features and up-to-date security patches.
The Open Cloud Has New Pricing For Bandwidth And Storage
Feb 22, 2013
We are announcing two changes to our pricing model to benefit bandwidth and content-centric applications: we are lowering the base price for bandwidth and CDN by 33 percent and we are implementing automatic tiered pricing for our Open Cloud portfolio, starting with Cloud Files.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: February 22
Feb 22, 2013
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest, we discuss simplified Open Cloud pricing, a new ally in the fight against patent trolls, the cloud journey and more.
Marc Andreessen on the age of context (er, the future of the tech industry)
Feb 21, 2013
At Rackspace http://www.rackspace.com we care deeply about where startups and the future is going, especially since so many of the technologies we use will require new kinds of cloud computing technologies. For instance, how are sensors, wearable computers, big data, social data, and location data changing Silicon Valley business? We keep hearing big changes are...
Got A Fanatical Startup? Tell Us For A Chance To Be Interviewed By Robert Scoble
Feb 21, 2013
Record a one-minute video telling us why your startup is Fanatical and you could get a chance to be interviewed by Robert Scoble in a Google+ Hangout during SXSW Interactive.
Chartio: Building Beautiful Charts With Your Data
Feb 21, 2013
Data will always be important because it provides many answers to questions of inventory, conversion rates, and profitability. While charting data is not new, Chartio makes it easy for anyone whether you’re technical or not to understand their data in a powerful but lightweight dashboard. As companies become more data driven, it will be even...
Cloud Journey: Serve A Static Website Fast, Without Servers
Feb 21, 2013
When thinking about overall website performance, speed is key. There are a lot of ways to improve your website and application speed - one is by making it static.
Storing Service Metadata: A Service Registry Use Case
Feb 21, 2013
There are several use cases for the Rackspace Service Registry. Let's dig deeper into storing service metadata in Service Registry.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Emergent One: Build And Manage APIs
Feb 21, 2013
In this Startup Spotlight we talk to Emergent One, which helps businesses build and manage APIs for existing applications.
What The Rackspace Cloud API Can Do For Your Business
Feb 20, 2013
The Rackspace Cloud API is a powerful tool that all of our customers should know about. Here, I talk about what the Cloud API can do for your business.
Open Cloud Technologies Spark Innovation
Feb 20, 2013
Cloud computing and open cloud technologies are fueling innovation in companies of all sizes by saving them money, increasing their profits and enabling them to reinvest in key segments of their businesses.
How Not To Archive Your Email
Feb 20, 2013
Improper email archiving can be a dangerous game. Here, I'll remind you why you should archive email and discuss how not to archive email.
President Obama Joins Innovators In Our Fight Against Patent Trolls
Feb 20, 2013
The most creative and productive elements of our technology economy won a major ally last week when President Obama called out patent trolls and called for patent reform during a Google+ Hangout.
Cloud Journey: Speed Up Images, Video, Audio And File Load Times
Feb 19, 2013
How can you speed up the load times for your site or app? Rackspace Cloud Files uses the Akamai CDN for swift content delivery.
IT Outsourcing: A Matter Of Trust
Feb 19, 2013
Outsourcing IT requires trust between you and your cloud provider. At Rackspace, we put your concerns of outsourcing IT to rest.
Rackspace IT: Drive To The Open Cloud
Feb 18, 2013
Through a program called 'Rackspace IT: Drive to the Open Cloud,' Rack­space IT will become an enter­prise cus­tomer of Rack­space, lever­age the same solu­tions Rack­space offers our many exter­nal cus­tomers and dri­ve as many of our enter­prise appli­ca­tions as pos­si­ble to the Rack­space open cloud.
Drupal Backups: Quickly Restore Your Site
Feb 18, 2013
No one likes to think about worst-case scenarios, but mistakes can happen and sites can fail. When this occurs, you want to have a backup accessible to quickly restore your website.
Mixpanel: The Most Advanced Analytics for Web and Mobile
Feb 16, 2013
The most solid way to understand your users is to understand the data that they can provide on both the web and mobile apps. By being able to measure visitor interaction and engagement, companies can learn what its visitors are doing and what keeps them on their page or app. While tracking how many people...
Rackspace Weekly Digest: February 15
Feb 15, 2013
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest, we discuss being named a private cloud top performer, the Racker Edition of the Harlem Shake, hosting your Facebook app on the Rackspace open cloud and much more.
Digital Marketing Strategy For 2013 And Beyond
Feb 14, 2013
In this post, we will discuss the critical components of a digital marketing strategy and how these components work together.
Access And Share Files Anywhere, From Any Device
Feb 14, 2013
It's frustrating when you can't find the files you need. Rackspace Cloud Tools partner TappIn lets you access files on any computer, server or cloud from any device.
Rackspace Startup Program Insider: Dan Di Spaltro On Getting Your Startup To Market Faster With The Cloud
Feb 14, 2013
In this edition of the Rackspace Startup Program Insider, we talk to Dan Di Spaltro, General manager of Rackspace's San Francisco office.
Why TruQC Chose The Rackspace Open Cloud
Feb 14, 2013
In this video, Rackspace customer TruQC talks about how it uses the Rackspace open cloud to power its iPad app.
Rackspace Private Cloud Is A Top Performer According To Forrester
Feb 13, 2013
Forrester has named Rackspace Private Cloud a top performer in the emerging private cloud market.
Developing On The Rackspace Cloud
Feb 13, 2013
Among the many reasons why people choose the cloud, one of the most powerful is the Application Programming Interface, more commonly referred to as the API.
VM Replication & Resiliency: Three Common Hurdles For SMBs Part 3: Failover Testing
Feb 12, 2013
There are three common hurdles SMBs face when it comes to VM replication and resiliency: cost, complexity and failover testing. In this three-part blog series, I'll discuss each one. Here, I'll look at failover testing.
Green Business Leaders Program Shines At Rackspace Austin
Feb 12, 2013
We’re committed to supporting our local community. At Rackspace, it’s one of our key initiatives. That’s why we were thrilled last month to host the City of Austin’s Green Business Leaders Program here at the Rackspace Austin office.
Oil Field Logistics Solutions: Game Changing Commodities Transport In The Cloud
Feb 12, 2013
This blog post is written and contributed by Cip Palacios, head of implementation at Qv21 Technologies, LLC. Qv21 is a Rackspace Cloud customer and a leader in SaaS (Software as a Service) logistics solutions for the Oil Field Services industry.
Private Cloud, Big Data Move IT Up The Value Chain
Feb 11, 2013
We've all heard that ”IT needs to move up the value chain!” But what does this actually mean?
Squash Spam On Your Drupal Site
Feb 11, 2013
No one likes spam. And spam in the form of unwanted and bogus comments on a website is equally annoying. On your Drupal site, you want to ensure that comments are legit. Here are some Drupal modules that can help.
Start Your Enterprise DevOps Engine
Feb 11, 2013
Join us in the Enterprise Cloud Forum on Wednesday, February 13 at 11 a.m. CST when we'll teach you to "Tear Down Silos and Build Your Enterprise DevOps Engine" in an open round table discussion.
Valentine’s Day Geek Gift Generator
Feb 08, 2013
Having trouble finding the perfect Valentine's Day gift for the geek in your life? Use this nifty Valentine's Day geek gift generator to get ideas.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: February 8
Feb 08, 2013
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest, we discuss running like Rackspace, HTML5, wooing developers to your business and more.
Nestivity: The Better Way to Manage Your Twitter Followers
Feb 07, 2013
How do you talk with your Twitter following and not just at them? Nestivity provides the tools to transform your account into a community. For example, your incoming tweets can became an engaging discussion sparking more involvement with your followers.  When people reply or add comments, they’re essentially tweets in which they keep adding to...
Supercharge HTML5 Video With Rackspace Cloud Files
Feb 07, 2013
The ease of implementation, sleek professionalism and cross-browser compatibility makes HTML5 the modern alternative to Flash-based videos. Today we will explore embedding a Rackspace Cloud Files-hosted recording using the new HTML5 video standard.
Run Like Rackspace: An Open Cloud In Your Data Center
Feb 07, 2013
The words “run like Rackspace” are something we hear from customers and prospects all the time. They want private clouds that look, feel and operate like our open public cloud and they want the same operations that power our public cloud, but in their own data centers.
Cloud Security Roundup
Feb 07, 2013
This is the last in a series of posts that drilled deeper into cloud security and some of the key questions it sparks. In this final installment, I provide a summary of the posts that were a part of this series.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Presskit.to: Indie Ambassador’s Electronic Press Kit For The Music Industry
Feb 07, 2013
The team at Indie Ambassador has created a web app called Presskit.to, a new kind of electronic press kit that allows music professionals to more effectively share the full picture of any given project, album or tour.
AgileONE: Understand Customers with a 360 Degree View
Feb 07, 2013
Marketers can only reach their targeted audience if it is relevant, and AgileONE wants to ensure that by allowing marketers understand the customer by consolidating the customer’s data through various sources to provide a 360 degree view. AgileONE’s CEO Omer Artun explains how it uses data management, marketing intelligence and predictive analysis to become a...
Tellagence: Predicting the Future’s Social Interaction
Feb 06, 2013
Marketers are always working on their next successful campaign and finding ways to increase their chances of reaching to their targeted market. Tellagance seeks to predict how information moves across social networks and see how people interact in context which will give marketers guidance to their next campaign. In order to predict a social phenomenon,...
Scaling HTML5 Audio With Rackspace Cloud Files
Feb 06, 2013
HTML5 makes it easy to share podcasts, recordings and more across all modern browsers. Today we will explore embedding a Rackspace Cloud Files-hosted recording using the new HTML5 audio standard.
10 Ways Your Business Can Win The Hearts And Minds Of Developers
Feb 06, 2013
There are a number of things the developer community looks for and demands before it will dig into a technology. Here are 10 key things that will help your business win the hearts and minds of developers.
Six Considerations For Choosing A Cloud Provider
Feb 06, 2013
Here’s a list of six considerations to help guide you in choosing the right cloud provider for you and your business.
Modernizing Compute And Storage Infrastructure With Private Cloud
Feb 06, 2013
Demand for storage and compute power is increasing. The AMD SeaMicro SM15000 Fabric Compute System with Rackspace Private Cloud Software can address these issues.
VM Replication & Resiliency: Three Common Hurdles for SMBs Part 2: Complexity
Feb 05, 2013
There are three common hurdles SMBs face when it comes to VM replication and resiliency: cost, complexity and failover testing. In this three-part blog series, I'll discuss each one. Here, I'll look at complexity.
Develop In The Cloud; Deploy Anywhere
Feb 05, 2013
Rackspace Cloud Tools partner Ravello offers a Cloud Application Hypervisor that gives enterprise teams the ability to leverage the cloud to supercharge development.
Building An Online eCommerce Store? Check Out These New Reference Architectures
Feb 05, 2013
For retailers, your online store is the window to the world. It needs to stand up to daily traffic and the unexpected spikes, and offer your customers a safe and secure place to shop on the web. It’s not always easy. We’re here to help.
Certified Private Clouds: Protect Your Existing Enterprise Storage Investment
Feb 05, 2013
Rackspace has certified private clouds running on EMC and NetApp storage platforms to help your business capitalize on your existing enterprise storage investment.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: February 1
Feb 01, 2013
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest, we discuss the EPA's Green Power Partners lists, Rackspace Media Hosting, new open cloud reference architectures, tips to tame your inbox and much more..
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: February 2013
Feb 01, 2013
Within the startup movement, there are plenty of events happening globally in February 2013. The Rackspace Startup Program is here to keep you up to date with valuable information on events and happenings inside the global startup community. What follows is a partial list of global startup events complied by the contributors of StartupDigest:
Cloud Security: Create Security Groups For Your Rackspace Servers
Jan 31, 2013
This is the seventh in a series of posts that will drill deeper into cloud security and some of the key questions it sparks. In this installment, I've invited Roy Feintuch, Co-founder and CTO at Dome9 Security, to discuss their solution in more depth.
Syncing Private Cloud Swift Containers To Rackspace Cloud Files
Jan 31, 2013
Here, I talk about how you can sync private cloud Swift containers to Rackspace Cloud Files.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Tech Residents: Innovating Hiring For Developers And Employers
Jan 31, 2013
Rackspace Startup Program member Tech Residents is looking to change the hiring process for both developers and employers.
9 More Tips To Tame Email Overload
Jan 30, 2013
On average, we spend 13 hours a week in our email inboxes. These tips will help you save time and alleviate email overload.
Media Consumers Are Pushing The Limits Of Websites And Applications
Jan 30, 2013
Today’s media consumers are putting more stress on websites and applications than ever before - viewing more videos and images, streaming more audio and downloading more files. Rackspace Media Hosting helps make your media management simple, fast and reliable.
Scaling Marketing Efforts Isn’t Easy
Jan 30, 2013
Rackspace Cloud Tools partner and customer Heyo offers drag-and-drop simplicity for marketing via social, mobile and web.
Private Cloud Open Reference Architectures: Easily Deploy, Run An Enterprise Private Cloud
Jan 30, 2013
To make it easier for enterprises to deploy and run open clouds, we've launched three Rackspace Private Cloud Open Reference Architectures.
VM Replication & Resiliency: Three Common Hurdles For SMBs
Jan 29, 2013
There are three common hurdles SMBs face when it comes to VM replication and resiliency: cost, complexity and failover testing. In this three-part blog series, I'll discuss each one.
We’re One Of The EPA’s Top 20 Tech & Telecom Green Power Partners
Jan 29, 2013
Rackspace ranked No. 16 on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “Top 20 Tech & Telecom” list of “Green Power Partners” thanks to our purchase of renewable energy in 2012.
What Is An Open Business Model And Why Should You Care?
Jan 28, 2013
Open source does not necessarily mean open. At Rackspace, we offer an open business model that doesn't try to lock you in.
Intro To Drupal: Make Your Site Stand Out
Jan 28, 2013
If you are looking for a powerful Content Management System (CMS), you should consider Drupal. Drupal is easily customizable and has a thriving community.
Rackspace Weekly Digest For January 25
Jan 25, 2013
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest, a Rookie talks about our new hire orientation, we spend some time with 3 Day Startup, we head down the Rackspace office slide, we talk a lot about ecommerce and much more.
Online Retail By The Numbers: An eCommerce Infographic
Jan 24, 2013
Did you know that 40 percent of people abandon a website that takes more than three seconds to load? And, a one second delay in page load results in 7 percent fewer conversions? Check out this ecommerce infographic for some interesting stats on how people interact online with shopping carts.
Adopt A Service Provider Mentality And Empower A Self-Service Organization
Jan 24, 2013
To win in the cloud, it’s necessary to adopt a service provider mentality and become a self-service organization. That was the topic of our most recent Enterprise Cloud Forum. Check out the recording and the presentation here.
Cloud Security: Don’t Go It Alone
Jan 24, 2013
This is the sixth in a series of posts that will drill deeper into cloud security and some of the key questions it sparks. In this installment, I highlight some of Rackspace's Cloud Tools partners that focus on cloud security..
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On AuManil: The Online Entertainment Industry’s Whale Tracker
Jan 24, 2013
In Vegas lingo, a high roller is known as a 'whale." Austin startup AuManil is out to manage the whales in the free-to-play online gaming market.
What Does The Open Cloud Mean For You?
Jan 23, 2013
We recently hosted a webinar called "Building on the Open Cloud" in which we answered some of your key open cloud questions. Check out a recording of the webinar here.
A New Hire’s Perspective On Rookie O, And Why Tech Talent Should Want In
Jan 23, 2013
I recently completed Rackspace's Rookie Orientation, dubbed Rookie O, and the experience was incredible. If the technical world knew about it, it would be beating down the door to get in.
Rackspace Cloud Backup: What We’ve Been Up To
Jan 22, 2013
We've made some key updates to Rackspace Cloud Backup that will make it easier for you to use. We also have some cool stats to share around how and when you're using Cloud Backup.
Sync Your Magento eCommerce Site To Cloud Files And The Akamai CDN
Jan 22, 2013
An application called fileconveyor makes it easy to sync files from one place to another, specifically to cloud technologies like Rackspace Cloud Files. At Rackspace, we forked the project and figured out a base configuration that works to sync specific directories in Magento with a Cloud Files container.
Why Rackspace Is The No. 1 Hosting Provider For The Top 1,000 E-Retailers
Jan 21, 2013
Our product portfolio, support and partner alliances have helped make Rackspace the leading hosting provider for Internet Retailer's 'Top 1,000' and 'Hot 100.'
Creating Social Content
Jan 21, 2013
Social content isn't just content used in social media. It's much more.
3 Day Startup Weekend At MIT Launches Three Ideas
Jan 21, 2013
During the final day of 3 Day Startup at MIT, three new startups were proposed. In this post and video, we look at each fo them and capture the last day of the event.
Fanatical Support In Person At 3 Day Startup At MIT
Jan 20, 2013
Fanatical Support made an appearance during the 3 Day Startup Event at MIT when one team needed some server space. Check it out in this video.
3 Day Startup And Rackspace Team Up At MIT
Jan 19, 2013
Rackspace and 3 Day Startup have teamed up at MIT for a weekend-long education program through which students will build startups. This video looks at the first day on 3 Day Startup.
Rackspace Weekly Digest For January 18
Jan 18, 2013
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest we are recognized as one of the 100 best companies to work for, take OpenStack to MIT, ask kids 'what is the cloud?' and more.
How MIT Uses OpenStack To Power Research
Jan 18, 2013
During Rackspace Training for OpenStack this week at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) we also got a glimpse at how MIT uses OpenStack in its Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) to power research projects.
The Cloud, Explained By Kids [VIDEO]
Jan 17, 2013
We asked the children of our Rackers one question: 'What is the cloud?' The answers were cute and insightful. Hear what they said in this video.
Compliance Standards And Regulations That Keep The Cloud Secure
Jan 17, 2013
This is the fifth in a series of posts that will drill deeper into cloud security and some of the key questions it sparks. In this installment, I highlight compliance standards and regulations in the cloud..
Straight Up Startup…Featuring Adam Peterson, CEO Of VipeCloud
Jan 17, 2013
In this edition of Straight Up Startup, VipeCloud CEO Adam Peterson provides insight on his startup journey.
Quality Control App TruQC Taps Rackspace To Get The Job Done
Jan 17, 2013
TruQC is a quality control and job-site documentation app that makes job-sites safer, more efficient and better documented. TruQC uses Rackspace Cloud Files and Cloud Servers to get the job done.
OpenStack At MIT: A Closer, Time-Lapse Look At Our Cloud In A Box
Jan 17, 2013
During Rackspace Training for OpenStack, we set up a 'Cloud in a Box,' a portable, working OpenStack lab. This video follows the Cloud in a Box setup at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
We’re One Of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies To Work For
Jan 16, 2013
We're pumped that Rackspace has been named among Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For.
The Journey To Open Computing Continues
Jan 16, 2013
We're delivering on our promise to work closely with the Open Compute Project community to deliver data center solutions built on open standards.
OpenStack Hits A Sweet Spot For MIT Students, Researchers
Jan 16, 2013
After a second night of Rackspace Training for OpenStack at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), it’s clear that students and researchers believe OpenStack can help accelerate their projects.
Prep Your Site For The Super Bowl Traffic Blitz
Jan 15, 2013
Whether it's the Super Bowl or another high traffic event, you can take steps to help ensure your website can survive a crushing amount of traffic. Here are some tips to keep your site up and running in the cloud through a huge traffic spike.
Why Your Cloud Needs A Pit Crew
Jan 15, 2013
An F1 racing team needs a great driver and a great car, but it's the pit crew that ultimately wins the race. The same can be said about the cloud - the cloud operators are the differentiator, not the software or hardware.
Rackspace Training For OpenStack Heads To MIT
Jan 15, 2013
Rackspace Training for OpenStack is now available to colleges and universities, and there's no better place to start than the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
OpenStack 101: What Is OpenStack? [VIDEO]
Jan 14, 2013
This video is a high-level primer on OpenStack, what it is and who uses it.
Rackspace Advisory Services Takes Acquity Group To New Heights
Jan 14, 2013
Acquity Group relies on Rackspace Advisory Services to create custom cloud strategies and solutions that allow it to leverage the benefits of cloud computing
Network Security In The Cloud
Jan 10, 2013
This is the fourth in a series of posts that will drill deeper into cloud security and some of the key questions it sparks. In this installment, I highlight network security in the cloud..
Regain Control Of Your IT Spending
Jan 10, 2013
The global increase in the number of cloud services and a major uptick in cloud adoption has introduced a host of new challenges, especially in regards to cloud management and IT spending
Rackspace Startup Program Insider: Pat Condon On Inspiring The Local San Antonio Startup Ecosystem
Jan 10, 2013
In this edition of the Rackspace Startup Program Insider, we talk to Rackspace co-founder Pat Condon on inspiring startups.
On Wind Farms And Nuclear Power: The Differences Between OpenStack And Virtualization
Jan 09, 2013
The differences between OpenStack and virtualization are similar to the differences between two distinct types of power plants - wind farms and nuclear.
The Open Cloud: If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It
Jan 09, 2013
The open cloud has accelerated the pace of innovation and democratized IT. In this post and video, we highlight the power of the open cloud.
Hybrid Solutions: What? Why? And How?
Jan 08, 2013
This post discusses hybrid solutions and some example reference architectures that can be created by connecting workloads hosted on dedicated infrastructure with workloads hosted in the cloud, and the benefits associated with doing this.
Enterprise Cloud Forum: Cloud Is A New Business Model, Not A Technology
Jan 07, 2013
Tune in to the Enterprise Cloud Forum on Wednesday, January 9 at 11 a.m. CST to hear about and discuss 'Adopting a Service Provider Mentality and Empowering a Self-Service Organization.'
Meet Racker Kevin Jackson – He Wrote The Book On OpenStack
Jan 07, 2013
In this Q&A, we talk to Rackspace senior solutions architect Kevin Jackson, author of "OpenStack Cloud Computing Cookbook," about OpenStack, Rackspace and his book.
Rackspace Weekly Digest For January 4
Jan 04, 2013
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest we look at the top 12 posts of 2012; check in with the Enterprise Cloud Forum; get physical with cloud security; and more.
Turning Big Data Into Big Dollars: Enterprise Open Cloud Forum Webinar Recap
Jan 03, 2013
The latest Enterprise Open Cloud Forum roundtable recording is available for you to download here! Tune in to our Big Data discussion.
Cloud Security Gets Physical
Jan 03, 2013
This is the third in a series of posts that will drill deeper into cloud security and some of the key questions it sparks. In this installment, I highlight the physical security measures Rackspace has in place to protect its cloud customers' data.
RSP Spotlight On TrueAbility: Helping Employers Hire Great Techs
Jan 03, 2013
Rackspace Startup Program member TrueAbility is a cloud-based technical assessment tool that allows system administrators to demonstrate their skills in a real environment.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: January 2013
Jan 02, 2013
Within the startup movement, there are plenty of events happening globally in January 2013. The Rackspace Startup Program is here to keep you up to date with valuable information on events and happenings inside the global startup community. What follows is a partial list of global startup events complied by the contributors of StartupDigest:
Injecting Innovation Into IT With The Cloud
Jan 02, 2013
The cloud can help inject innovation into IT in two major ways: infrastructure efficiency and skills effectiveness.
The Top 12 Posts Of 2012
Dec 31, 2012
It's been a busy year. Here, we look at the 12 most popular posts that were published on the Rackspace blog in 2012.
So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish
Dec 31, 2012
I’ll be moving on from CloudU as Rackspace moves it in-house for 2013.
Bridging The Chasm Between IT And The Business
Dec 27, 2012
IT and the business need to work together to reach desired outcomes.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On WiFiSLAM: Indoor Positioning On Your Smartphone
Dec 27, 2012
Rackspace Startup Program company WiFiSLAM enables indoor positioning on your smartphone so you can pinpoint your exact location within 2.5 meters of accuracy in real-time
Best Practices For Cloud Block Storage
Dec 26, 2012
Since Cloud Block Storage is a relatively new product at Rackspace, we want to give you three best practices to consider as you start using it with your cloud configuration.
Hybrid Cloud For SaaS
Dec 26, 2012
Hybrid Cloud via RackConnect give SaaS operators the ability to leverage the cloud and dedicated environments.
Rackspace Weekly Digest For December 21
Dec 21, 2012
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest we offer a geek gift guide, cloud predictions for 2013, videos to help you get out of the 1990s, tips on running Jekyll on the Cloud Files CDN and more.
Running Jekyll On Rackspace Cloud Files
Dec 20, 2012
This post is a guide to maintaining a Jekyll website on the Akamai-powered Rackspace Cloud Files CDN network.
The Customer’s Role In Cloud Security
Dec 20, 2012
This is the second in a series of posts that will drill deeper into cloud security and some of the key questions it sparks. In this installment, I will highlight.the spheres of responsibility and look at which security components are Rackspace’s responsibility, and which are the customer’s.
Keep Data Private: Encrypt At Rest, In Transit And In Use
Dec 20, 2012
Encryption of data-in-transit and data-at-rest has long been recognized as a best practice to enforce the security and privacy of data, regardless of where it resides. However, these two states of encryption are no longer sufficient as they do not protect data while it is being processed in the cloud.
Racker Startups Vol. 1: Emergent One, Taxi For Two & TrueAbility
Dec 20, 2012
Rackspace has many current and past employees working on some really cool startups. Here's a look at three of them: Emergent One, Taxi for Two and TrueAbility.
Switching From WordPress To Jekyll
Dec 19, 2012
Here, I chronicle the move from WordPress to Jekyll on the Rackspace Cloud Files CDN Network powered by Akamai.
Cloudant On Rackspace: Data Layer For The Big Apps Era
Dec 19, 2012
Rackspace customer and Cloud Tools partner Cloudant offers a scalable data layer (as a service) for Big Data apps that lets developers focus on new features instead of the drudgery of growing or migrating databases.
Can Choosing Cloud For Your SaaS App Improve Resource Utilization?
Dec 19, 2012
Cloud computing gives SaaS businesses the opportunity to provision resources as needed to close that resource gap.
Boost Cloud Sites Performance With PHP 5.4 And .NET 4.5 Upgrades
Dec 19, 2012
We’re upgrading Rackspace Cloud Sites to PHP 5.4 and .NET 4.5, which should boost performance of the php sites and .NET sites you host on Cloud Sites.
Oh Snap…Get Out Of The 1990s
Dec 18, 2012
Get with the future and get out of the 90s with Rackspace.
Geek Gift Guide: Find The Perfect Gift For The Geek In Your Life
Dec 18, 2012
Here's a handy gift guide to give you last minute gift ideas for the geek in your life.
Rackspace CIO Steve Mills Named To IDG Computerworld’s Premier 100 IT Leaders List
Dec 18, 2012
Rackspace CIO Steve Mills has been named to IDG Computerworld’s annual “Premier 100 IT Leaders” list.
Cloud Predictions For 2013
Dec 17, 2012
OpenStack innovation and Big Data are just two of the trends that will dominate the cloud landscape in 2013.
The Differences Between Cloud Block Storage And Cloud Files
Dec 17, 2012
There are distinct differences between Cloud Block Storage and Cloud Files. We explain them here.
DataStax: Reliable and Continuous Data Availability
Dec 15, 2012
Where do big companies such as Adobe, eBay and Netflix go to to ensure their data is scalable, flexible, and secure? DataStax serves these companies and more by providing a platform for all their data to live on that is built on Apache Cassandra. Billy Bosworth, CEO of DataStax talks about how and why top...
Kaazing: High Performance Web Communication Platform
Dec 15, 2012
Kaazing enables web applications that are always on and always connected through its WebSocket Gateway, the world’s first high-performance Web communication platform. This gateway allows instantaneous data delivery with near-zero latency while savings costs for hardware, server, and bandwidth usage. Jonas Jacobi, CEO and Co-Founder of Kaazing explains how Kaazing brings an enterprise-grade solution for...
Rackspace Weekly Digest For December 14
Dec 14, 2012
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest we look at opening up the government, top places to work, STEM education and more.
Infinite Canvas App: Today’s HyperCard for Creating Content
Dec 13, 2012
The iPad is becoming a tool being used more for not just consuming content but creating it. Infinite Canvas is a nonlinear application that allows you to map out your data in tiles in infinite ways. Unlike usual presentations where slides go only from top to bottom, Infinite Canvas allows you to “choose your story”...
The Many Faces Of Cloud Security
Dec 13, 2012
This is the first in a series of posts that will drill deeper into cloud security and some of the key questions it sparks. In this first installment, I will highlight some of the different facets of cloud security.
Straight Up Startup…Featuring Addison McCaleb, Founder & CEO Of MediaHound
Dec 13, 2012
In this edition of Straight Up Startup, MediaHound founder and CEO Addison McCaleb provides insight his startup journey.
CORS Headers For Cloud Files Content Available Now
Dec 13, 2012
Rackspace is pleased to announce the release of CORS (Cross Origin Resource Sharing) headers for Cloud Files content. CORS headers can be used to open communication between the browser and Cloud Files.
Happy Holidays – And Thank You – From Rackspace
Dec 12, 2012
We wanted to say 'Happy Holidays' to our customers, and give back to the community at the same time. And the response has been incredible.
Why SaaS Startups Start At Rackspace
Dec 12, 2012
Rackspace is the perfect incubator for your budding web app. Here are five reasons why.
Openness, Transparency And Accountability – In The Cloud And In Government
Dec 12, 2012
With our open cloud, we've built a cloud based on openness, transparency and accountability. And now I'm pleased to join the OpenGov Foundation, a group that looks to deliver those same principles to the government.
Rackspace On Glassdoor’s List Of Top 50 Best Places To Work In 2013
Dec 12, 2012
For the third time, Rackspace has been ranked among Glassdoor's Top 50 Best Places to Work.
Tips For Choosing A Managed Hosting Provider – Part Five: Apps, Control And Cost
Dec 11, 2012
In this five-part blog series, we offer tips to help you select a managed hosting provider. In the fifth installment, we look at apps, control and cost.
By Popular Demand: A Week Of Webinars In December To Help You Maximize SharePoint 2013
Dec 10, 2012
Our week of webinars in November was so popular, that the Rackspace SharePoint team is at it again this month with a new set of webinars (December 17 through December 21) designed to arm you with everything you need to know about SharePoint 2013.
Spotlight On STEM Education [Infographic]
Dec 10, 2012
Rackspace holds STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education very near and dear, and this infographic shows that there is increased interest and participation in STEM subjects.
Cloud Block Storage: Which Option Is Right For You?
Dec 10, 2012
We offer several options for your Cloud Block Storage drives, and here we help you find which one is right for you.
Rackspace Weekly Digest For December 7
Dec 07, 2012
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest we look at the untold history of OpenStack, the Internet Retailer Hot 100, the global reach of Rackspace Private Cloud Software and much more.
Beanstalk’s Hosted Version Control Service Now Integrates With Rackspace Cloud Files
Dec 07, 2012
Beanstalk, a hosted version control service, has added Cloud Files to its growing list of deploy services.
Videos: Install And Use Rackspace Private Cloud…Now
Dec 06, 2012
It's incredibly easy to get started with Rackspace Private Cloud Software. Here is a brief video walkthrough of the install process, and user videos from the admin and user perspectives.
StartupAggieland: A Full-Service Accelerator For Student Startups At Texas A&M University
Dec 06, 2012
I recently had the pleasure of returning to my alma mater, Texas A&M University in College Station, to experience something that was not available to me while attending; a full blown entrepreneurial program, including collaborative workspaces, an angel network and startup-focused events.
Things To Know Before Moving Your Enterprise To The Cloud
Dec 06, 2012
We kicked off our Enterprise Cloud Forum last month to discuss how Rackspace central IT is moving to the cloud. Check out a recording of the forum, hosted by Rackspace Advisory Services.
Video: Jim Curry’s OpenStack EMEA Keynote – OpenStack’s Past, Present And Future
Dec 06, 2012
In his keynote presentation at OpenStack EMEA, Rackspace General Manager Jim Curry dug into the untold history of OpenStack and how Rackspace uses it. Here's video of his full presentation.
Love Rackspace? Share Why
Dec 06, 2012
We love our customers, now we want to hear how our customers love us.
Cloud Files Now Supports Streaming Videos To iOS Devices And JW Player Plugins
Dec 05, 2012
Rackspace Cloud Files now supports two new options for streaming videos on the Akamai CDN - support for iOS devices and JW Player plugins.
Rackspace Private Cloud: Jet-Setting Around The Globe
Dec 05, 2012
Just a few weeks since the launch of our updated Rackspace Private Cloud Software, we have seen an amazing number of downloads from around the globe.
Scaling Your SaaS Application In The Cloud
Dec 05, 2012
The cloud gives you the same options for scaling that you’d find in a traditional SaaS environment with advantages that you can’t get out of traditional architecture.
‘rCloud’ Is Your Cloud: The OpenStack Journey
Dec 05, 2012
At OpenStack EMEA in London on Wednesday, I discussed the very early days of OpenStack and how it led Rackspace to what we are doing today.
A Day In The Life: Rackspace UK
Dec 04, 2012
Rackspace's UK office has been ranked among the top places to work for the last seven years. Here, Rackspace Video Story teller captures a typical day at Rackspace UK in his 'A Day In The Life' series.
Rackspace E-Retailers Rule The Hot 100
Dec 04, 2012
Rackspace is the No. 1 hosting provider for the Internet Retailer Hot 100, with 11 of the most innovative e-retailers using Rackspace.
Tips For Choosing A Managed Hosting Provider – Part Four: Scalability And Handling Traffic Spikes
Dec 04, 2012
In this five-part blog series, we offer tips to help you select a managed hosting provider. In the fourth installment, we look at scalability and handling traffic spikes.
SharePoint Tuesday Recap: Episode 11
Dec 04, 2012
If you missed the most recent SharePoint Tuesday virtual Q&A, you're in luck. We have audio and video available of SharePoint Tuesday episode 11.
Which Apps To Move To The Cloud?
Dec 04, 2012
One of the common cloud questions is: Which applications should move to the cloud? Here, I'll look at how to determine that within your organization.
Upcoming Webinar: Discovering A Culture Of Analytics At Rackspace
Dec 03, 2012
In an upcoming webinar (Monday, December 10 at 1 p.m. EST), Rackspace Product Marketing Analyst Andy Quirin discusses Rackspace's achievements in Business Discovery.
CIO, Your Journey To The Cloud Begins With A Single Project
Nov 30, 2012
For CIOs of medium or large enterprises, the move to the cloud should start with a single project.
Rackspace Weekly Digest For November 30
Nov 30, 2012
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest we get an inside look at Managed Cloud, discuss SaaS in the cloud, protect servers with bastion hosts and isolated networks and much, much more.
Enterprise Cloud Strategy – There Can Be Only One
Nov 29, 2012
In conversations with customers, the terms public, private and hybrid often come up. The cloud should be thought of as ONE cloud, not many.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Circlefive: Mobile Optimized Surveys From The Silicon Slopes
Nov 29, 2012
Circlefive is a mobile optimized survey and referral system that delivers surveys immediately to any web-enabled device and offers instant feedback and new referrals to help grow your business.
Tray.IO: Automating Your Inbox With Powerful Tasks
Nov 28, 2012
Are you tired of having your inbox being bombarded with too many emails and in need help in sorting it out? Tray allows you to run tasks on your inbox in order to help automate your mail. Rich Waldron, Co-Founder and CEO of Tray explains how Tray works and how it can very well be...
The Value Of A Managed Cloud: How Small Businesses Can Handle Bursty Traffic At Short Notice
Nov 28, 2012
Product Marketing Lead Prabhakar Gopalan, a new Racker, shadowed our Cloud Advisors to gain a customer's perspective on Managed Cloud. Here, he recounts his experience.
Cloud Enhancements Your SaaS App Can Use Today
Nov 28, 2012
There are a number of cloud-based services that can help enhance your current SaaS environment. Here, we take a look at some of them.
Protect Servers Using Bastion Hosts And Isolated Cloud Networks
Nov 27, 2012
We've created a guide to help you protect your infrastructure servers with bastion hosts and isolated cloud networks.
Tips For Choosing A Managed Hosting Provider – Part Three: The Uptime Guarantee
Nov 27, 2012
In this five-part blog series, we offer tips to help you select a managed hosting provider. In the third installment, we look at uptime guarantees.
Easing Password Hell – Key To Living Online Life Safely
Nov 27, 2012
As we use more online services, the importance of password protection increases. There are tools available to help you manage passwords and authenticate you to ensure only you have access to critical online tools.
Dig Into SharePoint 2013 With A Week Of Webinars
Nov 26, 2012
This week, Rackspace's SharePoint experts are hosting a number of webinars to give you an inside look at SharePoint 2013.
Rackspace Austin Is One Of Austin’s Top Workplaces
Nov 26, 2012
Rackspace's Austin office has been selected as one of the Top Workplaces in the city by the Austin American-Statesman.
Rackspace Weekly Digest For November 23
Nov 23, 2012
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest we discuss patent trolls, OpenStack careers, our Thanksgiving food drive and much, much more.
Why We Can’t Wait For Real Software Patent Reform
Nov 21, 2012
Software patents are stifling innovation and the law must be changed now to allow developers to create software without fear of patent infringement lawsuits from patent trolls.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On myFIVEby: Blogging Reinvented
Nov 21, 2012
Rackspace Startup Program company myFIVE has reinvented blogging, making it easy to manage and publish content.
Rackers Among Top 50 SharePoint Influencers
Nov 21, 2012
Four Rackspace SharePoint experts have been named among the top 50 SharePoint influencers according to Influencer50’s new report.
Tips For Choosing A Managed Hosting Provider – Part Two: Getting Quality Support
Nov 20, 2012
In this five-party blog series, we offer tips to help you select a managed hosting provider. In the second installment, we look at getting quality support..
OpenStack Is Creating Thousands Of IT Jobs
Nov 20, 2012
The number of IT jobs that are OpenStack-related has skyrocketed, showing that OpenStack skills are in high demand.
Is Hosted SharePoint Right For Your Business? Take The Quiz
Nov 20, 2012
Are you evaluating whether a hosted SharePoint environment is a good fit for your business? Take this quiz and find out.
Is Cloud A Revolution Or An Evolution?
Nov 20, 2012
Is cloud a revolution or an evolution? Check out this brief video to find out for sure.
Join Us In The Fight Against Patent Trolls
Nov 19, 2012
Patent litigation is the fastest-growing part of our operational expenses at Rackspace, and we've posted a new job on Elance to help us combat patent trolls and stop these lawsuits from impeding innovation.
Cloud Networks – Your Biggest Questions Answered
Nov 19, 2012
Here, we answer some of the most frequent questions our customers ask about Cloud Networks, our new software-defined networks solution.
Serving From The CDN For The Holidays
Nov 19, 2012
Before you deck the halls, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done to make sure that your configuration can handle the surge of holiday traffic. Here, we talk about the benefits of serving from the CDN for the holidays.
Rackspace Weekly Digest For November 16
Nov 16, 2012
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest we discuss SharePoint Conference 2012, Private Cloud updates, the new Windows 8 app and much, much more.
SharePoint Conference 2012 Recap And Resources
Nov 16, 2012
Now that SharePoint Conference 2012 is over, how do the changes announced there affect you?
SharePoint Conference 2012 – What’s Next?
Nov 15, 2012
Now that SharePoint Conference 2012 is over, you're ready to jump in and try out some of the new features in SharePoint 2013. At Rackspace, we're offering a free 45-day trial to help you get started.
National Philanthropy Day: Fanatical Support For The Community
Nov 15, 2012
November 15 may just be another Thursday for many folks, but it’s a special day for us here at Rackspace -- it’s National Philanthropy Day.
Rackspace Startup Program Insider: Gerardo A. Dada On Connecting With Customers And Community
Nov 15, 2012
In this edition of the Rackspace Startup Program Insider, we talk to Rackspace Director of Product Marketing Gerardo A. Dada about startups, customers, community and more.
Rackspace Private Cloud: Enhanced Support, New Capabilities
Nov 15, 2012
Today we expand our private cloud capabilities even further with an update to Rackspace Private Cloud Software. The software update incorporates the latest stable release of OpenStack, dubbed Folsom. We’ve also extended our service and support portfolio to customers running private clouds in their datacenters or hosted at Rackspace.
Manage The Rackspace Open Cloud With Windows 8
Nov 14, 2012
We've launched a new application that lets you managed your Rackspace Cloud account directly from Microsoft’s newly-launched Windows 8 operating system.
Hybrid Hosting: Important Questions To Ask
Nov 14, 2012
There are a lot of things to consider when moving to a hybrid hosting environment. Here are some important questions to ask.
Try Hosted SharePoint 2013 For Free In The Cloud Or On Dedicated Gear
Nov 14, 2012
We now offer SharePoint 2013 for dedicated hosting and cloud environments and have launched a free 45-day trial to let you take it for a test drive.
Service Registry Behind The Scenes – Why We Built It
Nov 14, 2012
Last week we announced the preview availability of Rackspace Service Registry. We want to give our customers some more insight into the Service Registry. This is the first article in a 'Behind the Scenes' series where I will talk in depth about different aspects of this product.
Load Balancing For The Holidays
Nov 14, 2012
Before you deck the halls, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done to make sure that your configuration can handle the surge of holiday traffic. Here, we talk about the benefits of load balancing for the holidays.
Snoox: Recommendations by Friends
Nov 14, 2012
Who else to better recommend a new place or product than your friends? Snoox allows you to get direct recommendations from the people you already trust. This feature alone truly sets it apart from the already crowded space of websites providing reviews and recommendations. Snoox’s platform allows you to endorse your favorite restaurants, books, music,...
A Racker’s Perspective On The SharePoint Conference Keynote
Nov 13, 2012
The keynote presentation at SharePoint Conference 2012 focused heavily on the cloud and on empowerment and enablement. Here's a recap.
Tips For Choosing A Managed Hosting Provider – Part One: Find Out What’s Managed
Nov 13, 2012
In this five-party blog series, we offer tips to help you select a managed hosting provider. In the first installment, we look at finding out what is managed.
Grow Productivity By 50% With A Hosted Social Learning Management System
Nov 13, 2012
A hosted social learning management system (LMS) has the potential to increase productivity by 50 percent.
Overcoming The Cloud Cost Conundrum
Nov 13, 2012
I recently moderated a roundtable that looked at cloud costs. Here are some of the finer points from the discussion and a replay.
Install WordPress On Rackspace Cloud Sites With One Click: Avoid The Hassle And Save Time
Nov 09, 2012
Want to install WordPress blogs and sites quickly and with fewer headaches? Well, you’re in luck. Today, Rackspace is announcing the WordPress installer, a fast and simple way to launch WordPress pages using Rackspace Cloud Sites.
Rackspace Weekly Digest For November 9
Nov 09, 2012
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest we discuss Cloud Expo, our RightScale partnership, the launch of the new Service Registry, prepping for the holidays and much, much more.
What Does The Open Cloud Mean To You?
Nov 08, 2012
While at Cloud Expo in Santa Clara, Calif. this week, Rackspace videographer Jacob Forbis had a chance to ask attendees and some Rackers what the open cloud means to them. He put together their responses in this video.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Insurance Zebra: Compare Car Insurance In Black & White
Nov 08, 2012
Rackspace Startup Program company Insurance Zebra is to car insurance what Kayak is to airline tickets.
Rackspace Partner Academy eLearning: On-Demand Training For Partners
Nov 08, 2012
We want our partners to be experts on our solutions and fully understand the benefits of the Rackspace Partner Program. To do that, we’re launching the Rackspace Partner Academy’s eLearning platform, a powerful training tool that will arm partners with the knowledge to provide their customers with a full suite of open cloud solutions.
Best Practices For Managing Your SaaS Business
Nov 08, 2012
The key performance indicators (KPIs) for managing your SaaS business fall into two primary categories: minimizing the cost of acquiring and supporting customers while maximizing their lifetime value
Why Joomla Is Awesome
Nov 08, 2012
Joomla is awesome, and here are four reasons why.
Effective IT Leaders Must Innovate Or Risk Obsolescence
Nov 07, 2012
IT leaders must become business partners that help organizations become more agile to respond to market demands, and to deliver exceptional customer experiences that maximize value.
A Day In The Life: Rackspace At (Open) Cloud Expo
Nov 07, 2012
In the latest installment of the "Day In The Life" video series, Rackspace producer Dave Sims showcases the Rackspace open cloud at Cloud Expo in Santa Clara, Calif.
Caching For The Holidays
Nov 07, 2012
Before you deck the halls, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done to make sure that your configuration can handle the surge of holiday traffic. Here, we talk about the benefits of caching for the holidays.
SCOTTEVEST: The Geek’s Clothing
Nov 07, 2012
How do you carry all your gadgets when you don’t have enough pockets? Wear one of SCOTTEVEST’s clothing and you’ll find the answer. Scott Jordan, CEO and Co-Founder, applies fashion sense with great materials, colors, and design into clothing that is designed to carry things that keeps your life moving. Originally inspired by photographer and...
An Open Cloud Discussion: John Engates’ Cloud Expo Keynote [VIDEO]
Nov 06, 2012
During his keynote presentation Tuesday at Cloud Expo, Rackspace CTO John Engates posed the question: will you be an open cloud company? Here is video of his full discussion.
Windows In The Cloud: Choose Your Own Configuration
Nov 06, 2012
In the cloud, your Windows server configuration can look any way you want it to look.
Will You Be An Open Cloud Company?
Nov 06, 2012
Cloud computing is now the primary language of how the world communicates. As the cloud becomes a business requirement, it's no longer a question of whether your company will be a cloud company; it's whether your company will be an open cloud company.
Straight Up Startup…Featuring Chad Burgess, Director Of Marketing At SeatGeek
Nov 06, 2012
In this edition of Straight Up Startup, SeatGeek Director of Marketing Chad Burgess provides insight his startup journey.
Book Review: ‘Cloudonomics: The Business Value Of Cloud Computing’
Nov 06, 2012
"Cloudonomics: The Business Value of Cloud Computing" influenced the CloudU chapter on the subject. Here, we look deeper at Joe Weinman's useful book on the subject.
Come See Rackspace At Cloud Expo
Nov 05, 2012
Cloud Expo kicks off today in Santa Clara, Calif. Come see Rackspace experts discuss the open cloud at the keynote presentation Tuesday, at sessions throughout the week and at the booths on the expo floor.
Prepping For The Holidays
Nov 02, 2012
Before you deck the halls, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done to make sure that your configuration can handle the surge of holiday traffic.
Rackspace Weekly Digest For November 2
Nov 02, 2012
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest we discuss the launch of Cloud Networks, prepping for the holidays, SharePoint Tuesdays and much, much more.
ZeroUI: The World’s First Hands-free 3D Modeling Technology
Nov 01, 2012
ZeroUI is the inventor of the World’s first hands-free 3D modeling technology. Our magic allows you to create and interact with 3D shapes using just your hands. At ZeroUI, they make magic happen through hands-free 3D modeling software. The ZeroUI software allows anyone to create and interact with a variety of things in 3D space...
An Introduction To Hybrid Hosting
Nov 01, 2012
This post is part one of a two-part series that examines hybrid hosting, use cases and questions you should ask when considering a hybrid hosting environment.
Delivering A Better User Experience For Customers Across The World
Nov 01, 2012
With Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB) now available at Rackspace, you can offer your customers a better online experience.
Video Streaming The Right Way In Joomla
Nov 01, 2012
How you stream video on your Joomla site depends on how many users will watch the video and how large the files are. Here are some tips for streaming video in Joomla.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: November 2012
Nov 01, 2012
Within the startup movement, there are plenty of events happening globally in November 2012. The Rackspace Startup Program is here to keep you up to date with valuable information on events and happenings inside the global startup community. What follows is a partial list of global startup events complied by the contributors of StartupDigest:
The Benefits Of Windows Server 2012 On The Rackspace Open Cloud [INFOGRAPHIC]
Nov 01, 2012
This infographic looks at the benefits of hosting Microsoft Windows Server 2012 on the Rackspace open cloud.
Open Compute: Collaborating For Hardware Innovation
Oct 31, 2012
Working together in a collaborative environment is necessary to solve some of the most complex problems the hardware industry faces.
SharePoint Tuesday Recap: Episode 11
Oct 31, 2012
In SharePoint Tuesday Episode No. 11, Microsoft MVPs Laura Rogers and John Ross answered questions from participants on a variety of SharePoint subjects. A recording of episode - from October 16 - is now available for download and streaming.
The Journey To The Open Cloud Through The Eyes Of One Very Proud Dad
Oct 31, 2012
In this animated short film Rackspace illustrates the journey to the open cloud through the eyes of a very proud dad.
Windows In The Cloud: The Various Flavors Of Migration
Oct 30, 2012
There are many different ways that you can migrate from an on premise Windows server to the cloud.
Migrate Snapshots To The Rackspace Open Cloud In 1…2…3…Done
Oct 30, 2012
Rackspace snapshot migration eases the move to the open cloud by allowing customers to convert first generation servers to next generation servers.
On Cloud And Disruption
Oct 30, 2012
When talking about the cloud and its disruptive nature, it's important to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.
Cloud Networks: The Next Chapter In The Open Cloud
Oct 30, 2012
Cloud Networks is now available to Rackspace open cloud customers, enabling users to create isolated, multi-tiered networks on Cloud Servers powered by OpenStack.
Soasta: Powerful Testing Accessible to Anyone
Oct 29, 2012
Everyone wants to release the next hot app or bulletproof their website. But until now, it took a unique breed to thoroughly test them and to ensure they’ll perform at scale. That’s because functional and performance testing have traditionally been challenging, complex, costly and time-consuming. SOASTA is driven by a radical idea: Make powerful testing...
Preparing Our Data Centers For Hurricane Sandy
Oct 29, 2012
Hurricane Sandy is poised to pound the mid-Atlantic and Northeast with intense winds and torrential rains that could cause widespread power outages and floods, including in areas where Rackspace operates data centers. Teams have been working round the clock to ensure that our customers’ data remains safe and that they continue to receive the Fanatical Support that they’ve come to expect, even during what many forecasters predict will be a “perfect storm.”
E-Commerce Tip: Optimization Through Configuration
Oct 29, 2012
With the busy holiday season fast approaching, Rackspace has invited some of its e-commerce partners to provide tips on how to prep e-commerce sites for the holiday crunch. Here, Something Digital Director of Software Development Jon Tudhope discusses optimization through configuration.
Rackspace Weekly Digest For October 26
Oct 26, 2012
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest we discuss Cloud Block Storage, the Apple iPad mini launch, a "First Generation" screening and more.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Tinfoil Security: Making Web Security Simple
Oct 25, 2012
Tinfoil Security is a developer-friendly service that lets you scan your website for vulnerabilities and fix them quickly and easily.
Optimize Your Joomla Site To Boost Performance
Oct 25, 2012
Once you have your Joomla site up and running, you should consider optimizing it to streamline the experience to your end users and improve the customer experience.
Taking Elephants To The OpenStack Cloud – A New Initiative With Hortonworks
Oct 25, 2012
Through a strategic relationship, Rackspace and Hortonworks will offer our customers an enterprise-ready Hadoop platform to take the headache out of Big Data implementations.
How To Get Involved With Open Compute
Oct 24, 2012
There are a number of ways to get involved in The Open Compute Project, whether through providing perspectives, requirements and inputs or by open-sourcing attributes of software.
What Developers Think Of OpenStack
Oct 24, 2012
OpenStack's momentum continued last week at OpenStack Summit San Diego. Here, we revisit some of the most meaningful quotes from our 'How I Contribute To OpenStack' blog series.
Apple iPad mini Announcement Drives 4 Million Hits To gdgt
Oct 23, 2012
Once again, a major Apple announcement drove massive traffic to gdgt's live blog. This time, the Cloud Sites customer withstood the barrage of 4 million page views during the iPad mini launch.
Hybrid Configurations: Put Some Of Your Windows Footprint In The Cloud
Oct 23, 2012
Some customers want to just put a portion of their Windows footprint in the cloud. With RackConnect, our customers can split their configurations to have a portion in the cloud and a portion on dedicated gear.
BYOD Is All About Enabling The Organization Of The Future
Oct 23, 2012
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is another component paving the way for the organization of the future.
Cloud Block Storage Now In Unlimited Availability
Oct 23, 2012
Rackspace Cloud Block Storage is now available to all of our customers through Unlimited Availability.
E-Commerce Tip: Pre-Planning For The Holidays
Oct 22, 2012
With the busy holiday season fast approaching, Rackspace has invited some of its e-commerce partners to provide tips on how to prep e-commerce sites for the holiday crunch. Here, AmeriCommerce's David Blount discusses the importance of pre-planning with your hosting provider.
Rackspace Weekly Digest For October 19
Oct 19, 2012
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest we recap the OpenStack Summit, launch two new SDKs, add a certification program for Private Cloud partners and continue to prepare for the online holiday shopping boom.
Remove Bottlenecks And Maximize Cloud ROI Through Automation
Oct 18, 2012
To reap the benefit of the cloud, organizations must put in place operational processes that match the speed of the infrastructure delivery. New tools, like ComodIT, help automate these tasks.
Geographical Redundancy Just Got More Affordable
Oct 18, 2012
Rackspace now offers VM Replication to Rackspace Managed Virtualization (VMware) customers in the U.S. VM Replication allows you to easily replicate selected VMs across Rackspace data centers. It’s a cost-effective DR tool that provides geographical redundancy and helps protect and recover VMs when disaster strikes.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On OpenLearning: Enjoy Teaching And Love Learning
Oct 18, 2012
OpenLearning is a platform that students and teachers can use to create social and collaborative wiki-based courses.
Is Your Site Ready For The Online Holiday Sales Explosion? [Infographic]
Oct 18, 2012
The holiday shopping season is fast approaching, and we surveyed e-retailers to get their thoughts about the upcoming holiday sales boom.
The Importance Of Updating Joomla
Oct 18, 2012
Joomla is constantly improving, and it's important to update your site.
VIDEO: OpenStack Summit Day Three: We’re Hiring
Oct 18, 2012
Rackspace and a host of other OpenStack companies are hiring. In this video, we talk about how OpenStack is driving a hiring revolution.
VIDEO: Troy Toman’s OpenStack Summit Keynote
Oct 17, 2012
At OpenStack Summit San Diego, Troy Toman, Rackspace Senior Director of Engineering for Cloud Compute, took the keynote stage to show how Rackspace built the world's largest open cloud. Here is full video of the keynote presentation.
How Rackspace Built World’s Largest Open Cloud
Oct 17, 2012
Rackspace re-built its public cloud on OpenStack. Let's take a look at how we use OpenStack to power the Rackspace open cloud and how the open cloud has grown since it launched on August 1.
The Relationship Between OpenStack And Open Compute
Oct 17, 2012
There is great synergy between Open Compute and OpenStack: both are communities working to a cloud computing industry that is open and collaborative across the entire solution stack.
VIDEO: OpenStack Summit Day Two: A Look At SDKs
Oct 17, 2012
At OpenStack Summit San Diego this week, Rackspace launched to new SDKs. In this video, Developer Advocate Everett Toews talks more about the SDKs.
Why OpenStack Will Succeed
Oct 17, 2012
At OpenStack Summit San Diego on Tuesday, OpenStack Summit Executive Director Jonathan Bryce laid out three reasons why OpenStack will succeed.
OpenStack Summit Day 2 Recap
Oct 17, 2012
Day two of OpenStack Conference San Diego continued the momentum with big announcements and OpenStack updates. Here's a recap of day two.
Using The Cloud For Test/Dev On Your Windows Servers
Oct 16, 2012
The Rackspace Cloud lets you easily standup test and development servers without hefty costs and other complications.
VIDEO: OpenStack Summit San Diego Day One
Oct 16, 2012
OpenStack Summit Day One is in the books. In this video, Rackspace's Anne Gentle and Ryan Richard talk about how the Summit has evolved and how it brings the community together.
Introducing Repose: The Restful Proxy Service Engine
Oct 16, 2012
Repose is an open-source RESTful HTTP proxy service that scales to the cloud NS provides a solution to common API processing tasks such as rate limiting, client authentication, translation, API validation, versioning and logging so web service developers can focus on the unique features of their services.
Actual Cloud – The One To Chose
Oct 16, 2012
The cloud computing debate should not focus on the question of "real cloud," but of "actual cloud" - a cloud that achieves outcomes.
Rackspace Weekly Digest For October 12
Oct 12, 2012
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest we prepare for the OpenStack Summit, plan for next week's SharePoint Tuesday, launch Windows Server 2012 with SQL Server 2012 on the Rackspace open cloud and more.
Come See Rackspace Experts At OpenStack Summit San Diego
Oct 11, 2012
Rackspace will have a major presence at the OpenStack Summit in San Diego next week. From a keynote presentation to a host of sessions, here's a roundup of where Rackspace's OpenStack experts will be during the summit.
New Rackspace Email Autodiscover Feature Simplifies Outlook Setup
Oct 11, 2012
Autodiscover is now available for Rackspace Email and Exchange Hybrid customers, making it easy to setup Outlook and other email programs.
Email Delivery Guide Part 5: Writing Good Emails And Avoiding Spam Filters
Oct 11, 2012
Sending email is easy, but having it delivered consistently is hard. In this blog series, Rackspace and Mailgun discuss some of the best practices for email deliverability. Here, we talk about how to write good emails that won't get caught in spam filters.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Refactr: A Software Development Shop For Startups
Oct 11, 2012
Refactr is a software development shop that works primarily with startups and the "startup minded" inside larger companies to take its clients ideas from conception to market quickly using the latest technologies and frameworks.
Don’t Get Burned; Back Up Your Joomla Site
Oct 11, 2012
Once you have a Joomla site up and running, backup is an important next step. It's imperative to backup both your web files and your databases in case your site is knocked offline.
Environmental Benefits Of Open Compute
Oct 10, 2012
The Open Compute Project is taking a leadership stance on environmental stewardship. It is working to establish metrics to measure the ratio of power delivered to a facility that is available for servers to consume and also simplifying the servers themselves.
Windows Server 2012 With SQL Server 2012 Now On The Rackspace Open Cloud
Oct 10, 2012
The Rackspace Cloud Servers team has launched new Windows Server 2012 images containing SQL Server 2012 Web and Standard editions for our next generation Cloud Servers customers.
How Windows In The Cloud Can Save You Money
Oct 09, 2012
From eliminating the need to buying dozens of servers to the utility pricing model, hosting Windows servers in the cloud offers a host of cost benefits.
Email Deliverability Guide Part 4: Unsubscribe Handling, Receipt Engagement And Whitelisting
Oct 09, 2012
Sending email is easy, but having it delivered consistently is hard. In this blog series, Rackspace and Mailgun discuss some of the best practices for email deliverability. Here, we talk about unsubscribe handling, receipt engagement and whitelisting.
Straight Up Startup…Featuring Aldo Alvarez, Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO Of Aporta
Oct 09, 2012
In this edition of Straight Up Startup, Aporta co-founder, Chairman and CEO Aldo Alvarez provides insight his startup journey.
Barriers To Entry – Overcoming The Cloud Cost Conundrum
Oct 09, 2012
How do you know what you're spending on the cloud at any given time? Cloudability looks to solve that problem and help cloud users overcome the cloud cost conundrum. In an upcoming webinar, I'll discuss cloud costs and visibility with Cloudability and Zuora.
Prep Your E-Commerce Site For The Holiday Crunch
Oct 08, 2012
The holiday season is fast approaching. Is your e-commerce site ready for the boost in traffic and sales? Here are five tips to ensure your online retail site is ready for the holidays.
Teach A Man To Fish
Oct 08, 2012
The differences between dedicated hosting and cloud hosting are like the differences between standard fishing and fly fishing; one is about managing stability, while the other is about managing fluidity.
Email Deliverability Guide- Managing Lists, Handling Bounces And Spam
Oct 05, 2012
Sending email is easy, but having it delivered consistently is hard. In this blog series, Rackspace and Mailgun discuss some of the best practices for email deliverability. Here, we talk about managing lists, handling bounces and spam complaints.
Rackspace Weekly Digest For October 5
Oct 05, 2012
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest we take another look at patent trolls, prepare for the last three SharePoint Tuesdays of the year, talk email deliverability with Mailgun and much more.
Talk privately using Silent Circle
Oct 04, 2012
https://silentcircle.com/ Very honored to meet crypto expert and legend Phil Zimmerman. He created PGP, Pretty Good Privacy, most widely used email encryption software in the world. But now he’s making it easier to use with Silent Circle. This system lets you talk around the globe completely securely using email, voice call, videoconference, or text messaging...
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Embarkly: The Expedia Of Pet Care
Oct 04, 2012
Embarkly is a Rackspace-powered startup that helps pet owners easily find services for their pets online to gain peace of mind and improve quality of care.
Joomla: What Is It? Who Uses It?
Oct 04, 2012
For businesses looking to put together a professional web presence, Joomla, a free, open-sourced Content Management System (CMS), is a solution that can fit their needs.
Cloud Tech III: An Ops Conference For Ops People
Oct 03, 2012
Rackspace's Wayne Walls will present at Cloud Tech III, an ops conference for ops people, this Saturday. Check out how you can get free tickets.
How Patent Trolls Are Hindering Innovation At Rackspace — And Among Our Customers
Oct 03, 2012
Frivolous patent infringement lawsuits – filed by patent trolls in hopes of a quick financial payoff via settlement – are sapping capital and slowing the pace of innovation and job growth at Rackspace and at the startups and other small and midsized companies that account for many of our customers.
How Rackspace Contributes To Open Compute
Oct 03, 2012
Rackspace is leading the Virtual I/O community within the Open Compute Project, and that's just one of the ways we contribute.
See The Future Of Cloud Networking At Interop
Oct 03, 2012
At Interop New York on Thursday, we'll discuss the future of cloud networking in our presentation "Taking Cloud to the Final Frontier - SDN and Network Virtualization."
Email Deliverability Guide Part 2: IP Addresses, DNS And Authentication
Oct 03, 2012
Sending email is easy, but having it delivered consistently is hard. In this blog series, Rackspace and Mailgun discuss some of the best practices for email deliverability. Here, we talk about IP addresses, DNS and authentication.
Learn The Open Cloud With Rackspace Training For OpenStack
Oct 03, 2012
Rackspace Training for OpenStack puts you in front of Rackspace expects to learn how to use and deploy OpenStack. And we've added a new Rackspace Certification Program for OpenStack and a new Rackspace Certified Training Partner Program.
Vote For The Open Cloud At Interop NYC
Oct 02, 2012
Rackspace and its experts will have a huge presence at Interop New York this week; and Rackspace will hand out shirts and stickers for attendees to show their support for the open cloud.
Techcrunch Disrupt startup: Get Rid of Resumes with Work for Pie
Oct 02, 2012
https://workforpie.com/ helps you build a showcase of your work, which takes less than 10 minutes. This showcase is much better than an old-style resume. Here the founders explain why in our group of startup interviews at Techcrunch Disrupt.W
Logging For Private Cloud Files Containers
Oct 02, 2012
Rackspace Cloud Files now offers Access Log Delivery, a feature that allows users to enable logging for non-CDN enabled containers.
Managing A Windows Server In The Cloud
Oct 02, 2012
How is managing a Windows server different in the cloud? It isn't. It's the same as managing it in an on-premise environment.
Check Out Rackspace’s New DevOps Blog
Sep 28, 2012
Rackspace has a new DevOps blog to arm developers with the meaty technical content they crave: code snippets and samples, best practices, SDKs, technical guidance and more. Here are some recent pieces.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: Friday, September 28
Sep 28, 2012
We helped one customer's site handle 3.2 hits in 25 minutes; launched a pair of new SharePoint 2010 images; created a new technical blog; started a new LinkedIn group for the open cloud; and discussed why cloud computing is green computing ... and that's not all. Here's the Rackspace Weekly Digest for Friday, September 28.
All Access SharePoint Resources: Six Virtual Q&A Recordings With Microsoft MVPs
Sep 28, 2012
SharePoint Tuesday events put you in front of Rackspace's SharePoint experts to ask the questions most important to your business. There are three more SharePoint Tuesdays this year. Sign up now, or check out the previous SharePoint Tuesday events (audio or video).
Join Rackspace In The Open Cloud Revolution On LinkedIn
Sep 27, 2012
The Rackspace open cloud is on LinkedIn! Join the Rackspace open cloud group today to learn more about cloud computing and get insight from the community on open cloud.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On ooomf: Tools For Devs To Create A Loyal User Base
Sep 27, 2012
App discovery, exploration and loyalty are key drivers for ooomf, a Rackspace Startup Program member building out an engagement platform for apps and app makers.
The Truth About SaaS Hosting At Rackspace
Sep 27, 2012
The SaaS market expected to grow exponentially. Here are some of our customers talking about what it's like hosting SaaS apps at Rackspace.
Deploy SharePoint Quickly On The Rackspace Open Cloud
Sep 26, 2012
Rackspace has launched two SharePoint 2010 images in the Cloud Control Panel to make it easier for our customers to deploy SharePoint on the Rackspace open cloud.
Shark Tank Drives 3.2 Million Hits In 25 Minutes To Cloud Sites Customer Villy Custom
Sep 26, 2012
Custom beach cruiser bicycle maker Villy Custom, a Rackspace Cloud Sites customer and Startup Program member, saw a major traffic spike to its web site during an appearance on ABC's Shark Tank. Thanks to Rackspace, the site stayed up and running amid the traffic boom.
Joel Spolsky discusses building company culture at Techcrunch Disrupt
Sep 26, 2012
Joel runs Stack Exchange and Trello and is a famous entrepreneur in New York. He discusses how he builds a great company culture while at Techcrunch Disrupt. Read Joel’s blog on entrepreneurism and programming at http://www.joelonsoftware.com/
Cofounder of Salesforce gives me entreprenueural tips (and talks the future of Salesforce)
Sep 26, 2012
Parker Harris is one of the cofounders of Salesforce, which has 90,000 people at its Dreamforce event this week. Here he talks with me about the future of Salesforce. Why does he know about that? A lot. He’s vice president of technology at Salesforce.
Rackspace Marketing Presents At Dreamforce 2012
Sep 26, 2012
Rackspace showcased its social sales and marketing chops at Salesforce's Dreamforce 2012 conference in San Francisco. Here's insight into the discussion.
The Greenest Computing Is Cloud Computing
Sep 25, 2012
Lately, there's been some confusion around the electricity consumed by cloud data centers. In fact, cloud computing is the greenest form of computing.
How I Contribute To OpenStack: Nebula’s Gabriel Hurley
Sep 25, 2012
We asked some of OpenStack's biggest contributors why they contribute to OpenStack and the open cloud. Here is insight from Nebula's Gabriel Hurley
Straight Up Startup…Featuring Jonathon Ende, CEO Of bizodo
Sep 25, 2012
In this edition of Straight Up Startup, the Rackspace Startup Program gets the low-down from bizodo CEO Jonathon Ende
On Cloud Adoption
Sep 25, 2012
There are several considerations to make when embracing the cloud, but one key thing to remember is that it's often human factors that can act as barriers.
Hybrid Cloud: A True Enterprise Cloud Solution
Sep 24, 2012
Hybrid Clouds and RackConnect are breaking down the barriers to cloud adoption in the enterprise.
How Rackspace Managed Cloud Extends Your IT Team
Sep 21, 2012
With Rackspace Managed Cloud, we can truly be an extension of your IT team.
Rackspace Weekly Digest: Friday, September 21
Sep 21, 2012
This week saw Rackspace take on patent trolls, hand off OpenStack to an independent foundation, launch Windows Server 2012 support and more. Check it out in the Rackspace Weekly Digest.
Three Benefits Of Pod Architecture For SaaS
Sep 20, 2012
We find that pod architecture is a great fit for SaaS applications at Rackspace, especially those that need maximum flexibility to accommodate various user types. Find out what pod architecture is and if it's right for your application.
Cue: Know What’s Next
Sep 20, 2012
Get the most out of your day with Cue. Keep up with work, life, and the daily events you care about. Cue turns the accounts you depend on, like email, contacts and calendar, into an intelligent snapshot of your day. Cue surfaces the right details at the right time, so you’ll always be one step...
Rackspace Startup Program Insider: Dirk Elmendorf On Loving Technology And Startups
Sep 20, 2012
Rackspace co-founder and entrepreneur Dirk Elmendorf talks about what startups mean to Rackspace.
Why Moving To The Cloud Is Not All Or Nothing
Sep 20, 2012
Cloud computing isn't an either/or proposition, but its benefits are too big to ignore.
Container-Based Virtualization And CPU-Intensive Cloud Databases
Sep 19, 2012
Rackspace Cloud Databases uses a container-based virtualization architecture. Check out this short video to learn more.
First Look at Great New Contour Sports Camera
Sep 19, 2012
You’ve seen the new GoPros nearly everywhere. Plus Sony and others are getting into the sports camera business, but don’t miss Contour. It has the best new sports cam on the market. Easiest to use. Best quality. Best wireless features built in. It’s so nice that Apple picked it as its favorite sports cam and...
Reap Wins Two Awards at Techcrunch Disrupt Hackathon and Leads the Way into Contextual Shopping Age
Sep 19, 2012
Srinivasan Sriram, of Reap and his team won two awards at  Techcrunch Disrupt 2012 Hackathon, with his Shopping Sherpa app, and is one of the first users of Qualcomm’s Gimbal SDK, which lets developers add contextual features. So it was very interesting to sit down with Sriram and talk about what his app does and...
Bringing Diversity to Engineering Teams: Code2040
Sep 19, 2012
Here’s an organization actually doing something about the lack of diversity on software engineering teams. Code2040 matches high performing black and latino undergraduate and graduate software engineering students with with San Francisco/Silicon Valley based startups. Amy Quispe, from Carnegie Mellon University’s computer science program, and Laura Weidman Powers, executive director, of Code 2040, talk with...
Deep Look at New Clipboard for iPhone
Sep 19, 2012
Clipboard is a web clipping service with a Pinterest-style layout. We find it very useful for gathering things on the Web. Now it’s coming to mobile and founder Gary Flake shows it to us at Techcrunch Disrupt. Get it at https://clipboard.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/clipboard Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Clipboard Crunchbase: http://www.crunchbase.com/company/clipboard
An Open Letter To The OpenStack Community
Sep 19, 2012
As Rackspace hands OpenStack off to the independent OpenStack Foundation, here are things the community should consider as we begin the next chapter for OpenStack and the open cloud.
Patent Trolls: Make Them Pay!
Sep 18, 2012
Rackspace has been subjected to yet another patent lawsuit by a patent troll seeking a settlement. Patent laws need to be fixed and patent trolls need to be forced into extinction.
RackConnect Updates!
Sep 18, 2012
There have been some updates to RackConnect, including a new Knowledge Center, automated Cloud Server load balancing and an API.
How I Contribute To OpenStack: Intel’s Zhongyue Luo
Sep 18, 2012
We asked some of OpenStack's biggest contributors why they contribute to OpenStack and the open cloud. Here is insight from Intel's Zhongyue Luo.
Open Discussions On Open Cloud
Sep 18, 2012
There is a lot of talk around the open cloud. And in this video, Ben Kepes discusses it with two key cloud players.
blekko: Introducing ROCKZi, News Content that Matters to You Most
Sep 13, 2012
blekko is a search company founded by Rich Skrenta and his core team from previous company Topix and Netscape’s Open Directory. blekko is a better way to get spam-free search by using slashtags, which search only the sites you want and cut out spam. Create your own slashtags or collaborate with friends and experts for...
Is Failure An Option For Your Website?
Sep 13, 2012
Like a professional property management firm, Critical Application Services combine a suite of tools and actions to help websites put their best face forward, remain operational, and stay open for business. Learn more about the suite of services that make up the Critical Application Services offering.
Get Ready For The Houston Cleanweb Hackathon
Sep 13, 2012
The Houston Cleanweb Hackathon - a weekend event to accelerate the innovation and commercialization of cleanwep applications are raise awareness of the growing cleantech trend, will take place September 21 through September 23 at Rice University's Duncan Hall.
Rackspace Powers gdgt, Handles 55 Million Page Requests for iPhone 5 Event
Sep 12, 2012
Rackspace helped power gdgt's Live Blog of the iPhone 5 event, serving over 55 million page requests.
Seeing Fanatical Support In Action
Sep 12, 2012
Rackspace customer Vanilla Forums recently visited Rackspace's San Antonio headquarters. Here is Vanilla's Director of Infrastructure and DevOps Tim Gunter's recap of the visit.
Use Cases For Cloud Databases
Sep 12, 2012
There are some interesting use cases for Rackspace Cloud Databases. Here, we talk about some of them.
gdgt.com: Spotlights the Best Stuff in Consumer Electronics
Sep 12, 2012
gdgt.com (pronounced “gadget”) is the best place to get reviews and product information about consumer electronics from people who actually know. “We are in the space not to tell you everything that is happening with up to the moment news coverage of consumer electronics and personal technology, but what’s the best stuff to buy and...
Rackspace Open Sources Atom Nuke, The Fast Atom Framework
Sep 11, 2012
Rackspace has open-sourced Atom Nuke to simplify management of large collections of Atom feeds and other data.
How I Contribute To OpenStack: Hastexo’s Florian Haas
Sep 11, 2012
We asked some of OpenStack's biggest contributors why they contribute to OpenStack and the open cloud. Here is insight from hastexo's Florian Haas..
Straight Up Startup…Featuring Eli Rosenberg, COO & Co-Founder Of Food Genius
Sep 11, 2012
In this edition of Straight Up Startup, the Rackspace Startup Program gets the low-down from Food Genius COO and Co-Founder Eli Roseberg.
Take The Open Cloud For A Test Drive!
Sep 11, 2012
When we launched OpenStack with NASA just over two years ago, we knew we were onto something. We wanted to create an open-source cloud operating system upon which businesses could power their cloud environments, without getting locked into one provider. That was a bold and aggressive goal. We were aiming for the stars. But here...
Private Clouds Must Be Agile
Sep 11, 2012
The public cloud vs. private cloud debate rages on, but one thing is clear: private cloud is a viable cloud option.
Building A Hybrid Cloud With RackConnect
Sep 10, 2012
Everyone has their own definition of hybrid cloud, so instead of defining it, we help you use it RackConnect.
Rackspace Marketing Presents at IBM Smarter Commerce Global Summit 2012
Sep 07, 2012
Earlier this week, I was invited to present at the IBM Smarter Commerce Global Summit in Orlando, FL. The theme of the presentation was to discuss how Rackspace is leveraging innovative online analytics technologies and methodologies for digital marketing success. Here are the slides and the video from the presentation. Rackspace Digital Analytics Success Story from Rackspace Hosting
Rackspace Weekly Digest: Friday, September 7
Sep 07, 2012
Another big week here at Rackspace. This weekly digest looks at startup events, Cloud Backup's launch, the acquisition of Mailgun, Windows Server 2012 and more.
The Benefits Of Managed Virtualization At Rackspace: Webinar
Sep 06, 2012
We held a webinar this week looking at the benefits of Managed Virtualization at Rackspace. Here, you can view the full presentation.
Making Sense Of NoSQL And Big Data Amidst High Expectations
Sep 06, 2012
NoSQL and Big Data are hot topics and the expectations for both are high. But there are still some challenges that need to be overcome and some considerations to make before taking the plunge.
ionGrid: Secure Mobile Access and Comprehensive Documentation Protection
Sep 06, 2012
ionGrid Nexus offers secure mobile access to corporate file repositories and reliable interaction with documents to simultaneously address the needs of enterprise end users and IT. Simple to install over corporate networks, Nexus offers comprehensive mobile document protection that ensures IT security policies and access controls are preserved at the file level and eliminates the...
Is Your SaaS Environment Geared For Consistency?
Sep 06, 2012
Regardless of the number of servers you have, maintaining consistency in your hardware and how you name it is essential to supporting scale and running an efficient IT operation. Your gear should be consistent in the following areas:
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Smallknot: Funding & Engagement For Independent Local Businesses
Sep 06, 2012
Rackspace Startup Program company Smallknot offers a funding and engagement platform that lets investors help out independent local businesses in exchange for goods, services and other perks.
SharePoint 2013: What’s New? What’s Gone? What’s Next?
Sep 05, 2012
Microsoft announced SharePoint 2013 this summer, which sent Racskpace's SharePoint team into overdrive. Here are some highlights of SharePoint 2013 from Rackspace's own SharePoint experts.
Cloud Databases And Its API
Sep 05, 2012
Using the Cloud Control Panel to manage your Cloud Databases is great for scenarios where your application has only a few databases or you don’t have a lot of automation needs. But what if you are responsible for tens or hundreds of databases? Maybe it’s because you manage them on behalf of your customers or...
Cloud Files Adds Multi Region Support
Sep 05, 2012
Rackspace Cloud Files now offers multi region support, which gives our customers the ability to choose in which U.S. dataIf you have customers around the world, don’t forget you can always deliver your content rapidly with Akamai’s Content Delivery Network (CDN) which caches content at global edge locations saving users time as the requested content is received from within the region instead of coming from the origin server in Dallas or Chicago.center they story content - Dallas (DFW) or Chicago (ORD).
How I Contribute To OpenStack: NeCTAR’s Tom Fifield
Sep 04, 2012
We asked some of OpenStack's biggest contributors why they contribute to OpenStack and the open cloud. Here is insight from NeCTAR's Tom Fifield.
Windows Server 2012 Coming Soon To The Rackspace Open Cloud!
Sep 04, 2012
Microsoft on Tuesday launched Windows Server 2012 and we're working to support it with our cloud offerings, including Cloud Servers and Cloud Sites, to make it easier for our customers to leverage the Rackspace open cloud.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: September 2012
Sep 04, 2012
September is a big month for the startup movement, with events in most major cities to help startups ramp up. Here's a roundup of startup events thanks to StartupDigest.
Inkling: Bringing O’Reilly Books to iPads, iPhones and the Web
Sep 04, 2012
Inkling brings the world’s best learning content to the iPad, iPhone and the web with interactivity, social collaboration and simple ease-of-use. No more heavy, expensive textbooks to carry around campus. Inkling textbooks are more interactive, more flexible and cheaper. It’s an entirely new way to learn. “We have a partnership with O’Reilly that builds the...
Rackspace Austin Honored For Environmental Efforts
Aug 31, 2012
The Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce has presented Rackspace's Austin office a 2012 Greater Austin Business Award in the "Environment" category, recognizing Rackspace Austin for its commitment to the environment and sustainability.
Jaspersoft: Global Business Intelligence Software
Aug 31, 2012
Jaspersoft provides the most flexible, cost effective and widely deployed Business Intelligence (BI) suite in the world, enabling better decision-making through highly interactive reports, dashboards and analytics. By leading in support for Cloud, big data, and mobile deployments, Jaspersoft helps its customers deliver on the promise of self-service BI at scale. “We’ve cleverly used the...
A Quick Walkthrough Of The Rackspace Managed Virtualization Customer Portal
Aug 30, 2012
Here are four short videos to give you an over view of using the Rackspace Managed Virtualization Customer Portal.
A Conversation On Open Cloud – Google+ Hangout
Aug 30, 2012
Diversity Limited's Ben Kepes will host a Google+ Hangout Wednesday, Sept. 12 at 11 a.m. PST to discuss the open cloud. Joining him will be Rackspace cloud founder Jonathan Bryce and Rishidot Research's Krishnan Subramanian.
Cloud Founders: With OpenStack And Open Compute, It’s Open From ‘Dirt To Data’
Aug 30, 2012
The Open Compute Project opens up the physical hardware and infrastructure needed to run datacenters. That, coupled with OpenStack open source software paves the way for openness from "dirt to data."
Grow Or Add? SaaS Application Scaling Basics
Aug 30, 2012
Scaling a SaaS app can be a headache, and deciding whether you scale horizontally or vertically can be a challenge. Here we look at both and talk about how SaaS application hosting can eliminate some of the hassle.
Rackspace Cloud Backup: Be Ready For The Unexpected
Aug 30, 2012
Rackspace Cloud Backup protects you from the unexpected - hard drive failure, lost files and more - with backup and restore capabilities. Today, Cloud Backup is generally available to all Cloud Servers customers.
SA New Tech: Increasing Your Awareness Of What’s Possible
Aug 30, 2012
The SA New Tech meetup will bring together a community of likeminded people in San Antonio to get a glimpse of the latest and greatest technology upstarts in their own backyards.
NewTek: Video Production for the Rest of Us Arrives with New TriCaster 40
Aug 30, 2012
Leo Laporte uses a NewTek TriCaster to produce the video shows on the TWiT.tv network. So do many professional video producers, TV stations, etc. But getting a TriCaster usually costs more than $20,000. Way out of the range of many companies that might need to do occasional videos. But here NewTek is bringing a new...
How We Did It: Cloud Databases And Storage
Aug 29, 2012
Rackspace Cloud Databases uses a container-based virtualization architecture, which improves IO performance for your databases.
Rackspace Cloud Sites: What’s New, What’s To Come
Aug 29, 2012
We're adding a host of new features and making several changes and updates to Rackspace Cloud Sites in coming months. Here, we take a look at what we've done so far and what's to come into next year.
How I Contribute To OpenStack: Internap’s Armando Migliaccio
Aug 28, 2012
We asked some of OpenStack's biggest contributors why they contribute to OpenStack and the open cloud. Here is insight from Internap's Armando Migliaccio.
Straight Up Startup…Featuring Matthew Blackshaw, Co-Founder Of Peddl
Aug 28, 2012
Straight Up Startup is a new feature brought to you by the Rackspace Startup Program in which we interview entrepreneurs and upstarts to get their insight on starting a business. Here, startups give  you straight up insight on lessons learned, challenges and wins along the timeline of building a business. Matthew Blackshaw is Co-founder of...
Software Is Eating The World, And APIs Are The Fuel For That
Aug 28, 2012
Enterprises should think about their API requirements sooner rather than later, as the API is the glue of the cloud.
We Are Acquiring Mailgun
Aug 28, 2012
Rackspace is acquiring Mailgun, a developer-focused mail-as-a-service company that helps developers integrate email sending and receiving capabilities into their websites and applications.
Rackspace Private Cloud Is OPEN!
Aug 27, 2012
Since we launched Rackspace Private Cloud Software earlier this month, we've had a lot of questions. Here, we answer them.
Rackspace Weekly Digest For August 27
Aug 27, 2012
From Cloud Monitoring and a new Australian data center, to SharePoint webinars and a Cloud Servers deployed via BLT, it's been a heck of a week. Here's the Rackspace Weekly Digest for August 27.
Prescription For SharePoint Migration Migraines
Aug 27, 2012
Migrating from on-premise SharePoint to a SharePoint service provider can be tough, but following these tips can help avoid migration migraines.
Bacon, Lettuce And Cloud: Spinning Up A Tasty Cloud Server [VIDEO]
Aug 24, 2012
How easy is it to spin up a Rackspace Cloud Server powered by OpenStack? Using the Makey Makey, I was able to spin up a Cloud Server using the delicious ingredients of a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich.
Burner Builds Something Hot On The Rackspace Cloud
Aug 23, 2012
Ad Hoc Labs has leveraged the Rackspace Cloud to launch Burner, a new app that provides users temporary phone numbers that can be launched and discarded, or burned, to protect privacy and, in one case, track down a suspected bike thief.
Cloud Founders: How To Get Involved With OpenStack
Aug 23, 2012
There are a lot of ways to get involved with OpenStack. In this video, Cloud Founder Jonathan Bryce talks about some of the ways to become part of the community.
SharePoint 2013: Week Of Webinars Starts Monday, Aug. 27
Aug 23, 2012
Now that SharePoint 2013 is in beta, the Rackspace SharePoint team will host a number of webinars to dig into the latest SharePoint release.
What Does An Open Cloud Mean For The SaaS Model?
Aug 23, 2012
SaaS and the cloud owe a great deal to open source, and open cloud projects like OpenStack will further influence the SaaS model.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Notesolution: Studying Smarter With Shared Notes
Aug 23, 2012
Rackspace Startup Program member Notesolution is turning classroom note taking into a full-fledged knowledge exchange community to bring students together and help them learn.
Rackspace Comes to Australia…And Brings Our OpenStack Solution Too!
Aug 23, 2012
With Rackspace opening a data center in Sydney, Australia, this week, that gives our Australian customers several ways to leverage the OpenStack-powered Rackspace Private Cloud..
Fanatical Support And Cloud Databases
Aug 22, 2012
A few days ago we told you about the Unlimited Availability of Cloud Databases. Since then, we have talked with many of you about what you like about the service and what you would like to see added. One thing that we consistently hear about from current users is the different levels of support we...
Monitor Any Cloud Or Web Infrastructure With New Rackspace Cloud Monitoring – Now In Unlimited Availability
Aug 22, 2012
Rackspace Cloud Monitoring, the latest piece of the Rackspace open cloud, lets our customers monitor all IT infrastructure from a single interface, regardless of vendor or location.
Open Cloud Computing: Why Go Open? [Infographic]
Aug 22, 2012
Take a look at why we opted to go open with the largest production cloud built on OpenStack technologies and the impact of other popular projects built on open principles.
Job Seekers Rank Rackspace Among The Toughest Interviewers
Aug 21, 2012
Rackspace has been ranked among the 25 toughest companies for job interviewees, a sign that our rapid growth has not changed our demand for new hires who are a great fit for our unique company and culture.
How I Contribute To OpenStack: DreamHost’s Doug Hellmann
Aug 21, 2012
We asked some of OpenStack's biggest contributors why they contribute to OpenStack and the open cloud. Here is insight from DreamHost's Doug Hellmann.
Rethinking IT As An Enabler, Not A Blocker
Aug 21, 2012
The battle between IT and the business has made shadow IT a reality, but there is a middle ground that can help IT better enable the business.
Drobo: Small Box, Big Storage
Aug 21, 2012
Drobo make award winning data storage products for small and medium businesses and professionals that provide an unprecedented combination of sophisticated management and data protection features, affordable capacity and ease of use. “Drobo is a storage enclosure,” explains Mario Blandini, VP of Marketing with Drobo. “You put your hard drives into it. It makes all...
Rackspace Weekly Digest For August 20: Private Cloud Software, SharePoint Tuesday, More
Aug 20, 2012
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest we look at the Alamo Private Cloud Software, Critical Application Services, SharePoint Tuesday and more.
There’s An App (Service) For That With Rackspace Critical Application Services
Aug 20, 2012
Rackspace today launched Critical Application Services, enabling us to deliver Fanatical Support at the application layer.
Infochimps Tackles Big Data In The Rackspace Open Cloud
Aug 17, 2012
Infochimps' cloud big data platform requires flexibility and scalability, and it's excited about OpenStack and the Rackspace open cloud.
Cloud Confidence: Is Off-Premise Right For Your SMB?
Aug 17, 2012
Is an off-premise cloud solution right for your SMB? There are some factors to take into consideration.
The Open Cloud: Developing In The Open
Aug 16, 2012
Rackspace relied on the OpenStack community as it developed the core of its infrastructure products that would make up the Rackspace open cloud.
Cloud Founders: OpenStack Is Exciting To Rackspace Because…
Aug 16, 2012
In this video, Rackspace Cloud Founder Todd Morey discusses why OpenStack and the open cloud are so exciting to Rackspace.
The Power Of Cloud Storage
Aug 16, 2012
Object storage technology is an unsung hero in cloud storage, and in this post Rackspace Cloud Tools partner Maldivica discusses the power of cloud storage.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Psykosoft: One Crazy Software Factory
Aug 16, 2012
Check out how Rackspace Startup Program member Psykosoft is leveraging the Rackspace cloud for its crazy software offerings.
Stipple: Liven Up Content within Images
Aug 16, 2012
Stipple is an in-picture labeling tool that allows publishers to label and share any person, place or thing in the photos on their site. Stipple allows brands, marketers and advertisers to have a conversation with their audience via images. When a user is looking at an image on the web, their interest level is at...
Stand Up And Run A Rackspace Private Cloud In Less Than An Hour…For Free
Aug 15, 2012
Rackspace is making it fast and easy to deploy an OpenStack-powered private cloud anywhere with Rackspace Private Cloud Software (code-named "Alamo") a free software that enables customers to download, install and start running an OpenStack-based private cloud in their own data center or in ours.
How I Contribute To OpenStack: SolidFire’s John Griffith
Aug 14, 2012
We asked some of OpenStack's biggest contributors why they contribute to OpenStack and the open cloud. Here is insight from SolidFire's John Griffith.
Technology Democratization In Action
Aug 14, 2012
Technology has become democratized and it's allowing smaller organizations to "punch above their weight." In this post, I'll share examples.
Couchbase: Simple, Fast, Elastic NoSQL Database
Aug 14, 2012
Couchbase is a privately held company funded by Accel Partners, Ignition Partners, Mayfield Fund and North Bridge Venture Partners. It’s the simple, fast, elastic NoSQL database technology for interactive web applications. Couchbase is the NoSQL database market share leader, with production deployments at AOL, Deutsche Post, NTT Docomo, Salesforce.com, Turner Broadcasting Systems, Zynga and hundreds...
Straight Up Startup…Featuring Rami Essaid, CEO And Co-founder Of Distil Inc.
Aug 14, 2012
Rami Essaid, CEO and co-founder of Distil, a Rackspace Startup Program member, gives it to you straight up in this Q&A about the ins and outs of starting a business.
How We’re Different
Aug 13, 2012
On CNBC's Squawk Box this morning, co-anchor Andrew Ross Sorkin asked me what differentiates Rackspace from our competition in the cloud. Here's how we're different.
Rackspace Weekly Digest For August 13
Aug 13, 2012
Rackspace gets SaaS-y, becomes the open cloud compnay and puts developers in the spotlight in this installment of the Rackspace Weekly Digest for August 13.
Navigating The Various Versions Of MySQL
Aug 13, 2012
There are many MySQL versions. Here, we drill into what the various versions are and shed some light on them for anyone who has worked with MySQL and LAMP environments.
Designing A Hosting Platform Around High Availability, Low Cost
Aug 13, 2012
When Vanilla Forums built out its hosting platform and switched to SaaS, it turned to Rackspace for high availability and low cost, because downtime was not an option.
From Input To Exhaust, Our Cloud Is Open
Aug 09, 2012
Rackspace believes in the open cloud and OpenStack so much that every bit of what we do to run our public facing open cloud is built on open sourced software.
Cloud Founders: The Importance Of OpenStack
Aug 09, 2012
The Rackspace Cloud Founders talk about why OpenStack is so important and how it lead to the open cloud.
8 Things To Consider When Moving Your SaaS Model To The Cloud
Aug 09, 2012
There are a lot of considerations when moving your Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model to the cloud; here are eight things to pay attention to.
Tracour: Track Rumors, Projections and Speculation
Aug 09, 2012
There’s a copious amount of raw information on the Internet and deciphering the signal from the noise is not a simple task. Tracour, powered by a custom built Honesty Engine, is a database and statistics tool to track rumors, projections and speculation to help identify quality sources of information. ? “Tracour was a graduate school...
The Open Cloud Company: A Day In The Life [Video]
Aug 09, 2012
Two years ago, Rackspace made the massive commitment to be the open alternative in cloud computing. That vision is now a reality. Last week, Rackspace officially launched the open cloud, a suite of cloud solutions built on the OpenStack cloud platform that Rackspace founded. Additionally, Rackspace has made it official that Rackspace is the open...
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On VipeCloud: Video Customer Engagement
Aug 09, 2012
VipeCloud is helping business engage customers using video, and the Rackspace Startup Program is aiding them in this mission.
ScaleXtreme: Rackspace Open Cloud Delivers Choice, Independence [VIDEO]
Aug 08, 2012
ScaleXtreme offers monitoring and management software that integrates internal servers and Rackspace servers in a single pane view. As CEO and Co-Founder Nand Mulchandani pointed out, in ScaleXtreme’s software Rackspace servers look no different than internal servers, which gives the customers comfort and visibility while letting them control their servers in the same way. Mulchandani...
How I Contribute To OpenStack: Red Hat’s Mark McLoughlin
Aug 07, 2012
We asked some of OpenStack's biggest contributors why they contribute to OpenStack and the open cloud. Here is insight from Red Hat's Mark McLoughlin
Keeping Safe In The Cloud
Aug 07, 2012
After a pair of high profile security breaches, here are some tips to staying secure in the cloud.
Rackspace: The Open Cloud Company
Aug 07, 2012
Rackspace is now "the open cloud company," a brand enhancement that illustrates our commitment to open source software and OpenStack as we deliver the Rackspace open cloud to our customers.
The Rackspace Open Cloud: What’s In It For Developers?
Aug 07, 2012
The Rackspace open cloud powered by OpenStack gives developers a head-start by offering an early look at the code and the ability to influence the direction of cloud products, and it's done in a community environment.
Elastic Intelligence: Reporting and Analytics Tools for End Users
Aug 07, 2012
Elastic Intelligence provides various reporting and analytics tools to SaaS providers and end users. It offers Demand Reports, a reporting solution that enables SaaS application providers to offers custom reporting capabilities to their users; Connection Cloud, the first and only real-time SQL-based data connection Platform-as-a-Service for connecting to your SaaS data for reporting, BI and...
Rackspace Cloud Databases Is Ready For Your Apps (And Free Until September)
Aug 06, 2012
Rackspace Cloud Databases is now in Unlimited Availability/General Availability and customers can start using it today - plus, it's free until September. Here's a deeper look at Rackspace Cloud Databases.
Rackspace Weekly Digest For August 6
Aug 06, 2012
This week's Rackspace Weekly Digest digs into the Rackspace open cloud, SharePoint Tuesday, customer stories and startups.
SnapPages: Rackspace Cloud Databases A ‘Huge Advantage’
Aug 06, 2012
SnapPages, a Rackspace open cloud customer, is using Cloud Databases to avoid the typical headaches of having to buy, configure and size a server.
Cloud Files Enhances Scale And Security Of Our Content Delivery Network (CDN)
Aug 03, 2012
To enhance the scale and security of Rackspace Cloud Files and CDN products, Cloud Files will change the format of our CDN URLs. However, all existing CDN URLs will continue to function as normal even after the change is made.
Cool Features In The New Rackspace Cloud Control Panel
Aug 03, 2012
The new Rackspace Cloud Control Panel is the interface to the Rackspace open cloud. It adds a number of cool, new features. Here, we discuss some of them.
Why Rackspace Runs A Cloud Within A Cloud
Aug 02, 2012
When Rackspace was deploying OpenStack, the company decided to use the cloud like our customers do and to do that we deployed a cloud within a cloud.
SOASTA: Speedily Spinning Up Thousands Of Servers On The Rackspace Open Cloud [Video]
Aug 02, 2012
Cloud-based web and mobile testing upstart SOASTA needs to be able to spin up hundreds, sometimes thousands, of servers quickly. Here, SOASTA discusses how the Rackspace open cloud and Cloud Servers powered by OpenStack help them do just that.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Picbound: Personalized Photo Books Made Simple
Aug 02, 2012
Rackspace Startup Program member Picbound turned to the the Rackspace Cloud for it's SaaS-based photo book making offering.
STBI and Rackspace UK’s Fabio Torlini
Aug 02, 2012
Robert Scoble visits with Rackspace UK’s Vice President of International Maketing, Fabio Torlini to talk about the impact of Rackspace’s international marketing efforts on the streets. Fabio Torlini on Twitter: https://twitter.com/torlini Fabio Torlini on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabio.torlini.5 Fabio Torlini on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/fabio-torlini/0/704/b91
A New, Open Era For The Rackspace Cloud
Aug 02, 2012
This is a new, open era for the Rackspace Cloud. The Rackspace Cloud is now on OpenStack, offering customers choice and control in an open environment that fuels innovation. And we're just getting started.
BambooHR Leverages Rackspace Open Cloud For Flexibility, Versatility
Aug 01, 2012
Rackspace open cloud customer BambooHR uses Cloud Servers powered by OpenStack and the new Cloud Control Panel. BambooHR said the Rackspace open cloud resembles the plant upon which it based its company name: like bamboo, it’s flexible, beautiful and strong; and also highly efficient and extremely versatile.
The Rackspace Open Cloud: Better, Faster, More Affordable
Aug 01, 2012
The Rackspace Cloud now runs on OpenStack, giving customers more control and choice over their cloud environments through an open cloud ecosystem backed by our trademark Fanatical Support. To ring in the open cloud era, Cloud Servers powered by OpenStack, Cloud Databases and the Cloud Control Panel are now available for customers to use.
C-SOA Boosts Agility, Innovation
Jul 31, 2012
Cloud Service Oriented Architecture: A Composite Model for Realizing Higher Order Of Agility The previous post on Cloud Service Oriented Architecture (C-SOA) discussed what’s required to achieve a high level of agility in the enterprise. The net result of extending SOA architecture principles beyond the enterprise firewall to leverage cloud resources (C-SOA) will be very...
Pogoplug: Secure & Private Cloud Storage Solutions
Jul 31, 2012
Pogoplug provides secure and private cloud storage solutions. Pogoplug PC runs on any computer and makes its content accessible and sharable from anywhere. For users who want to access and share content without relying on a PC, Pogoplug sells devices that bring the contents of any attached hard drive, SD card or thumb drive online....
Straight Up Startup…Featuring Heddi Cundle, Big Cheese At myTab.co
Jul 31, 2012
In this edition of Straight Up Startup, the Rackspace Startup Program gets insight from myTab.co founder Heddi Cundle.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: August 2012
Jul 31, 2012
There are a host of startup events scheduled around the globe this August. Here's a listing, courtesy of the Rackspace Startup Program and StartupDigest.
Rackspace Cloud Block Storage: Making Progress Towards A Fall Release
Jul 30, 2012
Rackspace Cloud Block Storage is part of our next generation Rackspace Cloud and is now in Preview testing. We have received a huge amount of interest and several questions on this offering so we want to give some additional details. Two Flavors To Pick From Rackspace Cloud Block Storage has been designed to serve two...
Rackspace Weekly Digest For July 30
Jul 30, 2012
In this edition of the Rackspace Weekly Digest we look at new operating system support in Cloud Servers, a return to customer service and one Racker's baseball tour.
Rackspace Cloud Servers Now Support CentOS 6.3, FreeBSD 9
Jul 27, 2012
Rackspace Cloud Servers supports two new operating systems, CentOS 6.3 and FreeBSD 9.
Rackspace Wins 2012 F5 Agility Award
Jul 27, 2012
F5 Networks has awarded Rackspace a 2012 F5 Agility Award, recognizing the creativity, value and innovation of RackConnect and its use of F5 application delivery solutions.
With Rackspace Cloud Sites Miles Ain’t Nothing But A Number!
Jul 26, 2012
UK-based Rackspace customer Kevin Woodberry discusses his experience with Cloud Sites and with Fanatical Support.
Worry About Your SaaS, Not Your IaaS
Jul 26, 2012
SaaS vendors should focus on their solutions and let their IaaS provider satisfy their service delivery needs.
DreamStake: Online Platform for Digital Entrepreneurs
Jul 26, 2012
DreamStake, founded in London in 2010, is an online platform providing peer-to-peer support to high growth potential startups. The company has 6,500 members on the platform, provides access to co-working space and holds regular events. It’s an online network to help you build great startups and get funded! “We’re an online platform for digital entrepreneurs,”...
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Outlisten: Disrupting The Live Music Scene
Jul 26, 2012
Rackspace Startup Program member Outlisten is looking to change how live music footage is shared and consumed to enhance the live show experience.
Guarding Against Cloud Silos With C-SOA
Jul 24, 2012
Cloud Service Oriented Architecture (C-SOA) can protect against cloud silos and drive business value. Here, we dive into what C-SOA is and its benefits.
Racker Embarks On Le Tour De Baseball: 15 Games, 45 Days, 9,300 Miles
Jul 24, 2012
Racker Grant Herbon is using his sabbatical to travel the country to hit Major League Baseball games in 45 days, while also raising money for Windcrest Little League.
Glomper: Share Life Activities with Friends
Jul 24, 2012
Glomper is based in San Francisco and designed to help you easily find out what your friends and people nearby are up to, involve into their activities and share your own. Let people know where you’re going, or find out who’s already there through check-ins and the ability to RSVP. Flexible privacy means you can...
Cloud – It’s About Flexibility
Jul 24, 2012
The cloud is about flexibility and meeting business needs.
Rackspace Weekly Digest For July 23
Jul 23, 2012
The Rackspace Weekly Digest is the place to get brought up to speed on recent and upcoming happenings at Rackspace and news that you may have missed. Cloud Tools Partners Embrace Open Cloud The enhanced Rackspace Cloud Tools Marketplace launched last week with a host of cloud solution providers joining the open cloud revolution. Several...
SharePoint Tuesday Recap: Episode 6
Jul 23, 2012
Here's a recap of SharePoint Tuesday Episode 6 in which Rackspace SharePoint MVP Laura Rogers answer your tough SharePoint questions.
Empowering The Customer Through Fanatical Support On The Open Cloud
Jul 23, 2012
With Fanatical Support on the Open Cloud, Rackspace is putting the customer back in the driver's seat by adhering to the values that originally fueled the growth of the Silicon Valley and the high-tech industry.
OpenStack Founders Reflect On Past Two Years, Look To Open Cloud Future [Video]
Jul 19, 2012
In celebration of OpenStack’s second birthday, Rackspace Cloud Builders General Manager and OpenStack Founder Jim Curry and Rackspace Producer and Video Storyteller Dave Sims took to the streets – well, the Rackspace hallways — to interview and film the founders of OpenStack, the open source cloud operating system. In this video, Rackers who were on...
Happy 2nd Birthday, OpenStack! A Look At Two Years Of Growth [Infographic]
Jul 19, 2012
Today, OpenStack turns 2 years old. Here's a look at the Rackspace-founded open source cloud operating system and some of the major milestones from it's first two years.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Verelo: Making Site Downtime A Thing Of The Past
Jul 19, 2012
Rackspace Startup Program member Velero offers monitoring to ensure that your site runs smoothly and that malware and downtime are things of the past.
Cloud Tools Solution Providers Help Power The Open Rackspace Cloud
Jul 18, 2012
Several cloud solution providers have joined Rackspace on the open cloud through the Rackspace Cloud Tools program. The Cloud Tools Marketplace offers an application storefront and single web-portal for third-party applications that support the open Rackspace Cloud.
Rackspace SharePoint Team Gets Early Look At Microsoft Office 2013
Jul 18, 2012
The Rackspace SharePoint team this week was in San Francisco to attend the Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's launch of Office 2013 and the newest version of Office 365.
Clustrix: The Leader in NewSQL Databases
Jul 18, 2012
Clustrix is the leader in NewSQL databases for transactional big-data applications. It enables fast-growing online businesses to rapidly scale to unlimited users, transactions and data, with no database sharding and full ACID compliance. Clustrix offers a radically simple yet powerful distributed database solution in the form of a MySQL-compatible appliance. “There are multiple types of...
How To Add Extra Users To Your Rackspace Cloud Account With The Identity API
Jul 17, 2012
In this post, you'll learn how to add additional users to your Rackspace Cloud account using the Identity API.
Rackspace Cloud Files: How To Upload Very Large Objects
Jul 17, 2012
We frequently update our products, and Cloud Files is no exception. In this series of technical posts, we’ll dig into how developers using the Cloud Files API can leverage new capabilities in Rackspace Cloud Files. If you need to store very large files (e.g. videos, HD movies or backups), Cloud Files accomplishes this by allowing...
Rackspace Weekly Digest For July 16
Jul 16, 2012
Things move pretty quickly at Rackspace. Here's a weekly roundup of news and happenings you may have missed or are coming up this week.
Rackspace SharePoint Team Reporting Live From Microsoft Press Event
Jul 16, 2012
Rackspace's SharePoint team will be reporting live from an invite-only Microsoft press event today (Monday) where Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is expected to announce some exciting news.
STBI and Rackspace UK’s Emma Boyle
Jul 16, 2012
Robert Scoble visits with Rackspace UK’s Online Marketing Manager, Emma Boyle to talk about social media and its impact on online marketing. Emma Boyle on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ladyblaablaa Emma Boyle on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emma.boyle.146 Emma Boyle on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/emmaeboyle
Bizantra: The Complete Small Business Management System
Jul 13, 2012
Bizantra is the complete startup and small business management system. In one app you have all the essential management tools to run your business successfully. Bizantra features finance management, contact management, order management, instant team working and sharing, and employee records. Good management drives success, and Bizantra does it all online and offline, simply, securely...
Upcoming Webinar: SharePoint Development In The Cloud
Jul 12, 2012
On July 18, Rackspace will hold the first of three webinars that demonstrate setting up the perfect development environment in the cloud. The webinar will dive into setting up a SharePoint development environment.
Cybera Dives Into Cloud With OpenStack, Rackspace Cloud Builders
Jul 11, 2012
Canadian non-profit Cybera is diving into the cloud with help from OpenStack and Rackspace Cloud Builders.
Programmers: tenXer Lets You Study Your Work Habits in a New Way
Jul 11, 2012
You’ve heard of the “quantified self” movement, right? You know, wear a Nike Fuelband or a Fitbit and watch how well you are exercising (or not). How about at work, though? Well, tenXer has a way to watch your work and see if you can get more productive. Try it out and listen to Jeff...
Understanding Permissions In Office 365: Tips & Tricks
Jul 10, 2012
This installment in our video series on SharePoint permissions examines tips and tricks like troubleshooting and looking up a user's permission.
Privacy In A Connected And Cloudy World
Jul 10, 2012
Privacy regulations vary by country, but it's worth examining them. Here, we look at a recent panel discussion from the New Zealand Privacy Commission about cloud computing.
API Adoption And The Open Cloud: What Is An API? [Infographic]
Jul 10, 2012
Engaging and informative infographic examines API adoption and answers relevant questions about the power of APIs and their role within an Open Cloud environment.
Rackspace CTO To Speak At Microsoft WPC
Jul 09, 2012
Rackspace CTO John Engates is slated to speak this week about the opportunities for cloud providers at the 2012 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) in Toronto.
Rackspace Cloud Files: How To Create Temporary URLs
Jul 09, 2012
The Temporary URL feature (TempURL) in Cloud Files allows you create limited-time Internet addresses which allow you to grant limited access to your Cloud Files account.
SharePoint Tuesday Recap: Episode 5
Jul 05, 2012
Here's a recap of SharePoint Tuesday Episode 5 in which Rackspace SharePoint MVPs Shane Young and Todd Klindt answer your tough SharePoint questions.
Mailgun: ESP for Developers
Jul 05, 2012
Based in San Francisco, Mailgun is an Email Service Provider (ESP) for developers which allow them to target on innovation elsewhere. The main focus is to make developers’ lives easier and allow them to build applications more efficiently. Mailgun enables developers to tightly integrate email into their apps, giving real email mailboxes to their users,...
How I Met Rackspace: One Startup’s Encounter With Neil Patrick Harris
Jul 05, 2012
Rackspace cloud customer and Racksapce Startup Program member Orbotix, maker of Sphero, found out that celebrity endorsements can be a blessing and a curse, when a shout out from a famous actor crippled the web site it hosted with a Rackspace competitor. But, never fear, Rackspace was there to help.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Fullcloset: Simplifying The Online Shopping Experience
Jul 05, 2012
Rackspace Startup Program startup Fullcloset is looking to change the way online clothes shopping is done while also ensuring the right sizes are delivered every time.
Reseller Roundup: Top 5 Questions I Get From Rackspace Cloud Sites Customers
Jul 03, 2012
Rackspace Cloud Sites Reseller Stephen Pickering answers the top five questions he receives from customers and clients about Cloud Sites.
Cloud Founders: Cloud Use Cases
Jul 03, 2012
The Rackspace Cloud Founders discuss how companies can use the different parts of the cloud.
Cloudonomics – The Video
Jul 03, 2012
We've talk a lot about the economics of the cloud, or Cloudonomics, and in this video we dive into four key themes of Cloudonomics.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: July 2012
Jul 02, 2012
July 2012 is a big month for startups, and here the Rackspace Startup Program rounds up some of the startup events on tap for the month.
How Rackspace Wins With ‘Uncommon Service’
Jul 02, 2012
In the new book, "Uncommon Service: How to Win by Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business," authors Frances Frei and Anne Morriss detail great service experiences. Among them is Rackspace, which is praised in the book for its Fanatical Support.
Convo: Your Company’s Powerful, Private Social Network
Jul 02, 2012
San Francisco based Convo is the most powerful private social network for your company. It helps your team share knowledge and content with each other and communicate effectively and in real-time over that content. It promotes a culture of sharing and open discussion which fosters deeper engagement by everyone involved. But all of this happens...
Rackspace Cloud Files: How To Use Object Versioning
Jul 02, 2012
This posts dives into how to use object versioning in Rackspace Cloud Files.
Racker Sean McCaffery Named To CRN’s ‘100 People You Don’t Know But Should’
Jun 29, 2012
Rackspace Director of Channel Sales and Worldwide Operations, Sean McCaffery, has been named to CRN's list of "100 People You Don't Know But Should In 2012."
Agentless End-User Experience Monitoring And APM Best Practices
Jun 29, 2012
Rackspace Cloud Tools partner OPNET discusses agentless end-user experience monitoring and best practices for application performance management.
LA Accelerator Start Engine Launches 14 Startups At Spring 2012 Demo Day
Jun 29, 2012
Startup accelerator Start Engine highlighted 14 new companies during its Spring 2012 Demo Day, here's a roundup courtesy of the Rackspace Startup Program.
Snip.it: Collect the Best of the Web
Jun 29, 2012
Snip.it is a popular social curation site that lets you discover, capture, and lend your voice to important topics and stories as they evolve through articles, video, images and other online content. Snip.it lets you collect the best of the web, wrapped in your opinions. You can connect with other Snippers and dive deeper into...
Trey’s Tech Corner: Bash Prompts And You
Jun 28, 2012
This edition of Trey's Tech Corner explores the productivity improvements for server management that can be found by organizing your Bash prompts.
What Makes The Cloud Sweet Also Makes It Sticky
Jun 28, 2012
Cloud computing dramatically changes the way applications interact with the underlying infrastructure. If you're not careful, this can lead to vendor lock-in. We founded OpenStack and are building the Open Cloud to thwart lock-in and create choice and portability in the cloud.
Rackspace Cloud Files: How To Use Expiring Objects API Functionality
Jun 28, 2012
Here we detail how to use expiring objects API functionality in Rackspace Cloud Files.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On ThrdPlace: Enhancing Communities by Empowering Individuals
Jun 28, 2012
Rackspace Startup Program member ThrdPlace looks to connect community members to community development projects to spark change.
Enterprise Collaboration Gets More Social With SharePoint
Jun 28, 2012
Learn how enterprise social tools turn SharePoint into a sharing and collaboration hub much like the social networks workers use to stay in touch with friends and family online.
NASA’s Evolving Role In OpenStack: From Founder To Customer
Jun 27, 2012
As a co-founder of OpenStack, NASA helped the open source cloud operating system achieve liftoff. Now, it'll be using OpenStack internally as it leverages the cloud.
Who Is the Ideal SharePoint User?
Jun 27, 2012
Are you an ideal candidate for SharePoint? Watch Chris Caravajal from the Rackspace SharePoint team discuss who's using SharePoint and why.
Mowgli: Live Out Your Rock Star Dreams Online
Jun 27, 2012
Based in Atlanta, GA, Mowgli is a gaming company based around a simple concept, connecting people through social creation.  Mowgli is a start-up ready to enter the fray with a roster of social games that offer players the unique ability to create something real with their friends that has value, and then take it outside...
SharePoint Permissions: Custom Scenarios
Jun 27, 2012
In this edition of our SharePoint permissions blog series, we cover three topics regarding different places in SharePoint where permissions can be applied. These three videos contain graphical examples and demonstrations of real world scenarios when managing SharePoint permissions at the site, item, list and library levels.
Rackspace Cloud Files: How To Create A Static Website
Jun 26, 2012
We frequently update our products, and Cloud Files is no exception. In this series of technical posts, we’ll dig into how developers using the Cloud Files API can leverage new capabilities in Rackspace Cloud Files. You can now use your Cloud Files account to create a static website. First, you must CDN-enable a storage container....
Cloud Founders: Successful Start-up Mentality
Jun 26, 2012
The Rackspace cloud founders talk about how important it was to have a good team as they launched Cloud Sites.
The Cloud Evolution: Security Concerns No Longer Stall Conversation
Jun 26, 2012
Over the last five years, the tone of the cloud conversation has changed. No longer is the main focus on security; now it's on the benefits of the cloud, like ROI, agility and more.
Preparing Developers For Tomorrow’s Cloudy World
Jun 26, 2012
Cloud computing creates major changes in the day-to-day lives of developers, and in a new report CloudU details the development process and how the cloud changes things.
SharePoint Tuesday Recap: Episode 4
Jun 25, 2012
Rackspace's SharePoint Tuesday events are virtual open forums where you can ask question of our SharePoint experts. Here's a recap of episode 4, complete with mp3 and flash video.
STBI and Phil Campbell of Fibrecamp
Jun 25, 2012
Robert Scoble sits down with one of his social media heroes to talk about social media and the real ROI with Phil Campbell, Director of Geekery with Fibrecamp. Phil originally started out as a computer operator after deciding on a career in computing after watching too many cheesy 80?s movies from America suggesting that computing...
The Next Five Years: Real Choice In The Cloud
Jun 22, 2012
The first five years of cloud led to a host of new services and capabilities, but also created the threat of lock-in. The next five years, starting with OpenStack, will be about cloud choice and portability.
Rackspace Launches Partner Leadership Council
Jun 21, 2012
Rackspace has launched the Partner Leadership Council, a forum through which Rackspace and a nominated group of select partners mapped out a strategy for future growth together.
Rackspace Cloud Servers Adds Four New Linux Operating System Distributions
Jun 21, 2012
Rackspace has added four new Linux operating system distributions for Cloud Servers: Fedora 17, CentOS 5.8, CentOS 6.2 and Ubuntu 12.04.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Tempo: The Data Layer For The Measured World
Jun 21, 2012
Rackspace Startup Program member Tempo is creating solutions for businesses to store and analyze massive streams of time-series data.
Lew Moorman At Structure: Beware Lock-In; Embrace Open Cloud [VIDEO]
Jun 20, 2012
Rackspace President Lew Moorman talked about the power of OpenStack and the Open Cloud, while warning of the threat of lock-in from proprietary cloud providers during his presentation at the GigaOm Structure Conference in San Francisco.
TechStars NYC Demo Day: Creating The Next Big Thing In The Big Apple
Jun 19, 2012
It was a great day at New York City's historic Webster Hall to see 13 startups show off their offerings at the TechStars NYC Spring 2012 Class Demo Day.
Understanding Permissions In Office 365: Inheritance And Limited Access
Jun 19, 2012
This third installment in our series on SharePoint permissions dives into Permissions Inheritance and Limited Access.
Cloud Founders: A Cloud By Any Other Name…
Jun 19, 2012
Rackspace Cloud Founders Jonathan and Todd talk about the origin of Mosso, an earlier name for Cloud Sites.
Cloud, Cost, Coal And British Economists
Jun 19, 2012
The conversation always turns to cloud costs, but let's look at long-term cloud costs based on a coal consumption paradox by British economist William Stanley Jevons
Demonstrating SharePoint Savings
Jun 19, 2012
Watch Rackspace SharePoint experts discuss how SharePoint saves businesses more than just money.
Rackspace Among Computerworld’s Best Places To Work In IT
Jun 18, 2012
For the fifth straight year, Rackspace has made the Computerworld Best Places to Work in IT list.
The Possibilities Of ‘NetApp In The Sky’
Jun 18, 2012
Rackspace Cloud Tools partner Panzura has been dubbed "the NetApp in the sky" for its enterprise data storage management and distribution in the cloud.
Content Strategy 101: Key Takeaways From Confab 2012
Jun 14, 2012
Do you work on websites, or have a website for your organization? Do you want to make it better? As a new member of the team who works on the rackspace.com site, I just attended a workshop on May 14 called Content Strategy 101. It was put on as part of Confab — undoubtedly the...
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On MediaHound: Find It. Fetch It. Stream It.
Jun 14, 2012
MediaHound makes it easy to find and watch movies and other content by integrating social media and enabling the creation of playlists.
Don’t Get Scraped: Putting An End To Web Scraping, Content Theft
Jun 14, 2012
Web scraping and content theft has become a big business. In this guest post, Rackspace Cloud Tools partner Distil talks about the impact of web scraping and how to prevent it.
Some Important Points About SharePoint [Infographic]
Jun 14, 2012
Infographic compilation of stats and facts about SharePoint for the seasoned SharePoint pro or those just opening the door to the potential of SharePoint.
Videos How Chris Brogan Feeds the Blog Beast
Jun 14, 2012
I met up with famous business blogger Chris Brogan at the Blog World Expo (now named the New Media Expo) and we sat down to talk about blogging and what he’s seeing happen around the world inside corporate marketing. He also talks about what it takes to feed the blog beast as an independent blogger....
ScribbleLive: Real-time Content Creation & Publishing
Jun 14, 2012
ScribbleLive meets the needs of media companies and companies that want to embrace real-time content creation and publishing with a robust and flexible platform that delivers timely and relevant content to attract and engage readers and customers. Driven by the growing demand for real-time news and event coverage, ScribbleLive has established itself as the market...
Rackspace Cloud Load Balancers Adds New API Features
Jun 13, 2012
Rackspace has updated Cloud Load Balancers with a pair of new features and capabilities, including support for Source IP session persistence for non-HTTP load balancers and the addition of the SFTP protocol.
Charting New Ground With QlikView
Jun 13, 2012
Racker Andy Quirin recently attended and spoke at the QlikView Business Discovery Tour, a conference showcasing the business discovery and analytics platform that Rackspace has used for about a year.
X.commerce Redefines The Ecommerce Cloud [INTERACTIVE]
Jun 13, 2012
See how eBay's X.commerce takes on the challenge of matching ecommerce developers and apps to the online merchants who need them in this infographic.
Cloud Computing: More Secure Than You Think
Jun 13, 2012
Cloud security is still a top concern for IT shops, but in this new study, Security-as-a-Service provider and Rackspace partner Alert Logic shows that service provider cloud architectures are more secure than their on-premise counterparts.
Rackspace Cloud Sites Upgrades To Microsoft SQL Server 2012
Jun 12, 2012
Last month we talked about past, present and future of Cloud Sites and touched upon some of the features you can expect in the future. Today, we are excited to announce that Rackspace Cloud Sites now supports Microsoft SQL Server 2012. A list of the latest versions of all software supported by Cloud Sites is...
Cloud Founders: Worry About Code Or Design, Not The Server
Jun 12, 2012
In this video, the cloud founders discuss the core promise of enabling people to easily host their applications and websites.
CloudPassage: Secure Your Cloud Servers
Jun 12, 2012
CloudPassage was founded in early 2010 by security experts with decades of technology experience including the development of early virtualization security solutions. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, CloudPassage is backed by Benchmark Capital, Tenaya Capital and other leading investors. CloudPassage Halo is the award-winning cloud server security platform with all the security functions you need...
CloudU – Sunk Costs Are Just That, Sunk. Forget ‘Em
Jun 12, 2012
Sunk costs are a fact of life in the IT space, but making the most out of an existing investment shouldn't affect decision making, especially when those decisions could improve the systems and the business.
SharePoint Permissions: A More Detailed Look
Jun 12, 2012
This edition of the SharePoint permissions blog series features three more videos that dive into deeper detail about SharePoint permissions. Topics include creating a new permission level, selective permission granting and Office 365 Security Groups versus SharePoint Groups.
Rackspace Cloud, New Relic Help Organizations Deliver High Performance Web Apps
Jun 11, 2012
New Relic running on the Rackspace Cloud offers customers the ability to monitor and troubleshoot the performance of their web applications. Here are two organizations that are doing just that.
SharePoint Tuesday Recap: Episode 3
Jun 08, 2012
Did you miss Rackspace’s latest SharePoint Tuesday event from June 5th? No problem, we’ve got you covered. For those just learning about our educational webinar series, SharePoint Tuesday events are virtual open forums that give you access to SharePoint911 thought leaders who are now part of Rackspace. If you’ve joined us in the past, then...
Rackspace Austin Among Best Places To Work
Jun 08, 2012
The Austin Business Journal has selected Rackspace's Austin office as one of the Best Places to Work in the city.
Answering Common Business Questions With SharePoint
Jun 07, 2012
A collaboration strategy is now a business necessity, and SharePoint helps answer some of the most common business questions.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Tidal: Passionate Voices Made Louder
Jun 07, 2012
Rackspace Startup Program member Tidal tracks down influencers on social networks and engages them to build a buzz.
Introducing Rackspace Cloud Backup: File-Based, Integrated Backup For Cloud Servers With A Managed Service Level
Jun 07, 2012
Cloud Servers customers with a Managed Service Level can now leverage Rackspace Cloud Backup, a new file-based backup solution that is fully integrated with Cloud Servers.
Why I Love WordPress
Jun 06, 2012
Racker and WordPress guru Matt Martz gives three reasons why he loves WordPress: the WordPress community, that it's more than a blog and that it's free.
What Can Hosted Exchange Save You?
Jun 06, 2012
Hosted Exchange can save you more than just IT headaches. Check out our top 10 reasons to host Exchange video and to see the best reasons to host Exchange and read up on a few more.
Cloud Sites Webinar To Feature Overview And Live Demo
Jun 06, 2012
Join us Wednesday, June 13 at 1:30 p.m. CST for a webinar during which you'll get an overview and live demo of Rackspace Cloud Sites.
Readying Your Sites For Explosive Web Growth
Jun 05, 2012
The web is still experiencing explosive growth and the demand for easy to design and deploy web sites is growing, resulting in the need for a web content management system in the cloud, according to Rackspace Cloud Tools partner Buzzr.
Cloud Founders: If You Build It, They Will Come
Jun 05, 2012
In this video, the Rackspace cloud founders discuss how they went to market with a Cloud Sites beta.
Moving To The Cloud – Internal Business Considerations
Jun 05, 2012
From dealing with objections to planning for an IT shift, there are a host of internal considerations to make before moving to the cloud.
FounderFuel’s Spring 2012 Cohort Demo Day: Doing Something Magical
Jun 05, 2012
At FounderFuel's Spring 2012 Cohort Demo Day, 11 startups showed their stuff in a Montreal theatre in hopes that their dreams sparked the interest investors, and the Rackspace Startup Program was there.
Cloud IT And Business Alignment: Building An Enterprise Services Architecture For Innovation, Speed And Agility
Jun 04, 2012
In order to fuel innovation, speed and agility, cloud IT and the business must align.
Rackspace ‘Doing It Right’ In Customer Service
Jun 04, 2012
Rackpace is among companies that are "doing it right" in the customer service space, according to the authors of "Uncommon Services: How to Win by Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business."
Is Your Cloud Storage Stuck In A Proprietary Platform?
Jun 01, 2012
Rackspace Cloud Files has seen triple-digit growth again, and we've also reduced the price by 33 percent while adding new features.
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: June 2012
Jun 01, 2012
There are a host of startup events happening globally this month. Here's a sampling of what's out there from the Rackspace Startup Program.
Reflecting On The Open Compute Summit
May 31, 2012
I sit in a hotel room in Taipei overlooking foreign streets replete with distinctive and unusual attributes. I have eaten my initiate morsel of stinky tofu, shot arrows five feet or six feet into balloons at a carnival venue and enjoyed much delicious fare – stinky tofu being a notable exception! I have also been...
Is It Time For Hosted Exchange? Take This Quiz To Find Out
May 31, 2012
You know it's time for a change when users are complaining about email functionality and performance. Here are some complaints to listen out for, plus a quick, fun quiz to help you determine your best fit for Exchange.
RSP Spotlight On Diffbot: The Visual Learning Robot For The Web
May 31, 2012
Rackspace Startup Program company Diffbot is a robot that uses techniques in computer vision, machine learning and natural language processing to identify and extract the important parts from web content and pages. The upstart provides an API for developers so their applications can read web pages like a human set of eyes.
Apache Libcloud: New Features, Improvements
May 31, 2012
Between 0.6.1 and current release (0.10.1) seven months of development took place and a lot of new features and improvements were added to Apache Libcloud.
What’s The No. 1 SharePoint Feature At Rackspace?
May 31, 2012
The most important SharePoint feature doesn't come out of a box. Find that out what the most important SharePoint feature is and why SharePoint at Rackspace is different.
Why I Go To MidwestUX
May 31, 2012
Rackspace User Experience Designer Jay Morgan is speaking at MidwestUX 2012 this weekend, but that's not the only reason Jay heads to MidwestUX
You Bring Questions, We’ll Bring Answers: SharePoint Tuesday Virtual Q&A
May 30, 2012
The first and third Thursdays of each month, Rackspace's SharePoint MVPs will host SharePoint Tuesday, a virtual Q&A where you can get all of your SharePoint questions answered.
node-swiz – Node.js Library For Serializing, Deserializing And Validating Objects In REST APIs
May 30, 2012
This is another post in the series about Cloud Monitoring and libraries we have open-sourced. In the first week I talked about Whiskey, a powerful Node.js test framework, in the second week Gary talked about the Cassandra CQL driver and in the third week I talked about node-elementtree, a Node.js library for building and parsing XML documents. This week I’ll talk about node-swiz, a...
Humanizing The Cloud Through Fanatical Support
May 30, 2012
There's a misconception that support hasn't caught up to the cloud. That's false, and Rackspace proves it through Fanatical Support.
Importance Of Updating Your WordPress Site
May 30, 2012
Racker and WordPress guru Matt Martz discusses the importance of updating your WordPress site, themes and plugins.
Racker To Highlight Negotiation Techniques At MidwestUX
May 30, 2012
Rackspace User Experience Designer Jay Morgan will speak about the techniques and frameworks for Principled Negotiation next month at the MidwestUX Conference, a user experience conference that blends talks and discussions with hands-on activities presented by regional and international experts and professionals.
Understanding Permissions In Office 365: The Basics
May 29, 2012
These videos will help you understand at a very high level how permissions are managed within SharePoint Online sites and should help you start to understand what types of activities will need to be done as you start to map out your permissions strategy.
Cloud Founders: Innovation And Culture At Rackspace
May 29, 2012
In this video, the Rackspace cloud founders talk about how they were able to innovate and create the cloud.
Moving to the Cloud – External Business Considerations
May 29, 2012
Moving to the cloud requires several business considerations, including planning for costs, choosing a vendor and examining the potential for vendor lock-in.
How To Ruin A Cyber-Attacker’s Day
May 29, 2012
In this guest blog, StillSecure dives into how to stop a cyber-attack dead in its tracks and what to do if someone does get through.
Energy Takes On A New Look At SURGE Demo Day
May 25, 2012
The Rackspace Startup Program was there as a host of startups showcased their wares at SURGE Demo Day. These upstarts are looking to solve the world's energy problems through software and cloud computing.
Rackspace Cloud Sites: Past, Present, Future!
May 25, 2012
Rackspace Cloud Sites recently celebrated its birthday, so let's take a look at where Cloud Sites has been, is now and will be in the future.
Don’t Let Security Be An Afterthought
May 24, 2012
For many, security can be an afterthought. As our Anatomy Of An Attack infographic shows, it shouldn't be. It's time to get proactive!
SharePoint Tuesday Recap: Episode No. 2
May 24, 2012
In case you missed it, here's your chance to check out Rackspace's second SharePoint Tuesday - on video or audio - featuring MVPs Todd Klindt and Shane Young. And while you're at it, register for the next one.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On StreamyCloud: Broadcasting In The Cloud
May 24, 2012
StreamyCloud comes to the Rackspace Startup Program with the first 100 percent cloud-based platform with a fully integrated suite of software capable of capturing video and audio from any webcam, fire wire, TV tuner or USB connected device.
Hosted Exchange Is More Than Just Email
May 24, 2012
If you're only using Exchange for email or think that Exchange is only for email, watch this video to find out the top non-email uses for Exchange.
Three Uncommon Uses for SharePoint
May 24, 2012
There are a lot of great uses for SharePoint, but did you ever think of trying it as a search engine? How about a social platform or a public-facing website? Here are three SharePoint uses you may have overlooked.
What You Need To Know To Backup WordPress
May 23, 2012
Racker and WordPress guru Matt Martz explains that properly backing up your WordPress site means backing up both your file system and database.
Can Your Business Afford Free Email?
May 23, 2012
Free email might be costing your business more than you think. Watch this video to find out how free email impacts business productivity.
Qloudstat Takes CDN Analytics To The Next Level
May 23, 2012
Rackspace Cloud Files has leveraged the power of the Akamai CDN to deliver content over the world’s most expansive network. This gives each customer the opportunity to have their CDN logs delivered, but that’s about as far as Rackspace will take you. Unfortunately, we find that customers crave more data around their CDN usage, and...
Anatomy of an Attack – Why You Need to Consider Security in the Cloud
May 23, 2012
This interactive infographic walks you step-by-menacing-step through cloud security breaches, exploits, and attacks in a hacker's eye view of the cloud.
Cloud Founders: Platform Hosting Vs. Regular Hosting
May 22, 2012
In this video, the Rackspace cloud founders talk about building a hosting platform where users don't have to worry about networking, databases, backups or server administration.
Going The Distance With Hybrid Cloud
May 22, 2012
The next frontier for hybrid hosting and hybrid cloud is hybrid cloud over distance, and the Metro Area Hybrid Cloud use case is setting the stage for the next phase of cloud computing.
Technical Considerations When Moving To The Cloud
May 22, 2012
There are several technical considerations to take stock of when moving to a cloud environment. From security and compliance to performance and strategy, cloud migration doesn't happen at the flick of a switch and there are several things to think about to avoid potential issues.
Rackspace At TechEd: Come See Our Experts…And Build A Well
May 22, 2012
Rackspace and its team of Microsoft experts will be out in full force at Microsoft TechEd North America 2012, showcasing Rackspace's Microsoft product roster, including SharePoint and others. And this year, Rackspace is working in conjunction with charity: water to raise enough money to build a well to provide safe drinking water to a developing nation.
3 Day Startup: 72 Hours, 30 Entrepreneurs, 5 New Companies
May 21, 2012
At 3 Day Startup, roughly 30 entrepreneurs gathered for 72 hours, broke into groups and, over the course of the weekend, launched five new companies. The event was held at Geekdom in San Antonio,
Putting Yourself In Your Customers’ Shoes
May 21, 2012
Rackspace customer MindSnacks discusses the importance of empathy and the ability to see things through customers' eyes.
Rackspace Cloud Sites Upgrades To MySQL 5.1
May 18, 2012
Last month, we upgraded Rackspace Cloud Sites to new versions on PHP and .NET. Today, we are excited to announce that Rackspace Cloud Sites now supports MySQL 5.1.  Latest versions of all the software supported by Cloud Sites are available here. The new MySQL upgrade will improve stability, performance and security for Cloud Sites customers....
Rackspace And EMC: Fueling Your IT Transformation At EMC World
May 18, 2012
In many cases, two heads are better than one. With that in mind, Rackspace and EMC have a long-standing partnership that creates a powerful one-two punch for the enterprise through the marriage of Rackspace’s hosting prowess and EMC’s storage expertise. The combination, which integrates Rackspace’s flexible cloud and hosting product portfolio and Fanatical Support with...
Configuring A Load Balanced WordPress Website With The Rackspace Cloud
May 17, 2012
Configuring a load balanced WordPress website with the Rackspace Cloud is simple, if you follow these five steps.
10 Tips To Tackle Email Overload
May 17, 2012
You spend nearly a third of your workday in the inbox. Make the most of that time and avoid being overwhelmed by email with this short video and tips for better email management.
Tools Of Change For Designers: Advocating
May 17, 2012
In this series of posts on tools of change for designers, Harry Max, Rackspace VP of Experience Design, discusses the final tool - Advocating.
Rackspace Startup Program Insider: Pat Matthews On Why Startups Are Critical To Rackspace
May 17, 2012
Rackspace Senior Vice President Pat Matthews knows how critical startups are to Rackspace and to the industry. Here, he shares his Insider knowledge on the importance of startups and why Rackspace supports them.
How SharePoint Empowers Enterprise IT
May 17, 2012
Find out how SharePoint helps enterprise IT teams increase user satisfaction, bandwidth, control, and scale.
Integrating A Content Delivery Network With WordPress
May 16, 2012
Racker and WordPress guru Matt Martz explains the value of a CDN for media heavy sites and offers some plugins for your WordPress site to connect with Rackspace Cloud Files.
WOAI’s Randy Beamer Gets The ‘Real Racker’ Treatment
May 15, 2012
News 4 WOAI co-anchor Randy Beamer stopped by Rackspace HQ to get a feel for Racker culture. See the video and read Randy's thoughts on The Castle and Rackspace culture.
Cloud Founders: Small Web Design Agency Handled 35 Million Hits
May 15, 2012
The Rackspace Cloud founders talk about how Cloud Sites helped one small web agency handle millions of hits to their website.
Cloud Migration – The Pain And The Opportunity
May 15, 2012
CloudU Notebooks is a weekly blog series that explores topics from the CloudU certificate program in bite sized chunks, written by me, Ben Kepes, curator of CloudU. How-tos, interviews with industry giants and the occasional opinion piece are what you can expect to find. If that’s your cup of tea, you can subscribe here. Running...
Hosted Exchange Will Make You Thinner
May 15, 2012
A fun, short video that explores and disproves common misconceptions about Microsoft Exchange.
The Imbalance Of Today’s Clouds
May 14, 2012
This is a guest post written and contributed by Doug Jury, vice president of sales for Zadara Storage, a Rackspace Cloud Tools partner and maker of Virtual Private Storage Arrays (VPSA), cloud-based iSCSI storage. The three-legged stool is a staple in many homes today. It’s easy to use, requires no adjustments and anyone can set...
The CloudDB Client: An Extension For The Rackspace Cloud Database API
May 14, 2012
Ok. So what is the Cloud DB Client? It’s a user interface packaged as a Google Chrome extension for the Rackspace Cloud Database API service. Here it is here (click to enlarge): I wrote the CloudDB Client for Rackspace Cloud Databases – now available in an Early Access program —  to grow the audience of...
Getting Started With SharePoint
May 14, 2012
As companies of all sizes turn to SharePoint, it's important to remain focused on the business and not just the technology. Here, we outline some helpful tips to get you started with SharePoint.
Starting Up (Is Hard To Do): Juggling Life, Work And A Startup
May 11, 2012
Since February, I have enjoyed writing about my experiences of attempting to startup a business while working a day job. This past month, however, has been a bear for me. In the Rackspace office, our team has been going full tilt, producing content for our channels and campaigns. We have ramped up content production not...
Xeround Cloud Database Now Available On Rackspace UK
May 10, 2012
This is a guest post written and contributed by Avigail Ofer, director of marketing at Xeround, a Rackspace Cloud Tools Partner. Xeround is an elastic, always-on database-as-a-service for MySQL applications. Xeround Cloud Database, the zero-management database-as-a-service for MySQL applications, is now available in Rackspace’s UK datacenter, enabling cloud users running their apps in Rackspace’s UK datacenter to create...
Lurking In The Shadows: Uncovering The Hidden Benefits Of Shadow IT
May 10, 2012
There is no denying that Shadow IT is happening in businesses, whether it's end users buying cloud instances or storage capacity on their credit cards. It's up to IT and decision makers to ensure that Shadow IT is properly executed to avoid issues.
Is Your Business’ Email Sending The Wrong Message?
May 10, 2012
Find out how using free, consumer-level email services can send the wrong message to recipients and impact the performance and productivity of your businesses.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Distil: Protecting Your Content Online
May 10, 2012
Distil, a member of the Rackspace Startup Program, offers content protection to stop third parties from maliciously leveraging content.
Tools Of Change For Designers: Activating
May 10, 2012
In this series of posts on tools of change for designers, Harry Max, Rackspace VP of Experience Design, discusses the fourth tool - Activating.
Five Reasons SharePoint Is Better in the Cloud
May 10, 2012
Some organizations are still struggling with running SharePoint onsite when there are some very compelling reasons why SharePoint in the cloud makes better sense.
Here’s What’s In Store For SharePoint911 At Rackspace
May 10, 2012
It's been a couple of months since SharePoint911 joined Rackspace, and we're off to a running start. Here's what you can expect from the SharePoint911 team going forward now that we've joined the Rackspace family.
San Francisco Rackers Celebrate Bike To Work Day
May 10, 2012
A number of Rackers based in Rackspace's San Francisco office will participate in Bike To Work Day, an event that recognizes and awards bike-friendly businesses in the city.
Five Functions Of Effective Social Marketing Strategy
May 09, 2012
Social media is becoming a larger part of how people communicate with each other and brands and companies. It is a disruptive mode of communication and social marketers need to recognize this and use it to their advantage. There are five distinct functions of social media that help companies effectively and efficiently reach their consumers.
AngelPad: Building Great Startups For Spring 2012 Demo Day!
May 09, 2012
AngelPad is a mentorship program founded by Thomas Korte with a team of ex-Google employees to help technology startups build better products, attract seed funding and grow more successful businesses. AngelPad provides founders with funding, mentorship and the chance to work alongside other great founders at the AngelPad office in San Francisco. “AngelPad is in...
Importance Of Caching Your WordPress Site
May 09, 2012
Racker and WordPress guru Matt Martz talks about the importance of caching your WordPress site as well as some plugins that can help you do this.
Forbes: Rackspace Is One Of The Fastest Growing Tech Companies
May 09, 2012
Rackspace has been ranked among the 25 fastest growing technology companies, according to the just-released Forbes Fast Tech 25. To create the list, Forbes combs more than 5,000 publicly traded technology companies, seeking profitable companies with a minimum revenue of $150 million and a minimum market value of $500 million. From there, Forbes looks for...
node-elementtree – Node.js Library To Build And Parse XML Documents
May 09, 2012
Tomaz Muraus is part of the Cloud Monitoring team that built and open sourced node-elementtree, a Node.js Library To Build And Parse XML Documents.
Taking The Zappos Insights Tour
May 08, 2012
Here at Rackspace, we pride ourselves on our unique culture. We strive to create an environment where Rackers volunteer their best and exceed customer expectations through Fanatical Support, and we do so in a way that few companies do. And we hold in high esteem other companies that maintain a unique culture and focus on...
Cloud Founders: Developers Don’t Want To Sys Admin The Server
May 08, 2012
The Rackspace Cloud founders talk about the early days of Cloud Sites and the needs that developers and designers have for their code and designs.
The Importance Of Monitoring, Even In A Managed Cloud Environment
May 08, 2012
This is a guest blog post written and contributed by Mike Raab, vice president of business development for CopperEgg, a Rackspace Cloud Tools partner and maker of RevealCloud, a SaaS-based cloud and server monitoring offering. As a Rackspace partner, CopperEgg works with companies every day that are venturing into the cloud for any number of...
Moving To The Cloud: Should You Rent or Buy?
May 08, 2012
Rackspace architect and Cloud Builder Jacob Walcik compares the differences between consuming the public and private cloud to that of renting an apartment versus owning a home.
Cloud Evangelism From Unexpected Quarters, And The Macro-Economic Impacts Of Cloud
May 08, 2012
CloudU Notebooks is a weekly blog series that explores topics from the CloudU certificate program in bite sized chunks, written by me, Ben Kepes, curator of CloudU. How-tos, interviews with industry giants and the occasional opinion piece are what you can expect to find. If that’s your cup of tea, you can subscribe here. Financial...
SharePoint Tuesdays: Stop! Collaborate And Listen
May 04, 2012
Dig deeper into SharePoint every week with SharePoint Tuesdays, a series of weekly webinars that focus on a variety of SharePoint topics.
Startups Show Their Stuff At TechStars Boston Demo Day
May 04, 2012
The Rackspace Startup Program was at TechStars Boston this week and got insight into 13 hot new startups looking to build up their businesses.
Starting Up (Is Hard To Do): Where To Work On Your Startup
May 04, 2012
What are the options for places to work on your startup? Racker Garrett Heath talks about five places where he has worked on his startup.
Reflections On The OpenStack Design Summit & Conference 2012 (Part 2)
May 03, 2012
The OpenStack Design Summit & Conference, which brought together developers, customers and more to hash out the next OpenStack release, Folsom, was a whirlwind, and in a pair of blog posts I’ll try to break down exactly what happened when OpenStack stormed San Francisco in mid-April. Yesterday, I showcased the Design Summit, today I’ll zero...
Business Email Blunders: Could This Happen To You?
May 03, 2012
Check out this funny video for seven of the most common email blunders along with tips and tricks to avoid making them.
VMs, VLANs And Bridges, Oh My! Part 2
May 03, 2012
Rackspace Cloud Integration Consultant Evan Callicoat has been busy deploying Rackspace Cloud Private Edition (RCPE) for OpenStack customers, and in this two-part blog series he shares insight into some of the issues he encountered with bridged networks in Linux and how to make routing and bridging play nice in a Linux environment. In yesterday’s installment...
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Bizodo: Setting The Standard In Data Collection
May 03, 2012
Events, planning, travel, calendars and startup databases are true priorities for the Rackspace Startup Program. All of those items need some sort of tool to keep track of them.  Introducing Bizodo, a point and click online form builder that helps you collect and manage information with ease. Bizodo’s mission is to be the easiest way...
Open Compute Summit 2012: A Day In The Life [Video]
May 03, 2012
The Open Compute Summit was held at Rackspace's San Antonio headquarters this week, and video storyteller Dave Sims captured it as the latest installment in his 'Day In The Life' video series.
Six SharePoint Pro Tips From Six SharePoint Pros [Video]
May 03, 2012
Rackspace SharePoint MVPs and pros give some of their best tips about SharePoint.
Reflections On The OpenStack Design Summit & Conference 2012 (Part 1)
May 02, 2012
The OpenStack Design Summit & Conference, which brought together developers, customers and more to hash out the next OpenStack release, Folsom, was a whirlwind, and in a pair of blog posts I’ll try to break down exactly what happened when OpenStack stormed San Francisco in mid-April. I expected some good things to come out of...
Three Tips For Selecting A WordPress Plugin
May 02, 2012
Racker and WordPress guru Matt Martz gives you three tips for selecting WordPress plugins.
VMs, VLANs And Bridges, Oh My! Part 1
May 02, 2012
Rackspace Cloud Integration Consultant Evan Callicoat has been busy deploying Rackspace Cloud: Private Edition (RCPE) for OpenStack customers, and in this two-part blog series he shares insight into some of the issues he encountered with bridged networks in Linux and how to make routing and bridging play nice in a Linux environment. Lately I’ve been...
Silicon Valley Tour With The Rackspace Startup Program
May 02, 2012
The Space Cowboys from the Rackspace Startup Program were in Silicon Valley for the last couple of weeks visiting startups and helping spread the word on the next generation Rackspace Cloud. It all started with a star-studded event hosted by Robert Scoble at the Rackspace office in San Francisco discussing open cloud with startups Nicira...
Welcome To Open Compute Summit 2012
May 02, 2012
The third Open Compute Summit kicked off this morning at Rackspace’s San Antonio headquarters, aka The Castle. The two-day event — Wednesday, May 2 and Thursday, May 3 — brings together 500 technologists from around the globe to work on and define the path for open computing and the Open Compute Project. The lineup features...
How Connections Drive Social Media Engagement
May 02, 2012
In a recent post titled “Three Pillars Of Social Media Engagement Strategy,” Sameer Khan, highlighted the three critical components of a solid social media engagement strategy: campaigns, content and connections. Each of these components together is mandatory for a successful engagement through social media channels. In this post, we will dive deeper into the connections...
Rackspace Startup Program Global Startup Event Guide: May 2012
May 01, 2012
May marks the beginning of the 2012 World Expo to be held in Yeosu, South Korea. For the foodies of the world, Restaurant magazine just announced its picks for the Worlds 50 Best Restaurants. In the words of Shakespeare, “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, and summer’s lease hath all too short...
Skydera: Best-in-Class Cloud Command & Control Products
May 01, 2012
Founded in 2009 in the Silicon Valley, Skydera is focused on providing best-in-class cloud command & control products and services that make the cloud enterprise a reality, while complementing both public and private cloud infrastructure services and vendors. Skydera C3 delivers true Platform-as-a-Service for cross-cloud IT and is customizable to support the demanding requirements of...
What The Open Compute Project Means To Me
May 01, 2012
Racker and principal engineer Joel Wineland talks about why he loves being involved with the Open Compute project, including improvements in collaboration, efficiency and innovation.
Cloud Founders Series: Launching The Cloud
May 01, 2012
This post and video is about launching the Rackspace Cloud, the first in a series of interviews that Racker Tarun Bhatti had with the Rackspace Cloud Founders.
OpenStack Goes Mile-High: Road Show Stops In Colorado
Apr 27, 2012
The second stop on the RoadStackRV road show was right outside the beautiful city of Boulder, Colo. We drove from Los Angeles overnight. We left behind palm trees, highs in the 80s and sandy beaches and encountered mountain passes, snow and temps within the hot chocolate range. It was quite the change of scenery. Alas,...
Mobile Sync For Rackspace Webmail: Take Your Webmail With You – Anywhere
Apr 27, 2012
Now you can stay in sync when you’re on-the-go with Mobile Sync for Rackspace Webmail. Built on Microsoft ActiveSync technology, the mobile sync service syncs your Email, Contacts and Calendars between Webmail and your iPhone or Android device. So, add a Contact on your mobile device and it appears in Webmail. Edit a Calendar event...
Starting Up (Is Hard To Do): Cool Tools For Communication, Collaboration
Apr 27, 2012
Here are some tools that Racker Garrett Heath has used to communicate and collaborate with clients of his startup.
Performance Matters: Rackspace Cloud Databases Is Faster Than Amazon RDS
Apr 27, 2012
Face it: you love your application. You’ve spent weeks and months meticulously coding it and you LOVE it, just the way it is. You want to run it in the cloud and you certainly don’t want to spend time redesigning it to work with a new cloud database technology or to perform well on the...
Moving Apps To The Cloud Fuels Innovation
Apr 26, 2012
This post is part three of a three part series examining how the cloud accelerates innovation. This final installment looks at how the cloud frees IT from creating applications and other on-premise restraints, and how it can ultimately attract new talent, both of which foster innovation. Cloud computing doesn’t just free IT from day-to-day on-site...
OpenStack Loves L.A.
Apr 26, 2012
Hello, Los Angeles; the home of the movie stars, famous athletes, Pink’s Hot Dogs and also the first stop in the RoadStackRV tour back home from the OpenStack Design Summit & Conference in San Francisco. Over the past two years, Rackspace has seen a steady climb in the number of cloud customers in the L.A....
Tools Of Change For Designers: Negotiating
Apr 26, 2012
In this series of posts on tools of change for designers, Harry Max, Rackspace VP of Experience Design, discusses the third tool - Negotiating.
Rackspace Startup Program Insider: Lanham Napier On The Vision & Guts Of Startups
Apr 26, 2012
Startups are willing to break away from the crowd and make things happen. Within the Rackspace Startup Program we have the distinct pleasure of working with these kinds of people day in and day out. And within the framework of Rackspace, we are fortunate to have leaders that thrive outside the crowd and make things...
How Rackspace Is Using Erlang
Apr 26, 2012
Racker Phil Toland talks about how Rackspace is using Erlang and how the language helped the team backup 7,000 network devices in one datacenter in 39 minutes.
Getting Ready For The OpenStack Essex Release: Exerstack Test Suite
Apr 25, 2012
With the Essex cycle complete, feature lockdowns and release candidates behind us, I wanted to let the community know some of the things the Rackspace Cloud Builders team did to prepare for the Essex release of OpenStack. There is a lot going on, and I hope to cover a few of our key focus areas...
Rainn Wilson Of ‘The Office’ Gives Rackspace A Shout Out
Apr 25, 2012
Question…why was Rainn Wilson, the actor famous for cultivating the role of Dwight Schrute, the socially inept paper salesman and beet farmer on NBC’s “The Office,” giving Rackspace a shout out in Los Angeles last week? Answer…Rackspace hosts the web site for SoulPancake, the new media company Wilson launched with two friends three years ago....
Rackspace Cloud Files Adds New Control Features
Apr 25, 2012
Rackspace is excited to announce a set of new features in Cloud Files that allow you to have more control of your content. All of these features are now available for both U.S. and U.K. Cloud Files API customers and can be found in our developers’ guide here. Expiring Objects The new expiring objects feature...
Rackspace Contributes Cassandra CQL Driver For Node.js
Apr 25, 2012
Rackspace has made an open source solution for you to easily query Cassandra databases using CQL from your Node.js applications.
OpenStack Design Summit: Days 2 & 3
Apr 24, 2012
Days 2 and 3 of the OpenStack Design Summit & Conference kicked off on a rabid pace. These are typically the days that the deep-dive technical sessions really ramp up and it gets, well, really geeky. The conference format was a little different this year than in the past as a new session format was...
Three Pillars Of Social Media Engagement Strategy
Apr 24, 2012
It's essential that businesses have a strong social media engagement strategy to ensure they are connecting with customers to help drive their business and products forward. We'll dive into the three most critical components of a solid social engagement strategy.
The OpenStack Community’s Global Growth
Apr 24, 2012
Here’s one final thought on last week’s OpenStack Design Summit & Conference in San Francisco:  As we interviewed more than a dozen OpenStack users and developers, listened to the sessions and watched the keynotes, the one comment we kept hearing over and over is “it’s the community.”  Most cited the community of more than 3,000...
Issues Around Cloud Adoption – Part Two
Apr 24, 2012
CloudU Notebooks is a weekly blog series that explores topics from the CloudU certificate program in bite sized chunks, written by me, Ben Kepes, curator of CloudU. How-to’s, interviews with industry giants, and the occasional opinion piece are what you can expect to find. If that’s your cup of tea, you can subscribe here. I...
The History Of Mobile Phones – How The World Went Mobile [Infographic]
Apr 24, 2012
Take a walk through the history of mobile phones with a look at some of the most influential handsets and how far the mobile phone has come from being just a phone.
OpenStack: HP And IBM Share Their Views
Apr 23, 2012
Some of the biggest names in tech are backing OpenStack. Last week at the OpenStack Design Summit & Conference in San Francisco, top cloud experts from Red Hat, IBM and HP joined Rackspace for a panel to discuss how and why they’re using OpenStack. Hear more from Rackspace’s John Engates, HP’s Zorawar Biri Singh and...
OpenStack Intro and Update in LA, Denver, and Dallas
Apr 22, 2012
Readers are cordially invited to a special presentation introducing OpenStack, the open source cloud computing operating system. OpenStack is the fastest-growing open source project in history, with its new OpenStack Foundation backed by AT&T, Canonical, Cisco, ClearPath, Cloudscaling, Dell, DreamHost, HP, IBM, ITRI, Mirantis, Morphlabs, Nebula, NetApp, Piston Cloud Computing, Rackspace, Red Hat, SUSE, and...
Starting Up (Is Hard To Do): Things To Do At Conferences
Apr 20, 2012
Concluding the mini blog series on exhibiting at a conference for the first time, Racker Garrett Heath talks about some of the things that went well at the conference.
Open Clouds Lead To Innovation
Apr 19, 2012
This post is part two of a three part series examining how the cloud accelerates innovation. Tune in next week to read how the cloud frees IT from creating applications and other on-premise restraints, and how it can ultimately attract new talent, both of which foster innovation. Last week we looked at how cloud computing...
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On CloudMine: Rich And Interactive Apps Made Easy
Apr 19, 2012
Mobile applications are a strong vertical with startups within the Rackspace Startup Program. Virtually all serious mobile applications require a significant amount of backend work from server maintenance, provisioning and scaling to custom non-application server code. CloudMine offers a hosted Backend-as-a-Service platform for developers to build rich and interactive apps with full backend features without...
Tools Of Change For Designers: Educating
Apr 19, 2012
Educating, the second tool for designers, is about developing skills, capabilities and knowledge. Educating involves discovering what we need to learn, teaching others, helping our organization get smarter and bringing what we’ve learned to the design discipline in the form of case studies, stories and examples. Ultimately, educating is about growing capabilities and changing behavior....
[INFOGRAPHIC] How Cloud Computing is Saving the Earth
Apr 19, 2012
Since the first Earth Day in 1970, the rise of information technology has meant progress but it has also raised many challenges. Even with green IT initiatives, global data center energy consumption is on the rise and IT departments are continuing to look for ways to become more efficient. The nature of cloud computing solves...
How Rackspace Re-Wrote The Cloud With OpenStack, Continuous Delivery
Apr 19, 2012
By now you’re up to speed with the new features, functions and products that comprise the OpenStack-based Rackspace Cloud and the latest version of Cloud Servers powered by OpenStack. It’s been months of hard work, and we’ve now reached that point where we can say we’re at Cloud 2.0. By re-OPENing the cloud with OpenStack,...
OpenStack, Open Cloud Ready For Primetime
Apr 19, 2012
OpenStack is ready. And the era of open cloud is here. Rackspace is using it to power its public cloud. Customers and partners are screaming for it. And more than 1,000 attendees are expected to descend upon San Francisco this week to learn more about it at the OpenStack Design Summit & Conference. The community-driven...
The Rackspace Open Cloud: A Day In The Life [Video]
Apr 18, 2012
From the launch of the Rackspace Cloud powered by OpenStack to day one of the OpenStack Design Summit & Conference, Rackspace on Monday took the City by the Bay by storm and made San Francisco the world’s open cloud headquarters. The day started with Rackspace launching its next generation Rackspace Cloud, a cloud architecture based...
The Open Cloud Is Now: Rackspace Showcases OpenStack-Powered Cloud
Apr 18, 2012
It’s no secret anymore that Rackspace launched its open public cloud this week with myriad new cloud products powered by OpenStack, the community-driven open source cloud operating system. At a launch event in San Francisco, Rackspace pulled the curtain off its next generation Rackspace Cloud, which comprises new and enhanced cloud products including Cloud Servers...
The Cloud’s Future Is Open For Business
Apr 18, 2012
Right now, we are witnessing one of the most dramatic technology shifts our industry has ever seen. The entire way that we think about and consume computing has been altered. The dawn of the cloud has created a tectonic shift. The center of computing has been pushed from the device – or, in many cases,...
OpenStack Folsom Design Summit: Day 1
Apr 18, 2012
There is only one word to describe Day 1 of the OpenStack Folsom Design Summit: “wow!” The day started with a registration line that wrapped around the escalators, like everyone was waiting to get into a club. The chatter amongst the attendees in line was dripping with enthusiasm as people planned their days on their...
The Future Of Cloud Identity
Apr 17, 2012
This is a guest blog post written and contributed by Michael Schwartz, CEO of single sign-on and cloud identity vendor Gluu, a member of the Rackspace Cloud Tools program. After a decade of creating a multitude of online accounts, with a plethora of usernames and passwords, most people will welcome some form of consolidation. OpenID...
The OpenStack-Powered Rackspace Cloud: A Platform For The Startup Movement
Apr 17, 2012
Rackspace has announced to the world the release of the next generation Rackspace Cloud built on OpenStack and powered by Fanatical Support. The Rackspace Startup Program is truly excited about this announcement and what it holds for the future of startups being able to build their businesses upon our next gen cloud. The future of...
I Support Open Clouds Because…
Apr 17, 2012
There are a host of reasons to support open clouds. We do. Why do you think we just relaunched the Rackspace Cloud and Cloud Servers, which now runs on OpenStack. Open clouds pave the way for innovation, agility and lower costs. Open clouds stem from communities. And open clouds have the potential to eliminate vendor...
Issues Around Cloud Adoption
Apr 17, 2012
CloudU Notebooks is a weekly blog series that explores topics from the CloudU certificate program in bite sized chunks, written by me, Ben Kepes, curator of CloudU. How-to’s, interviews with industry giants, and the occasional opinion piece are what you can expect to find. If that’s your cup of tea, you can subscribe here. When...
Infochimps – Big Data In The Rackspace Cloud
Apr 17, 2012
This is a guest blog post written and contributed by Joe Kelly, CEO of Infochimps, a big data provider and Rackspace customer. Infochimps is an early customer of the next generation Rackspace Cloud. Infochimps, the first open data marketplace and a leading provider of tools, content and operational expertise for big data infrastructure, now supports...
A Massive Day For The Rackspace Cloud, OpenStack
Apr 16, 2012
SAN FRANCISCO — As you might have heard, Rackspace made a major announcement today: We rolled out an array of new and enhanced products built on our next generation Rackspace Cloud and that leverage the open source cloud operating system OpenStack. The Rackspace Cloud now offers a broad portfolio of cloud products and services, including...
Rackspace In The News: Week Ending April 13, 2012
Apr 13, 2012
From being ranked among the 10 most powerful Infrastructure-as-a-Service companies, to keeping long-distance commuters happy, Rackspace got some solid recognition this week. Here we take a look at a few stories that showcased our talents. Making The Top 10 In a list highlighting the top 10 IaaS companies – in alphabetical order – Rackspace took...
Starting Up (Is Hard To Do): Conference Missteps And Lessons Learned
Apr 13, 2012
If you are a startup looking to exhibit at a conference for the first time, be sure to learn from the missteps that Racker Garrett Heath had while manning his first conference booth.
Racker Showcases Real-World SharePoint Deployments In New Book
Apr 13, 2012
Rackspace Senior SharePoint Consultant and SharePoint Server MVP Jennifer Mason knows SharePoint isn’t always easy, and each SharePoint solution requires a special recipe unto itself. And to showcase how to create and implement SharePoint projects, Mason put together a cookbook of sorts that offers step-by-step recipes for various SharePoint solutions in real-world scenarios. In “Microsoft...
How The Cloud Breaks Down Innovation Barriers
Apr 12, 2012
This post is part one of a three part series examining how the cloud accelerates innovation. Tune in next week to read how the open cloud and OpenStack can spark innovation. A lot has been said about the cloud: It can save you money, it increases agility, it offers infinite scale. But one benefit –...
New API Features Available For Rackspace Cloud Load Balancers
Apr 12, 2012
Rackspace is pleased to announce that we’ve added a handful of new API features for Rackspace Cloud Load Balancers. First, Cloud Load Balancers now allows users to specify primary and secondary nodes for managing their Load Balancers. If there is a problem with your primary node, traffic will be routed seamlessly to the secondary node so...
Tools Of Change For Designers: Illuminating
Apr 12, 2012
This is the second in a series of posts where Harry Max, Rackspace VP of Experience Design, discusses the importance of Illuminating as a tool of change for designers.
Getting Started With An Open Source GUI For Rackspace Cloud DNS
Apr 12, 2012
Racker Major Hayden started an open source project to make a graphical interface for the Rackspace Cloud DNS service to help you with common DNS tasks.
Rackspace Cloud Servers With A Managed Service Level Integrates Rackspace Cloud Backup
Apr 12, 2012
Rackspace has just launched an Early Access Program for a fully integrated file-based backup service for Managed Cloud Servers that gives you more choices and control over the backup and restoration of critical data. This new backup service, called Rackspace Cloud Backup, serves as a great companion to the existing snapshot backup functionality. Unlike snapshots,...
OpenStack Foundation Takes Another Step Forward
Apr 12, 2012
When Rackspace made the decision to launch OpenStack, our top priority was to build a broad community of developers and users who were truly invested in its future.  We wanted to move it to a foundation as soon as we saw that the community was broad enough and strong enough to support such a move. ...
Demo Day At TechStars Cloud
Apr 11, 2012
In January 2012, entrepreneurs from all over the country arrived for the first ever TechStars Cloud accelerator hosted at Geekdom in the Weston Centre in downtown San Antonio. The program centered around startups working exclusively on cloud computing, cloud infrastructure and OpenStack. TechStars Cloud was completely focused on investing in and mentoring the best talent...
How I Started Learning Python
Apr 11, 2012
Racker Major Hayden's recent work has been on the OpenStack project where he has had to learn Python. Here are some of his tips on how he has learned the language.
[INFOGRAPHIC] Email Hosting Puts Businesses on the Road to Competitive Advantage
Apr 11, 2012
Email is a mission-critical function in most businesses today, and efficient management of email services is vital to ensuring maximum uptime and productivity. Hosted email platforms can have a profound impact on the accessibility, mobility, and productivity of organizations of any size to enable employees to focus on high value tasks that drive competitive advantage....
An Awesome Validation Of The CloudU Concept
Apr 10, 2012
CloudU Notebooks is a weekly blog series that explores topics from the CloudU certificate program in bite sized chunks, written by me, Ben Kepes, curator of CloudU. How-to’s, interviews with industry giants, and the occasional opinion piece are what you can expect to find. If that’s your cup of tea, you can subscribe here. When...
GoSquared Shines A Light On Real-Time Traffic Data
Apr 10, 2012
This is a guest post written and contributed by James Gill, CEO at GoSquared, a member of the Rackspace Cloud Tools program. GoSquared provides real-time analytics that allow you to understand what’s happening on your website right now, as it happens. Operating anything whilst blind is a fairly silly idea. A captain wouldn’t sail blind....
Rackspace Private Cloud Management Just Got Easier With Portal Updates
Apr 10, 2012
Rackspace has made sweeping updates to the MyRackspace Private Cloud portal, giving Rackspace Private Cloud customers a more robust set of management tools to keep their cloud in check. The MyRackspace Private Cloud page is a one-stop shop for management capabilities and information regarding your Rackspace Private Cloud environment. From the page, Private Cloud customers...
Rackspace In The News: Week Ending April 6, 2012
Apr 06, 2012
Updates to Rackspace Cloud Sites and the launch of Essex, the latest OpenStack release, took center stage this week, providing the fodder to keep Rackspace in the headlines. Here we take a look at a few stories which featured Rackspace for the week ending April 6, 2012. A Deep Dive Into OpenStack Wired took a...
Starting Up (Is Hard To Do): Benefits Of Conference Booths
Apr 06, 2012
Startups often wonder if they should exhibit at a conference, while the answer varies for each situation, here are some things they can gain by having a booth.
OpenStack Gets Real With Essex
Apr 06, 2012
Today Rackspace is proud to join with the rest of the OpenStack community in releasing the fifth version of the project, named “Essex.”  In just 18 months OpenStack has matured from a “developer preview” to a project that is powering public and private clouds worldwide including at Rackspace (more on that in the next few...
Rackspace Cloud Sites Update Adds New Features
Apr 05, 2012
During the recent launch of the latest version of the Apple iPad, Rackspace Cloud Sites customer gdgt.com handled more than 55 million requests and more than 110,000 concurrent connections in less than six hours. And gdgt.com is not alone. There are a host of examples that illustrate why web agencies turn to the Cloud Sites website...
Tools Of Change For Designers: Intro
Apr 05, 2012
As we create the world through our imagination, our visions, our conversations, our decisions, commitments and our actions, it’s essential to understand that as a designer you’re actually creating the world, and you have many options. Where we have choice is in each moment, in the now. Each moment, we get to choose: • Our...
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Wavo.me: Linking Friends & Music Online
Apr 05, 2012
“Musicians want to be the loud voice for so many quiet hearts,” once said Billy Joel, world renowned singer, songwriter and piano man. And the artist within the musician loves to create. So, it was no surprise to the Rackspace Startup Program when two musicians hanging out in a Montreal coffee shop came up with...
Every Story Has Another Side
Apr 04, 2012
Every truth has two sides; it is as well to look at both, before we commit ourselves to either. –Aesop Today, I felt compelled to collect and share my thoughts on the topic of cloud building and open source software. I’m currently working on OpenStack related projects for Rackspace Cloud Builders, but I have other...
Cloud Computing In Action – Rise and Fall of Britannica – Infographic
Apr 04, 2012
Infographic compares defunct paper based Encyclopedia Brittanica to equivalent cloud application Wikipedia, in terms of dollars, trees, & knowledge cataloged.
Rackspace Open Sources Atom Hopper, An Atom Publishing Server
Apr 03, 2012
Atom Hopper is an open source Java Atom publishing server for accessing, processing and aggregating Atom entries. Rackspace designed Atom Hopper to make it easy to build both generalized and specialized persistence mechanisms for Atom XML data; it’s based on the Atom Syndication Format and the Atom Publishing Protocol. We’ve started from the Apache Abdera...
The Big Opportunities in the Cloud
Apr 03, 2012
CloudU Notebooks is a weekly blog series that explores topics from the CloudU certificate program in bite sized chunks, written by me, Ben Kepes, curator of CloudU. How-to’s, interviews with industry giants, and the occasional opinion piece are what you can expect to find. If that’s your cup of tea, you can subscribe here. Recently...
Rackspace Cloud Sites – A Look at the Numbers
Apr 03, 2012
Hosting over 400,000 sites across 112 countries, the Rackspace Cloud Sites product is the Platform-as-a-Service many advertising agencies and web design shops go to for creating sites that are stable, scalable and backed by support that is available in a moment’s notice. During the recent Apple iPad announcement, Cloud Sites customer, gdgt.com, handled 55,697,141 requests...
Don’t Let DNS Management Drive You Crazy
Apr 03, 2012
This is a guest post written and contributed by Brian Jinwright, CEO and founder at iPoots LLC, a Rackspace Cloud Tools Partner. iPoots (Internet Processing of Our Terabytes of Storage) provides DNSly in order to simplify management of your DNS with Rackspace Cloud DNS and other cloud providers. DNS management can be frustrating. We get...
SURGE: Disrupting The Energy Space
Apr 03, 2012
SURGE Accelerator, based in Houston, was founded by leading energy industry executives, venture capitalists, angel investors, potential pilot companies and successful entrepreneurs. SURGE kicked off its inaugural spring 2012 class in early January. And on day 55, the Rackspace Startup Program stopped in for a visit to see how things were developing in the energy startup...
OpenStack Design Summit, Conference To Storm San Francisco
Apr 02, 2012
The OpenStack Design Summit & Conference is ready to take over the City by the Bay, when it descends upon San Francisco April 16 to April 20 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. The event gathers OpenStack contributors, cloud industry leaders, end users and others from around the globe to share stories, discuss the future of...
Rackspace Email Hosting: A Global Phenomenon
Apr 02, 2012
The results are in, and Rackspace Email Hosting has truly gone global. From Kazakhstan to Ecuador; from the U.S. Virgin Islands to the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and nearly everywhere in the world, Rackspace Email Hosting has more than 2 million users and a presence in at least 159 countries (according to February 2012...
Rackspace In The News: Week Ending March 30, 2012
Mar 30, 2012
Rackspace continued to clobber the headlines this week, with OpenStack, Rackspace services and our social media team taking center stage and stealing some ink. Let’s take a look at a few of the stories in which Rackspace made an appearance this week. Cloud Services Changing The Game GigaOM’s Barb Darrow showcased Rackspace’s customer advisory services...
Cloud, Managed Hosting Alleviate In-House Server Management ‘Hassle’
Mar 30, 2012
Despite the benefits of cloud computing and managed hosting, most mid-sized businesses in the US and the UK spend more than half of their time – 56 percent per month – on server management and troubleshooting, chopping the amount of time spent on value-added activities to a measly 28 percent, a new Rackspace survey has...
Starting Up (Is Hard To Do): The Perils Of Positive Feedback
Mar 30, 2012
While positive feedback is great for entrepreneurs to hear, Racker Garrett Heath shares three common traps of positive feedback that people starting up businesses should be wary of.
Introducing DRG: Making Developers’ Lives Easier
Mar 29, 2012
You’ve presumably heard about this “cloud” thing, as it is single-handedly changing the IT game in many ways.  What is so great about the cloud, anyway?  One of the biggest reasons I like the cloud is it’s giving start-ups and smaller IT shops the chance to compete with some of the big boys.  The cloud,...
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Peddl: Making Buying & Selling Easy
Mar 29, 2012
Peddl is the easiest way to buy and sell things with the people around you. I wonder if Peddl could help the Rackspace Startup Program find a used tour bus for our summer 2012 startupalooza road trip? Just trying to think out of the box and explore all of our options. Now back to the...
Experience Design At Rackspace
Mar 29, 2012
Harry Max, Rackspace Vice President of Experience Design, provides an introduction to his whitepaper entitled Experience Design at Rackspace where he discusses the importance of designing products that deliver a great experience for all who interface with it.
Cloud Monitoring Early Access Program Opens Its Doors
Mar 28, 2012
At the end of last year, we announced the private beta to Cloud Monitoring, the next generation of monitoring for Rackspace customers. Today, we pull the curtain off of the Cloud Monitoring Early Access Program, providing opening it up to anyone who wants next generation monitoring for sys admins and developers comfortable with using a...
Racker Phil Toland To Speak At The Erlang Factory Conference
Mar 28, 2012
Racker Phil Toland will be speaking at The Erlang Factoy Conference on March 30, 2012 in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Cloud Adoption, And The IT/Business Tension
Mar 27, 2012
CloudU Notebooks is a weekly blog series that explores topics from the CloudU certificate program in bite sized chunks, written by me, Ben Kepes, curator of CloudU. How-to’s, interviews with industry giants, and the occasional opinion piece are what you can expect to find. If that’s your cup of tea, you can subscribe here. A...
Winning Moneycloud: Fast Migration Of Applications To Rackspace Cloud
Mar 26, 2012
This blog is a guest post written and contributed by Greg O’Connor, CEO of AppZero, a Rackspace Cloud Tools Partner. AppZero offers a migration function, which extracts applications from production environments and packages them for movement to the cloud without re-engineering, change, or lock-in As CEO of a company with technology that changes the economics...
Racker Harry Max To Close Out IA Summit 2012
Mar 23, 2012
Rackspace Vice President of Experience Design, Harry Max, will take the stage at the IA Summit 2012 in New Orleans this weekend closing out the show with the final keynote and urging the UX community to be more than just a commodity. The IA Summit is a marquee event for those who are redefining strategy...
Starting Up (Is Hard To Do): Lessons Learned From My First Pitch
Mar 23, 2012
Racker Garrett Heath shares some of the lessons he learned from pitching his startup for the first time.
From Fiji To Frisco: Racker Reflects On His Roots In OpenStack
Mar 22, 2012
Cloud deployments can be stressful. So can developing for OpenStack, the open source cloud software. Good thing for Racker Vish Ishaya he has a background as a monk and a meditation instructor and is well-trained in the arts of coping with stress. Where most Rackers are seen as self-starters, Ishaya takes that to a new...
Five Tips to Prepare for a Smooth Email Migration
Mar 22, 2012
The most troublesome part of an email system change can be the migration process. Leading up to the event, there will be several activities that need to occur from technical system tasks to notifying users. Here are some migration activities that can begin long before the migration is even scheduled: Shrink Mailboxes. Most business email...
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Aporta: Fundraising For Mexico’s Non-Profits
Mar 22, 2012
When it comes to supporting non-profit organizations, the Rackspace Startup Program is here with open arms. Across the border to the south, Aporta, founded in 2010 in Monterrey, Mexico is an online donation portal where individuals can donate money to more than 6,000 Mexican non-profit organizations that are approved by the Mexican government. Donations can...
Visit Rackspace At DevConnections; Meet SharePoint MVP, Author
Mar 21, 2012
Rackspace will take this year’s DevConnections conference by storm with a booth on the expo floor and a book signing by a SharePoint MVP and author who recently joined Rackspace in the acquisition of SharePoint911. Heralded as one of the largest Microsoft-oriented conferences globally, DevConnections — March 26 through March 29 at the MGM Grand...
82 Days Of Diligence Comes Down to This: Demo Day At Start Engine
Mar 21, 2012
Three months of hard work, days that blend into each other and an entrepreneurial spirit to succeed come down to a 10 minute or less product pitch in front of a room full of investors. That’s what happened on Demo Day, Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at Start Engine, the new rapid startup accelerator in Los...
An Education: Rackspace Gets A Lesson From Educator, Social Activist Geoffrey Canada
Mar 20, 2012
Geoffrey Canada, famous educator, social activist and head of the Harlem Children’s Zone, gave Rackspace an education Tuesday, urging business and community leaders and individuals to get involved in education to preserve one of the country’s greatest resources: children. Canada’s Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ), a non-profit, community-based organization working to enhance the quality of life...
Clarifying the Acronyms – SaaS, PaaS and IaaS
Mar 20, 2012
CloudU Notebooks is a weekly blog series that explores topics from the CloudU certificate program in bite sized chunks, written by me, Ben Kepes, curator of CloudU. How-to’s, interviews with industry giants, and the occasional opinion piece are what you can expect to find. If that’s your cup of tea, you can subscribe here. Anyone...
Why Technical People Should Blog (But Don’t)
Mar 20, 2012
Racker Major Hayden, an active blogger on his own site RackerHacker.com, presents several reasons why technical people should write blogs (and some common objections to why they don't).
Advice For Awesome Startups From The StartupBus
Mar 19, 2012
Launching a startup is a challenge. From the initial idea to the logo to a prototype product to marketing plan to launch to first customer it can be a daunting road. Imagine doing all of that in just three days! That’s the idea behind the StartupBus, one of our favorite stories of last week’s SXSW...
How Rackspace Hosted Exchange 2010 Can Improve Your Business
Mar 19, 2012
For years, Microsoft Exchange has been the gold standard for business email communication, collaboration and productivity. And it only gets better with time. In each new release, Microsoft further distances itself from its competition and establishes itself as the king of the road when it comes to features, capabilities and benefits. Because of this, it...
Rackspace In The News; Week Ending March 16, 2012
Mar 16, 2012
It was another whirlwind week here at Rackspace. From closing out SXSW Interactive, a major nod as the No. 2 in the cloud computing game and a big mention in a piece about wowing customers with incredible support; Rackspace Hosting dominated the headlines. Here’s a look at four stories where Rackspace was the news this...
Starting Up (Is Hard To Do): Marketing Material On The Cheap
Mar 16, 2012
Some ideas on how to put together marketing material for your startup on a shoestring budget by Racker and aspiring entrepreneur Garrett Heath.
The Hot Apps At SXSW: Highlight And Lanyrd
Mar 15, 2012
Every year, new categories of social interaction emerge at SXSW. This year, Highlight and Lanyrd seem to be two that got a lot of buzz and use. Both are about discovering people who are close by — people you might want to meet. Highlight is billed as “a fun and simple way to learn about the...
Rackspace Cloud Gives SaaS Startup Good Karma
Mar 15, 2012
When a company is starting up, they need to stay lean—without cutting quality and creating a lot of extra work for a small staff. That means making smart decisions, and for legions of small companies today, the cloud has become the go-to hosting solution—and in its different forms, the cloud can solve a lot of...
Rackspace Startup Program Insider: Lew Moorman Talks Startups
Mar 15, 2012
Entrepreneurs are an essential fabric within the Rackspace Startup Program. To help facilitate the dreams of startups from ideation to implementation is truly fulfilling for the Space Cowboys. Startups are leading the way into the future of computing. Within Rackspace Hosting, we have leaders who embrace the startup movement and understand that we must engage,...
Rackspace Open Sources Whiskey, A Test Framework
Mar 14, 2012
Racker Tomaz Muraus discusses Whiskey, an Open Source technology the Rackspace Cloud Monitoring team developed to help with testing and test automation.
Rackspace Cloud Databases Private Beta: New Features and Global Availability
Mar 14, 2012
Find out about the new features and global availability of the Rackspace Cloud Databases.
Rackspace Gets ‘Foolish’ With The Motley Fool
Mar 13, 2012
It’s usually an insult to be called “foolish,” but it’s a term of endearment when it comes from Tim Beyers, senior analyst for The Motley Fool. So when Beyers stopped by The Castle (Rackspace HQ) Tuesday during a break from SXSW and to work on a piece about Rackspace, we took it as the utmost...
Broadcasting Live from SXSWi: The Next Web’s StartupBus Daily Show, Tuesday, March 13th
Mar 13, 2012
SXSW Interactive is coming to a close and The Next Web will be broadcasting two show to close out the event. Back today with Hermione Way is Sarah Austin and Anastasia Emmanuel. Today’s show features two broadcasts. From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. CST it’s the final edition of the StartupBus Daily Tracker with Baratunde...
Overview of the Erlang Programming Language
Mar 13, 2012
Racker developer Phil Toland talks about the Erlang programming language, its history and some of the advantages that it has compared to other languages.
On Public, Private and Horses for Courses…
Mar 13, 2012
CloudU Notebooks is a weekly blog series that explores topics from the CloudU certificate program in bite sized chunks, written by me, Ben Kepes, curator of CloudU. How-to’s, interviews with industry giants, and the occasional opinion piece are what you can expect to find. If that’s your cup of tea, you can subscribe here. I...
Broadcasting Live from SXSWi: The Next Web’s StartupBus Daily Show, Monday, March 12th
Mar 12, 2012
Hermione Way is broadcasting live on The Next Web with the StartupBus Daily Show. The StartupBus teams are now in Austin, Texas for SXSW Interactive. Today’s show features two broadcasts. From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. CST Hermione will be at SXSWi with her new co-host Elliot Tomaeno talking with Gaytech. From 7 p.m. to...
Startups, Rookies And More: A Look At A Day At Rackspace [Video]
Mar 12, 2012
It seems Fridays spark jubilation here at Rackspace, and March 9 was no exception: The day was bookended by a pair of major celebrations, each highlighting new beginnings. The morning kicked off bright and early with the arrival of the StartupBus convoy, a fleet of buses chock full of entrepreneurs and startups – or, “buspreneurs,”...
Congratulations Cerealize, An Awesome Startup
Mar 12, 2012
At SXSW on Sunday, Cerealize was crowned the winner of the StartupBus 2012! Cerealize believes cereal is the “hottest thing in the world right now” and felt right at home in the Castle Friday where we have several conference rooms named for different breakfast cereals. Cerealize offers a custom cereal service, where customers can create their own cereal — or...
StartupBus Finals Today – The Buspreneurs Got Ready At Rackspace
Mar 11, 2012
The StartupBus Grand Finals are today at 3 p.m. at SXSW in Hilton Salon A. Part of the finalists’ prep was some warm-up pitching on Friday at the Castle, our home in San Antonio. Take a look at some of the pitches, see feedback from our judges and get on the Louisiana bus for the...
Broadcasting Live from SXSWi: The Next Web’s StartupBus Daily Show, Saturday, March 10th
Mar 10, 2012
Hermione Way, Sarah Austin and Anastasia Emmanuel are broadcasting live on The Next Web with the StartupBus Daily Show. The StartupBus caravans have arrived in Austin, Texas for SXSW Interactive. Today’s show features not one, not two, but three broadcasts. From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. CST the ladies will be at SXSWi providing updates...
StartupBus Roll into Rackspace
Mar 09, 2012
Entrepreneurs from the StartupBus convoy arrived at the Rackspace Castle today and got to pitch their ideas to a panel that included Dave McClure of 500 Startups, Luis Robles of Sequoia Capital and Graham Weston of Rackspace.
Starting Up (Is Hard To Do): Don’t Give A “Shhhhh” – Why Not To Be Secretive With Your Idea
Mar 09, 2012
Racker and aspiring entrepreneur Garrett Heath writes about why you should tell the world about your idea instead of keeping it secret.
Show Us Yours and We’ll Show You Ours (Expertise That Is)
Mar 09, 2012
The people at Rackspace are cloud experts, now it is your turn to show us your expertise. Find out how to upload a video to showcase your expertise. #ShowUsYours
Luminaria 2012: Arts Come To Light (Or, Why I’m Proud To Be A Racker)
Mar 09, 2012
Racker Cara Nichols talks about Rackspace's involvement in San Antonio's 2012 Luminaria Festival, including creating an interactive guide as well as some Rackers making original art.
Live at Rackspace: The Next Web’s Bus Tracker Show for March 9th
Mar 09, 2012
We’ve got some special guests at the Rackspace Castle this week… Hermione Way and Sarah Austin are broadcasting live on The Next Web with The Bus Tracker Show. The StartupBus caravans has arrived from all over the United States and Mexico for a pit stop at the Rackspace Castle on their way to Austin, Texas...
Rackspace Cloud Keeps Blog Afloat Amid iPad Announcement Traffic Onslaught
Mar 08, 2012
Learn how Rackspace Cloud Sites powered popular website GDGT and helped them to survive the onslaught of traffic from the Apple iPad event in March of 2012.
Live at Rackspace: The Next Web’s Bus Tracker Show for March 8th
Mar 08, 2012
We’ve got some special guests at the Rackspace Castle this week… Hermione Way and Sarah Austin are broadcasting live on The Next Web with The Bus Tracker Show, checking in live via Skype with startups heading to ATX (Austin, Texas) for SXSW Interactive. Buses are traveling from the Midwest, the East Coast, the West Coast...
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight on Vuru
Mar 08, 2012
Racker John McKenna profiles Vuru, a company in the Rackspace Startup Program that does automated stock analysis engine and turns complex financial data into understandable reports.
Rackspace Is Positioned As A Leader In The Gartner Magic Quadrant For Managed Hosting
Mar 08, 2012
We’re thrilled to announce that Rackspace Hosting has been recognized as a market leader in Gartner’s 2011 Magic Quadrant For Managed Hosting, which encompasses both physical and virtualized infrastructures, including cloud infrastructure-as-a-service. We are working to build the service leader in cloud computing, and we believe this recognition from Gartner confirms that Fanatical Support really does deliver...
StartupBus Europe
Mar 07, 2012
StartupBus Europe
Live at Rackspace: The Next Web’s Bus Tracker Show for March 7th
Mar 07, 2012
We’ve got some special guests at the Rackspace Castle this week! Hermione Way and Sarah Austin are broadcasting live on The Next Web with The Bus Tracker Show, checking in live via Skype with startups heading to ATX (Austin, Texas) for SXSW Interactive. Buses are traveling from the Midwest, the East Coast, the West Coast...
Announcing Rackspace Cloud Load Balancers SSL Termination
Mar 07, 2012
Thanks to our great customers for making SSL Termination the number 1 requested feature to be added to the Rackspace Cloud Load Balancers product. We are happy to announce today SSL Termination is available via the API. SSL (Secure Socket Layer) Termination SSL termination allows our users to have their SSL traffic terminate at the Load...
Dangers of Installing WordPress from an OS Software Repository
Mar 07, 2012
Racker and WordPress aficionado Mart Martz explains why you never want to install WordPress from an OS software repository.
High Availability in the Cloud
Mar 07, 2012
Whether you use the Cloud or dedicated servers, you should always make sure you have a plan for your configuration in the event that something goes wrong. This is a series of posts based on a discussion I had with Aaron Scheel, a solutions engineer here at Rackspace.   We all understand that an ounce...
Broadcasting Live at Rackspace: The Next Web’s Bus Tracker Show
Mar 06, 2012
We’ve got some special guests at the Rackspace Castle this week! Hermione Way and Sarah Austin are broadcasting live on The Next Web with The Bus Tracker Show, checking in live via Skype with startups from all over the country heading to ATX (Austin, Texas) for SXSW Interactive. Keep up to date with StartupBus daily...
MuleSoft: Filling The Gaps In Tomcat
Mar 06, 2012
This is a guest post written and contributed by Karan Malhi, Tcat Product Manager at MuleSoft, which is part of the Rackspace Cloud Tools Program.  MuleSoft provides Tcat in order to centralize application deployment, rollback and provisioning for all your Tomcat servers. How many times have you heard your friend or peer say, “I wish...
Enabling SSL For The OpenStack API
Mar 06, 2012
Imagine you have been asked to deploy OpenStack with public facing API endpoints. Your major requirement is to ensure that any service facing the public must be wrapped in SSL to protect user credentials and transactions between the user and the cloud. Unfortunately, you don’t have access to any hardware to terminate the SSL connection...
Developer Operations in a Cloudy World
Mar 06, 2012
CloudU Notebooks is a weekly blog series that explores topics from the CloudU certificate program in bite sized chunks, written by me, Ben Kepes, curator of CloudU.  How-to’s, interviews with industry giants, and the occasional opinion piece are what you can expect to find.  If that’s your cup of tea, you can subscribe here. One...
Awesome Starts Here! Rackspace SXSW2012
Mar 06, 2012
If you’re going to SXSW, you’ve got to go big. And you’ve go to go AWESOME. For SXSW 2012, Rackspace is hitting Austin in full force. And—for the first time ever—Awesome is starting in San Antonio! Check it out–here’s what’s in store March 8 – 15. RAX @ SXSW Calendar of Awesomeness: Tuesday – Thursday...
Starting Up (Is Hard to Do): What to Do if You Can’t Develop Software
Mar 02, 2012
Racker and aspiring entrepreneur Garrett Heath writes about his experience of finding software developers in an effort to help entrepreneurs who don't know how to code but want to make software or mobile apps.
Open Compute Summit Comes To Texas
Mar 02, 2012
This past October, Rackspace announced its participation as founding board member of The Open Compute Project.  Given our company’s dedication to energy conservation and open standards, joining this movement was a natural fit.  We felt honored and enthusiastic for Rackers to be in on the ground floor of an industry changing movement. Our passion for this...
How To Stay In Control Of Your Cloud Costs
Mar 01, 2012
This is a guest post written and contributed by J.R. Storment, Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer of Cloudability, a Rackspace Cloud Tools Partner. Cloudability helps businesses easily manage all their cloud spending, stop overages, and save money. The Rackspace Cloud is awesome.  It gives you almost limitless scalability to handle growth and frees you from...
Disaster Recovery in the Cloud
Mar 01, 2012
This is the second post in a series on Disaster Recorvery/High Availability where Aaron Scheel, a solutions engineer Racker, talks more in detail about Disaster Recovery in the Cloud.
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On SURGE
Mar 01, 2012
Home to more than 5,000 energy related firms, Houston is the fourth most populous city in the United States and considered by many as the Energy Capital of the World. It’s no wonder that the Rackspace Startup Program’s latest partner chose Houston as home base. SURGE Accelerator, a member of the exclusive TechStars Network, is the...
OpenStack Training: A Student’s View
Mar 01, 2012
Racker Hart Hoover gives a student's point of view on the experience of taking OpenStack training.
And The Stevie Goes To … Rackspace Email & Apps
Feb 29, 2012
In recognition of Rackspace’s tremendous passion for customers and Fanatical Support, Rackspace Email & Apps this week took home a Gold award for Front Line Customer Support at the sixth annual Stevie Awards for Sales and Customer Service. The internationally recognized and coveted Stevie Awards have become The Oscars of the business world, honoring premier...
Rackspace Through the (Leap) Years
Feb 29, 2012
To celebrate Leap Day, here's a look at how Rackspace's website has changed every four years.
Announcing Google+ Video Wednesday
Feb 29, 2012
Introducing the Rackspace Google+ Video Wednesday: be sure to search for Rackspace on Google+ to watch Rackers give tips and tricks on how to use some of our products.
[INFOGRAPHIC] Mobile Email for Business: Growth, Projections, Best Practices
Feb 29, 2012
Email was the first killer app for mobile. The growth of mobile smartphones and tablets as must-have business tools is due in part to their ability to facilitate secure, instant access to email, the most used form of business communication. Take a look at how mobile and email have grown and continue to grow together...
Rackspace Cloud Servers, Powered by OpenStack™ [Beta]
Feb 29, 2012
Today the next-generation Cloud Servers, powered by OpenStack™, completed the private Alpha phase and entered the Beta phase.  This transition is a huge milestone for OpenStack and for the Open era of the cloud. Through the Alpha program, working with our customers and early users, we have learned a lot. What we have today is...
OpenStack Training Puts Open Cloud In Users’ Hands
Feb 28, 2012
Since its launch nearly two years ago, OpenStack has caused quite a stir in the cloud computing market. The open source cloud software, which hit the streets in 2010 fueled by a cloud collaboration between Rackspace and NASA, has gained a great deal of attention and the momentum has been astounding. And, late last year,...
Opa Aims to rethink Development for the Cloud
Feb 28, 2012
CloudU Notebooks is a weekly blog series that explores topics from the CloudU certificate program in bite sized chunks, written by me, Ben Kepes, curator of CloudU.  How-to’s, interviews with industry giants, and the occasional opinion piece are what you can expect to find.  If that’s your cup of tea, you can subscribe here. I’ve...
Add the Content-MD5 HTTP Header to nginx
Feb 28, 2012
The Content-MD5 HTTP Header was recently put in place on WordPress.org for WordPress releases to allow easier MD5 checksum verification of the download without requiring an extra HTTP request to grab an MD5 file. WordPress will soon start validating the MD5 checksum when downloading files based on this header. I had recently implemented some code in a WordPress plugin,...
Rackspace Taps Henry Sauer To Lead HR
Feb 27, 2012
Rackspace has been repeatedly recognized as one of the best places to work in the U.S., and keeping it that way makes leading HR at the company a daunting and critical job. Employees, known as Rackers, are expected to deliver Fanatical Support not only to customers, but also to their colleagues. Fostering a culture of...
Racker Hacker: Getting started with SELinux
Feb 27, 2012
The post originally appeared on Racker Hacker, Major’s blog, and with his permission we have reposted it here. I used to be one of those folks who would install Fedora, CentOS, Scientific Linux, or Red Hat and disable SELinux during the installation. It always seemed like SELinux would get in my way and keep me...
Starting Up (Is Hard to Do): Mocking Up Your Idea
Feb 24, 2012
People get inspiration from a variety of places. I get ideas while browsing the web, showering in the morning, waking up from a deep sleep and drinking at the bar (I would love to see an infographic on how many ideas were hatched over a brew). You’ve been hit with a flash of genius for...
inZair:
Feb 23, 2012
San Francisco Office Opening:
Feb 23, 2012
Mesagraph:
Feb 23, 2012
Loggly:
Feb 23, 2012
Janrain:
Feb 23, 2012
When NASA Met Rackspace
Feb 23, 2012
By now you’ve heard about OpenStack (perhaps you’ve even tried it out). Now here’s your chance to see where it all began—the OpenStack creation story, if you will. So sit back, drink a warm beverage, and watch the story of how an ambitious team of developers linked up with NASA, built a supergroup of cloud...
Inkling:
Feb 23, 2012
iSwifter:
Feb 23, 2012
CloudU:
Feb 23, 2012
Understanding Disaster Recovery and High Availability
Feb 22, 2012
Whether you use the cloud or dedicated servers, you should always make sure you have a plan for your configuration in the event that something goes wrong. This is the first in a series of posts based on a discussion I had with Aaron Scheel, a solutions engineer here at Rackspace. People use the phrase...
Iron.io Gives App Developers Agility, Scalability Boost
Feb 22, 2012
This is a guest post written and contributed by Travis Reeder, Co-Founder and CTO of Iron.io, a Rackspace Cloud Tools Partner. Iron.io provides hosted messaging and background processing services for developers who want to spend less time managing infrastructure and more time building great applications. Much of the discussion of the cloud stack these days centers on app...
Hey Developers! Test Drive OpenStack For Free With TryStack
Feb 22, 2012
Want to give OpenStack a try? You know you do. So go for it. A handful of OpenStack community members have launched TryStack, a free OpenStack sandbox for developers to explore, test and play around with their apps on the OpenStack open source cloud operating system. Rackspace, Dell, HP and NTT are leading the TryStack...
Storage Systems Overview
Feb 21, 2012
Storage requirements are getting huge. Data is incredibly sticky: it doesn’t move or ever get smaller. These two realities make your choice of a storage system vitally important. However, there is no storage system that provides a single solution for all use cases. You must pair the right use case with the right system. When...
That Old Cloud Cost Chestnut Again…
Feb 21, 2012
CloudU Notebooks is a weekly blog series that explores topics from the CloudU certificate program in bite sized chunks, written by me, Ben Kepes, curator of CloudU.  How-to’s, interviews with industry giants, and the occasional opinion piece are what you can expect to find.  If that’s your cup of tea, you can subscribe here. Recently...
Rackspace, Redapt Partner For Private Cloud Powered By OpenStack
Feb 17, 2012
Rackspace and Redapt have locked arms to deliver a fully packaged, turnkey private OpenStack cloud supported by Rackspace. Through the pairing, solution provider Redapt will offer Rackspace Cloud: Private Edition as a soup-to-nuts cloud infrastructure and support offering that makes it easier for companies to leverage the cloud in the data center of their choice....
Starting Up (Is Hard to Do): New Friday Series
Feb 17, 2012
The world is changing with the advent and mainstream adoption of the cloud. Not since the Italian Renaissance have we seen this level of creative energy unleashed. But as opposed to being locked in geographically to Western Europe, this revolution is sweeping the globe. By making servers and data storage more affordable, entrepreneurs are creating...
Preparing for Red Hat Exams
Feb 16, 2012
Major Hayden has successfully completed a series of exams to become RHCA certified. Here are some of his tips on how to best prepare for a Red Hat exam. Getting yourself ready for any type of examination is usually a stressful experience that involves procrastination and some late nights leading up to the test. Every...
Dubset Spins Tunes and Servers with Style [VIDEO]
Feb 16, 2012
Dubset is a Brooklyn-based company that exemplifies the best of startup culture: finding a need, creating technology that solves the problem and looking good the whole time. The need? A place for DJs to share their music—and not just a sample or two, but a whole set, the way you’d hear it in a club....
Welcome SharePoint911 to the Rackspace Family!
Feb 16, 2012
The Game Just Changed We are thrilled to announce that Rackspace has acquired SharePoint911. SharePoint911 is a recognized thought-leader and authority in the SharePoint community and brings a technical powerhouse of SharePoint expertise ranging from architecture design, custom development, successful deployments and user adoption to Rackspace. Its team of 16 industry experts, including six Microsoft...
How Rackspace Hosts Rackspace.com
Feb 15, 2012
Rackspace is the hosting provider of choice for both small mom and pop businesses and Fortune 500 companies alike. But who hosts the hosting provider? I sat down with Victor Palma, a web scale engineer on the Rackspace Critical Sites team to find out how we host our website to ensure it doesn’t go down....
Rackspace Startup Program Insider with John Engates
Feb 15, 2012
Over the last year it has truly been a privilege to share stories with you about some of the companies, partners and events that the Space Cowboys have attended within the Rackspace Startup Program. The technology world is buzzing with brilliant entrepreneurial minds creating new ways and improving on old ones, making our planet a...
Load Balancers in the Cloud
Feb 15, 2012
With the cloud, solutions that were once only affordable to the largest organizations are now cost effective solutions for small and midsized businesses. Cloud load balancers are one of these things. While most people associate load balancers with large, complex configurations, they can be indispensable, even if your cloud configuration consists of a single server....
Racker Presenting at Cloud Connect
Feb 13, 2012
John Dickinson will be presenting at the Cloud Connect Conference tomorrow, February 14th from 11:15AM to 12:15PM, with a session entitled Rackspace & OpenStack Object Storage (Swift): A Love Story. John is a developer at Rackspace Hosting where he works on Rackspace’s Cloud Files product. He has been active in the OpenStack community since its...
Day in the Life – Friday at the Rack [Video]
Feb 11, 2012
Our culture has made Rackspace one of Fortune’s top places to work, and Racker Dave Sims decided to take his camera around to showcase a day in the life at the Castle (what we affectionately call our headquarters). Dave took on a personal challenge to film, produce and edit a video in just a single...
How Rackspace Managed Cloud Supports You
Feb 09, 2012
One question that I commonly get is, “So how exactly does Managed Cloud support my business.” There is a lot of documentation on our service level and what we actually do, however, for this post I wanted to give a very high level analogy of how Managed Cloud delivers support to you and your organization....
Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight on Quarterly.co
Feb 09, 2012
Connecting with startups is priority #1 for the Rackspace Startup Program. We spend so much of our lives connecting with people online that we forget the value of tangible interactions that happen in the real world. Now, there is a new way to connect with the people you follow and find interesting. Quarterly.co allows anyone...
Don’t let Valentine’s break your heart (or your website)
Feb 09, 2012
Perhaps you sell roses by the dozen. Or your restaurant touts a lovely prix-fixe Valentine’s Day dinner. Or you sell love-centric gifts. Which days are big days depends on your business. And whether that’s V-Day or every day, Rackspace can help you prepare your site for whatever customers come your way. So if you’re expecting...
International Rescue Committee Assesses Cloud Readiness with Rackspace Advisory Services
Feb 09, 2012
Since 1933, The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has served the needs of refugees around the world. This philanthropic work brings IRC to some of the most remote and challenging parts of the globe where environmental and technical issues often prevent these heroes from accessing email and other mission critical applications. IRC wanted to evaluate cloud...
Poof! The Sound of Your Application Monitoring Headaches Disappearing
Feb 09, 2012
This is a guest post written and contributed by Tanya Bragin, Lead Product Manager at ExtraHop Networks, a Rackspace Cloud Tools Partner. ExtraHop provides application performance management (APM) solutions to help ensure business-critical transactions do not fail.  Companies have a number of reasons to deploy their applications in the cloud: scalability, simpler management, and cost-efficiency...
What’s Next With Online Piracy?
Feb 07, 2012
Our combined efforts helped to prevent approval of unbalanced legislation in SOPA and PIPA.  Now we have a chance to work on laws that will aid us in our daily fight against copyright infringement—without harming the Internet. By Lanham Napier CEO, Rackspace When Rackspace first joined the SOPA/PIPA fight, experts told us that we would...
What’s Next With Online Piracy?
Feb 07, 2012
Our combined efforts helped to prevent approval of unbalanced legislation in SOPA and PIPA. Now we have a chance to work on laws that will aid us in our daily fight against copyright infringement—without harming the Internet. By Lanham Napier CEO, Rackspace When Rackspace first joined the SOPA/PIPA fight, experts told us that we would...
Sink the Pirates, Not the Internet
Jan 17, 2012
Our efforts to rewrite the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act are showing good results. But we’ve got to keep the pressure on. By Lanham Napier CEO, Rackspace In my last blog post on SOPA and PIPA, I explained why Rackspace —along with much of the Internet community — opposes these bills...
Rackspace VP Named Top Next-Gen Channel Leader
Nov 28, 2011
CRN.com recently named Robert Fuller, Rackspace Vice President of Worldwide Channel Sales, as one of the top 10 Next-Gen Channel Leaders of 2011. Fuller was joined by executives at Dell, Avaya, and Salesforce on the list of trailblazers for his work in restructuring the Rackspace channel partner program. Read more on CRN.com.
A Good Cause Gets an Army of Promoters
Nov 18, 2011
At Rackspace, we use the Net Promoter Score to gauge customer loyalty. If you’re a customer, you’ve probably received our survey asking, “How likely is it that you would recommend our company to a company or friend?” Based on a scale of 0-10, customers can be Promoters (9-10), Passives (7-8), or Detractors (0-6). Our goal...
SharePoint Conference Success Powered by Rackspace
Nov 11, 2011
Authored by Shannon Bray, SharePoint Technical Architect, SharePoint Evangelist, and Microsoft Certified Trainer. This post was originally posted on my blog and Rackspace has given me the opportunity to share my story here. ? Last month, I made the trip out to Anaheim, CA to attend my first SharePoint conference, the Microsoft SharePoint Conference 2011....
Online Retailer Gets Service and Scale at Rackspace
Nov 10, 2011
During peak season, Air & Water, Inc, one of the Internet’s largest independent appliance retailers, can generate thousands of dollars per hour. Site downtime means the loss of revenue. After running a web server on-premises and dealing with connectivity issues taking them offline for hours at a time and needing more hardware to meet increasing...
Sexy Sax Man Pays Rackspace a Visit
Nov 09, 2011
One of the many things that makes Rackspace a great place to work is the fun, random things that happen in our office, like having the Sexy Sax Man visit. Take a look: You might be wondering, why? Well, when we asked fellow Racker Jason Stiles of 10 years, he said; “I just wanted to...
RackConnect™ – New and Improved!
Nov 08, 2011
Authored by Toby Owen, Senior Manager, Hybrid Cloud Solutions A year ago, to the day actually, we announced general availability of RackConnect™, the Rackspace® Hosting solution to integrate dedicated and cloud hosting into a single solution.  It’s hard to believe it’s been a full year since the launch, and we’ve been hard at work since...
Rackspace Voted Best Exchange Hosting Provider
Nov 03, 2011
The Redmond Magazine 2011 Readers Choice Poll results are in, and Rackspace comes out on top. This is the first year that the poll included a category for Exchange hosting providers, and Redmond Magazine’s readers overwhelmingly gave their support to the Rackspace Hosted Exchange product with nearly 40% of the vote against five other providers....
Fuel Rewards Provider Manages Scale with Rackspace
Nov 03, 2011
If you have one of those handy fuel reward program tags on your key chain, then you’re already familiar with Excentus, the leading provider of loyalty marketing programs and services based on cents-off per gallon fuel discounts. The infrastructure behind such a program requires a highly available, secure system that lets users earn points and...
Building a Solid Ecommerce Platform
Nov 02, 2011
According to a ComScore report after the 2010 holiday shopping season, more than 85% of Americans online visited a retail site in December of last year. I suspect the other 15% are my grandmother’s bingo buddies and the toddler demographic who’ve yet to experience the joys of shopping online. Web traffic for ecommerce sites surges...
Internet Born at 3420 Boelter Hall
Oct 28, 2011
As Leonard Kleinrock, UCLA professor and leader of the team that sent the first Internet transmission, notes, there were no cameras, no parades, no fanfare, and no deep meaningful message sent to mark the first Arapanet transmission between UCLA’s SDS Sigma and Stanford Research Institute’s SDS 940 on October 29, 1969 at 10:30pm. That two-node...
Rackspace Collaborates with Facebook and Other Industry Leaders to Design Greener, Open-Source Data Centers
Oct 27, 2011
by Mark Roenigk, COO, Rackspace This past April, Facebook rocked the IT industry by announcing the Open Compute Project, in which it shared the specifications of one of the world’s most energy-efficient data centers, already in operation in Prineville, Oregon.  Facebook named as founding members of the project a handful of industry leaders, including Rackspace....
How Does a 2-Person Team Serve 2 Million Users?
Oct 26, 2011
With over 300,000 daily passengers, the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), is responsible for not only keeping the rails running in the San Francisco Bay Area, but also maintaining up-to-the minute schedule data via their website. This information is used by thousands of developers to create neighborhood map apps and location-based services, as well as...
New! Free Hosted Storage Whitepaper
Oct 25, 2011
With so many storage options out there, nailing down what you need – or what you don’t need – can be confusing. An expensive, dedicated storage service might offer more muscle than your budget, or those holiday office party photos need. However, compliance-sensitive data must meet stringent storage criteria to maintain requirements. To help you...
Ecommerce Shopping Cart Comparison
Oct 21, 2011
Most ecommerce sites use shopping cart software for payment processing. The benefits are obvious; these systems eliminate the complicated work of building and maintaining the stringent security, performance, and compliance pieces of the most important part of a site. This lets businesses focus on selling, instead of wondering if the infrastructure is PCI compliant. Evaluating...
6 SharePoint Tips for Managers
Oct 20, 2011
Are you a manager wondering what SharePoint® can offer your team? We’ve prepared, “6 Things Every Manager Should Know about Microsoft SharePoint” to help you understand the big benefits and considerations of choosing SharePoint. The whitepaper includes insights from Rackspace SharePoint architect, Jeff DeVerter and Shane Young from SharePoint MVP. Topics include: •    Why SharePoint...
Journey to the Cloud with Rackspace Advisory Services
Oct 13, 2011
Moving your current environment to the cloud is no easy feat. The process is even more complicated for enterprises due to the complexity of interrelated processes, performance requirements, security demands, and compliance factors. To help you get started, Rackspace now offers Advisory Services. The Advisory Services Team offers consulting services, delivered by enterprise IT architects...
How WebCorp Gained a Limitless Inbox
Oct 12, 2011
Philip Ferreira serves as president of WebCorp, a Bay Area-based domain development company, he also handles the company website and all of the company’s technology issues. As is the case in many growing organizations, Ferreira wears many hats. Thanks to Rackspace, he doesn’t have to worry about wearing server procurement, deployment, and management hats. Since...
Your Key to Unlocking the Enterprise Cloud
Oct 11, 2011
One reason enterprises cite for not moving faster to the cloud is fear of lock-in. Lock-in is the equivalent driving an old, breakdown-prone, gas-guzzling car instead of investing in a newer model that runs better and saves time and money in the long-run because you don’t want to invest the time and money for a...
Can Hybrid Hosting Give You a Competitive Advantage?
Oct 06, 2011
A survey of hundreds of medium-to-large organizations in 12 countries revealed 83% of respondents expect to have a mix of on-premises and cloud technology within the next ten years. This hybrid approach allows businesses to switch seamlessly between dedicated hosted services and cloud services, or use both simultaneously to support temporary campaign traffic, give additional...
Rackspace Keeps the Dough Rolling for Domino’s UK
Oct 06, 2011
Rackspace delivers the infrastructure needed to maintain Domino’s UK public-facing ecommerce site (www.dominos.co.uk), online payment gateway, corporate email and back-office systems, and company intranet. Domino’s found Rackspace while hunting for a hosting provider to help them concentrate less on maintaining systems and more on delivering greater innovation and serving their growing online audience. Why Rackspace?...
Rackspace CEO on Bloomberg West
Oct 05, 2011
Last week, Lanham Napier, Rackspace CEO, was featured on Bloomberg West discussing the phenomenal growth of the Rackspace cloud business and the cloud computing industry. The interview includes how Rackspace is positioned to win against big competitors, what Rackspace does differently, and why enterprises are looking to cloud computing as a new way to deliver...
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month
Oct 05, 2011
Though we consider every month Cyber Security Awareness Month, October has been designated to bring attention to ways everyone can protect personal and business digital assets. This is the eighth year the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MSIAC), have sponsored the...
Duck, Dodge, Dive! It’s a Dodgeball Tournament at Rackspace
Sep 29, 2011
The tension was building on the parking-lot-turned dodgeball arena on the morning of September 22. The sun beamed down on the field of contenders: 31 teams, filled with 282 Rackers anxious to taste the sweetness of dodgeball victory in the Rackspace dodgeball tournament at the San Antonio office. After the last ball bounced, only one...
5 Stats About Ecommerce Security & Speed
Sep 28, 2011
1.     According to research, a 1-second delay in page load time equals a 16% decrease in customer satisfaction, and a 7% loss in conversions. Meaning a site that usually earns $100,000 a day could lose up to $2.5 million a year. 2.     New threat signatures appear every 8 seconds. 3.     8 out...
Inside Nickelodeon’s 2011 Kids’ Choice Awards App
Sep 22, 2011
When Nickelodeon went looking for innovative ways to increase voting for the 2011 Kids’ Choice Awards, they turned to AgencyNet. AgencyNet delivered with fun, interactive activities, like earning slime to sling on friends’ photos by placing votes.  However, moving from idea to execution required technical expertise and infrastructure support. If they received too much traffic,...
You’ve Decided to Move to the Cloud – Now What?
Sep 21, 2011
Getting on the cloud is an easy decision for cost and efficiency alone. However, figuring out how to build out your cloud infrastructure, doing the initial planning and analysis, deciding what apps to move to the cloud, and finding the right provider can be a challenge. Give yourself a head start with the Getting Started...
What’s in the Rackspace Secret Sauce?
Sep 20, 2011
According to Wayne Roberts SVP of Hybrid, and former SVP of Human Resources, Rackers are Rackspace’s “secret sauce.” What’s the recipe? In any successful recipe, certain ingredients serve as the palette for the overall taste of the dish. Even though we regard it as secret, we’ll share one way we strike the right ingredients for...
Rackspace does “Party Rock”
Sep 15, 2011
Everyday I’m shufflin! Our Rackspace Email and Apps support team recently filmed their take on the LMFAO video, “Party Rock Anthem.” Rackers strive daily to provide customers with Fanatical Support® – and creative environments help us continue to serve those customers fanatically. We think they did a bang up job – What do you think?...
Rackspace featured on CNN Money
Sep 13, 2011
CNN Money visited the Rackspace headquarters a few weeks ago to shoot the following video as part of their “2011 Best companies to Work For” video series. Check it out.
40 Web Security and Encryption Resources
Sep 13, 2011
Looking for information on how to maintain digital security and protect sensitive data? You can search all over the web, or you can check out our comprehensive list of web security and encryption sites covering encryption basics, law, virus information, firewalls, and general Internet safeguards. Find links to information for the novice user all the...
3pm or 3am – Six Flags Counts on Rackspace
Sep 12, 2011
Businesses faced with seasonal traffic surges are often forced with the difficult choice between maintaining costly peak-usage infrastructure year round or risking a diminished experience during surges. Sean Andersen, Director, Interactive Services, Six Flags, faces this situation managing the site for a major water park operator with locations across America.  The site can range from...
Cloud vs Dedicated – Important Questions to Ask Yourself
Sep 08, 2011
There are more reasons to move to the Cloud than just saving money. You might be evaluating the Cloud due to changing business needs but you’re unsure on where to start. You’ve heard it before: The Cloud is for everyone, but not everything. While some scenarios require dedicated hardware, many legacy-dedicated environments are hosting web...
Hands-on Training Courses for OpenStack Now Available
Aug 24, 2011
OpenStack has gained tremendous momentum in the last year, nearing 1,400 registered developers and more than 100 participating companies. As companies are eager to deploy and operate OpenStack clouds, they are looking to experts in the community for training and support. Rackspace Cloud Builders is now providing hands-on training courses for OpenStack developers and administrators...
Five Reasons Why the Cloud is Ready for the Enterprise
Aug 24, 2011
Originally posted in our Knowledge Center. Are you still saying that the cloud is fine for tiny startups, but not for large enterprises? Here are five good reasons why the cloud is ready for your enterprise. #1: The cloud gives a competitive edge A recent white paper from CIO magazine listed these benefits of cloud...
Racker Makes List of Leading Global Managed Services Executives
Aug 10, 2011
Robert Fuller, Vice President of Worldwide Channel Sales at Rackspace, was selected for Nine Lives Media Inc.’s 2011 MSPmentor 250, a global report that identifies the world’s leading managed service executives, entrepreneurs, experts, coaches and community leaders. “I’m honored to be recognized by MSPmentor readers and editorial staff,” said Fuller.  “Inclusion on this prestigious list underscores the...
Managed Hosting and the Shift in IT
Aug 10, 2011
The rise of managed hosting and the cloud have sparked much speculation among IT professionals. Do these help or hurt IT job prospects? Are IT departments in danger of being shut down? How can IT cope with these new trends? Everyone can agree that IT is going through a shakeup due to the recession, the...
OpenStack Celebrates It’s 1 Year Anniversary
Jul 21, 2011
It is truly amazing that it has just been one year since we at Rackspace, along with NASA and 25 other organizations, officially announced the launch of OpenStack. From day one we have been shocked by the interest, engagement and momentum of the community launched to build the de facto open standard cloud operating system....
[INFOGRAPHIC] Data Storage 101
Jul 20, 2011
According to Gartner in 2010, 47% of enterprise survey respondents ranked data growth in their top three challenges. The steady growth in the pace of file creation and systems to save all of those files shows no hint of a slowdown. In 1986, only 1% of data was stored digitally. In 2007, it was 94%....
Rackspace has always been “One of the Good Guys”
Jul 13, 2011
Authored by Rena Van de Putte, Channel Marketing On July 1st, www.WebHostingSearch.com named Rackspace “One of the Good Guys of Web Hosting.”  This site serves as a repository for of hosting information for companies in the market for hosting providers. “More than 100,000 businesses trust their websites with hosting from Rackspace. It probably goes without...
Texas Passes HB1841; Law Clarifies E-Commerce Sales Tax Obligations
Jun 30, 2011
Members of the Texas Legislature showed rock solid support for the state’s fast-growing technology industry by overwhelmingly passing HB 1841, a bill that eliminates any question that the mere use of a web-hosting company with a server in Texas might result in a state sales tax collection obligation.  The bill was authored by Rep. Will...
Rackspace Delivers IPv6
Jun 27, 2011
At Rackspace, we’ve been busy for the last 6 months getting ready for IPv6. We’ve spoken to our customers and our partners about industry impact and what it means to be IPv6-ready. We’ve collaborated across network, product, IT, security, monitoring, supply chain, sales and support teams to make sure we’ve covered all aspects of the...
Easily navigate through Rackspace.com from your Mobile Device
Jun 23, 2011
Mobile traffic to rackspace.com has grown by 133% over the past 18 months and smart phone sales have grown exponentially. With this increasing trend, we’re pleased to announce a mobile optimized version of our company website – m.rackspace.com. This initial launch consists of a micro version of rackspace.com and is geared towards improving the mobile...
Market Moves Highlight Need for Long-term Partner Stability
Jun 15, 2011
If you’ve been watching the cloud computing and hosting market in recent months, you’ve probably seen some merger and acquisition movement, with several hosting companies being snatched up by major telecommunications service providers.  Terremark was recently bought by Verizon, Time Warner Cable snapped up NaviSite and most recently Savvis was acquired by CenturyLink.  And if...
Upcoming Webinar: Learn the Power of Email Marketing with iContact
Jun 13, 2011
iContact’s proven and industry-leading email marketing software empowers businesses to engage, educate and retain customers, targeted prospects and website visitors – and ultimately maximize ROI. This webinar will demonstrate why email marketing should be “the last place to cut budget,” and how iContact can help you reach your customer acquisition and retention goals. In this...
IPv6 Q&A with Rackspace
Jun 13, 2011
Contributed by Product Managers Rob Jackson and Ed Conzel. We want to keep our entire customer base as informed as possible about IPv6, so we will be posting Q&As and announcements both here and on the Rackspace IPv6 Deployment & Readiness Headquarters site. From the time we initially started talking about IPv6, to our last...
Lew Moorman Talks Cloud on Bloomberg
May 27, 2011
Lew Moorman, Chief Strategy Officer, talks about Rackspace’s growth, and the outlook for managed hosting and cloud computing. Related posts:Lew Moorman discusses how Enterprises are moving into the Cloud Lew Moorman, President of Cloud at Rackspace and Chief Strategy... Webinar: How Can Managed on Cloud Help Your Business? This news is taken from the original...
Rackspace Hosted Virtual Desktop (HVD)
May 26, 2011
We’re at the Citrix Summit 2011 where we announced the launch of Rackspace Hosted Virtual Desktop (HVD), which brings together our hosting services (dedicated, cloud and RackConnect™) with desktop virtualization solutions from Citrix and joint channel partners. Check out this video where Citrix interviews Chris Zagorski, Rackspace Product Director of Enterprise Services, regarding Rackspace HVD....
Eliminating a Wider Range of Your Email Headaches with SendGrid
May 19, 2011
Authored by Robert McAden, Email & Apps Senior Product Manager One of the things that I’ve enjoyed most about my job is talking to customers and hearing how our hosted Rackspace Email and hosted Microsoft Exchange product offerings have relieved them of the headache of hosting their own email servers and having to worry about...
Two More Reasons the Cloud Era Will be Open
Apr 21, 2011
Nine months ago, we joined forces with NASA and 20 leading tech companies to launch OpenStack, the open source project and community devoted to building the cloud operating system.  What a ride it has been!   Not only has community engagement exceeded our wildest dreams, but support for an open approach to the cloud has spread...
The Optimal Cloud – Part 3 of the GigaOM Pro & Rackspace Webinar Series
Apr 18, 2011
This is the third in a five-part series for webinars with GigaOM Pro on the future of the business and enterprise cloud. If you’re like other IT managers, you’re probably ready to embrace the power of cloud computing but still need to evaluate which cloud architecture is right for your business. To help you get...
Solving the Documentation Dilemma with SharePoint
Apr 15, 2011
Information workers in large enterprises waste 35% of their time searching for information – and fail to find what they need up to 40% of the time, according to the Knowledge Network. As a result, intellectual capital is underutilized, duplicate documents are created causing confusion, and productive time is wasted. Large, decentralized IT organizations are...
Blogging from New York: Include a Services Portfolio into the Corporate IT Process
Apr 13, 2011
This post was written by Cliff Turner, Solutions Architect for Rackspace Enterprise Services In speaking with corporate customers, I’ve witnessed the load on corporate IT departments steadily grow. Is your team being asked to do more with less? Over the last five years, the pace and scope of business have increased, as well as the...
Sign up for Upcoming Webinar: Using Cloud to Reduce Total Cost of Ownership
Apr 11, 2011
One of the challenges many businesses face is finding ways to transfer their data in a secure manner while keeping costs low. Rackspace customer, GlobalSCAPE, provides solutions to these challenges by providing their clients with secure, intuitive, and efficient managed file transfer solutions. GlobalSCAPE utilizes both a dedicated hosting and cloud hosting environments and uses ...
Case Study: Jobs2web chooses Rackspace to host SaaS Solution
Apr 08, 2011
Rackspace customer, Jobs2web, provides an interactive, web-based recruitment marketing platform for Fortune 500 companies which enables them to optimize recruiting channels and find, engage and manage high quality candidates at a lower cost. Jobs2web, offers a SaaS solution, the Recruitment Marketing Platform (RMP) that delivers the infrastructure necessary to automate the recruiting process: delivering potential...
Scoble interviews Graham Weston about Facebook’s OpenCompute
Apr 08, 2011
Yesterday, we announced our participation in the Open Compute Project, an open-source community that will accelerate the innovation of next-generation data center infrastructure and hardware. To kick-start the project, Facebook is contributing their specifications and designs for an impressive new energy-efficient data center. This project will enable innovative collaboration in the areas of infrastructure efficiency,...
Rackspace on the Road – April 2011
Apr 04, 2011
Rackspace will be attending a shower of events this April. We’ll be traveling across the US to talk to with customers and prospects alike about cloud computing, OpenStack, our new Partner Program and all things tech. If we’re in a city near you, we’d love to connect with you. SNW Santa Clara, CA April 4th...
Case Study: Blackline Chooses a Hybrid Solution with Private and Public Cloud
Apr 01, 2011
Rackspace customer, Blackline Systems, is a SaaS solution giving Fortune 1000 companies the ability to automate and control the financial close process with their SAS 70 Type II audited Blackline Financial Close Software Suite. Blackline was not always a SaaS provider but started with traditional, on-premise software solutions. When they recognized the advantages of moving...
Creating the Cloud-Ready Enterprise: Part 2 of the GigaOM Pro & Rackspace Webinar Series
Mar 28, 2011
Are you an Enterprise ready for the Cloud? Whether you’re looking for a solution to improve productivity or to host critical applications, you have to build a strategy around how you will make the move to the Cloud. To help get you started, you’ll want to sign up for upcoming webinar, Creating the Cloud-Ready Enterprise,...
Blogging from New York: Solving Big Problems for Big Companies
Mar 24, 2011
This post was written by Cliff Turner, Solutions Architect for Rackspace Enterprise Services Does one of these sound familiar? A)    Your company has made an application, perhaps a great little social media app. Everyone at your company loves it, and there’s the sense that maybe this could be a hit if it was launched to...
Case Study: BMC Group Meets High Standards and Maximizes Resources with Rackspace Hosting
Mar 23, 2011
Rackspace customer, BMC Group, is a SaaS document management organization providing services to the legal, financial, corporate, and medical industries. They are specifically known for its work in restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, litigation and medical records support services. When preparing to launch a new line of business that would provide technology and services to companies...
Rackspace Website and Application Performance Solutions Now Available
Mar 22, 2011
Authored by Lolita Chandra, Product Marketing Manager We announced our strategic alliance with Akamai in January this year, which allows us to offer Akamai’s Web Acceleration and Cloud Optimization services as part of our dedicated and cloud hosting portfolio. Since then, we have integrated Akamai’s CDN services into our cloud offering and also rolled out...
4th Annual Luminaria Celebration a Success
Mar 18, 2011
Okay, so those were NOT actually UFOs seen floating over downtown San Antonio last Saturday night. They were paper lanterns (completely biodegradable!) that were released as part of the closing ceremonies for the fourth annual Luminaria celebration, where art came to life in HemisFair Park. Rackspace was proud to be the presenting sponsor of this...
Rackspace Supports Inaugural FIRST Alamo Regional Robotics Competition
Mar 18, 2011
This year marked the Inaugural FIRST Alamo Regional Robotics Competitions (FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST Robotics Competition) with over 1500 students from across the US and Mexico in attendance.  Founded by Dean Kamen in 1989, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) inspires our youth to participate in science and technology activities –...
Case Study: Rackspace Gives Major League Gaming (MLG) the Power of Scale
Mar 17, 2011
Major League Gaming (MLG) operates one of the largest online professional video game leagues in the world, supporting million of players worldwide. They run a high traffic website for resource-heavy applications with user posts, game demos, recordings of past competitions, along with other game-related media. With the type of growth they were experiencing and plan...
Sign up for Upcoming Webinar: The Reality of SaaS/Cloud Customer Retention
Mar 16, 2011
Are you running a SaaS/Cloud business and wondering how you can reduce churn? If so, you’ll want to sign up for this upcoming webinar. Often times, after closing a subscription sale, no further relationship building with customers is invested in – and this could be detrimental to your business. It’s what you don’t know about...
Rackspace is Driving Startups to Success
Mar 15, 2011
Rackspace has always been committed to helping entrepreneurs succeed and drive the next generation of businesses through cloud innovation. This is something we’re passionate about because not too long ago, we too were a startup. Now, with the Rackspace Startup Program, we’ll be providing one-on-one guidance and cloud compute resources to help power these startups...
Rackspace Cloud 2.0 Now Available for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch
Mar 14, 2011
Did you buy the iPad 2 over the weekend? If so, you’re not alone. Roughly 500,000 were sold – and 70% were new buyers, according to Fortune. Just in time for the iPad 2 release, mobile apps developer, Mike Mayo, released Rackspace 2.0 for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Mike Mayo released the first...
CloudCamp Cloudy Awards 2011 – Vote for OpenStack!
Mar 11, 2011
Rackspace and OpenStack are active participants at CloudCamp – an unconference where early adopters of Cloud Computing technologies exchange ideas. It’s a place where like minded people meet to share experiences, challenges and solutions within the Cloud world. OpenStack has been nominated and is running for the following CloudCamp “Cloudy Awards 2011:” Best Cloud New...
Luminaria Artist Nate Cassie
Mar 11, 2011
Painter/photographer/sculptor, Nate Cassie, sheds light on what it means for artists to have the opportunity to interact with an entire community on one night. We are proud to be involved with such an exciting event that focuses on creativity and innovation – what a great fit for Rackspace. Related posts:Luminaria Artist Mizziw As the presenting...
Luminaria Artist Mizziw
Mar 10, 2011
As the presenting sponsor for Luminaria: Arts Come to Light, Rackspace is proud to shine a light on some of the artists who are performing and exhibiting at the event on March 12th.  In this video, painter Amari Mizziw (he’s the one concealed behind one of his own paintings!) talks about his painting machine, and...
CloudU Series: Understanding the Cloud Computing Stack: SaaS, PaaS, IaaS
Mar 09, 2011
Rackspace is a supporting a Cloud White Paper and Webinar series, CloudU, geared towards educating organizations on what the Cloud has to offer – how to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks on moving to the Cloud. The series is being led by Ben Kepes, founder and Managing Director of Diversity Limited. If you...
Case Study: Inavero’s “Always On” Platform Built on Rackspace Hybrid Solution
Mar 09, 2011
Inavero, a Rackspace SaaS customer, helps businesses grow through their Net Promoter based satisfaction surveys of their clients, employees and other important stakeholders.  Their online application consists of three main components: a survey distribution system, a survey collection and data management application and a results reporting dashboard. The usage of the Inavero application has grown...
Rackspace Cloud Builders Supports OpenStack Cloud Deployments
Mar 08, 2011
The OpenStack™ project was initially formed to build an open cloud standard. In only 8 months, there are more than 50 organizations and 1,000 individuals that have participated to help influence and build that open cloud standard. The progress has been phenomenal and Rackspace wants to continue to push the envelope and help with the...
Learn more about Rackspace Cloud Products in Upcoming Webinar
Mar 07, 2011
Are you interested in learning more about Rackspace Cloud products and services? Sign up for a live demo where a Cloud expert will cover the following: Benefits of Cloud Hosting Review of Cloud Servers, Cloud Sites and Cloud Files Demo on how to get started (and how easy it is!) Following the demonstration, you will...
Rackspace Gets Ready for Luminaria
Mar 04, 2011
Rackspace is always happy to help support innovation, which, after all, is a big part of our own DNA. With that in mind, we are especially proud to serve as presenting sponsor of Luminaria this year, San Antonio’s annual celebration of contemporary arts and artists – highlighting more than 1000 artists and innovators from the fields of architecture, dance, media arts, literary arts,...
Rackspace on the Road – March 2011
Mar 03, 2011
We’re starting Spring off with a bang. We’ll be traveling across the US to talk to with customers and prospects alike about cloud computing, OpenStack, our new Partner Program and all things tech. If we’re in a city near you, we’d love to connect with you. Rack on the Road Los Angeles, CA March 24th...
Empowering Your Cloud Revolution with the Rackspace Partner Program
Mar 01, 2011
By Robert Fuller, VP of Worldwide Channel Sales at Rackspace I’m excited to share the news that today we’re rolling out the much anticipated enhancements to the Rackspace Partner Program. This is an initiative that our channel team has been working hard on for months, creating an integrated partner program that makes it easier than...
Taking the Pulse of the Business Cloud – Part 1 of the GigaOm Pro & Rackspace Webinar Series
Feb 28, 2011
Are you a CIO or an IT decision maker for an enterprise that questions the state of cloud offerings today and their readiness for business-wide deployment of key processes and functions? If so, this webinar is just for you. GigaOm Pro and Rackspace are kicking off a 5-part webinar series starting Thursday, March 3rd that...
How Does Your Business Buy Technology? Let Your Voice Be Heard.
Feb 28, 2011
Business and technology go hand-in-hand and as every business has specific needs it is crucial that vendors and their customers are always in sync.  We’re working with Smallbiztechnology.com on a short online survey on how businesses use and buy technology. In a simple twelve-question survey your voice will be heard on the technology buying needs...
Blogging from New York: Bringing Fanatical Support to the Big Apple
Feb 24, 2011
This post was written by Cliff Turner, Solutions Architect for Rackspace Enterprise Services After seven years in San Antonio, Rackspace has sent me on the road to be a bit closer to some of our customers: I’m happy to be part of Rackspace’s new four-member and growing regional New York City team. Over the coming...
E-Commerce Cart Comparison: The Basics
Feb 23, 2011
We recently published a cross-comparison of four popular e-commerce carts: Magento, OSCommerce, XCart and Volusion. Most shopping carts have similar features: shipping modules, coupons and gift certificates, inventory tracking and numerous other admin and marketing functions. Selecting the best option, though, isn’t simply picking a name out of a hat. The biggest factor to consider...
Forbes names Rackspace as America’s 25 Fastest-Growing Tech Companies
Feb 22, 2011
Forbes named Rackspace as one of America’s 25 Fastest-Growing Tech Companies. This recognition is a reflection of the many accomplishments we’ve conquered this past year, including: Launch of OpenStack Product Launches like Cloud Connect and Managed on Cloud Acquisition of Cloudkick Hiring more than 400 employees worldwide – and growing! Lanham goes on to comment...
Cloud Connect Case Study: Cramer Development
Feb 16, 2011
Sometimes growth can be inconsistent and unpredictable – not ideal when trying to plan for traffic demands on your server. Leveraging the power of the Cloud with your dedicated servers has become a popular option for a growing number of Rackspace customers, thanks to scalability of the Cloud infrastructure. Rackspace’s Hybrid Hosting approach allows web...
Rackspace IPv6 Roadmap Update
Feb 14, 2011
Written by Jason Ackley, a Network Architect at Rackspace in the Backbone Engineering department. Jason’s primary focus is on global IPv6 deployment for Rackspace and IPv6 evangelization. There have been some exciting developments in the Internet industry since our last IPv6 blog post in December and this post will highlight some of those developments as...
Rackspace Acquires Anso Labs; Furthers Commitment to OpenStack
Feb 10, 2011
Author: Jim Curry, GM of OpenStack We recently celebrated the six-month anniversary of the launch of OpenStack, coinciding with the project’s second release in that short time.  This rapid progress was only possible due to a common shared vision of the entire OpenStack community to build a truly open operating system for the cloud.  More...
eCommerce and Hosting – a Match Made in Internet Heaven
Feb 08, 2011
Author: Adrianna Bustamante, Channel Manager eCommerce and cloud computing are, in short, a match made in Internet Heaven.  eCommerce, at its core, relies on the ability to conduct commerce of all kinds online.  This is centered on payment transactions such as the ability to buy sporting event and music tickets, or buying your new favorite...
Managed on Cloud Case Study: World Triathlon Corporation
Feb 07, 2011
Late last year Rackspace® Hosting unveiled the newest service level for Cloud Servers™ – managed service and support. Defining a new space in cloud computing, Rackspace has extended to customers an additional level of support on Cloud Servers, which includes monitoring, operating system and application infrastructure layer support, and technical guidance. Customers of various sizes...
HostReview Ranks Rackspace Hosting Among Best Hosting Services
Feb 03, 2011
We are thrilled to announce Rackspace Hosting was just recognized as one of the best hosting providers by the 2010 HostReview Annual Web Hosting Awards. Companies competed in eight categories, and Rackspace was awarded Best Web Hosting Company and second only to Amazon Web Services as the Best Cloud Service. We also ranked third for...
Rackspace on the Road – February 2011
Feb 01, 2011
We hope you’re off to a great new year. We have a busy schedule this 2011 and hope to be stopping in a city near you. Check out where we’ll be this February. We are looking forward to meeting you and discussing OpenStack, Cloud Computing, and all things tech. O’Reilly’s Strata Making Data Work Conference...
When Disaster Strikes: Creating MSSQL Maintenance Plans
Jan 25, 2011
Resource for this article: John Denman, Rackspace Support You’ve likely experienced the panic of a computer crashing. In the midst of writing a sales proposal or developing a corporate presentation the screen goes blank. This loss of data can be detrimental. Compound that, though, and think what would happen if your entire e-commerce database crashed....
Installing SSL Certificates in Linux
Jan 20, 2011
The IT resource for this post was Ryan Walker, a Rackspace Hosting Linux Administrator. The importance of Internet security cannot be overstated. More and more consumers are turning to the Internet for purchases—a goldmine of potential data waiting to be hacked. With SSLs, private user information—such as credit card numbers—are scrambled before transmission and reassembled...
Six Months Later… OpenStack is Driving Open Cloud Comp
Jan 18, 2011
This article was originally posted on the Rackspace Cloud Blog. We are excited to celebrate the six-month anniversary of OpenStack this week. Six months ago we decided to open source the software behind our Cloud Computing technology, because we believe a widely adopted, open platform will drive standards. I talked at length about why we...
Big News for Cloud Files Users – Akamai is coming!
Jan 12, 2011
This news was originally posted on the Rackspace Cloud blog. For those of you who have been waiting patiently for CNAMEs and much faster development of our Cloud Files product, we have some great news! Today we announced that we have entered into an agreement with Akamai Technologies, Inc., the leader in CDN innovation and...
Webinar: How Can Managed on Cloud Help Your Business?
Jan 06, 2011
This news is taken from the original post on the Rackspace Cloud Blog. A few weeks ago Rackspace announced our newest managed service level – on Rackspace Cloud Servers. To follow-up on the benefits and Fanatical Support® offered by this new managed service, we are hosting a webinar which will explore the following topics: How...
New Year’s Resolutions for IT Managers
Dec 30, 2010
As we move into a new year, there is always the need to reflect upon lessons learned and the desire to move forward with vigor. Here’s a list of resolutions with which you can start today, to better address your IT needs in 2011. 1. Finalize Selection of a Collaboration Toolset Making information available and...
12 Days of Christmas: Part 3
Dec 29, 2010
The final part of our 12 Days of Christmas at Rackspace® Hosting has arrived. Days one through eight (Part 1 and Part 2) have demonstrated the level of service and quality of products offered at Rackspace. As we ring in 2011 in a few days, we will be celebrating more than a decade of Fanatical...
Racker Riders Collect Hundreds of Toys to Benefit San Antonio Families
Dec 22, 2010
For three years now, the Racker Riders have hosted a toy drive to benefit various non-profit organizations throughout San Antonio. This year their efforts expanded with the support of Rack Gives Back, Rackspace® Hosting’s official community outreach program. The result of the combined efforts was cause for much celebration. In total, 417 toys were collected...
The Rackspace Foundation and Roosevelt High School Team Up for Chess Simul
Dec 21, 2010
This past Sunday the Rackspace Foundation sponsored a chess simul held at Roosevelt High School’s Molly Pruitt Library. During the simul, or simultaneous exhibition, chess master Alex Weinberg played chess with 35 people at once. The games began promptly at 1:00 pm and four hours later there were only five people standing: John Redding, John...
Rackspace is Gearing Up for IPv6
Dec 20, 2010
Written by Jason Ackley, a Network Architect at Rackspace in the Backbone Engineering department. Jason’s primary focus is on global IPv6 deployment for Rackspace and IPv6 evangelization. We’ve been fielding a lot of customer questions on the topic of the dwindling amount of remaining IPv4 address space available and the world-wide deployment of Internet Protocol...
Welcome Cloudkick to the Rackspace Family; Fanatical Support Gets New Tools
Dec 16, 2010
Rackspace® Hosting is thrilled to announce the recent acquisition of Cloudkick, an award-winning Web application for easy and efficient cloud server management. Many of you already know the company as a Rackspace partner and leader in the Cloud tools space. For those who aren’t familiar with Cloudkick, it’s a two-year-old startup that offers a world-class...
12 Days of Christmas at Rackspace: Part 2
Dec 15, 2010
Our expedited 12 Days of Christmas continues, with the first four days outlined in Part 1. As you project your hosting needs for 2011, our version of the 12 days is a great way to become acquainted with Rackspace’s services and the Fanatical Support® that makes us so unique. Before moving forward, here is a...
Raising the Bar on Fanatical Support in the Cloud
Dec 14, 2010
This news is taken from the original post on the Rackspace Cloud Blog. Today Rackspace is defining a new category of hosting – Managed Cloud – much as we did a decade ago when we led the way in Managed Hosting. Our first service offering in this new category is Cloud Servers with a managed...
Cloud Connect and Critical Sites Advance Enterprise Services
Dec 13, 2010
The recent product launches of Cloud Connect and Critical Sites has strengthened Rackspace’s Cloud hosting capabilities and provided more support to the Enterprise market. Cloud Connect offers customers a flawless integration of the Rackspace Cloud and dedicated hosting. The new Critical Sites service level provides advanced monitoring for customers who rely on their websites and...
IT Business Edge Names Rackspace Best Midmarket Strategy Winner in Their 2010 Midmarket CIO Forum Awards
Dec 09, 2010
Tech publisher IT Business Edge today announced the winners for their 2010 Midmarket CIO Forum Awards, recognizing Rackspace Hosting as Best Midmarket Strategy. The winners were voted on by senior IT executives after they had previewed individual technologies at IT Business Edge’s conference in Orlando. Based on the results tallied, Rackspace and TriGeo were recognized...
Cloud Connect Picks Up Steam
Dec 07, 2010
With Cloud Connect, Rackspace customers can combine dedicated physical servers with Cloud Servers over a private, isolated connection. To show you how you can use this functionality in your business, we’ve documented how some of our customers are leveraging this capability to better serve their technology needs.  One of these customers, Major League Gaming, has...
The 12 Days of Christmas at Rackspace: Part One
Dec 07, 2010
From a partridge in a pear tree to twelve drummers drumming, the Christmas season has come a bit early here at Rackspace. Instead of the traditional gifts, Rackspace is serving up great options for your business hosting needs. This season let Fanatical Support® from Rackspace do the worrying for you, so that you can focus...
Application Delivery Controllers (ADCs) Improve Performance, Customer Experience
Dec 02, 2010
We live in an on-demand society. Customers want business applications and data to be available anytime, anywhere – both quickly and reliably. In a recent study, Aberdeen Group revealed a response time delay of just 1-second leads to a measurable decrease in customer satisfaction and subsequent conversions. Traditionally, load balancers have served as a means...
Venturing into E-commerce: A Starting Point
Nov 30, 2010
Your boss just tapped you to start selling the company’s products through its website, and your only experience with e-commerce is as an online shopper. Where do you begin? The process requires careful thought and planning along with an understanding of what your needs, goals and resources are. A good place to start is by...
Lanham Napier, CEO of Rackspace, Named One of the Top 100 Most Influential Executives by Everything Channel’s CRN
Nov 29, 2010
Rackspace recognized for its extensive work with channel partners through their industry leading portfolio and education on new technology trends Related posts:NetApp Announces Cloud and Storage Partnership with Rackspace This has been a very busy week for Rackspace Partner... Rackspace Continues to Shine as A Best Place to Work in IT For the 3rd consecutive year, Rackspace Hosting ranked among the... Rackspace CEO Makes America’s 15 Most Powerful CEOs 40 And Under by Forbes Congrats to Lanham Napier, Rackspace’s CEO and our very own... Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Bruce Knooihuizen Receives ‘Best CFO’ Award From the San Antonio Business Journal
Nov 23, 2010
Bruce Knooihuizen, chief financial officer of Rackspace Hosting, was recently distinguished as one of 2010 Best CFOs by the San Antonio Business Journal. Knooihuizen, along with 14 other outstanding CFOs from the San Antonio area, were featured in the Journal’s 2010 Best CFO Awards section that ran in October 8th issue. The honorees were also...
OpenStack Announces Next Two Cloud Platform Releases at First Public Design Summit
Nov 17, 2010
OpenStack completed its first public Design Summit last week, November 9-12, at the Weston Centre in San Antonio. The event attracted more than 250 people from 90 companies and 14 countries to plan the next two releases, code-named ‘Bexar’ and ‘Cactus’. The four-day event was hosted by Rackspace® Hosting, a founding member of the open...
Top 20 Ways to Make your Business Greener
Nov 15, 2010
In celebration of Recycling Day 2010, Rackspace Cloud customer, Ecycler, wrote and contributed the following post. Businesses have an opportunity to offer their customers more than just a product or service – by making green thinking part of their culture, their customers gain peace of mind knowing that concern for the environment is part of...
Why Linux Sys Admin Hart Hoover enjoys working at Rackspace
Nov 12, 2010
Interested in learning more about why Rackspace has been ranked in the 100 best places to work in IT 2010? Visit rackertalent.com. Here you’ll get to hear stories directly from Rackers on what it’s like to work at Rackspace. The latest post is from Racker Hart Hoover, a Linux Systems Administrator working in the cloud...
Posterous talks about how they use Preventier™ from Rackspace
Nov 11, 2010
Vince Chu, Director of Engineering at Posterous, a Rackspace customer, recently did an interview with Webpulp.tv about their service model and behind the scenes infrastructure set up. Launched in July 2008, Posterous was built to be the “easiest way to post anything online,” Vince says. The best feature Posterous has is its “Autopost” where you...
Cloud Connect out of Beta
Nov 10, 2010
This post comes to you from Toby Owen, Rackspace Product Manager for Hybrid Hosting Solutions. Last month, we announced Cloud Connect Beta – the ability for your Cloud Servers and Dedicated Servers to talk to each other over an isolated private network within the same Rackspace datacenter. After a successful Beta trial, we are pleased...