Automation in IT

Since I am dealing with process automation in my work, articles like this now get extra attention from me:


HP Aims To Automate Routine IT Operations
By Colin Barker
Special to CNET News.com

Published: November 29, 2007, 5:50 AM PST

Hewlett-Packard this week rolled out new tools designed to automate routine updates of software and antivirus applications that would otherwise consume expensive staff time.

The HP Automated Operations 1.0 set of products was launched at the HP Software Universe conference in Barcelona on Tuesday.

The company hopes that the suite will help organizations automate many everyday tasks typically handled by IT managers, as well as many ad-hoc tasks such as producing routine reports and responding to common inqueries.

The products are part of what HP calls a "strategic focus" built around six key objectives for its software division. These products are intended to create "better business efficiencies by driving costs (down)," according to Tom Hogan, head of software for the company and the man charged with driving the strategy.

Click here to read the whole article.

 

My Current Favorite Song is....

"The Way I Are" by Timbaland.

Since its release 5 months ago, the video has had almost 32 million views on Youtube (as of this writing). Quite something.



The live performance below is just as awesome.

 

Getting Sick on Thanksgiving Week

Holidays are one of the worst times to get sick, not that there's a good time for it.

If feels like I probably will be under the weather for Thanksgiving Week. I'm having sore throat and some sniffles. Will taking Vitamin C help? Probably not according to this Newsweek article.

 

The First 3 Work Weeks

Things that happened at work during my first three weeks:

1. I attended 3 training classes in 7 full days. The classes are all about the products developed by the company. These are software programs for the financial services industry.

2. After (taking a shot at) learning about the company products, I proceeded to (try to) learn about QuickTest Pro - an automated testing tool for software programs. I'm working on automating the testing processes of the software programs developed by the company and I'd need a good knowledge of both QuickTest Pro AND the company's custom programs in order to develop the right test scripts.

3. I've now been working on developing test scripts for a very small component of one of the company products.

4. I've tried some manual testing as well.

5. I've figured out how to work the coffee machine - it's really very simple but I was just reluctant to try at first. Anyway, I take hot choco in the mornings and coffee in the afternoons.

6. My email has been setup.

7. Although I'm aware of how bad my voice sounds, I think I still cringed when I first heard the busy message I recorded on my answering machine. I can't decide whether it sounds nasal, "froggy", or both.

8. I've already met quite a number of people at work and they're great.

9. I found out I'm not the youngest person in the company. I was expecting that I'd be, at least in our own office and not including the offices in other states and countries.

10. Internet at home is back. Finally!

11. I got my first paycheck last Thursday. Woohoo!!

******
Some work/office pictures:

Office Building 1

Office Building 2

S1 @ 8501

Ground Floor

My Desk

Computer 1

Computer 2

Phone

Readings

 

Mark Cuban vs. Bill O'Reilly

One of the things I came across last week... Here's the feud: Part 1 and Part 2.

It's all about the movie, Redacted, the sensitive issues that come with such a movie, and the different reactions and opinions that it elicits.

Just wondering: What say you, Stephen Colbert?