It’s a quiet evening in Spoon Bay. My wife and I have spent the summer sailing our boat here from RI. We traveled down the coast of CT, up the Hudson, through the locks, and into Lake Champlain. Right now, we are anchored in this small bay on the island of Valcour, about 30 miles from the Canadian border.  It’s cooling off, but it’s not uncomfortable at all.

We aren’t the only boat in the cove. In fact, far from it, we are one of 10 that will call this spot home tonight. Until a few minutes ago, we were one of 9 boats. Number 10 has just arrived and has anchored in the one spot that will make him a nuisance to almost everyone else.

Zebra mussels clinging to native mussel

Two hours ago, I was looking at a totally different landscape. I was snorkeling along the coast line with my dogs paddling along behind me. As I glided over the bottom, I saw an incredible quantity of Zebra mussels. They were attached to EVERYTHING under water.

Zebra Mussels are technically an “invasive species”. They aren’t native to these waters. They were introduced here by accident and now they are taking over the joint. They are causing some indigenous species to die off, and they are causing others that used to play a minor role in the ecology to flourish.

The locals hate the Zebra mussels. I hate them too. I dislike them because they are changing something that I think is pretty great already. That’s the same way that I feel about boat number 10. I classify him as an “invasive” organism as well. The spread of boats in here was perfect. Then he came along and changed it…. for the worse.

So, who is to say what is “invasive” and what isn’t. It really is in the eye of the beholder. I am not native to this bay, but I am here now. I think that our presence has drastically upped the awesome quotient in this bay J.  However, someone else might say that we did just the opposite.

In the end, “invasive species” is probably a misnomer. It should be called “disruptive species”. In the computer world we frequently talk about “disruptive technology” as being something that changes the landscape and results in a new way of operating. Virtualization is a “disruptive technology”. If it were a living thing, it might be labeled an “Invasive Species”.

Virtualized Desktops will lead to less e-waste

However, change isn’t always bad. In the case of virtualization, it can be really good. It reduces cost, but more importantly it saves electricity and reduces e-waste. Those things help to ensure that my little bay here will remain pristine for a long time to come.

Will the Zebra mussels have a similar positive impact? I have no idea. Will boat number 10 have a positive impact? NO WAY. I think I might snorkel over there and see if I can coax his anchor into loosening its grip. Who’s the invasive species now!!!!

Written by Todd Knapp

Labels: Todd, Todd Knapp, Virtualization

When is enough, enough? I wonder that sometimes when I update the business plan at Envision. This company has grown and changed so many times in its short life. Every time that it becomes something different there are new opportunities to capitalize on, new risks, new stressors, and new rewards.

At the marina, I see gluttony in motion everywhere I look. The couple that just bought the 43’ motor yacht two years ago has already discovered greener pastures in the form of the 48’ yacht next door. Sure, they claim to not care, but as sure as the sun will rise it takes only a month before a “for sale” sign appears on their current boat.

American’s love to trade up.

We might have brought this on ourselves when our forefathers espoused the importance of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness. In some ways that word implies that we should always be chasing down the next best thing. Maybe the language should have been life, liberty and the “freedom to enjoy”.

I do understand what our forefathers were trying to say. They were suggesting that when a person is oppressed by their circumstances, it is a basic right to pursue something better. The problem is that for a substantial portion of our society, it’s been so long since they were oppressed that the meaning of those words have been taken out of context.

Look at our technology. According to some industry reports, the average consumer keeps their cell phone for less than 18 months. There is also a significant segment of users that change their phone EVERY THREE MONTHS!

The pace of change leaves everybody with a constant sense that what they have is sub-par.

My approach is different. I do not pursue happiness. I let it come to me.

I listen as much as I can, watch whenever possible, and participate when I have the opportunity. Then, all by itself… BAM... happiness.

Technology is ever-changing, but I implore everyone to enjoy the now. Keep an eye on what’s next, but don’t let that diminish your ability to enjoy what you have.

With regard to the business, I LOVE my job. I have been fortunate to be a part of this adventure. Everyone in the company has worked hard to make this place what it is, and now, before our very eyes, it’s taking on a life of its own. It’s starting to grow and change because that is what it does naturally, not because we made a conscious decision to do so… and that’s pretty cool.

I don’t work to grow Envision because I am trying to reach a specific destination. I do it for the journey. This company is the ultimate “Choose your own adventure” novel for everyone that works here. If you want to see Envision become the dominant virtualization consultancy, turn to page 42.

So, do we have “enough”? Yes.

Is “enough” enough? Yes.

Are we curious about what’s on page 42? HELL YES!

If you would like to see what’s on page 42, check out our website: www.EnVirtualization.com to learn more about what we do at Envision. Stop in here now and again, too, to keep up to date with our adventure.

However, don’t stay too long…. You have your own “choose your own adventure” novel to write. =)

Be Happy,
~Todd

Labels: Technology, Todd

The title on my business card reads CEO/CTO. The CTO part is my favorite (Chief Technology Officer). I define the CTO role to mean that I am responsible for investigating new technologies and identifying their potential value to my customer base.

In order to do that, you have to question what you think you know; challenge your own preconceptions. You can’t take anything for granted, and you can only rely on vendor information and/or industry opinion to a point.

The Mac vs. PC debate began, in force, when I was just a little technology consultant to-be. Despite its age, the argument is still very much alive. Each side jabs at the other with marketing campaigns and rhetoric.

Even more so, the users themselves (us) are as divided as the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s. Mac users are most often evangelical about their platform, and PC users have a holier than thou sense of empowerment that is amplified by the fact that the computing world is predominantly PC.

As for me, I am a PC user. However, I am a believer in the right tool for the right job. I do think that Mac has its place in the technology landscape. I just think that place is with home users. As a business platform, Mac has never risen to the challenge.

Then came the iPad; Apple’s attempt to undermine the laptop’s position as mobile compute platform of choice.

They introduced it with much fanfare. Clearly, the marketing campaigns still cater to the chic home user, the gadget guys, and the artistic community. However, there is a definite “business application” underpinning to the ads.

Apple has taken some steps to provide integration to MS Exchange (the dominant mail server in the business community), as well as offering better access to common “PC” file formats like those in the Microsoft Office suite. However, they still want to “rule with an iron fist” when it comes to which apps can be installed, and which technologies will be supported (bye, bye flash video and open source applications).

In the end, there were several reasons that I felt it was time to re-examine Apple as a business solution:

• The iPad is super light and portable.


• It has over a 10 hour battery life (which I can personally attest to).


• It has a superior screen quality (although that comes with a lot of glare which can be irritating).


• I think the size is just large enough to make using it easy for most.

So, I sent my team into the world to procure one for testing, and I sat at my desk working away at a furious pace so that I would have time to play when it arrived.

And arrive it did.

My first impression was that it was harder to type on than I had expected, however, after I got used to it that was no longer a concern. Still, out of the box, I would have to say that the device is largely useless.

Yes, it can surf the web really nicely, and yes, the email integration with Exchange is really nice. However, neither of those things really makes it a business tool. There are a TON of games in the app store, and there are a Ton of little graphical applications too. However, again, not a huge business benefit.

It took a couple of days messing around with it to really get it dialed in. Here is where I am today:

• From my iPad I can access my VMware virtual PC back at the office over a VPN. Now my iPad runs Windows7 and is attached to my network. Anything I can do on my PC I can now do remotely through my iPad.


• I have added apps that allow it to talk directly to network file shares, so I can access files on my servers.


• I have added apps that are specific to the news sources that I use regularly.


• I have added some personal apps. In the summer I live on a boat, so I have added apps that track tides, and get maritime weather reports. Additionally, I saved a LOT of weight in my travel bag by ditching my portable DVD player in favor of Netflix streaming movies.


• I have added some travel apps that are nice when I am looking for flight updates.


• I have added apps that link to my Sales Management software and my accounting package.


• Finally, I have also setup all the mail and scheduling integration.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

Is the iPad a replacement for my small portable laptop? NO WAY! However, after using the iPad I am now a McCoy that is willing to invite a Hatfield over for a BBQ. If I am on the go, it is lighter, easier to use for my mobility apps, and has a way longer battery life than my laptop. It’s a great companion device.

From now on, I will be checking my laptop in my luggage and traveling with my iPad. I may even stop lugging the laptop with me to meetings (unless I have to do a presentation or take copious notes).

Like I said, it’s all about the right tool for the right job. As long as you aren’t looking for a silver bullet, you will most likely get some use from the iPad.

iHope iHelped. ~Todd

Labels: Apple, iPad, Todd

As anyone who has found this blog knows, I work as an IT guy. However, that isn’t who I am. When the lights are turned off in the office I become a sailor, scuba diver, outdoorsman, and also an amateur (very amateur) furniture maker.

I love working with wood and creating something from nothing. But as I learned last night, that comes with perils. Last night, I cut off my left thumb on a radial arm miter saw.

I repeat, last night I CUT OFF (as in amputated) my left thumb, just below the knuckle, with a big-ass power saw.

I worked a long day yesterday. I have been doing that a lot lately. After work I went to our boat and took some measurements for a part that needed making in the shop. I went home, planed down some very nice teak, made a pattern, and then went over to the miter saw to make the first of several very precise cross-cuts.

When using the saw for this purpose, I install a very fine-toothed blade that is designed to cut smoothly and accurately across the grain of the wood. Once I had done that, I started positioning the wood.

After I had it in place, I braced the wood with my left hand and (without realizing it) had my thumb along the edge of the board in a way that put it directly in the path of the blade.

With my right hand I reached up and took hold of the saw grip, which also activates the blade. My focus was on the line I needed to cut; it had to be precise. So, I tuned out everything else (including the position of my thumb), and proceeded to bring the rapidly spinning blade down. I moved deliberately and smoothly to ensure as clean a cut as possible.

The cut was quick. Everything happened really fast.

The next few moments were very surreal. Immediately, something spattered on my safety glasses. Since it was so quick, it took a moment to realize that it was blood. You would think that you would immediately feel intense pain, however that isn’t what happened. I thought I had been stung by a bee for the first millisecond.

Then my brain put two and two together and I realized I had cut myself with the saw. Of course, I was expecting a nick or a flesh wound. I yanked my hand away from the saw and down. It was an automatic reaction that I couldn’t control.

My brain struggled to process what had gone wrong when all of a sudden INTENSE pain swept over me. I brought my left hand to my chest, looked at it, and realized that my thumb was missing. I very nearly passed out.

It’s funny what you think of in the heat of the moment. The pain was going in and out (probably because I was in shock) and all I could think of was the numerous times that I have teased my dog because he never evolved thumbs.

I had just cut off evolution.

I had relegated myself to the same fate as my dog. How was I going to open jars now? That’s one of only a handful of things that a husband is supposed to do!

I scanned the floor, but was unable in my stupor to locate my missing appendage. I ran from the shop, calling for my wife.

The next few hours felt like they flew by in a rotating set of images, like what you see in a movie when they are trying to show what happened over a long period of time. There was the emergency room, pain killers, and surgical consults.

As it turns out, when you can’t find your appendage, the hospital will stop the bleeding and wrap your stub in a sterile pack. They send you home with pain killers and instructions to return the next day for additional consults with plastic surgeons.

So, home I went. I am not sure what time it was when we finally got to bed last night. All I know is that I was physically and emotionally drained. I fell asleep quickly.

This morning I woke to a ringing phone. The room was completely dark. My left thumb still ached from the accident, but not nearly as badly as I would expect. I let the phone ring and laid in bed, in the dark, not wanting to look at my hand.

As I lay there this morning, I was really amazed by how little it really hurt. It wasn’t much more than a dull ache.

I turned on the light and in my drowsy state was confused. The room looked different. I pulled my hand out from under the covers and was shocked to discover my thumb…. right where it has always been. Instantly I was awake and aware of my surroundings. I was in a hotel room.

I started laughing.

So, here’s what really happened. Last night, I did go to the boat. I did make a joke about almost cutting off my thumb to a boat yard guy. Then I went to a hotel room to crash so I could make a 5:30am flight to VA today.

While checking in, I was holding onto the jamb of the entry door when the guy holding the door for me let go and the door slammed on my thumb really hard. He felt bad, I tried to be polite.

I was tired and aggravated and went to bed. From there, my brain did the rest.

One thing I learned from this is that I have extremely vivid dreams when the circumstances are correct.

Interestingly enough, trauma (whether real or imagined) is still trauma. When I realized it was a dream, I felt lucky and grateful; like I had been given a second chance.

I am sure that as a result of this dream I will actually be even more careful than I usually am when I am in the shop. I might even feel some trepidation when I use the miter saw next time. It’s even possible that this non-accident will cost me money in the far flung future as I relay the story to a therapist during, what I am sure will be, a very interesting mid-life crisis.

For now, I take away these lessons:

1. There are sayings like: “Measure twice, cut once” and “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. They persist for a reason.
2. Take nothing for granted.
3. Apply the top two lessons to all aspects of your life.

As easily as a slip of the saw can abdicate a digit from your hand, a slip of the tongue can damage a relationship. A slip of the mouse can damage a computer. A momentary lapse in reason can compromise the security of an entire network and all the data that it contains.

So, measure twice. Question what you think you know, and seek the advice of others who may have more or different experience. Examine all possibilities, and make educated, deliberate decisions.

After all, those thumbs aren’t the only miracle of evolution you have. Let’s give that brain a work out too.

Darwin will thank you.

Written by Todd Knapp.

Labels: Envision, fun, IT, Todd

It’s human nature to want to share things we are proud of with those around us.  As soon as I walk through the door at night, my kids greet me, ready to show me the new picture they have drawn or the latest steps learned in dance class. I smile and see a bit of myself in their enthusiastic displays.  I too love to share my excitement with others.

One of the most fulfilling aspects of my job as Creative Director at Envision is the chance to launch new Web sites for clients.  This is an exciting event because it marks the culmination of a successful project, but I also love this time because it allows me to share our hard work with the world.  I’m proud of the work we produce at Envision and I want everyone to see it.

This sense of pride in Envision extends beyond the sites we design and develop in the Web division. Standing in the back of the room at our recent ‘Empowered Desktop Virtualization’ event, I watched Todd speak to a large group of attendees, their attention keenly focused on him and his presentation. Seeing this level of interest in what we were doing and looking at the quality of our presence - from the layout of the room, to the graphics and banners we had on hand to support the event, to the substance contained in the presentation materials and content, made me proud to be there representing Envision.

Earlier this week, the Providence Business News announced their list of ‘Best Places to Work in Rhode Island’ for 2010. I was very proud to see Envision Technology Advisors named to this list for the second year in a row. Similar to the pride I feel when we launch a new site or stage a great event, knowing that I am not only a part of something special here at Envision, but that others can look at this company and recognize that as well is a great feeling. I didn’t need an award to know that there’s no place I’d rather be than Envision, but this ‘Best Place to Work’ designation is confirmation of my feelings and just like I love to share our work with the world, it’s nice to share the quality of the company itself with others through an award like this.

As I sat down to write this article and reflect on what this award means to me as an employee of Envision, I couldn’t help but recall an exchange I recently had with one of the students in the Web design class I teach at the University of Rhode Island. Not surprisingly, I often use examples of what we do at Envision in my lectures and lessons.  After using one of these examples recently, I had a student remark that ‘Envision sounds like an awesome place to work!’

I smiled at the comment and assured him it was, indeed, a wonderful place to be. In fact, it’s one of the Best Places to Work in Rhode Island – for the second year in a row.

Congratulations to all the companies named to the Providence Business News’ ‘Best Places to Work in Rhode Island’ list for 2010. I look forward to seeing you at the awards dinner.

Written by Jeremy Girard

Labels: Envision, Jeremy G, PBN

As anyone who subscribes to my Twitter feed already knows, I love sushi. My tweets routinely center on trips to my favorite sushi restaurant and my infatuation with raw fish. What you may not know is that this unabashed love of sushi is a recent development as I tried it for the first time just a few months ago. Here’s to trying new things.

Trying Something New

I used to think eating raw fish was pretty disgusting. Of course, I had never actually tried sushi, but was forming my opinion with absolutely no experience in the matter at all. Thankfully, my co-workers are quite fond of sushi and encouraged me to accompany them to their favorite restaurant one afternoon. I ordered myself a plate of Chinese food (the restaurant serves other dishes in addition to sushi), but tried a few pieces of sushi to satisfy my curiosity and appease my co-workers.

I ate three small pieces of sushi that day. It wasn’t bad and I was impressed with myself for trying something new. While I was happy to have this new experience, I expected that this would be my last time eating sushi - then something strange happened. I couldn’t stop thinking about raw fish.

Trying Something New...Again

I returned to the restaurant a week later and decided to give sushi another try, but this time I wouldn’t order a plate of food to accompany a few sample pieces of sushi. This time, I planned to go all out and eat only raw fish for lunch.

I ordered the lunch special – any three rolls for $10.99. My plate of spicy tuna, spicy yellowtail, and eel came and I began my first real sushi lunch. I was hooked.

Trying Something New...The Web Edition

When it comes to the Web, trying new things is critical to success. I am routinely approached by clients and asked how they can use sites like Twitter or Facebook or LinkedIN to help meet their business’s online goals. They want to know how they can begin blogging or using video to drive traffic to their sites. They come to me, and the team at Envision, looking to try something new in order to help their business grow.

A big part of what we do at Envision is working to identify what solutions make the most sense for each client since not every approach is appropriate for every project. One thing that is universal in all cases and for all clients, however, is that the first step is being willing to experiment.

Try It...You Just May Like It

I didn’t know I would love sushi until I tried it. Similarly, clients won’t know if a blog works for their business or if they will take to the format until they give it a shot. I’ve had a number of clients who were somewhat reluctant to start blogging, oftentimes fearing that they didn’t have enough time to commit to creating new content, who discovered that they loved the medium once they had begun using it. I’ve also had clients who decided to try something new and found that it wasn’t right for them. Not every story ends in success, but every success begins by taking a leap.

We recently had a client of ours, a retirement community, come to us and ask about using Twitter to promote their business. I had no idea what a retirement community could possibly have to say on Twitter, but I applauded them for bring willing to give it a shot and we are now working with that client to find ways to use Twitter, and other solutions, to meet their goals.

Another client example would be an accounting firm who recently starting using Facebook. Accounting is not what I think of when I think of Facebook, but the placement made sense. The firm works hard to reach out to and attract new, young talent - so being where that young talent already is, on Facebook, is a logical step.

The Process of Trying Something New

If being willing to try something new is the first step, what are the remaining steps in the process? I’m glad you asked. Here is our process:

• Be willing to try something new.
• Try something new.
• Measure the results of the new thing you have tried.
• Revisit and Repeat.

While this is somewhat of an oversimplification, the general premise is pretty basic, isn’t it? Of course, working with a team that can help you identify exactly which avenues make the most sense for your business and can assist you in implementing those solutions will go a long way to doing things right the first time. Still, with our without the aid of experts, the first step is in your hands. It begins when you say, 'Hey, why don’t we give this a shot.'

In Closing

Thanks to Todd, Britte, Josh, Sean, Ando and the rest of the gang at Envision for introducing me to the awesome that is sushi and thanks to all the clients who come to Envision with goals and needs and are willing to take the leap with us and try something new.

For anyone looking for some excellent sushi, the restaurant referred to in this article is Asian Palace, located at 1184 North Main Street in Providence, Rhode Island – just a few blocks from the Envision office. I highly recommend the 'any 3-rolls' lunch special. If you are looking to go all out, I suggest you try the 'Fantastic Roll', which is aptly named since it is, indeed, quite fantastic.

Note: This article was originally published on Jeremy's personal blog, where you can see it in all its sushi-styled glory.

Labels: Facebook, Jeremy G, search engines, social media, social networking, sushi, Traffic Generation, Twitter, Web design