IBM Rational conference

Posted on June 25, 2009 by Didier

Judith has attended to the last IBM Rational Conference and is sharing with us some noteworthy aspects of the “changing landscape of software development”.

Rational is moving from tools company to a software development platform. […]

More management, fewer low level developers [were attending the conference] […]

Rational has changed dramatically through acquisitions. […]

It’s all about Jazz. Jazz, IBM’s collaboration platform was a major focus of the conference. Jazz is an architecture intended to integrate data and function. Jazz’s foundation is the REST architecture and therefore it is well positioned for use in Web 2.0 applications. What is most important is that IBM is bringing all of its Rational technology under this model. Over the next few years, we can expect to see this framework under all of the Rational’s products.

Rational doesn’t stand alone. […] What I found quite interesting was the emphasis on the intersection between the Rational platform and Tivoli’s management services as well as Websphere’s Service Oriented Architecture offerings. Rational also made a point of focusing on the use of collaboration elements provided by the Lotus division. Cloud computing was also a major focus of discussion at the event.[…] The one area that IBM seem to have hit a home run is its Cloud Burst appliance which is intended create and manage virtual images. Rational is also beginning to deliver its testing offerings as cloud based services. One of the most interesting elements of its approach is to use tokens as a licensing model. In other words, customers purchase a set number of tokens or virtual licenses that can be used to purchase services that are not tied to a specific project or product.

Cross-posted on the Innoveo Blog

Saint Barth Portfolio 2009 (02)

Posted on June 23, 2009 by Didier

On the way to Colombier

Saint Barth Portfolio 2009 (01)

Posted on June 18, 2009 by Didier

We have worked on a new pictures portfolio from out last trip in Saint Barth (February 2009). I will publish 2 pictures from each region of the island per post. Force to choose ;-)

Anse des Cayes

Mark this day :-)

Posted on June 12, 2009 by Didier

Yesterday (Thursday) was an absolutely important and central milestone in the life of our company – Innoveo.

I am very proud, totally exciting for the coming steps, exhausted, and also in a way – relieved. First confirmations that our vision, strategy, and tactics are not sooo bad ;-)

As usual, a bit of luck, plus a great help and support from very smart people (hello René), and from our Team!

I remember a thought of one of my former boss, saying that:

Good stuff needs time to mature

This is absolutely true ;-) I would just extend it a bit:

Good stuff needs time AND a lot of energy to mature

Nick, mate, a big thought in your direction, you did such a great job!

Coming challenges are big, again, but first … there are coming! And second, they are super interesting!

A last one now, about “vision” :-)

But gosh, now, I just want to sit down with a good grappa, and to appreciate this moment.

Bonifacio 2009 – Part VIII

Posted on June 4, 2009 by Didier

via BudgetTravel

There are no hotels on the Lavezzi Islands. No cafes, either. Not even a single toilet.

And that’s precisely why people come. Classified as a Natural Reserve by France in 1982, the islands, in the strait between Sardinia and Corsica, have been protected from development. But there hasn’t been any shelter from the wind. Without buildings to break them, gusts have whipped the islands’ granite into fantastic shapes. In the coves between the rocks are protected spots of empty, sandy white beach. The clear water is teeming with anemones and fish, particularly grouper (merou in French), which explains why divers know the islands as Merouville.

The winds also caused one of the Mediterranean’s worst shipwrecks. On the 160-acre main island (the only one that’s more than a pile of rocks), a hiking path leads to a 46-foot-tall pyramid-shaped memorial for the sinking of the Semillante in 1855. The disaster took the lives of 700 sailors and soldiers.

So, last pictures of our Corsican trip. Surely of our best experience there, the Lavezzi Islands!

Saying “no”

Posted on June 1, 2009 by Didier

via Seth Godin

This one is again a good one from Seth:

If you’ve got talent, people want more of you. They ask you for this or that or the other thing. They ask nicely. They will benefit from the insight you can give them.

The choice: You can dissipate your gift by making the people with the loudest requests temporarily happy, or you can change the world by saying ‘no’ often.

You can say no with respect, you can say no promptly and you can say no with a lead to someone who might say yes. But just saying yes because you can’t bear the short-term pain of saying no is not going to help you do the work.

Saying no to loud people gives you the resources to say yes to important opportunities.

Bonifacio 2009 – Part VII

Posted on May 29, 2009 by Didier

Now, some shots from the Bonifacio citadel and the fantastic limestone cliffs.

Some descriptions from Wikipedia:

The southern coast in the vicinity of Bonifacio is an outcrop of chalk-white limetone, precipitous and sculpted into unusual shapes by the ocean. Slightly further inland the limestone adjoins the granite of which the two islands, Sardinia and Corsica, are formed. […]

The city of Bonifacio is split into two sections. The vieille ville (old town), or la Haute Ville (the Upper city), on the site of a citadel, is located on the promontory overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The citadel was built in the 9th century with the foundation of the city. The Citadel has been reconstructed and renovated many times since its constructio and most recently was an administrative center for the French Foreign Legion. Today it is more of a museum. […]

The city and its fortifications also extend for some distance along the cliff-tops, which are at about 70 meters (230 ft) elevation. The cliffs have been undercut by the ocean so that the buildings, which have been placed on the very lip of the precipice, appear to overhang it. The appearance from the sea is of a white city gleaming in the sun and suspended over the rough waters below.

Bonifacio 2009 – Part VI

Posted on May 27, 2009 by Didier

Palombaggia!

The palette of colours you can see in Palombaggia is rare : reddish rocks, white sand, very brilliant “parasol” pins, etc… And all in front of a clear sea, from which emerge small uninhabited islands ( Cerbicale islands ).

This delightful setting ( and protected ) is not without any consequence : in summer, the tourists are taking to the beaches from the very near resort of Porto Vecchio. All the more since the road which lead to are very beautiful, and the restaurants of the beach very welcoming.

On the sand, to regain quiet, you have to walk as far as possible ( the beach is very long ) or come soon in the morning….

Two different days, with two different radiances ;-)

Home – summer?

Posted on May 25, 2009 by Didier

Last two days were a kind of summer-in-spring.

Very hot (34°C today) and some special lights in the garden.

Should change tomorrow…

My Google profile

Posted on May 21, 2009 by Didier

As a lot of people during the last weeks, I have created my Google profile.

What is a Google profile?

A Google profile is simply how you present yourself on Google products to other Google users. It allows you to control how you appear on Google and tell others a bit more about who you are. With a Google profile, you can easily share your web content on one central location. You can include, for example, links to your blog, online photos, and other profiles such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and more. You have control over what others see. Your profile won’t display any private information unless you’ve explicitly added it.

You can also allow people to find you more easily by enabling your profile to be searched by your name. Simply set your existing profile to show your full name publicly.

If you’ve been writing reviews on Google Maps, creating articles on Google Knol, sharing Google Reader items, or adding books to your Google Book Search library, you may already have a profile. See and customize your profile.

Quite easy. Let’s see with the time if it brings something new…

You can also find the profile of Laurent Kempé on Google profile.

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