Many enterprises are finding it necessary to evaluate their storage and processing needs, even so far as considering upgrading mission-critical systems to hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI).  However, Dell EMC says "Not so fast".  While they encourage transition of workloads to HCI, the technologies aren't quite ready for critical systems.  However, the end of 2018 will bring updates to the tech that means that HCI and more traditional architectures should align.

John Deere, the ubiquitous name in farming equipment, isn't just your granpa's tractor anymore.  Though the company has enjoyed popularity throughout its 180-year history, it still has had to innovate to stay at the lead of the pack.  A recent story in Network World explores the technological advancements they've added to their products - essentially adding brains to the brawn.

KONE, a leading manufacturer of elevator and escalator systems, recently signed on with IBM to utilize its Watson IoT Platform to bring its new 24/7 Connected services to market.  The new service connects elevators, escalators, automated doors, and turnstyles to the cloud, enabling remote systems to interpret messages from the units and make proactive recommendations for service and preventative maintenance.  This helps to keep "needier" units operable, and others running smoothly.