 |  | | We're virtually there | | | | Dear Subscriber, | | | Virtualization technologies are high on the list for many IT organizations today, as businesses strive to gain more from their technology investments while lessening the complexity of pushing more computing power and services out to the workforce.
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In this issue of Momentum we look at some of the technologies available from Microsoft to help business and IT realize virtualization's potential. We're very interested in finding out your experiences with and concerns about virtualization. Please send your comments mo-info@microsoft.com.
Best Regards,
Christoph Wilfert
General Manager, US Midmarket Business
Microsoft
| | | Featured articles |  | |  | | A virtual sea of change | | Efficient management of virtualization technologies in the data center and on the desktop enables businesses to do more for less. |
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| | Technology at work | | |  | | Managing virtual machines | | Microsoft Virtual Machine Manager 2008 can help you manage physical and virtualized servers and applications—including VMware. |
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| | Spotlight | | | Gold rush east of the Rockies
By Alan R. Earls
With mineral prices on the rise globally, it's no surprise that those hoping to strike it rich are on the march. But you can forget those old Hollywood stereotypes of the grizzled prospector. Today's prospector is far more likely to be equipped with a laptop than a mule—and prospecting is no longer confined to sites west of the Rocky Mountains.
For instance, Maine state geologist Robert E. Marvinney says two exploration leases have been filed for state land involving a copper-lead-silver deposit estimated at 3 million tons, despite the lack of any current mineral production in the Pine Tree State. "There has been an increase in exploration to both better evaluate known deposits and discover new ones…and several land-management companies have called my office with questions about requests to lease their lands for mineral exploration," he says.
Meanwhile, in Quebec, Louis Hoël, president of Golden Hope Mines Ltd., is focusing exploration and development efforts within the Canadian province where he sees the potential for the development of large-scale gold, silver, and base metal projects suitable for underground and/or open-pit mining.
"Four or five years ago, increasing prices made it possible to raise money for exploration. Now we are hoping to discover something like the large gold deposits of Val-d'Or," a Quebec town where gold was discovered in 1923, notes Hoël.
While the price of metals—especially precious metals—often moves in cycles, Hoël says he is among those who believe the current price rise is part of a "super-cycle" associated with substantial growth in developing economies and a long-term increase in demand.
Another thing that is different is the improved technology. From the mines themselves to Microsoft Office, which Hoël uses to handle all the details of his business, there are greater opportunities for more efficient extraction, and better control and oversight to reduce or eliminate environmental damage.
For now, though, Mother Nature has offered only tantalizing hints of what may lie beneath the surface. "If we find something it could be huge, but for now we are still exploring," says Hoël.
Alan R. Earls is a regular contributor to Momentum, the midsize business center newsletter. |
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