As this year in eSP comes to a close, we consider which industry stories were the most important. Was it the infamous Heartbleed attack, or the HP break-up? Take a moment to gather your own Top 10 before comparing it with ours below!
HP breaks up: In a bid to turn its fortunes around HP got to split itself in two, with one half taking PCs and printers while the other handles corporate hardware and services operations. This means HP is effectively two companies, HP Inc and Hewlett-Packard Enterprise.
Server market improvement proves short-lived: the EMEA server market saw some shipment improvement in Q2 2014… improvement Gartner says was short-lived, with shipments dropping and revenues showing marginal growth as demand remains fragile. However the analyst also says hope is on the way, if on the long term.
Windows Goes to 10: Microsoft brought its counting skills into question with the next version of Windows. Dubbed 10 (as opposed to 9), the new Windows promises nothing less than "the first step of a whole new generation of Windows." And just as well, seeing how Microsoft also got a new CEO in the shape of Satya Nadella this year.
Heartbleed strikes: Heartbleed, arguably the worst vulnerability in the history of the internet, struck through a flaw in the widely used OpenSSL security protocol. And this was not the only major security issue hitting 2014, as the year also saw the discovery of another OpenSSL vulnerability (one involving CCS), hacking via humble PowerPoint and the sinister "groundbreaking" malware Regin.
Cisco presents Intercloud: Cisco invests $1 billion in a cloud effort dubbed Intercloud, "a distributed network and security architecture designed for high-value application workloads, real-time analytics, “near infinite” scalability and full compliance with local data sovereignty laws."
IBM sells x86 server unit: IBM sold off its x86 server business to Lenovo for all of $2.3 billion, in a deal covering the System x, BladeCenter and Flex System blade servers and switches, x86-based Flex integrated systems, NeXTScale and iDataPlex servers, and associated software, blade networking and even maintenance operations.
3D printers on the rise: According to Gartner, 2014 saw 3D printers reach "an inflection point," as shipments set for enterprise use are to boom from next year thanks to lower costs, improved quality and wider material range.
HP, Dell present immersive computers: One of the first products shown of by HP following its breakup was the Sprout, a "blended reality" PC combining a touchscreen, touch surface and a 3D camera. Just a month later Dell presented a similar product with the "Smart Desk," a PC replacing the regular keyboard and mouse with a horizontal touchscreen.