Yahooization of Microsoft’s Online business

There are lots of articles out today around Kevin Timmon’s placement as the new head of Microsoft’s data center program replacing Mike Manos who went to Digital Realty Trust.   I had gotten tipped off to this event about a month ago or so by some people closely involved in the process of bringing him aboard.  In the interest of keeping rumor mongering down, I agreed to keep the information close to the vest. Most of the articles out there focus on how Timmons is the latest in a long string of Yahoo! executives that have been courted over by Microsoft. 

Given the state of Microsoft’s online business this is probably a good thing bringing onboard people who actually know what their doing.  What’s puzzling to me is the nature of the Timmons/Manos movements and the true motivations of what is happening there.  I think everyone would agree that Microsoft has sucked some serious eggs in the online space (although I have to say, I am enjoying Bing immensely and they have upped the game there quite a bit) and honestly those personnel steals make a ton of sense.  

But frankly from an infrastructure perspective (especially data centers) the Microsoft program clearly out-scaled, outperformed, out-operated, and out-everythinged the Yahoo team.  For the most part Yahoo leases their facilities (with at least one notable exception in Nebraska) with limited ability to drive energy efficiency and making the statements around PUE puzzling.

In the official statement regarding Kevin Timmons, Mr. Josefberg mentioned -

“In sitting down with him and exploring these areas in depth, I’ve become increasingly excited about the industry experience Kevin brings to our team.”

Increasingly excited?  This seems to me as if he was not convinced at first.  I think I may be smelling a bit of Yahoo nepotism in the works here.   Its no secret that Microsoft and GFS in particular has had some notable Yahoo additions including Dayne Sampson.  I am curious if there is mounting internal pressure in the GFS organization to fill its open ranks with Yahoo leadership.   It also makes you ask other questions, like does this mean that Scott Noteboom is next?   Was this nepotism a factor in the Manos departure given the Sampson appointment?  Dont get me wrong, I feel Kevin Timmons is a great guy and a wonderful add to the team and he is definitely qualified in his own right.  I have known him through this blog for some time.  It just makes one go hmmm.

Another good list of Data Center Providers

The folks at Wired Real Estate sent me a note highlighting their breakdown of data center providers both internationally and here in the United States.  Their list can be found here, and is also quite good.  I think between this list and my previous BIG list of Data Centers, one can find a provider just about anywhere in the world!

Individual versus the Collective

Like many in the industry I have read the New York Times article referenced by Data Center Knowledge and agree its a great piece.  While its not necessarily ground breaking to those of us who live and breathe this industry, its a great start in educating the masses.  As good as the article was it was not until I read Dave Ohara’s note on it at Green M3 and the quick mention by Mark Fontecchio at data center Facilities Pro that something struck me. 

As much movement as there has been in the last two years, its amazing how our industry is affected by the contributions, leadership, and force of will from individuals.  I found it really interesting that Dave Ohara called out that Michael Manos who now works at Digital Realty Trust is mentioned 9 times in the article.  Sure he was with Microsoft at the time, but if you use his comparison table in terms of number of mentions Manos ranks fourth behind Microsoft and Google and Facebook, but ahead of Yahoo, Amazon and others.  The article also heavily references people like Ken Brill, Dan Costello, Jonathan Koomey, and Chris Crosby.

These are household names in terms of our industry, people who are contributing mightily to "breaking the rules” as Dave and Rich Miller put it.  Its not a comprehensive list obviously but its part of a good starting list.  Since Manos left Microsoft, where he was a force for industry sharing,  he has shared incredibly more with the industry. There is no doubting or questioning that Ken Brill has long been a steering force in our industry (yes despite my criticisms of his intention, he is a force in our world).  Koomey has written some defining documents in terms of global data center trends, Costello is definitely a force for data center containerization, even though the Microsoft data center contributions of late feel more like press releases and re-hashes of old news these days. 

It got me thinking – who would I put on a top ten list of most influential people in the data center industry.  I think it would be a great poll question or something for Data Center Knowledge to put out.   I would put a few others on that list for sure, Christian Belady, Dr. Bob Sullivan, Mark Monroe of SUN, Rich Miller of DCK, Urs Hoelze, and a few others.  Who would be on your list?

Second Chiller Side Chat – Simply Gold

I just read the second installment of Michael Manos’ Chiller-side chat series.  I must say the post is pure gold from beginning to end.  It is not aimed so much at data center managers as it is the people who surround the business of data centers.   It goes through Data Center capacity planning in a very fun way and highlights the trials and tribulations we have as data center professionals.  I have a feeling it will be a resource document for business managers for years to come in dealing with us facility rats!

Does Bing have Bang? Or has Microsoft Binged on the Bong.

There has been lots of press around Microsoft’s new Search effort, BING.   Its interesting that they are positioning it as a Decision Engine versus a Search engine with a ton of cool features at least from the demo I saw.  The demo was even praised by Apple founder Steve Wozniak as getting closer to the way people live and work.   The features highlighted look to have a slick graphical interface (no doubt using their Silverlight technology) and seems at first glance intuitive.   I will reserve judgment until I actually get to play with it mid-next week.  If the interface is tied to the frustratingly irrelevant search returns it might be all show. We shall see.

Local Geek Does Good, Comes Home, Still mum on Microsoft Secrets

I had an interesting article sent to me on Digital Realty Trust’s Michael Manos from Crains.  Its an interesting backgrounder on Manos and his move back to the Chicago area.  Its a nice article and has some additional background on Manos. It even quotes Tom Freeman from Jones Lang LaSalle who refers to him as one of the most forward thinkers in the industry.  I also find it very interesting that despite leaving Microsoft, he still holds their secrets close to his vest.

Dupont Technical Leadership re-emerges in Iceland

Jeff Monroe, of DuPont Fabros fame, was quietly named CEO of Verne Holdings in September of last year.  I had wondered where the technical dynamic duo responsible for most of Dupont’s early success and perceived technical superiority had gone to.  The official reasons at the time mentioned that Mr. Monroe wanted to spend more time with his family.  Requests for the whereabouts for Tate Cantrell went unanswered until I received word that he had also left the company.

Monroe was always the more business and sales focused of the duo, where Cantrell was considered by many to be one of the leading Data center Design Engineers in the industry.  Rumors persist that the pair has re-emerged to help General Catalyst Partners reinvigorate their efforts to get the Data Center market in Iceland off the ground.

Its been a tough go for Monroe since making the move as the economic conditions in Iceland have slammed headfirst to the bottom of the fjord.  A recent article in the business journal has Monroe trying to put a positive spin on the situation.

The departure of the two from Dupont Fabros left a serious hole in the organization, one that Dupont has not fully recovered from. 

More on Microsoft Chicago Facility turn-on

One post and the emails come pouring in!  Its all still hearsay with no official word from Microsoft, but apparently the teams on the ground are preparing for its first full large scale deployment of containers and traditional server deployments for the Chicago facility.   One note I got read:

TH,

I work on the ground here at the Microsoft Chicago data center that you just posted about.  I can confirm that there is activity here and things are starting to really hop. We have been instructed to prepare for up to four containers and that two of the rooms upstairs will also be filled.

If we use other data made public by Microsoft executives, each container can house up to 2500 servers.   This means that at a minimum there is likely 10,000 servers bound for that facility not including what is destined for the regular data center space located on the second floor.  But the allocation of two of the rooms also seems quite sizeable.  If the Chicago second floor is similar to their San Antonio facility it would mean that each room is roughly 12000 square feet of capacity.  If information from the MDX event (in San Antonio) is to be believed, one could assume that at a minimum they will fill one room and partially fill the next.  That is a lot of servers!

Container based facilities are the brainchild of former Microsoft Data Center exec Michael Manos now with Digital Realty Trust and current Director Daniel Costello.   Microsoft containers differ from Google containers in that they are modular and portable.  This differs from the Google examples recently revealed which are built statically in place within a facility.  Both initiatives are driven towards optimizing energy efficiency of the mechanical and electrical loads related to IT equipment.   However, the Microsoft direction takes a more open approach using firms like Verari, Rackable, Dell, HP and others to build the enclosures and populate them with servers while maintaining a greater degree of mobility.   It also protects Microsoft’s sales and partner channel. 

Its interesting that this news is breaking after the announcement that Microsoft has officially purchased their facility there. Hopefully there will be more to information to come in the near future!

Microsoft Purchases Chicago Facility from Koman Group

In a surprising bit of news today, Chicago Real Estate News announced that Microsoft has purchased its facility from the Koman Group out of St. Louis.  The facility has been purchased for $185M, which is allegedly a paltry amount when compared to the investments that Microsoft has made directly into the facility.

Photo from Co-Star Group

This news also comes on the heels  of persistent rumors that Microsoft is once again speeding up their deployments into the facility to meet growing consumer demand.   This recent move may be tied to those rumors.  Regardless, it shows that Microsoft’s just in time method might be a bit splotchy.  My hopes for a revival of the Iowa project are now glimmering a new.  Good stuff.

Google Navy will sink Google… if it ever floats

There has been much a do about Google’s efforts in getting patents on data centers situated upon barges.  Coverage examples can be found here and here.   While most of the attention seems to focus on green aspects and potential container applications, I believe its true intentions were initially to do something a bit more business focused.  In fact, I am certain that the patent itself is a dead-end stub of data center development, at least for the big internet players.  In short, aside from a few prototype applications you will never see a Google Data Center Barge.  Because if you do, it could mean a decidedly bad thing for Google, and ultimately Google already knows this.

I have spoken with many people in the industry on this particular topic and while fascinated with the technology to achieve it, the belief is pervasive that it is nothing more than a cleverly designed tax and privacy evasion scheme.  Most press coverage of the barge concept focuses on the ability to use ocean or sea water for cooling, tidal power, and other green applications.   What a green and energy efficient design it is and how innovative the ideas are that are coming out of that company. To be clear, I do think its extremely high on the cool factor.  But many I have talked to say they see through the clever ruse for it allows Google to place its servers and content on boats float them out into international waters where they can anchor outside of governmental authority for tax and information privacy reasons. 

I for one think the Google team is smarter than that.   Even if it were successful if tried, it would not take long for countries to catch on to this and push for even more stringent policies effecting data centers.  Those are risks that I do not believe Google will take.

Data Centers on barges are interesting but ultimately they are interesting evolutionary dead ends that will ultimately be sent to the Davy Jones’ locker for ideas.