COMDDAP DAVAO EXPO 2009

COMDDAP DAVAO EXPO 2009

Where the highest mountain in the land rises over the vast rich plains of Davao, where the king of Philippine birds soar over his domain, the giant of all Philippine I.T. shows once more unfolds its latest event. It’s COMDDAP Davao 2009 – the biggest I.T. expo held regularly in the South.

What?
COMDDAP (Computer Manufacturers, Distributors and Dealers Association of the Philippines) Exhibit

When?
Held last July 2-4, 2009

Where?
At the Apo View Hotel Davao

Before I explain things during the said exhibit, let me explain first what is COMDDAP is and there objectives.

COMDDAP is an association of the country's top information technology businesses, sees the need to push our current technology more aggressively for the country’s business and government operations and other concerned sectors to be attuned with IT’s fast-phase development.

The association’s objectives are:

• Promote the use of information technology and elevate its standards in the Philippines;
• Make computers affordable and available to the masses;
• Provide and create opportunities for users to develop themselves to their fullest potentials;
• Supply the market with quality products at reasonable prices with good after-sales support;
• To work closely with the government, the private sector, and international entities in promoting the use of information technology;
• Provide a forum of discussion on matters relating to the computer industry; and
• Foster and cultivate harmony, cordiality and camaraderie among the members so that they can work together as one for the benefit of the industry.

To start, when I arrived at the location, I was all alone when I visited the event. I was kind of nervous because I arrived at 4pm in the afternoon, second I don’t see any classmate around, and lastly I’m late for the seminar which is the main reason why we should visit the said event for we must create a reflection on the said event. Fortunately, I saw one of my classmates and then the rest followed. So after that I already started touring the exhibits. Looking at new gadgets, new technology that are new in the market. I was amazed at one exhibit because of his CPU, with his 3 sockets of video card, and 2 video card attach that is worth P40,000 when he first bought the product so all in all P80,000 just for the video card. It’s the most powerful video card on the market today. With the Dual/Quad Core the latest processor available in the market. His CPU is really just for gaming. Then after some more touring at the exhibits, asking question about each exhibitors about their product, participating on their events that gives freebies and etc., as we all know that I was very late for the seminar I made up my mind to visit the seminar the next day instead.

The next day,

When it’s the second day of the exhibit I arrived earlier than the first day I visited the event. Of course I had attended the seminar about HP thin clients & Windows Server 2008.

First, I will discuss the first presenter in the seminar which is about HP thin client.

What is an HP thin client?

The HP Compaq t5720 Thin Client is perfect for businesses that need compact yet powerful user-interface solutions. The t5720 delivers desktop-like features and support for local applications in an attractively small chassis that can be set either vertically or horizontally, making the t5720 fit perfectly on a desktop or mounted conveniently on a wall or under a desk.
Despite its slim size, the t5720 Thin Client is full of features: it’s powered by the AMD Geode NX 1500 processor with 512 MB of Flash memory and a standard complement of either 256 MB or 512 MB of DDR RAM. An optional PCI slot allows a broad range of expansion options, from additional memory to video cards. The t5720 also ships pre-installed with Genuine Windows XP Embedded SP2 and Sygate Security Agent, for dependable reliability and protection straight out of the box.
“The HP Compaq t5720 Thin Client with Microsoft Windows XP Embedded is an ideal interface solution for businesses with minimal work areas or other space concerns. It delivers powerfully versatile features in a compact footprint at an affordable price,” said Bernadette Nacario, PSG Country General Manager, HP Philippines.

What are the Key Features of an HP thin client?

• Reliability: Solid-state design means no moving parts, which results in higher reliability, lower ownership costs, and extended product life.
• Design security: HP makes it easy to lock down user settings and parameters on the client, or add a Smartcard reader for user authentication. Additionally, all critical user data and applications reside on your secure, centralized server. HP Sygate Security Agent is pre-installed on all t5720 Thin Clients.
• Improved manageability: HP’s alliance with Altiris brings a leading management solution to the thin client market. Altiris Deployment Solution’s standards-based, advanced thin client management solution helps reduce the costs of deploying, updating, and maintaining your thin clients. Free with each HP client!
• Open operating system: The HP Compaq t5720 Thin Client offers Genuine Windows XP Embedded operating system with Citrix ICA, Microsoft’s latest RDP client, Internet Explorer 6.0, Windows Media Player 9.0, and terminal emulations.
• Processing power: The processing power your workers need for a great server-based computing experience, whether running general office applications or your specific line of business software on a terminal server.
• Smart graphics: Support for HP’s latest monitors with superior resolution, outstanding color, and high refresh rates.
• Invisible client: HP’s unique thermal design allows the t5720 to be mounted in many orientations. Recapture desktop space by utilizing HP Quick Release mounting solution. Chassis can be set either vertically or horizontally for positioning on a desktop or mounting on a wall, under a desk, or even on the back of a compliant monitor.
• Connectivity: Advanced connectivity features include a wide range of ports and support for options including smart card readers, modems, and other common options.

The second presenter was about Windows Server 2008. To be honest, I really didn’t understand the Windows Server 2008 as the presenter told us in advanced that it is a very technical topic. But I will still try to explain what are new features added on the new Windows Server 2008. I will just break it down so it will be understandable.

1. Network Access Protection (NAP) platform to see to it that all computers trying to connect to a network meet administrator-defined requirements for system health. IT administrators can have the control and flexibility in laying out security policy in accessing an organization’s resources.
2. Read-Only Domain Controller (RODC) is a new type of domain controller that hosts a read-only replica of the Active Directory database. This is a big improvement that not only reduces downtime but makes your domain controllers easier to manage, which is a big plus when they are located at a remote site
3. Server Core Installation Option that has a significantly smaller attack surface because all non-essential components and functionalities have been removed, thus yielding better performance; and the Terminal Services Gateway/Remote Programs that let remote users securely punch through perimeter firewall and access terminal servers running on a corpnet.
4. Virtualization, on the other hand, allows IT administrators to consolidate multiple server roles as separate virtual machines running on a single physical machine. This approach reduces “server sprawl” and maximizes the utilization of current hardware, and each role can run in its own isolated virtual environment for greater security and easier management. The process of migrating server roles from separate physical boxes onto virtual machines is known as server consolidation and this is probably the number one driver behind the growing popularity of virtualization in enterprise environments.
5. The Network Load Balancing (NLB) in Windows Server 2008 is a network driver that balances the load for networked client/server applications by distributing client connections across a set of servers.
These are just the new features that the Windows Server 2008 has to offer. For me Windows Server 2008 is good product for those businessmen who travel all the time. That can still monitor their business when they are outside their business walls.

So all in all, the EXPO was the best opportunity for us to experience the IT world. Plus showcasing the new trends in technology in the market which we can use in the future when we become part of the IT society.

References:
http://www.comddap.org/events7.htm
http://www.nexustech.com.ph/letters.php?newsletter_id=29
http://www.newsflash.org/2004/02/si/si002454.htm