NoSQL – one of 2013’s trends. If three or four years ago we rarely heard about a project to use NoSQL, nowadays the number of projects using non-relational databases is extremely high. In this article we will see the advantages and challenges we could have when we use NoSQL. In the second part of the article we will analyze and emphasize several non-relational solutions and their benefits.

BigData - a fashionable topic that’s confirmed in this current issue where we write about it. BigData concepts and introduction were made in the previous numbers 2, 3 and 4 of the magazine. To summarize, BigData means storing and analyzing large data volumes, of Terra Bytes magnitude. Handling such data amounts raises problems in terms of volume, speed and variety.

Issue #3 of the magazine the article on Big Data makes a reference to a distinct NoSQL system: column oriented database. A concept at least curious that deserves attention. The mission of this article is to take an x-ray of one of the systems that implements this concept.

Recently we had to take a decision – our hosting solution was becoming inadequate for the performance needs of our system & our clients. He decision to take was choosing between a better dedicated server (actually a pair of servers + a load balancer) or migrating to a cloud based hosting solution. I believe other businesses are also confronted with this choice (the number of comments on this article will indicate whether I’m writing or not) so I will present:

This is the final article in the series on the challenge of leadership by Martin Mackay, recently appointed CEO of Neverfail. In the first article Mackay laid out the strategic framework he is employing at Neverfail to drive change. In the second he discussed in more detail the five key responsibilities a leader has to recognise. Here he addressed the 7 key behaviors a leader has to demonstrate to be effective.

Over the summer of 2012, I decided to go for the Project Management Institute (PMI) launched an agile project management certification, the PMI-Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP®). PMI recommended some 10 books to read in preparation for the certification. I found the books very helpful and informative. I learned some new terms and new methods of working. Even though I have several years of experience with different agile methods, it was difficult to align those new ideas with the project management practices I was already using.

Having success – easy and fast - further away of being a goal which could belong to a community - it is, still, one of the most discussed editorial subjects in business publications and many more. Of course, the innate ambitions of human beings nourish this subject, but - in the meantime – there is also being nourished an illusion: that success it is a purpose in itself, or, simply put, a superior limit we must achieve at any stake. Success it is a destination, an absolute achievement.

Recognized for its tradition in higher technical education and currently a major IT center in the region, Cluj has a favorable environment for the organic emergence of an innovative cluster. As cluster initiatives are considered an engine for the regional development and innovation, the recently formed CLUJ IT cluster is getting a lot of attention from the local IT community as well as from the local and national authorities.

Contemporary Cultural Identity Association (CCIA) was born in 2012, out of a desire to fight stereotypes associated with Romania and to show that we live in a normal country. Moreover, „natural” is the concept that NGO members often invoke in the discussions about the need for projects undertaken by them. Their approaches could be translated as an attempt to show that Romania is not the ‚different’country, where ‚everything is possible’, but a ‚natural’ and normal one.

On February 25-28 the fifth edition of the GSMA Mobile World Congress took place in Barcelona. It is organized by the GSM Association (GSMA), founded in 1995 and encompasses nearly 800 mobile operators in more than 200 countries. The event is the largest in the industry of mobile devices and in this article we will present the expectations of three Romanian companies participating in the event. These mini interviews were conducted using Business Days www.businessdays.ro.