Connecting the client to the cloud – The Sputnik Story Barton GeorgeDirector, Developer Programs

Michael CoteDirector, Software Strategy

OSCON July 24, 2013

The Sputnik Journey

Thank You!

Developers are a big deal

Source: IDC: It Cloud Services At The Crossroads (Stephen Hendrick, Robert Mahowald, Malanie Posey), April 2013, doc #240572

85% of net new software built in 2013 will be built for cloud delivery - IDC

So why don’t more large companies engage with Developers?

Large company developer programs

Enter

An awesome but “impractical” idea

An awesome but “impractical” idea

Dell Innovation Fund

Project Sputnik goals

Gain traction with Developers: key in web, cloud, IT in general

• How: Involve developer community to guide product development

• How: Work with Canonical, OpsCode and The Frontside

• Why: Elevate conversations above infrastructure

• Why: Add sizzle to client line, change perceptions

• Why: New accounts, additional HW/SW/services

The Concept Phase (will we embarrass ourselves?)

• March 15 Approved by Dell incubation team

• Apr 6-10 Feedback from select alpha developers

• April 16-20 Customer visits to get feedback   

• April 20- May 7 Getting ready to go public

The Pilot Phase (get feedback and validate)• May 7 Project announced via blog and at UDS

Unique visitors to bartongeorge.net We struck a nerve!

The Pilot Phase (get feedback and validate)• May 7 Project announced via blog; IdeaStorm kicked

off

1.Don’t make it more expensive than Windows

2.Make it work with the vanilla image3.At least 8GB of RAM4.No Windows Preinstalled5.No CD/DVD6.ProSupport

The Pilot Phase (get feedback and validate)

• June 20 Touchpad driver written (now in 3.9 kernel)

• July 2 Beta program announced (6K+ people) <- Tipping point

• July 17 Announced at OSCON: Project to become product in fall

The Launch Phase

• Nov 29 Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition launched in US/Can

• Feb 18 FHD version, EMEA launch offline

• Feb 28 EMEA online availability

< 9 Months

Cloud back end• Joyent• OpenStack private• EC2• Rackspace

GitHub.com/sputnik

Profile library on Github• Community assembled

language stacks that are configured on the users client via the profile tool (built on chef scripts)

Profile tool Cloud la

uncher

• Simulate entire app environment on client in Linux containers then deploy to cloud via cloud launcher

Project Sputnik: a client-to-cloud platform for developers

Micro cloud

Client

How the idea has been received 4 Ways Dell Is Becoming An Open Source Company

"The laptop gives Dell credibility in the open source developer community. With that support, Dell can...grow a new sector of the hardware market." — Alex Williams

Dell's Sputnik - Git what you want

“Dell is on the right track with their profile thinking. To me, this could be a game-changer in the computer manufacturer race." —Mike Hendrickson

Dude, Dell’s Building an Open Source Laptop

“The opportunity to skip the customization process should be of interest to CIOs, because it will help them eliminate costs and speed up the development process.” - Clint Boulton

How the System has been reviewed Dell's Linux laptop has good hardware, decent toolkit

“….the Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition is a thing of beauty." — Katherine Noyes

Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition review – Linux laptop an Ultrabook in all but name

It just works: Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition Linux Ultrabook review“Dell's substantial investment in making a functional Linux Ultrabook pays off..” - Lee Hutchinson

The Dell XPS 13 Developers Edition With Ubuntu

"Excellent Ubuntu performance out of the box…Using the laptop was a dream." — John Biggs

How the System has been received

The conversion of Lars (there’s always hope)Sept 4, 2012: Lars when he hears the Sputnik beta program is not offered in Europe  • Well the problem with DELL meric[sic], it’s not possible to buy a laptop without 

Winblows……..Thanks, but I’ll look elsewhere and choose some non merican[sic] nationalist brand next time

Sept 11, 2012: My reply • I’m sorry its taken so long to get back to you and I’m sorry you have not had a positive experience 

in the past … I appreciate your feedback.

Jan 29, 2013: Lars checks back in • It's been half a year and nothing has changed. It's still bulls--t laptops …….  These ultrabooks 

compete with that Fruitcompanys Air books with a almost similar price.  So it isn't hard to figure out why nobody is buying DELLs laptops...Honestly, I don't think there will ever be sanity in the marketed products here. ...  Over and out,

Jan 29, 2013: My reply • Thanks for checking back in.  If you hold on for a few more weeks you should have a new offering 

available in Sweden that hopefully you'll find acceptable :)   

The conversion of Lars (there’s always hope)

March 13, 2013: Lars repliesThanks! We got the first one in for the company today.Nice! Best regards, Lars

Lessons we’ve learned

• Don’t over promise, deliver on what you say you will and explain when you “screw up”

• The power of plain speak and transparency

• Action is better than non-action but don’t strive for perfection out of the gate

• Treat everyone with decency (may need to take a deep breath before responding), don’t write anyone off too soon

What you can do/information

• www.github.com/sputnik < We need your help!

• Joyent cloud offer

• www.dell.com/developers or www.dell.com/sputnik

• www.bartongeorge.net

• Twitter: @barton808, @cote

• #ProjectSputnik

Questions?

XPS 13 Developer Edition: Client-to-cloud platform

Hardware: XPS 13 laptop

• FHD, i7 CPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD

Software

• Ubuntu 12.04 LTS

• Basic set of tools and utilities

• Beta projects: Profile tool & Cloud launcher

• Dell.com/developers

• GitHub.com/SputnikKey Links

Availability

North America               

• U.S., Canada

Europe

• Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,

• Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom

Currently working on a strategy for:

• Israel, Morocco, Russia, Saudi Arabia,

• South Africa, Turkey, UAE