Johna Til Johnson: Eye on the Carriers

An accuracy check on last year's predictions

Johna Till Johnson — 2009-01-06T00:00:00Z

Here's a look at how well Eye on the Carrier was able to call some of the most significant developments of 2008.

A blueprint for Internet investment

Johna Till Johnson — 2008-12-17T00:00:00Z

President-elect Barack Obama has been clear that investment in infrastructure — including Internet infrastructure — will be one of his administration’s signature initiatives. That’s excellent news, because the Internet could surely use some focus and investment.

Internet architecture: Not logical, captain!

Johna Till Johnson — 2008-12-11T00:00:00Z

Last week I recapped the results of some recent work I've done with my colleagues modeling Internet performance.

About those 'Net capacity issues: There's more

Johna Till Johnson — 2008-12-04T00:00:00Z

A little over a year ago, my colleagues and I modeled current and projected Internet capacity and anticipated demand to see if the curves ever crossed. The short answer: Yes, sometime before 2012, access (though not core) capacity would no longer be enough to serve demand.

What's an ISP? (That's not a trick question)

Johna Till Johnson — 2008-11-24T00:00:00Z

As President-elect Barack Obama begins fleshing out his agenda, one promising sign is that he considers Internet infrastructure to be key, judging from both his stated goals and the caliber of people he's asking to advise him on policy.

Communications personalities: Vive la difference!

Johna Till Johnson — 2008-11-20T00:00:00Z

One of my favorite advertising campaigns is the one from HSBC that spotlights how differently people can view the same things. You've probably seen it: Two photos side by side, each with a comment — then the same two photos, comments reversed.

Service-level agreements no longer enough

Johna Till Johnson — 2008-11-13T00:00:00Z

Longtime readers know I’m a fanatic about service-level agreements. I regularly advise clients about SLA best practices, negotiation and enforcement strategies. And we talk often about how to develop service-level management and monitoring infrastructure that ensures that carriers live up to their promises.

Tales of the multitasking mind

Johna Till Johnson — 2008-11-04T00:00:00Z

I've been thinking a lot about multitasking lately. Well, actually, I've been thinking about multitasking in 10-second segments, sandwiched in between replying to one of the several instant messages on my screen, writing this column, wrapping up a statistical analysis, and answering the door for the Mexican food delivery.

Ways to recession-proof your WAN

Johna Till Johnson — 2008-10-30T00:00:00Z

When it comes to the overall economic situation, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that the economic crisis shows all signs of subsiding into a garden-variety recession, rather than spiraling into a catastrophic crash. The bad news? Even a garden-variety recession can be pretty grim. Unless you're in one of those rare industries that thrives in recessions, that means it's batten-down-the-hatches time. In anticipation of the grimness, here are some tips for keeping your WAN spending under control.

Young workers today are fundamentally different? Nonsense.

Johna Till Johnson — 2008-10-22T00:00:00Z

It's trendy these days to describe the so-called "millennial" generation as somehow fundamentally different, especially in their almost instinctive use of technology.