Last Thursday, we celebrated VSHN’s 10-year anniversary – with a fantastic party alongside our VSHNeers, customers, and partners. A big thank you to everyone who joined us and braved the winter weather to celebrate with us. π
A huge thank you to everyone who has accompanied us on our journey so far and made this incredible milestone possible: π Our amazing team of VSHNeers, who bring passion and expertise to the table every single day. π€ Our customers and partners, who place their trust in us and allow us to be part of their success stories.
And of course, everyone else who has been part of this journey so far, offering their support and guidance along the way and of course our families and friends.
From the very beginning, weβve placed a strong focus on open source and cloud-native technologies. We strive to always be at the forefront of innovation and technological advancements. π‘ As a sparring partner for software developers, we take over operations so they can focus on their core business and delivering innovations to their customers.
Weβre especially excited about the launch of the new VSHN Application Marketplace! π This platform will shape our product portfolio in the years to come, bringing together enterprises, independent software vendors, and cloud service providers β enabling even more collaboration and innovation. π
We are incredibly grateful for what we have achieved together over the past 10 years. And weβre excited to tackle the next big challenges – always with the goal of supporting companies and developers and driving innovation forward.
Hereβs to the next 10 years of amazing success! π₯
Markus Speth
Marketing, People, Strategy
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Swiss Python Summit 2024: A Stellar Event for Python Enthusiasts!
The Swiss Python Summit 2024, held in Rapperswil, was a phenomenal gathering of developers, enthusiasts, and tech leaders, all united by a shared passion for Python. This two-day event showcased the latest trends, tools, and developments in the Python ecosystem and brought together a vibrant community eager to learn, connect, and collaborate.
APPUiO by VSHN supported the Event as Gold Sponsor
As Gold Sponsors, we at VSHN were thrilled to be part of this remarkable event, supporting the growth and innovation within the Python developer community.
About Swiss Python Summit
The Swiss Python Summit is a conference about the programming language you love: Discover the wide field of Python applications, hear how others use the language, and meet fellow Pythonistas.
The conference is held in English and is suited for all skill levels, from early beginners to expert developers.
A unique conference about Python, fun, talks and chats!!Β π
The summit took place on theΒ OST campusΒ in the beautiful town ofΒ Rapperswil. Find more information on theΒ venueΒ page.
Highlights of the Summit
The Swiss Python Summit 2024 was a celebration of all things Python, with a focus on sharing knowledge, exploring new ideas, and fostering connections within the developer community. This year’s event featured a variety of insightful talks, covering a broad spectrum of topics relevant to Python enthusiasts of all skill levels.
From discussions about Python’s growing influence in artificial intelligence and machine learning, to sessions exploring best practices in web development and automation, there was something for everyone. The summit also touched on crucial themes like security, scaling Python applications, and new advancements in data science.
The diversity of presentations reflected the versatility of Python as a language – whether you’re a data scientist, a web developer, or involved in DevOps, the summit had plenty of valuable content to offer.
As VSHN, we were proud to be Gold Sponsors of this fantastic event. The energy and enthusiasm from the community made it a truly inspiring experience, and weβre grateful for the opportunity to support and engage with the Python community.
We look forward to continuing to be part of such events in the future, helping foster growth and innovation within the world of Python!
Why We Loved Being a Part of It
Being a Gold Sponsor of the Swiss Python Summit 2024 was a fantastic opportunity for VSHN to connect with the Python community, share our experiences, and learn from other talented developers. We had the pleasure of meeting innovative minds who are pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved with Python in fields ranging from web development to data science.
It was inspiring to see how Python continues to evolve as a language, becoming even more integral to cloud solutions and DevOps – areas where VSHN specializes. The chance to exchange ideas and support this thriving ecosystem made us even more proud to be part of the summit.
APPUiO and Python
APPUiO’s namespace-as-a-service offering strikes a perfect balance between the simplicity of traditional hosting options and the complexity of managing a full Kubernetes cluster, making it ideal for Python users who need control and flexibility without the operational burden.
APPUiO offers significant value for Python applications, particularly those built with frameworks like Django, Flask, or TensorFlow, by providing scalability, customization, and the ability to handle complex workloads.
Pythonβs versatility, especially in web development, machine learning, and data science, makes it a great fit for APPUiOβs Kubernetes/OpenShift-based platform, which is optimized for managing high-complexity, high-variability workloads.
By focusing on Pythonβs key areas – like Djangoβs need for fault tolerance, Flaskβs role in microservices, and the demands of AI frameworks like TensorFlow and PyTorch – APPUiO can offer advanced orchestration, dynamic scaling, and specialized support, positioning itself as the go-to platform for developers and organizations needing more than basic hosting.
Meet the Winners of our Star Wars Lego Prize Raffle π
Jasper picked up the C-3PO Lego Set for his friend Ingo. Enjoy!π
Jan won the Darth Vader Lego Set – have fun! π
Thank You!
A huge thanks to the organizers of the Swiss Python Summit for putting together such a well-organized and engaging event! The energy, enthusiasm, and high-quality content were second to none. We’re already looking forward to next year’s summit.
To all the Pythonistas we met, and to those we couldnβt, see you at the next event! Keep coding, keep innovating – and letβs continue building amazing things together.
Thank you again for having us! We hope you had as much fun as we did! Thanks for stopping by our booth and for being a part of Swiss Python Summit 2024.
If you love what we’re doing at VSHN, be sure to subscribe to ourΒ newslettersΒ and follow us on social media.
Swiss Cloud Native Day 2024 Recap – A Day to Remember!
24. Sep 2024
We want to wrap up an incredible day at Swiss Cloud Native Day 2024, and we couldnβt be more thrilled! Held at the Gurten in Bern, the event brought together cloud enthusiasts, developers, and industry leaders to dive deep into the future of cloud native technologies.
VSHN supported SCND as Silver Sponsor – A Big Thank You to Our Booth Visitors!
First and foremost, a huge thank you to everyone who visited our booth! Whether you came by to learn more about our solutions, grabbed some swag, or simply stopped to chat, we truly appreciate your time and engagement. The conversations we had were insightful and energizing, and it’s always rewarding to connect with people who are as passionate about cloud native tech as we are. Your interest, questions, and feedback are what drive us to continue innovating and delivering the best solutions in the cloud space.
We hope you had as much fun as we did! It was truly inspiring to connect with so many passionate individuals in the cloud native community. Thanks for stopping by our booth and for being a part of SCND 2024. If you love what we’re doing at VSHN, be sure to subscribe to our newsletters and follow us on social media.
At the Swiss Cloud Native Day 2024, we introduced our new VSHN Application Marketplace. Learn more about it here.
Aarno was interviewed by Baruch at the Cloud Native Day
Aarno Aukia got interviewed by Baruch at the Cloud Native Day. Watch the video!
Applauding the Awesome Speakers
The speakers this year were nothing short of phenomenal! From inspiring keynotes to technical deep-dives, every session provided fresh perspectives and practical takeaways. We want to extend our deepest gratitude to the amazing lineup of speakers, including Kelsey Hightower, who shared their expertise, showcased cutting-edge projects, and sparked thought-provoking discussions. Whether you were exploring Kubernetes, service meshes, security in cloud environments, or scaling microservices, the talks offered something valuable for everyone. Your contributions not only made the event informative but also incredibly inspiring.
A Special Thanks to the Organizers
Weβd also like to offer a heartfelt thank you to the organizers of Cloud Native Day Switzerland 2024. It takes immense effort, vision, and dedication to pull off an event of this magnitude. From the seamless event management to curating such a dynamic agenda, the organizers made sure this was a memorable day for all attendees. Your hard work behind the scenes doesnβt go unnoticed, and weβre grateful to have been a part of such a well-executed event.
Thank you for joining us at Swiss Cloud Native Day 2024 in Bern!
VSHN helps you get through operations without chaos. π
Weβre always happy to hear from you!
Wrapping Up
Cloud Native Day Switzerland 2024 exceeded our expectations in every way. The exchange of ideas, the collaborative spirit, and the enthusiasm for innovation in cloud-native technologies were palpable throughout the day. We are already looking forward to next yearβs event and continuing to contribute to this incredible community.
Once again, thank you to everyone who made this event a successβfrom visitors to our booth, to the speakers, to the event organizers. Letβs keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in cloud-native!
The KCD Zurich brought together a diverse group of around 250 experts to experience the power of community. Participants gathered to learn, network, and share knowledge on various aspects of Cloud Native technologies.
KCD Zurich 2024
The event was packed with engaging and insightful talks about Kubernetes, once again showcasing the vibrancy and dedication of our community at the Google CH EURF HQ in Zurich.
Aarno Aukia, Founder and Partner at VSHN, also held a talk about the topic:
Empowering Developers: Building an Application Catalogue with Crossplane
The session was aimed to help discover how platform engineering innovations are revolutionizing internal developer platforms and to explore how Crossplane enables seamless application catalog construction, empowering teams to streamline development workflows and accelerate innovation.
VSHN AppCat
If you want to learn more about VSHN AppCat or see Crossplane in action and its impact on internal developer platforms and platform engineering, contacts us.
VSHN supported KCD Zurich as Gold Sponsor
As Gold Sponsors, VSHN, together with Red Hat and GitLab, and alongside Google Cloud and Isovalent, supported this remarkable event. We enjoyed fascinating discussions, reconnected with familiar faces, met many new ones, and felt immense pride in being part of such an outstanding community.
And of course, we also had a lot of fun along the way! π
One of the highlights was our prize draw. Congratulations to Daniel on winning the Lego DeLorean β enjoy your prize! π
A heartfelt thanks to the KCD Zurich organizers and all participants for making this day truly spectacular.
We look forward to seeing everyone again next year!
PS: Join our nextΒ CNC meetupΒ on August 22, 2024 in Zurich at the Puzzle & Isovalent offices.
Markus Speth
Marketing, People, Strategy
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VSHN is Gold sponsor at Kubernetes Community Days Zurich on June 13 2024
6. Jun 2024
We are thrilled to announce that VSHN will be participating in the upcoming Kubernetes Community Days (KCD) in Zurich as Gold sponsor next week!
This is an event we have been eagerly looking forward to, and we are proud to be a sponsor of this significant gathering of the Swiss Kubernetes community.
With over 90 people on the waiting list and a remarkable 110 talk submissions for KCD ZΓΌrich, KCD ZΓΌrich Rejects was born as a pre-event which happened on June 5, 2024, to give more community members the opportunity to share their insights and connect. The top 6 speakers who didnβt make the cut for the main event were invited to talk at Rejects. VSHN also supported the KCD Rejects (and KuberTENes 10th Anniversary) as a Platinum Sponsor.
Now we canΒ΄t wait for the main KCD event to take place next week. Here’s why we are so excited and what you can expect from this fantastic event.
What is Kubernetes Community Days?
Kubernetes Community Days are community-organized events that gather Kubernetes enthusiasts, developers, and experts from around the globe. These events are designed to foster collaboration, share knowledge, and promote the growth and development of Kubernetes and its ecosystem. They feature a variety of sessions including keynotes, technical talks, workshops, and networking opportunities.
KCD Zurich is set to be a remarkable occasion, bringing together a diverse group of people who are passionate about Kubernetes. Attendees will have the chance to learn from industry leaders, contribute to discussions, and gain insights into the latest trends and best practices in Kubernetes development and operations.
As a company deeply invested in the Kubernetes ecosystem, we understand the importance of community and collaboration in driving innovation.
VSHN is for example also proud organizer of the Cloud Native Computing Switzerland Meetup with now more than 2Β΄500 members. Join our next CNC meetup on August 22, 2024 in Zurich at the Puzzle & Isovalent offices.
Sponsoring KCD Zurich is our way of giving back to the community that has been instrumental in our journey. Here are a few reasons why we are so excited to be part of this event:
1. Supporting the Community
By sponsoring KCD Zurich, we are supporting the vibrant and dynamic Kubernetes community. We believe that events like these are crucial for the continuous improvement and adoption of Kubernetes, and we are proud to contribute to this effort.
2. Knowledge Sharing
KCD Zurich provides an excellent platform for sharing knowledge and experiences. We are excited to engage with other Kubernetes enthusiasts, learn from their experiences, and share our insights. This mutual exchange of ideas is invaluable for personal and professional growth.
3. Networking Opportunities
The event offers a unique opportunity to network with industry peers, thought leaders, and potential partners. We are looking forward to connecting with like-minded individuals and organizations, fostering relationships that can lead to future collaborations.
4. Staying Ahead of the Curve
Kubernetes is a rapidly evolving technology, and staying updated with the latest advancements is essential. By participating in KCD Zurich, we aim to stay ahead of the curve and ensure that our solutions remain cutting-edge and relevant.
What to Expect at KCD Zurich
KCD Zurich promises to be an action-packed event with a variety of sessions catering to different interests and expertise levels. Here are some highlights:
Keynote Speeches: Inspiring talks from industry leaders and Kubernetes experts.
Technical Sessions: Deep dives into specific topics, including new features, best practices, and real-world case studies.
Workshops: Hands-on sessions that provide practical experience with Kubernetes tools and techniques.
Networking Events: Opportunities to meet and connect with other attendees, share experiences, and build relationships.
We are incredibly excited to be part of Kubernetes Community Days Zurich and can’t wait to contribute to this amazing community.
Join Us!
We invite you to join us at KCD Zurich next week. Whether you are a seasoned Kubernetes professional or just starting your journey, there is something for everyone at this event. Visit our booth to learn more about VSHNΒ΄s solutions, meet our team, and discover how we can help you leverage the power of Kubernetes.
Stay tuned for more updates and follow VSHN on Social Media for live coverage from the event. We look forward to seeing you in Zurich!
Markus Speth
Marketing, People, Strategy
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Discover the Future of Cloud Native Computing with VSHN at KubeCon Paris
29. Feb 2024
Next month, KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Paris 2024 will serve as a focal point for Cloud Native professionals, enthusiasts, and pioneers from all over Europe. We are excited to be a part of this great event, and we’re poised to make a significant impact through a series of engaging contributions.
The Cloud Native Dance: MLOps on Kubernetes
At the heart of VSHN’s participation is a presentation by our CMO, Annie Talvasto, titled “KubeDDR! A Dance of Predictive Scoring with MLOps, Step by Step”. Scheduled for Friday at 14:00, and presented together with Leigh Capili from Broadcom, this talk will mark the point where dance floors meet cutting-edge technology. Attendees will learn how AI-driven image recognition works, how to forecast dance scores, and how Kubernetes seamlessly orchestrates ML model deployments. Annie will offer invaluable perspectives for anyone vested in the future of MLOps and cloud infrastructure.
K8up: Our Kubernetes-Native Backup Solution
Our KubeCon adventure continues at our kiosk, where we will showcase K8up, our pioneering backup solution for Kubernetes, now part of the larger CNCF technology landscape. As an official CNCF project, K8up addresses the critical need for reliable, scalable backup solutions in a Kubernetes environment. This is a must-visit for attendees seeking to enhance their infrastructure’s resilience and efficiency.
The KubeTrain Journey: An Unforgettable Experience
Adding a unique twist to their journey, VSHNeers will be traveling to the conference aboard the KubeTrain, departing on the 18th of March from ZΓΌrich Hauptbahnhof at 13:34, calling at Basel, Mulhouse, and Dijon, finally arriving to Paris Gare de Lyon at 17:38.
That same evening, starting at 19:00, we will be sponsoring the exclusive KubeTrain Party at the Fitzroy Restaurant. This event promises to be another highlight of the conference! You’ll have unique networking opportunities, following our commitment to fostering community engagement. To join the festivities, the community is invited to use the voucher code INVITEDBYVSHN, securing a chance to network, learn, and celebrate with fellow DevOps enthusiasts.
KubeCon Paris is more than just a conference; it’s a meeting of ideas, innovation, and community. VSHNeers invite you to join them in this exciting journey. Whether you’re drawn by the insights of Annie, intrigued by the capabilities of K8up, or looking to engage with the community aboard the KubeTrain or through the sponsored events, there’s something for everyone.
Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with us VSHNeers! Visit the K8up booth, discover how we can support your Kubernetes and DevOps business, and engage with a team that’s at the forefront of shaping the future of cloud computing. Together, let’s explore the endless possibilities that Kubernetes and Cloud Native technologies have to offer.
See you in Paris!
Aarno Aukia
Aarno is Co-Founder of VSHN AG and provides technical enthusiasm as a Service as CTO.
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Watch the Recording of “How to Keep Container Operations Steady and Cost-Effective in 2024”
1. Feb 2024
Yesterday took place the “How to Keep Container Operations Steady and Cost-Effective in 2024” event on LinkedIn Live, and for those who couldn’t attend live, you can watch the recording here.
In a rapidly evolving tech landscape, staying ahead of the curve is crucial. This event that will equip you with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate container operations effectively while keeping costs in check.
In this session, we’ll explore best practices, industry insights, and practical tips to ensure your containerized applications run smoothly without breaking the bank.
We will cover:
Current Trends: Discover the latest trends shaping container operations in 2024.
Operational Stability: Learn strategies to keep your containerized applications running seamlessly.
Cost-Effective Practices: Explore tips to optimize costs without compromising performance.
Industry Insights: Gain valuable insights from real-world experiences and success stories.
Schedule:
17:30 – 17:35 – Welcome and Opening Remarks 17:35 – 17:50 – Navigating the Container Landscape: 2024 Trends & Insights 17:50 – 17:55 – VSHN’s Impact: A Spotlight on Our Market Presence 17:55 – 18:10 – Guide to Ensuring Steady Operations in Containerized Environments 18:10 – 18:25 – Optimizing Costs without Compromising Performance: A Practical Guide 18:25 – 18:30 -Taking Action: Implementing Best Practices for Container Operations 18:30 -> Q&A
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to set a solid foundation for your containerized applications in 2024.
Adrian Kosmaczewski
Adrian Kosmaczewski is in charge of Developer Relations at VSHN. He is a software developer since 1996, a trainer, and a published author. Adrian holds a Master in Information Technology from the University of Liverpool.
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How to Keep Container Operations Steady and Cost-Effective in 2024
19. Dec 2023
In a rapidly evolving tech landscape, staying ahead of the curve is crucial. Join us for an event that will equip you with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate container operations effectively while keeping costs in check.
In this session, we’ll explore best practices, industry insights, and practical tips to ensure your containerized applications run smoothly without breaking the bank.
We will cover:
Current Trends: Discover the latest trends shaping container operations in 2024.
Operational Stability: Learn strategies to keep your containerized applications running seamlessly.
Cost-Effective Practices: Explore tips to optimize costs without compromising performance.
Industry Insights: Gain valuable insights from real-world experiences and success stories.
Adrian Kosmaczewski is in charge of Developer Relations at VSHN. He is a software developer since 1996, a trainer, and a published author. Adrian holds a Master in Information Technology from the University of Liverpool.
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KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe 2023 is next week! And no less than 8 VSHNeers (around 15% of our company!) are going to attend the event in Amsterdam this year.
The complete list of VSHNeers attending KubeCon includes: Annie Talvasto, Elia Ponzio, Erik Harder, Liene Luksika, Robin Scherrer, Sebastian Widmer, Stephan Feurer, and myself, Tobias Brunner.
Not only are we impatient to learn about the latest Cloud Native technologies, we’re thrilled to be a part of the Project Pavilion where we’ll be talking about K8up, our beloved Kubernetes and OpenShift backup operator. Come join us at kiosk number K25 to learn how to use K8up to preserve your data in a convenient and secure way.
We can’t wait to attend KubeCon + CloudNativeCon next week and please, if you see the VSHN logo on our t-shirts, don’t hesitate to come and say hi! We’d love to meet you.
Tobias Brunner
Tobias Brunner is working since over 20 years in IT and more than 15 years with Internet technology. New technology has to be tried and written about.
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Upcoming Event: Increase your Productivity with APPUiO Cloud, AppCat, and Exoscale
14. Mar 2023
As if creating applications weren’t complex enough, developers often require much more than just their code to create feature-rich systems for their users: things like databases, message queues, storage buckets, and more. For that reason, we at VSHN created the Application Catalog or AppCat, allowing developers to provision such services from the comfort of their preferred file editor.
This allows developers to provision PostgreSQL, MySQL, Apache Kafka, OpenSearch, or Redis instances in minutes, with the same tooling and the same technology, and with the legendary reliability and quality of Exoscale.
Would you like to learn more about the synergy between APPUiO Cloud and Exoscale DBaaS? Then join us on Thursday, March 30th, in a free event to learn more about AppCat and DBaaS, and how developers can access Exoscale services from within their APPUiO Cloud projects quickly and efficiently.
βHow to make your life easy with Databases using DBaaS on Exoscaleβ by Gernot Horak (Exoscale)
Gernot can draw on 15+ years in IT Operation and 5 yearsβ experience as Cloud Solution Architect. He is specialized in IT-Infrastructure and Automation. His goal is to use his knowledge to assist and support customers with technical questions to skyrocket their cloud business.
Demo: βProvisioning databases with VSHN AppCat and Exoscale DBaaS on APPUiO Cloudβ by Adrian Kosmaczewski (Developer Relations, VSHN)
Where and When?
This event will take place on Thursday, March 30th, 2023 from 16:00 to 18:00 CEST, at our beautiful VSHNtower, Neugasse 6, 8005 ZΓΌrich, Switzerland, just a 10-minute walk from ZΓΌrich Hauptbahnhof.
Sign up now:
Just fill this form and see you at the VSHNtower:
Adrian Kosmaczewski
Adrian Kosmaczewski is in charge of Developer Relations at VSHN. He is a software developer since 1996, a trainer, and a published author. Adrian holds a Master in Information Technology from the University of Liverpool.
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Join us at the Isovalent office for in-person talks and watching the eBPF Summit livestream!
eBPF is one of the most talked about technologies in our industry – enabling a new generation of networking, observability and security tools. eBPF Summit is for users and potential users of this groundbreaking technology, who want a better understanding of what it is, how it works, and the real world problems it solves.
We will kick off the event with in person talks from Liz Rice. Following that, we will have beer and pizza for networking while we tune into eBPF Summit Day 1. Join us for networking and learning about end users putting eBPF into production and cutting edge new projects.
16:00 – Doors Open 16.30 – Tobias Brunner (VSHN) – Cilium on APPUiO Cloud – a Multi-Tenant OpenShift Cluster 16.50 – Liz Rice (Isovalent) – TBD 17:30 – Start of eBPF Summit Watch Party (come and go as you please) 17.30 – Open end – networking, beer & pizza (outside on the terrace and inside in our living room)
When?
Wednesday, Sep 28, from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM (CEST)
The Swiss Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (SBV), in collaboration with Red Hat, VSHN, and Tech Data, launched a hackathon for blind, visually impaired, and sighted people. Over 30 programmers and IT professionals met for two days in June 2022 at the Sheraton Hotel in Zurich. They worked on valuable solutions to supporting blind and visually impaired people’s everyday lives.
Luciano Butera, Head of the Technology and Innovation Department at SBV, and Dominik Wotruba, Head of TechSales Switzerland at Red Hat, welcomed the over 30 blind, visually impaired, and sighted technology professionals. Together, they developed new solutions that make everyday life easier for blind and visually impaired people. Five project ideas submitted in advance made it into the final selection: applications for recognizing the expiration date on food, obstacles on the street, arranging tandems for activities, reading out menus in restaurants, and querying the status of elevators and escalators in the train station, including indoor routing.
The participants from Red Hat, SBV, customers, and partners split into five projects. “Small communities developed around the ideasβquite similar to open source projects,” Dominik Wotruba notes. And he adds: “Everyone was able to contribute their skills and thus contribute to the projects’ success.”
The teams got a functional prototype up and running in only two days. On the technical side, VSHN provided each group with DevOps support and an APPUiO Cloud hosting platform based on Red Hat OpenShift. At the same time, Tech Data offered its AI solution Tech Lab. Red Hat programmers also prepared programming skeletons: basic framework templates for developing the solutions to make it easier for the participants to start the projects, followed by busy brainstorming and coding. “The work was completely focusedβand practically non-stop. You could tell: people had a mission,” says Luciano Butera.
The jury was particularly enthusiastic about and awarded the winning “MENUista” project by Selamet Aydogdu, Dominique Hofstetter, Lars Jenzer, Alexey Loubyansky, and Erik Jan de Wit. They developed a smartphone app that displays and reads aloud the menu of nearby restaurants, making it easier for blind and visually impaired people to find a suitable restaurant nearby and be less dependent on sighted companions.
Luciano Butera and the jury praised the solution’s benefits, the project’s progress, and the presentation. “The app is easy to use and does what it is supposed to. As far as the team was able to develop the solution at the hackathon, it brings the users the greatest benefit on balance,” says the co-initiator of the hackathon. He agreed that automatically collating menu cards from nearby restaurants is helpful. “The winning project is an excellent demonstration that software for blind and visually impaired people can also be practical for sighted people,” comments Luciano Butera.
The feedback after the hackathon was overwhelmingly positive. Aarno Aukia, Co-Founder of the sponsor VSHN, was on hand to advise the teams at the hackathon. He praised the successful integration of all participants: “When finding their way around the event location, the blind and visually impaired participants were happy to receive support. But as soon as everyone sat down at the laptop and started working, there was no difference.”
Christopher Schmidt from Red Hat partner InnoQ and a participant at the event particularly praised the “open, friendly atmosphere” on site. “Also, the opportunity to hear directly from the people concerned about their daily challenges and to work out solutions was one of the highlights of the two days,” is his summary. Dominik Wotruba has a similar view: “For the teams, the task was to develop solutions tailored to the users’ needs. Therefore, responding to the input of the blind and visually impaired participants was central. From that point of view, the hackathon was a prime example of customer-centric work.”
Aarno Aukia
Aarno is Co-Founder of VSHN AG and provides technical enthusiasm as a Service as CTO.
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Innovative Open Source Software of the Federal Archives β Patrick Mathers
29. Sep 2021
Last August, Patrick Mathers, founder and board member of VSHN AG, spoke at the IT Procurement Conference 2021 in Bern about the topic of DevOps and our involvement in the LINDAS project, the Linked Data Platform of the Swiss Federal Archives.
Please check the video of Patrick’s session below (in German, auto-generated subtitles available).
LINDAS is the Linked Data Platform of the Swiss Federal Archives, which is used to publish Open Data. Linked Data is a technology that makes it easy to relate data to each other. Hundreds of millions of data sets from a wide range of topics and sources are used for this purpose, currently e.g. from the federal government, SBB, cantons and municipalities. The innovative Triplestore database is managed and operated using open source software. The latest cloud technologies such as Docker, Kubernetes, Operators, Prometheus, etc. are used. The technology stack used as well as the LINDAS platform will be presented. The presentation will address the challenges of merging the culture of DevOps with the strengths of the HERMES framework. These experiences illustrate how other government agencies can benefit from software operating models such as DevOps using HERMES and its strengths such as planability and controllability. Furthermore, the steps taken from procurement to work on the project to operation are shown.
Patrick Mathers
Patrick is Founder and Member of the Board of VSHN.
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On June 24 and 25 2021, the first VSHN internal HackDay took place and it was a huge success.
The event was open to all VSHNeers who were interested to break out of the daily business and work on cool and fun stuff.
Organisation & execution of the HackDay
We decided that topics should be split into work groups consisting of 1-2 people. The topics were collected beforehand in our forum and VSHNeers could either join a topic or bring in their own ideas.
We agreed on having this HackDay remote (which might change for the next edition) via Mibo which was also a lot of fun.
After a quick kick-off meeting in Mibo on the first day, the groups organized themselves and started to work on their topics. All attendees got a lunch voucher to order food and to have at least lunch together remotely.
The next morning, the groups met again and continued their work. After another nice lunch break, we met all again in Mibo at 4.00pm for the presentations. Every group had 5mins to present their work, which was also a lot of fun because even in the virtual world, some VSHNeers had problems with the beamer and their presentations. π
Topics & groups
We had an awesome choice of interesting topics ranging from evaluating a new recruiting and HR tool (for the not-so technical VSHNeers), managing GitHub Orgs with code, Commodore component hub and ModuleSync.
Here’s the topics overview:
New Recruiting Tool & Research βHuman Resourcesβ Tools
Commodore Component Hub
Experiment with OAM and KubeVela
Credit card payment for VSHN services
VSHN Reservationtool for shared desks
create offers in Hubspot
Container Image Cache
ModuleSync
Publish Commodore to PyPI
Manage GitHub Orgs with Code
Simple http/tcp/udp endpoint and uptime monitoring
Choosing the winner
After each group presented their outcome of the work done during the HackDay, we had to choose a winner. Everyone had one vote and we voted via Mentimeter which was a lot of fun as we had a draw after the first voting round and had to vote again for the remaining 3 ideas.
The winner team “VSHN Reservationtool for shared desks” received a prize of CHF 250.00 per person to spend in Swibeco (our employee benefits program) and of course received a lot of glory and honor π.
We are all looking forward to our next VSHN HackDay!
Markus Speth
Marketing, People, Strategy
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VSHN.timer #251: Privacy & Security – critical pillars of the digital age
Crossplane is a CNCF project which extends the Kubernetes API to manage and compose infrastructure from multiple cloud vendors and infrastructure providers.
This is the abstract of the lightning talk:
The Crossplane Service Broker exposes Crossplane primitives via the Open Service Broker API. Tobias will introduce the concepts behind the Crossplane Service Broker and demonstrate to the audience how it all works together. By leveraging the Open Service Broker API while coupling it with the powerful concept of Crossplane Compositions it’s very easy to enable users of a platform which exposes Open Service Broker API integration (like Kubernetes Service Catalog or Cloudfoundry) to provision services fully automated. In a demonstration a real use case will be shown how a MariaDB Galera service can be provisioned using the Open Service Broker API, leveraging the Crossplane Compositions, the Helm provider and the SQL provider.
Adrian Kosmaczewski
Adrian Kosmaczewski is in charge of Developer Relations at VSHN. He is a software developer since 1996, a trainer, and a published author. Adrian holds a Master in Information Technology from the University of Liverpool.
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Tobias Brunner holds Lightning Talk at Crossplane Community Day 2020
25. Nov 2020
The Future of Cloud Engineering is a Universal API
Tuesday, December 15, 2020, 10.00 am PST (which is 7 pm CET) β’ Virtual Event
Tobias will be sharing the stage with Bassam Tabbara CEO Upbound, Kelsey Hightower Developer Advocate Google, Joe Beda Principal Engineer VMware, and many more.
Tobias Brunner’s Lightning Talk about how VSHN uses Crossplane
When? On Tuesday, December 15, 2020, 12.50 pm PST (which is 9.50 pm CET) What? Lightning Talk: Crossplane as a cornerstone in a next-gen hosted DevOps platform Who? Tobias Brunner, Head of DevOps & Partner of VSHN β The DevOps Company:
What is Crossplane Community Day
Join us for the second Crossplane Community Day to hear about how using a Universal Cloud API can help you eliminate infrastructure bottlenecks, avoid security pitfalls, and deliver apps faster. Come hear from industry experts on how the Kubernetes-style API is modernizing application and infrastructure management beyond traditional infrastructure as code approaches.
Speakers include:
Bassam Tabbara CEO Upbound
Kelsey Hightower Developer Advocate Google
Joe Beda Principal Engineer VMware
Brendan Burns Distinguished Engineer Microsoft
Jay Pipes Principal Open Source Engineer Amazon
Daniel Mangum Software Engineer Upbound
Partnership VSHN & Crossplane
VSHN has always been cloud-agnostic and will further enhance this paradigm by partnering withΒ Crossplane β βThe open-source multi-cloud control planeβ. We are using Crossplane for example as a cornerstone in our next-gen hosted DevOps product and Project Syn. Crossplane is an extensible open-source platform that adds declarative cloud service provisioning and management to the Kubernetes API with excellent support for GitOps-style continuous deployments for cloud-native apps that is at the heart of the next-gen offering of VSHN. Project Syn is designed to run on all Kubernetes distributions and clouds. Itβs prepared to support all the specific features of any given cloud and Kubernetes distribution by abstracting the specifics. This means Project Syn will run on OpenShift with APPUiO.ch, Rancher Kubernetes, and all managed Kubernetes offerings. Support for even more Kubernetes flavors and clouds are added on demand. By leveraging Crossplane, the user ofΒ Project SynΒ can specify the backend services needed in a completely cloud-independent way. Provisioning of these services happens fully automated, handled by the tooling in the most optimal way. You can find out more about the VSHN & Crossplane partnership hereΒ and on Netzwoche.
About Crossplane
Crossplane is an open-source multi-cloud control plane to manage your cloud-native applications and infrastructure across environments, clusters, regions, and clouds. It enables provisioning and full-lifecycle management of applications and managed services from your choice of cloud using kubectl. Crossplane can be installed into an existing Kubernetes cluster to add managed service provisioning or deployed as a dedicated control plane for multi-cluster management and workload scheduling. Crossplane enables the community to build and publish Stacks to add more clouds and cloud services to Crossplane with support for out-of-tree extensibility and independent release schedules. Crossplane includes Stacks for GCP, AWS, and Azure today.
About VSHN β The DevOps Company
VSHNΒ (pronounced ΛvΙͺΚn like βvisionβ) is Switzerland’s leading DevOps, Docker, Kubernetes, OpenShift, and 24/7 cloud operations partner. VSHN was founded with the intention to fundamentally shake up the hosting market. As a lean startup, we have focused on operating IT platforms through automation, agility, and a continuous improvement process. Completely location-independent and without our own hardware, we operate extensive applications according to the DevOps principle agile and 24/7 on every infrastructure, so that software developers can concentrate on their business and IT operations are relieved.
Markus Speth
Marketing, People, Strategy
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VSHN.timer #251: Privacy & Security – critical pillars of the digital age
Project Syn is nominated for the DINAcon Award 2020
22. Oct 2020
DINAcon 2020
The DINAcon, conference for digital sustainability, takes place annually at the Welle7 Workspace in Bern. Inspiring keynote inputs and selected sessions will bring together Opinion Leaders from politics, business, the public sector and the digitalisation scene at the conference and discuss how digital transformation can be implemented with sustainable added value for society and the environment. DINAcon 2020 is organized by the Research Centre Digital Sustainability of the University of Bern and is supported by the location partner Welle7 Workspace and numerous partner organisations.
DINAcon Awards on Friday October 23, 2020
Every year, the DINAcon Awards are awarded to open projects by communities, companies, administrations, organisations and individuals at the DINAcon Conference. Participation is free of charge, projects from all over Europe are eligible. The winner of the DINAcon Business Award 2020 is automatically nominated for the “Digital Economy Awards” of swissICT. The organizers are very happy to present the DINAcon Awards to 6 great projects in this extraordinary year 2020. The award ceremony will take place on Friday, October 23rd from 3 pm virtually via BigBlueButton.
Project Syn is on the award shortlist
Our Project Syn is one of six projects shortlisted for the DINAcon Awards 2020 in the category Newcomer. Keep your fingers crossed and watch our Project Syn preview video with Tobias Brunner:
Free of charge as a participant in the virtual DINAcon 2020
Those who want to participate spontaneously can order a free ticket. Have fun at DINAcon and see you soon!
Markus Speth
Marketing, People, Strategy
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VSHN.timer #251: Privacy & Security – critical pillars of the digital age
WeAreDevelopers Live Week with Aarno & Adrian as speakers
2. Oct 2020
The recordings of the WeAreDevelopers Live Week 2020 sessions have been uploaded – enjoy watching below.
WeAreDevelopers Live Week Oct 5-9th 2020
It’s on again. Join us for the second edition of the WeAreDevelopers Live Week β with a jam-packed, all-online coding experience coming to you. Two VSHNeers are taking part with a talk, join us and “Welcome home, developers!”.
Aarno’s talk in the Security track
Monday, October 5th 4:30 pm β 5:30 pm (CEST) DevSecOps: Security in DevOps You managed to introduce an agile development and operations process to your team(s). And now? How can you add security to your DevOps and get to the next level? Join us on our journey and see the tools and processes we tried and learned to value. Listen to our experiences so you do not have to make all of them yourself.
Aarno Aukia, CTO & Co-founder of VSHN β The DevOps Company
Adrian’s talk in the DevOps track
Friday, October 9th 4:45 pm β 5:30 pm (CEST)
DevOps in the enterprise
DevOps is not the realm of startups or Silicon Valley giants only. What are the strategies to keep in mind when introducing DevOps to a company with a vast digital portfolio? And more important: How do you stick with it and deal with different release cycles?
Adrian Kosmaczewski, Developer Relations at VSHN AG
About WeAreDevelopers Live Week
Welcome to the second edition of the WeAreDevelopers Live Week. Join 12,000+ of the worldβs brightest minds in software development to learn, share secrets and connect online from the comfort of your home β and for free. For 5 days, WeAreDevelopers will stream 5 tracks, consisting of hyper-focused coding sessions, hands-on workshops and live Q&A sessions to help take your skills to the next level. WeAreDevelopers Live Week is organized in cooperation with digitalswitzerland and Helvetia.
Markus Speth
Marketing, People, Strategy
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VSHN.timer #251: Privacy & Security – critical pillars of the digital age
