High-tech companies are grappling with the need to transform traditional business models to more complex ones in order to provide new services based on cloud computing, a new study by Accenture suggests. Those business models, more specifically, pertain to the shipping of hardware products or packaged software. Many senior leaders also lack a clear understanding of how the complexity of the new business models will affect operations in nearly every area of their companies, reveals […]
Cloud Computing
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Like many of us of a certain vintage, Warren Wander owned a Sinclair ZX81, the forerunner of the ZX Spectrum, the first commercially available home computer. It is a measure of how far ahead of the curve its progenitor Sir Clive Sinclair was that the device was little more than a basic games machine, and barely a home computer at all. In 1982, it was like putting a Lamborghini in the wild west. No roads, […]
As our world becomes more and more connected, the terms used to describe online services blur into abstraction. In this article, I’ll clarify the terms “cloud computing” versus “software as a service,” often referred to as SaaS. In some ways, it’s like describing two sides of the same coin. However, there are some clear distinctions, along with risks and rewards to keep in mind. The Internet is increasingly being referred to as the cloud. One […]
It’s no secret that many organizations have begun to look at public and private clouds as alternatives to traditional IT infrastructure. In January 2012, Enterprise Strategy Group published their 2012 IT Spending Intentions Survey revealing that 28% of organizations surveyed were using cloud computing services as a way to control IT costs, up substantially from 13% in 2009. Cloud storage is one of the many ways that organizations are leveraging cloud services today. With public […]
Autodesk launched the company’s 2013 portfolio of design, engineering and entertainment software, including the latest design and creation suites. The suites provide expanded toolsets and new automated suites workflows for building, entertainment, engineering, construction, infrastructure, product, plant and factory design. The 2013 design suites connect the desktop to Autodesk 360, a cloud computing platform that enables customers to dramatically improve the way they work by providing the ability to store, edit and share their designs […]
Is desktop virtualization ready for prime time? The data illustrated in this infographic, based on data from the Citrix Global Security Index and Forrester Research, indicates that, indeed, desktop virtualization’s time may well have arrived.
A massive 93% of financial decision makers believe that cloud computing will be important to the success of their businesses over the next couple of years, according to research. Vanson Bourne questioned 100 senior executives within the finance departments at UK companies for the research, which was commissioned by Google. It also found that 68% of businesses surveyed had either already implemented cloud services or have plans to. A total of 66% makers believe the […]
Global sales of software as a service (SaaS) are rising steadily with increased adoption of SaaS and with total worldwide revenues expected to top $22 billion by 2015. According to the latest market report from analyst firm, Gartner, SaaS revenue is forecast to reach $14.5 billion this year, a 17.9 percent increase from 2011 revenue of $12.3 billion, with healthy growth through to 2015 when revenue is forecast to reach $22.1 billion. “After more than […]
CIOs are worried: cloud computing is being used as a way for businesses to dodge the IT department and get services delivered more quickly. But as well as giving the CIO sleepless nights, this attempt to side-step the IT department is causing additional cost and complexity along the way. I recently wrote about how cloud computing deployments are kicking off without the CIO’s knowledge, and only coming to light when sys admins put their expenses […]
Virtualisation is ideal for trying out a new operating system. Instead of installing the OS onto a live machine and potentially overwriting, or generally messing up a working OS, virtualisation leaves your current installation untouched. No worrying about a messed up MBR, freeing up space on your drives for a new partition or having to route around for drivers just to get back online. Virtualisation is a lot faster than it once was as well. […]