Small business (SME) are increasingly acknowledging the power of working in the cloud. At a time of ongoing economic uncertainty, cloud computing technology has the great benefit of being low-cost; easy to implement and use; flexible and scalable. Today, many of these businesses are actively developing their own cloud applications and tailoring them to their precise needs. Indeed, cloud-based application development is particularly well suited to the SME community for which time and resources are […]
cloud computing
222 posts
In my last post, I gave you an outline of what I see as the three biggest “killer apps” of cloud computing. There is, however, another facet to the cloud story that I think is very exciting right now: innovation on the core technical and operational models that form the basis of distributed computing. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons) What I mean by that is this: cloud has made new ways of acquiring and consuming infrastructure, platforms, […]
Cloud computing is all the rage. In its simplest terms, it means outsourcing your company’s information technology (IT) needs, from data and storage to software. All the servers and applications sit elsewhere in the Internet “cloud,” but more literally in a data center or centers. A recent study from Microsoft (with Accenture and WSP), “Cloud Computing and Sustainability”, compared the environmental footprint of running business software internally or with an outsourced provider (in this case, […]
Under the administration’s “Cloud First” policy, federal information technology managers have been directed to consider cloud solutions as their first option in expanding or upgrading their IT capabilities. Each agency has been required to identify three ‘must move’ services and create a project plan for migrating each of them to cloud solutions and retiring the associated legacy systems. Technology leaders in the White House have promoted greater use of cloud technology at the federal level […]
UT Dallas researchers have released software tools intended to help make cloud computing the standard way much computing is done. Cloud computing is a model for providing on-demand Internet-based access to a shared pool of computing resources, including networks, storage and applications. It’s meant to make it as simple to obtain an array of electronic data resources as it is to get electricity itself. “In order to use electricity, we do not maintain electricity generators […]
The last blocks of IPv4 addresses were distributed in a widely viewed ceremony of sorts. While the distribution of these blocks to regional registries does not mean that there are no more IPv4 addresses available, it does point to a time when all addresses will be depleted. What does the prospect of the depletion of IPv4 addresses mean for organisations? Not much for those who already have blocks of addresses reserved for their use. But […]
Cloud computing,” the hot new engine of the global IT industry, is revving up the Dallas technology community. Market research firm Gartner anticipates that globally, cloud services will generate $148.7 billion in revenue by 2014, with U.S. companies grabbing a 50 percent share of that success. That’s more than double the $68.3 billion that’s projected for 2010. Enterprises hungry for flexible computing options and lower upfront information-technology costs are expected to flock to three growing […]
Selecting a cloud computing provider is becoming increasingly complex. As cloud environments mature, many cloud providers attempt to differentiate themselves by focusing on specific aspects of their offerings, such as technology stacks or service-level agreements (SLAs). In short, not all cloud providers are created equal. At the same time, enterprises are beginning to rely on cloud providers for hosting mission-critical applications, which raises the stakes for selecting the right cloud service. So how do organizations […]
With Congress in the mood to cut spending, the federal budget proposed by President Barack Obama relies heavily on cloud computing and data center consolidation to keep IT costs under control. The Obama administration’s 2012 federal budget proposal sets aside $79.5 billion for IT spending for fiscal 2012, which begins Oct. 1. This proposal would increase IT spending by 1.9% compared to fiscal 2010. The current fiscal year’s IT spending remains a work in progress […]
The year 2010 will probably be remembered at the year that cloud computing “shaped” itself into a tangible concept, at least amongst those of us who care. 2011, on the other hand, will likely be the year in which IT figures out how to actually use cloud concepts. Of course there are success stories dating back two or more years, but what is happening so far in 2011 is a growing body of businesses, data, […]
The three dominant cloud computing models — Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) — are changing fast, as cloud providers reach up and down the stack to offer as close to a one-stop shop as possible. To understand how these cloud computing models are evolving and converging, it helps to know the history, said Jeffrey Kaplan, managing director of ThinkStrategies Inc., a consultancy in Wellesley, […]
The migration of computing into a cloud of massive data centres spread all over the world is giving regulators a headache as they find themselves on the back foot of an industry-driven trend. Policy Summary The term ‘cloud computing’ describes a whole range of infrastructure, software, data or applications residing in the ‘cloud’ – that is to say, off your own premises and accessed via the Internet. A study carried out by the University of […]
The Federal Cloud Computing Strategy seeks to accelerate federal cloud adoption by detailing benefits, outlining a deployment framework, and describing agencies’ roles and responsibilities. n advance of next week’s budget, the White House has issued a document outlining a government-wide strategy to adopt cloud computing more broadly in the federal government. The document, which outlines cloud computing’s benefits and necessary considerations, details government cloud computing case studies and outlines the roles and responsibilities of various […]
Several private clouds are now coming to market based on the Vblock technology developed by VCE, a joint venture forged by Cisco, EMC and VMWare. Last week I groaned inwardly as I saw not one, but two announcements plop into my inbox. First came Sungard’s “fully managed cloud offering”, and then a couple of days later CSC got in touch to brief me about the launch of CSC BizCloud, “the industry’s first on-premise private cloud […]
Samee U. Khan, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, and colleagues P. Bouvry and D. Kliazovich from the University of Luxembourg have released under the General Public License Agreement a sophisticated cloud computing simulator called GreenCloud. According to Khan, the lack of detailed simulators on the market was the motivation to develop GreenCloud that allows researchers to observe, interact and measure cloud performance. There also was no provisioning for observing clouds for their energy-efficiency. […]
CSO recently interviewed Gary Loveland, a principal in PricewaterhouseCooper’s advisory practice and head of the firm’s global security practice, about the latest in cloud security issues. Loveland has functioned as a data security officer and has recommended and implemented security strategies in large-scale business environments. CSO: What do you consider to be the most serious security threats related to cloud computing? Loveland: One of the most serious security threats to cloud computing is the fact […]
Cloud Computing creates great opportunities for Europe but various “legal, technical and commercial issues” need to resolved before it can be widely practiced, the EU Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes said at Davos 2011. Normally I prefer clearly defined concepts. But when it comes to cloud computing I have understood that we cannot wait for a universally agreed definition. We have to act. That is why I am really grateful for the opportunity to discuss […]
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ)’s $1.4 billion acquisition of Terremark immediately strengthens its role as a strategic supplier to the U.S. federal government and its position in a rapidly growing Latin American market, as well as adding key assets for the white-hot global cloud computing market. (See Verizon Taps Terremark for $1.4B.) The deal will put pressure on other global service providers — notably AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), BT Global Services and Orange Business Services […]
Google vice president and chief internet evangelist Vint Cerf today delivered the keynote address to open source enthusiasts at Linux.conf.au 2011 in Brisbane, saying that cloud computing is on the verge of becoming as big a concept as the internet itself. “I feel we are at the state in the cloud world now that we were in the internet world back in 1973,” Cerf said. The Google VP and evangelist also said, however, that a […]
The growth in popularity of web-based applications like social networking sites and even cloud computing software like Google Docs has raised more and more questions concerning security requirements. Particularly when it comes to the use of virtual and cloud environments for sensitive data hosting, rather than use of local data centres – does data protection now demand a new approach? Data protection schemes should always pursue pre-emptive tactics. In fact, nowadays it’s an essential requirement […]
Growing calls for SLAs are increasing pressure on the entire cloud service supply chain Cloud computing, an industry dependent on the availability of high-speed internet connectivity, grew on the realisation that internet bandwidth could be used for more than just downloading large files. However, the cloud’s initial lustre is starting to wear off and businesses are starting to query why they should move to the cloud and what happens once that leap is taken. The […]
Microsoft today named some of the country’s top “cloud-friendly” U.S. cities. The rankings are based on the results of an extensive survey in which 2,000 IT decision makers nationwide discussed how they are adopting and using cloud computing. The forecast for cloud computing across key U.S. cities calls for new lines of business, more need for IT services, and potential job growth, according to a new survey released today by Microsoft. Microsoft released the results […]
Moving a company’s server room and local applications to the cloud can eliminate hassles and reduce expenses if you proceed with a good strategy. Cloud computing enables small businesses to offload all sorts of heavy tech lifting to a third party, freeing you to focus your efforts (and local storage space) on core services and clients. Cloud computing can mean many things, but in essence it describes IT tools delivered through Internet-based services. A growing […]
Cloud computing and business process outsourcing (BPO) will become increasingly popular with government IT departments during 2011 as funding cuts start to bite, according to analyst firm Ovum. In a report entitled 2011 Trends to Watch: Government Technology, analyst Jessica Hawkins predicts that consumption-based technologies that are delivered through the cloud will grow in use due to the cost-savings they can offer. “Because cloud delivery means a lot of infrastructure is owned and operated by […]
A lack of proper understanding appears to be dissuading many small businesses from investing in cloud computing, it has been reported. According to Clodagh Murphy, director at Eclipse, it is not so much cost issues which put off such enterprises – rather the apparent complexity of the technology. She said that cloud computing must be explained to business owners in plain English which they can fully understand. Ms Murphy added that when embracing the cloud, […]
No doubt you are seeing more and more information about the value of moving IT services “into the Cloud.” But do you know exactly what that means? Does anyone? Before moving into the world of Cloud computing you must first gain a holistic view of your current IT environment and future business objectives. This way you will have a better understanding of the current realities and future possibilities available to your organization in the Cloud. […]
While Cloud Computing has captured the imagination of CIOs, there are serious questions whether sensitive business data can be effectively managed in the cloud. Wendy Yale from Varonis explores. The data governance and compliance issues faced by organisations are the same whether operating in a cloud environment or not. When organisations are considering moving business data into the cloud a sound data governance approach must be in place to enable them to avoid costly data […]
Luxoft has predicted that cloud computing, whether used in a storage capacity or to greatly decrease carbon footprints, will experience significant growth, in both the public and private sectors over the next 12 months, specifically in the area of internet services. The following tips have been developed by Vice President of Technology Strategy at Luxoft, Vasily Suvorov, to help businesses looking to use cloud computing effectively over the next 12 months. Know where you stand […]
Forbes this week published an interesting article written by Ed Sperling titled “CIOs: Be Careful What You Wish For.” In it, Sperling posits that virtualization will cause a shift for IT leadership from technology to data. He writes: “The virtualization being implemented everywhere will give way to cloud computing, and cloud computing will unclutter technology to the point where the focus will migrate from technology to data.” He goes on to say: “IT is still […]