Cloud Commons: This Week in Cloud 2010-10-03T12:00:00Z Cloud Commons http://www.thisweekincloud.org/ http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud_february_16_2012_g-cloud_cloudstore_apache_s_deltacloud_apac_isn_t_ready_for_cloud_cloud_connect_and_more_/ This Week in Cloud, February 16, 2012: G-cloud CloudStore, Apache’s Deltacloud, APAC isn’t ready for cloud, Cloud Connect. And more… 2012-02-23T08:06:55-05:00

Download our iPhone app

New: Download the This Week in Cloud iPhone app. Now it’s even easier to get your weekly cloud news and perspectives.

Cloud News

  • CloudStore, the G-Cloud application procurement site, was launched by the UK government this week to give small businesses in the UK the ability to compete with larger IT companies for contracts with the public sector, according to this ZDNet article. The CloudStore launched with 257 companies that are offering services geared toward public-sector organizations.
  • The Apache Software Foundation has approved Red Hat's Deltacloud as a top-level project, according to this ComputerWorld article. Deltacloud can be used to interact with multiple cloud service providers through a set of APIs (application programming interfaces).
  • A new report from the Business Software Alliance (BSA) declares that a majority of the countries in Asia Pacific are not prepared to support cloud computing. This is primarily due to gaps in the legal and regulatory frameworks of those countries, according to this ZDNet article.
  • Nokia Siemens Networks is pulling a strategy from the cloud playbook. According to this GigaOM article, NSN is planning on using the cloud concept of 'fabric' to create a complex system of small LTE, HSPS, and Wi-Fi cells that act as a single cell to deliver inexpensive bandwidth with scaling capabilities.
  • Rackspace is acquiring SharePoint911, a provider of SharePoint training and consulting, according to this eWeek article. Rackspace acquired the company to bolster its SharePoint talent and expertise and increase its focus on providing managed SharePoint infrastructure.
  • EMC and VMware have partnered with Atos, a French IT service company, in order to create a European cloud infrastructure provider called Canopy, according to this ITWorld article.
  • Microsoft is expanding its data center in Dublin, Ireland, by adding 13.2 megawatts of capacity, according to this Data Center Knowledge article. In response to the growth of Azure, Bing, Hotmail, and other online services, Microsoft will invest $130 million in the expansion of the data center.

Featured Content on Cloud Commons

Gartner Report: The New IT: Drivers, Challenges and Opportunities

This research explores the driving forces that are changing the role of IT in the enterprise, and examines the challenges and opportunities facing CIOs. The report also recommends some approaches CIOs can pursue to enable IT to fuel the successful execution of the enterprise's business strategy, accelerate organizational change and drive innovative business solutions for increased competitive advantage. We believe that the recommendations in this report by Gartner (available compliments of Cloud Commons) will help you better navigate the dynamic and complex IT landscape that has emerged from the advancement in cloud, mobile and social computing.

Feature article

IT: Where Great Ideas Go to Die

By George Watt, CA Technologies

“BYOD isn’t coming, it’s here“- @SimonBramfitt via @thelaurenfiles

Recently I participated in a great Twitter conversation regarding how IT departments have gained a reputation as a place where good ideas go to die. Initially there were several volleys about how IT departments have become known as the “Office of the C-I-No“. Whether these are perceptions or reality does not matter. (They’re often real.) What was interesting was that our conversation quickly morphed into a discussion of consumer driven IT (CDIT) and “bring your own device” (BYOD) -- the latest trends that are both challenging IT organizations and, unfortunately, adding fuel to those negative perceptions.

And then it happened… Read the full article.

Cloud Views

  • Does an organization need a cultural change in order to take full advantage of the cloud? If so, why? Join in the #CloudViews tweet chat hosted by @CloudCommons next week on Wednesday, 2/29 @ 3:00 PM ET where the question above, along with several others, will be part of our hour long discussion on the cloud’s impact on IT organizations. To join in the conversation, enter #CloudViews in twitter’s search field on Wednesday and be sure to include #CloudViews in all of your tweets. If you’re interested in being a guest panelist, please contact Derek Stevens at Derek.Stevens@cloudcommons.com.
  • It's time for the government to start adopting cloud technology. In this Forbes blog, Tarkan Maner, CEO of Wyse Technology, describes a set of guidelines established by the TechAmerica Foundation to help state and local governments adopt and implement cloud computing.
  • Looking for a good summary of Cloud Connect? In episode 183 of the Cloud Computing podcast, David Linthicum and his guests, Chris and JP, discuss the topics that caught their attention at Cloud Connect including telcos’ cloud aspirations, AWS backup and recovery, Cisco cloud security, Zynga's hybrid cloud, and Apache Deltacloud.
  • It’s not often that you hear of a company switching from public cloud to a private cloud, but in this blog at Cloud Commons, George Hulme details Zynga's move from public to private cloud and the reason for the switch.

MSP Corner

  • Demand for cloud-based PSAs (professional services automation) and companies that specialize in project management continues to grow. This MSPmentor article, details the recent acquisition activity around PSAs which includes Silverback Enterprise Group’s acquisition of PowerSteering Software for cloud-based project management and Tenrox for cloud-based PSA, and Quest Software’s acquisition of BlueFolder, a cloud-based PSA.
  • Are cloud savings overhyped? In this Wired blog, Mike Barton quotes MSP Alliance's Charles Weaver on the current state of the cloud cost savings myth and how MSPs should reframe customers' view of cloud as a commodity.
  • With 60 percent of Global CIOs planning for cloud-adoption, according to IBM'S 2011 Annual CIO study, the cloud is moving out of the hype phase and gaining real traction and spending. But are solution providers ready for it? According to this ChannelPartners blog, a recent survey revealed that solution providers lack a sense of interest and urgency when it comes to building cloud practices in 2012.

Upcoming Cloud Events

 http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud_february_16_2012_g-cloud_cloudstore_apache_s_deltacloud_apac_isn_t_ready_for_cloud_cloud_connect_and_more_/ http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud_february_16_2012_google_drive_telcos_vs_aws_forecast_aws_charges_mid-month_new_cloud_security_approaches_and_more_/ This Week in Cloud, February 16, 2012: Google Drive, Telcos vs. AWS, Forecast AWS charges mid-month, New cloud security approaches. And more… 2012-02-16T06:21:16-05:00

Download our iPhone app

New: Download the This Week in Cloud iPhone app. Now it’s even easier to get your weekly cloud news and perspectives.

Cloud News

  • Google is reportedly close to introducing a cloud-storage service called Drive, which will be similar to Dropbox. This PC World article points out that the service offering could potentially turn Google partners into rivals.
  • Are telcos poised to disrupt Amazon’s enterprise cloud? This Information Week article makes the case that they are, citing speakers from the Cloud Carrier Forum held at the Cloud Connect conference. One point consistently made at the conference: “not only do the carriers already own the networks across which all cloud-based data and content is already trafficked, they have a decades-old and relatively bulletproof track record in delivering secure and highly available services.”
  • Uptime Software announced a service that can forecast customers’ Amazon Web Services bill in the middle of the month, to help eliminate cloud bill surprises. Read more in this Information Week article.
  • This Forbes article titled ‘Cloud computing market hot, but how hot? Estimates all over the map’ says that the problem in sizing the cloud market is deciding where software ends and cloud begins, and where traditional outsourcing ends and cloud begins. The report cites market sizing data from Market Research Media ($270 billion in 2020), Forrester ($241 billion in 2020), Visiongain ($83 billion by 2016), IDC ($55 billion by 2014) and HP ($143 billion by next year.
  • Electric Cloud, a provider of develop and test cloud solutions is offering developers one year of free access to a developer tool that it claims can speed application builds by as much as 70 percent. This offer is available to developers worldwide for the next 60 days, according to this eWeek article.
  • Cloudscaling launched its Open Cloud System, an IaaS solution based on the OpenStack open source project. Cloudscaling is also teaming with Cloud Technology Partners to provide infrastructure and consulting services on cloud implementation and migration. Read more in this Data Center Knowledge article.
  • UnitedHealth Group plans to launch a cloud platform aimed at healthcare providers and insurers to enable sharing of medical data among industry players, according to this Wall Street Journal article.

Featured Content on Cloud Commons

Gartner Report: The New IT: Drivers, Challenges and Opportunities

This research explores the driving forces that are changing the role of IT in the enterprise, and examines the challenges, along with opportunities and approaches, CIOs can use to define and build a new IT. IT must fuel the successful execution of the enterprise's business strategy, accelerate organizational change and drive innovation business solutions for increased competitive advantage. We believe that the recommendations in this report by Gartner (available compliments of Cloud Commons) will help you better navigate the dynamic and complex IT landscape that has emerged from the advancement in cloud, mobile and social computing.

Feature article

On Cloud and IT Disaster Recovery

By George Hulme, Independent Writer

In his column When Disaster Thunders Through the Cloud, Rob Livingstone raises a point about IT disaster recovery - a point I wonder if many have thought through. That’s whether enterprises believe that when they choose a cloud services provider *their* IT disaster recovery efforts come with the package. I don’t think most enterprise IT folk take such a simplistic view.

 

I’ve not interviewed any IT teams who believe that IT disaster recovery is a core value proposition of any single cloud provider. That is, of course, beyond the investments that provider makes to ensure that they’re adequately resilient. It just makes no sense to expect to simply toss that much responsibility over the fence and into the hands of one company. Read the full article.

Cloud Views

  • Multiple cloud formations require new security approaches: This eWeek article discusses some new strategies for managing the unique security challenges presented by cloud computing. Solutions from CloudPassage and Lighthouse Security Group are discussed. Another interesting point from the article: Forrester analyst Jonathan Penn predicts that rather than reallocating portions of existing security budgets to cloud computing, organizations will allocate money to security within cloud projects, creating a whole new category of revenue for the security market. Forrester predicts the cloud security market will grow to $1.5 billion by 2015.
  • Today, only 13% of companies have substantially implemented cloud across the organization; that figure will increase to 41% according to IBM-sponsored research that will be published shortly in The Economist. The report, which is summarized in this Information Week article, concludes that cloud’s potential to drive business innovation is substantial, but largely untapped.
  • This eWeek article explores whether 2012 is the year PaaS goes mainstream. The latest report from Gartner, cited in the article, estimates that PaaS revenue in 2011 was $707.4 million, an increase of 38 percent over the previous year.

MSP Corner

  • In this Talkin’ Cloud article, a guest blog from NetEnrich explores two different types of IT revenue – project vs. recurring – and defines which is better.
  • Cloud security provider Savid Technologies is being acquired by Technology Capital Investors, a NY-based investment firm that already owns several other MSP and cloud service providers. Read more in this CRN article.
  • Demystifying Opportunities in the Cloud: In this MSPnews article, Peter Sherr with CA Technologies discusses the opportunities for MSPs in 2012, managed services that are being underestimated by the MSP community, how MSPs can better communicate the value of managed services and more.

Upcoming Cloud Events

 http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud_february_16_2012_google_drive_telcos_vs_aws_forecast_aws_charges_mid-month_new_cloud_security_approaches_and_more_/ http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud_february_9_2012_openstack_drops_hyper-v_red_hat_s_legacy_app_remedy_fujitsu_servicemesh_partner_28_of_it_orgs_assess_cloud_impact_and_more_/ This Week in Cloud, February 9, 2012: OpenStack drops Hyper-V, Red Hat’s legacy app remedy, Fujitsu + ServiceMesh partner, 28% of IT orgs assess cloud impact. And more… 2012-02-09T06:33:27-05:00

Download our iPhone app

New: Download the This Week in Cloud iPhone app. Now it’s even easier to get your weekly cloud news and perspectives.

Cloud News

  • OpenStack will be removing support for Hyper-V from Essex, the next version of OpenStack, despite Microsoft's stated commitment to the code, according to this ComputerWorld article. The code would have allowed service providers to build an OpenStack cloud using Hyper-V, but according to one developer, it was "broken and unmaintained."
  • Red Hat announced the Red Hat Virtual Storage Appliance for Amazon Web Services which aims to simplify the process of migrating legacy applications to Amazon's public cloud. The new virtual storage appliance adds POSIX compliance which means that most Unix applications will not have to be rewritten for use in the cloud, according to this GigaOM article.
  • Amazon announced that it will be cutting the price of its Amazon S3 service by 10% for the first 500 terabytes of data, according to this Wall Street Journal article. This news comes after last week's announcement that the number of objects stored in Amazon S3 had a 192% year-over-year growth, according to this ReadWriteWeb article.
  • Fujitsu and cloud platform vendor ServiceMesh are partnering to deliver public and private cloud offerings to enterprise customers, according to this eWeek article. ServiceMesh will gain access to Fujitsu's global, on-demand cloud footprint, while Fujitsu will offer its customers ServiceMesh's Agility Platform, which provides a single management interface for policy management, cloud governance, security and workflow automation in hybrid environments.
  • VMware announced the vCloud Integration Manager, which provides a standard and simple way for service providers to provision vCloud Director, vSphere and vShield, according to this VMWare blog. You can read more about the product and the reason why VMWare created it in this The Register article.

Featured Content on Cloud Commons

Gartner Report: Application Security Testing of Cloud Services Providers Is a Must

Enterprises moving business-critical information and processes into the cloud must ensure that their cloud providers meet their security policies. We believe that the recommendations in this report by Gartner (available compliments of Cloud Commons ecosystem) will help secure your cloud by explaining the various models of security testing that a company can use to test their provider's code for vulnerabilities.

Feature article

Pragmatic Cloud: Peeling the Cloud’s Green Onion

By George Watt, CA Technologies

Does cloud computing really make things greener?

The Green Onion's Three Layers

Recently my colleague Dhesi Ananchaperumal and I were invited to speak at several conferences on the topics of energy management and consumption, and cost reduction. During those sessions I was asked to share some of our experiences in our journey to providing a private cloud and to discuss whether the cloud made CA Technologies greener. In preparation for these sessions I realized that we had actually progressed through three levels of green awareness and maturity in our cloud's early years. (You can watch a short YouTube video of one of our sessions here.) Read the full article to find out the three levels of green awareness and maturity.

Cloud Views

  • Has the fate of Megaupload derailed the cloud’s momentum? In this blog on Cloud Commons, George Hulme wonders if Megaupload’s demise will have a negative impact on the growth of cloud.
  • Is the popularity of cloud computing causing businesses to transition to cloud before they're ready? In this article at InformationWeek, Michael Healey examines the responses to the InformationWeek 2012 State of Cloud Computing Survey. While a third of the companies surveyed are already using cloud services, only 28% of those companies evaluated the potential impact on their internal architecture before going live.
  • The medical industry is a great candidate for cloud services, but there's a major barrier to adoption: the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). In this blog at ZDNet, David Chernicoff describes HIPAA's regulations and how it’s impacting the number and quality of services available to the medical industry.

MSP Corner

  • What are the new offerings that you should consider adding to your managed service portfolio? In this Channelpro article, Rich Freeman suggest four new offerings including managed audio/visual services, desktop as a service, managed firewall services and managed e-discovery. This MSPAlliance article delves into the companies that are making headway on these four offerings.
  • Level Platforms announced that it'll be adding Mobile Device Management (MDM) to their Managed Workplace 2012 release, according to this eWeek article.

Upcoming Cloud Events

 http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud_february_9_2012_openstack_drops_hyper-v_red_hat_s_legacy_app_remedy_fujitsu_servicemesh_partner_28_of_it_orgs_assess_cloud_impact_and_more_/ http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud_february_2_2012_bmc_acquires_numara_salesforce_com_launches_desk_com_gartner_paas_report_cloud_fueling_global_economic_growth_quantum_cloud_forrester_business_and_technology_outlook_for_2020_and_more_/ This Week in Cloud, February 2, 2012: BMC acquires Numara, Salesforce.com launches desk.com, Gartner PaaS report, Cloud fueling global economic growth, Quantum cloud? Forrester business and technology outlook for 2020. And more… 2012-02-02T06:56:35-05:00

Download our iPhone app

New: Download the This Week in Cloud iPhone app. Now it’s even easier to get your weekly cloud news and perspectives.

Cloud News

  • BMC is acquiring Numara Software, a provider of integrated IT management solutions to midmarket companies. In this Computerworld UK blog, Forrester’s Dave Johnson shares his analysis.
  • Salesforce.com has launched Desk.com, a cloud-based customer help-desk dashboard that integrates Facebook and Twitter feeds alongside more traditional corporate channels such as email. Subscriptions start at $49 per seat per month. Read this eWeek article for more.
  • Gartner issued a special report on the PaaS market, saying it is on the cusp of several years of strategic growth. Currently, the PaaS market is in its early stage and does not yet have well-established leaders. By 2013, Gartner expects all major vendors will have competitive production offerings in the PaaS market and by 2016, competition among PaaS vendors will produce new programming models, new standards and new software market leaders. Read the press release for more detail.
  • To better target enterprise business, Amazon Web Services introduced the AWS Storage Gateway, a beta virtual appliance to automate enterprise data backup to Amazon S3. Learn about the details of the service offering in this ZDNet article.
  • The London School of Economics issued a study showing that cloud computing is fueling global economic growth. Read more in this DataCentres.com article. The study selected two industries, aerospace and smartphone services, and examined the impact of cloud computing on these industries across the UK, USA, Germany and Italy between 2010 and 2014.

Featured Content on Cloud Commons

Gartner Report: Application Security Testing of Cloud Services Providers Is a Must

Enterprises moving business-critical information and processes into the cloud must ensure that their cloud providers meet their security policies. We believe that the recommendations in this report by Gartner (available compliments of Cloud Commons ecosystem) will help secure your cloud by explaining the various models of security testing that a company can use to test their provider's code for vulnerabilities.

Feature article

Which is more complex: a jet airplane or a cloud data center?

By Marv Waschke, CA Technologies

I am in the midst of writing a book on Cloud Standards(expected to be available on or about June 20, 2012). There are only a handful of standards that apply directly to clouds, but the number of standards that cloud computing inherently relies upon is enormous. I have lots of leeway in writing about standards in the book, mainly because it is hard to think of a computing standard that does not apply to cloud in some way.

There is a reason for that: cloud is the culmination of almost everything in computing up to now. Of course, that means that there is very little in cloud that is new (yes, I did just suggest cloud is old, too). The components and technologies that make up a cloud implementation are the same technologies that have been used for decades. So, why all the talk about cloud today? What's new are the ways all the technology fits together, the scale of its application, and its wide variety of uses. Read the full article.

Cloud Views

  • With more than 2000 SaaS vendors in the market and estimates that 95% of companies want to maintain or increase their SaaS usage, this GigaOM blog asks: ‘Will the cloud hit the wall without good integration?’
  • This blog in the New York Times analyzes the recently published Forrester business and technology outlook for 2020 report. The blog summarizes the findings thus: “cloud computing will come on quicker than you think, it will be controlled by a very few companies that will fight for the right to own your data, and businesses need to think about what software they can write that will differentiate them from all the other customers of these giants.” Read the article for thoughts on who the likely leaders will be, how they will differentiate themselves and more.
  • Quantum cloud? A team of scientists has demonstrated that perfectly secure cloud computing is possible by combining the power of quantum computing with the security of quantum cryptography. Read more in this Gizmag article.
  • This ZDNet blog shares 5 ways cloud supercharges enterprise initiatives, specifically: investing in shared services, consolidating global platforms, simplifying application portfolios, improving user experiences and onboarding shadow IT applications.

MSP Corner

  • MicroTech has been awarded the first cloud contract for the Army to maintain and support mobile data centers for the Army Private Cloud Mobile Program. Learn more in this CRN article.
  • MSP Novatrend is the latest hosting and managed service provider to choose the CA AppLogic cloud platform. Read more in this MSPmentor article.
  • NetIQ released Cloud Manager 2.0 aimed at helping MSPs manage IaaS more efficiently. Read more in this MSPmentor article.

Upcoming Cloud Events

 http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud_february_2_2012_bmc_acquires_numara_salesforce_com_launches_desk_com_gartner_paas_report_cloud_fueling_global_economic_growth_quantum_cloud_forrester_business_and_technology_outlook_for_2020_and_more_/ http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud_january_26_2012_nist_security_guidelines_joyent_raises_85_million_microsoft_hp_collaborate_at_t_s_cloud-based_uc_cloud_application_security_and_more_/ This Week in Cloud, January 26, 2012: NIST security guidelines, Joyent raises $85 million, Microsoft & HP collaborate, AT&T’s cloud-based UC, Cloud application security. And more… 2012-01-26T07:22:08-05:00

Download our iPhone app

New: Download the This Week in Cloud iPhone app. Now it’s even easier to get your weekly cloud news and perspectives.

Cloud News

  • The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released a finalized set of guidelines on cloud security. Read more in this InformationWeek article or read the guidelines at NIST.gov.
  • Cloud computing provider Joyent recently raised $85 million in funding, according to this TechCrunch article. European group Weather Investment II was the main investor. SmartDataCenter, Joyent’s cloud software suite, is used worldwide by developers and enterprises.
  • Piston has released Piston Enterprise OS, an open source operating system for the cloud. This scalable private cloud operating system is built on the OpenStack cloud platform and was built for enterprise customers. Read more at Data Center Knowledge.
  • Microsoft recently entered a four-year agreement with HP aiming to make its communications and collaboration applications available via HP's cloud services. This deal includes collaborations in private, public and hybrid cloud solutions. Read more in this CloudTweaks article.
  • AT&T launched a cloud-based unified communications system for businesses, which claims to be cost effective and easy to deploy. AT&T‘s cloud-based offering removes the hardware, integration and installation related obstacles involved in a UC project, while curbing expenditure. Read more about AT&T‘s new cloud offering in this eWeek article.
  • Westfield Capital recently invested $2 million worth of venture funding in cloud storage vendor Symform, joining the ranks of investors like OVP Venture Partners and Longworth Venture Partners who have all contributed to the round of funding worth $7.5 million, according to this GigaOM article. Symform is providing a peer-to-peer storage network that enables users to share their own unused capacity with others in exchange of free or flat-fee cloud storage.
  • Quantum computing and cryptography may soon be heading to the cloud, according to this article on BBC. Quantum computing can perform complex computations at “breathtaking speeds” and will utilize the cloud to carry out the heavy lifting of the computations, while quantum cryptography will ensure that the data is encrypted and secure while in the cloud.

Featured Content on Cloud Commons

Gartner Report: Application Security Testing of Cloud Services Providers Is a Must

Enterprises moving business-critical information and processes into the cloud must ensure that their cloud providers meet their security policies. We believe that the recommendations in this report by Gartner (available compliments of Cloud Commons ecosystem) will help secure your cloud by explaining the various models of security testing that a company can use to test their provider's code for vulnerabilities.

Feature article

The transition to cloud – an opportunity to get application security right

By George Hulme, Independent Writer

It’s generally been true that entirely avoidable IT attacks cause most data breaches in traditional infrastructure. And it’ll most likely be true that many successful attack techniques will be entirely avoidable in cloud. That’s if enterprises, software makers, and cloud service providers take their separate roles in mitigating vulnerabilities seriously. Read the full article.

Cloud Views

  • If something goes wrong in the cloud, who is responsible? This article on law.com discusses the factors that legal representatives of corporations and cloud service providers need to focus on including limitation of liability, workarounds for that limitation, contract claim details, remedies, insurance and indemnification.
  • Is there a better way for companies to sort and collect consumer data? In this article on Cloud Commons, Partha Dutta examines the way that companies like Amazon, Facebook, and YouTube are collecting your data, details the issues with the way data is collected, and proposes a new way that companies could collect data using the cloud.
  • Capgemini CTO’s take on the cloud market: In this blog on GigaOM, Barb Darrow recaps a recent discussion with Joe Coyle. Find out why he thinks IBM is cloudier than you think, Microsoft Azure has a tough row to hoe, Amazon is Amazon, OpenStack as big-time cloud disruptor, and CIOs are getting over cloud phobia.

MSP Corner

  • Level Platforms recently added NOC (network operations center) and Help Desk services to its Managed Workplace platform for MSPs, according to this MSPmentor article. The offering is targeting MSPs in the small business IT services market and is another sign of the growing trend in MSPs merging managed services software, NOC services, and help desk services.
  • Polycom Inc., a unified communications provider, recently launched its RealPresence Cloud offering which enables service providers to bring cloud-based, video as a service (VaaS) solutions to market. Read more about Polycom's video collaboration based cloud strategy and the RealPresence cloud platform in this eWeek article.

Upcoming Cloud Events

 http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud_january_26_2012_nist_security_guidelines_joyent_raises_85_million_microsoft_hp_collaborate_at_t_s_cloud-based_uc_cloud_application_security_and_more_/ http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud_january_19_2011_fujitsu_big_data_cloud_service_microsoft_to_reposition_system_center_for_cloud_computing_new_cloud_portability_standard_from_oasis_symantec_acquires_liveoffice_and_more_/ This Week in Cloud, January 19, 2011: Fujitsu big data cloud service, Microsoft to reposition System Center for cloud computing, New cloud portability standard from OASIS, Symantec acquires LiveOffice. And more… 2012-01-19T06:25:08-05:00

Download our iPhone app

New: Download the This Week in Cloud iPhone app. Now it’s even easier to get your weekly cloud news and perspectives.

Cloud News

  • Fujitsu is launching a big data cloud service that will enable the capture and analysis of customer data to help drive decision-making. The service includes using Fujitsu’s software and systems to gather telemetry and data from sensors, application transactions, clickstreams, logs, multimedia files and other data formats, processing the data and reintegrating the data with existing systems. Read more in this The Register article.
  • The OASIS standards body has proposed a new cloud portability standard (Topology and Orchestration Specification for Cloud Applications). Read more in this CIOL article.
  • Microsoft is repositioning its System Center management suite to make it the central management console, not only for Windows Server in the enterprise data center, but also for future workloads in the on-premise cloud and Windows Azure public cloud. This InformationWeek article details the enhancements Microsoft will roll out.
  • While the hypervisor battle between Microsoft and VMware continues to rage on, New RW Baird research cited in this GigaOM article says that more than 25 percent of resellers expect the hypervisor category to be the scene of the most aggressive price pressure of any IT category this year.
  • Amazon Web Services bulked up its Direct Connect offerings with the addition of four new global locations, bringing private cloud connectivity to Northern California, Ireland, Singapore and Tokyo. This CRN article has more details.
  • Symantec acquired cloud storage vendor LiveOffice, adding a cloud-based option to its information governance products. To learn more, read this Computerworld article.
  • New data from IHS predicts that unit shipments of cloud servers will soar to 875,000 in 2012, up 35% from units shipped last year. Read this GigaOm article for more.

Featured Content on Cloud Commons

Gartner Report: Application Security Testing of Cloud Services Providers Is a Must

Enterprises moving business-critical information and processes into the cloud must ensure that their cloud providers meet their security policies. We believe that the recommendations in this report by Gartner (available compliments of Cloud Commons ecosystem) will help secure your cloud by explaining the various models of security testing that a company can use to test their provider's code for vulnerabilities.

Feature article

A Year’s Worth of IaaS on a Single 3 x 5 Card

By Kurt Milne, IT Process Institute

Some people like to start the New Year with predictions. I like to clean house, simplify, and make room for the new.

So I've summarized my 2011 private and hybrid IaaS cloud thinking from conversations, blogs, white papers, meetups, conferences and tradeshows -- on a single 3”x5” card. Read the full article for Milne’s snappy summary of IaaS.

Cloud Views

  • Cloud Commons will be hosting a #CloudViews twitter event on cloud security today, January 19th at 3:00 PM ET. Follow the @CloudCommons twitter handle to join in the event. Find out more information and view our guest panel on Cloud Commons.
  • This CloudTweaks link shows an interesting infographic on who is using cloud today and includes links to other infographics on the most commonly used cloud applications and the biggest cloud security concerns.
  • When your data’s in the cloud, is it still your data? In this Computerworld article, cloud contracts expert Tom Trappler advises that cloud contracts should have language clearly affirming your ownership of your data.
  • In this blog, Gartner analyst Anton Chuvakin identifies numerous challenges involved in monitoring the security of public cloud assets.
  • CIOs adopting cloud computing are more ambitious than their peers, according to this Information Week article citing research sponsored by CA Technologies.

MSP Corner

  • SMB cloud spending through service providers will increase to $615 million by 2015, according to recent AMI Partners research on cloud routes-to-market cited in this article. The research firm said this figure is the largest among all routes-to-market tracked by AMI and far outpaces the growth in total SaaS spending over the same period.
  • Regional-based MSP OutsourceIT is merging with GoBeyondIT, a cloud service provider serving SMBs and enterprises. The combined company will offer a full suite of managed and cloud services, including Helpdesk, Project Services, Virtual CIO Services, NOC Services, Hosted Desktops (VDI), Hosted Servers, Hosted Applications and VoIP Telephone Services, according to this article in CBR Online. In response to the news, Joe Panettieri ponders whether small MSPs can battle big cloud service providers in this Talkin’ Cloud article.
  • BluPointe has updated its cloud data protection solution for MSPs, making enhancements around security and data integrity, according to this MSP Mentor article.

Upcoming Cloud Events

 http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud_january_19_2011_fujitsu_big_data_cloud_service_microsoft_to_reposition_system_center_for_cloud_computing_new_cloud_portability_standard_from_oasis_symantec_acquires_liveoffice_and_more_/ http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud_january_12_2012_10_000_cloud_jobs_cloud_complexity_ibm_buys_platform_comp_gartner_report_on_security_testing_inside_and_more_/ This Week in Cloud, January 12, 2012: 10,000 cloud jobs, Cloud complexity, IBM buys Platform Comp., Gartner report on security testing inside. And more… 2012-01-12T07:23:15-05:00

Download our iPhone app

New: Download the This Week in Cloud iPhone app. Now it’s even easier to get your weekly cloud news and perspectives.

Cloud News

  • Talent research firm Wanted Analytics recently concluded that demand for cloud computing expertise has increased by leaps and bounds. This CRN article details the results of the study and reveals that in the past 90 days, 10,000 job ads have been placed with cloud computing skills and experience as part of the job requirements.
  • According to this CloudTweaks article, the latest cloud supercomputer developed by Amazon promises to perform 240 trillion calculations per second, without incurring monumental costs. The supercomputer runs on Amazon EC2 and is ranked the 42nd fastest in the world. Though there are supercomputers that run faster, Amazon’s offering comes at a much lower cost.
  • While the US government is shutting down 1,200 data centers, they are also enabling the remaining revamped data centers to lease out extra capacity to other federal agencies. To know more about the US government’s latest data center strategy, read this article at GigaOM.
  • Amazon Web Services (AWS) recently declared that the year-end opening of its data center in São Paulo, Brazil has doubled its overall data center footprint. AWS now has data centers in Asia Pacific, Europe, and on the east and west coasts of the US. To learn more about Amazon’s recent growth, read this article at The Register.
  • Internap’s recent acquisition of Voxel for $30 million is another indicator of the aggressive wave of M&A activity centered on cloud services. Major IT firms and cloud providers continue to expand their offerings by purchasing smaller cloud firms. To learn more about how large firms including Rackspace, Internap, IBM, and HP are jumping onto the cloud acquisition bandwagon, read this GigaOM article.
  • IBM recently acquired the Toronto-based firm Platform Computing. Platform Computing provides cluster, grid, and cloud management products for distributed computing environments. To learn more about how this acquisition can enhance IBM’s growth in the cloud computing sector, read this article at Technorati.

Featured Content on Cloud Commons

Gartner Report: Application Security Testing of Cloud Services Providers Is a Must

Enterprises moving business-critical information and processes into the cloud must ensure that their cloud providers meet their security policies. We believe that the recommendations in this report by Gartner (available compliments of Cloud Commons) will help secure your cloud by explaining the various models of security testing that a company can use to test their provider's code for vulnerabilities.

Feature article

Toward what future goes the enterprise app store?

By George Hulme, Independent Writer

The topic of IT consumerization in the enterprise - and what it means for data management and the role of IT departments - has garnered a lot of attention lately. Certainly, workers bringing their own devices, and choosing their own cloud services poses a challenge to the status quo.

Those who have read my opinions over the years know that I’m a proponent of IT departments actively competing to win the hearts - and ultimately the business - of the “informal” corporate IT buyers. Read the full article.

Cloud Views

  • Will the cloud simplify your IT environment? James Urquhart thinks not. In this blog on GigaOM, he argues that the cloud will present new challenges, but that engineers and software developers will learn and adapt to the complexity of the cloud.
  • Existing contracts may be slowing down cloud adoption and leaving some companies behind the competition. In this blog on GigaOM, Scott Bils details how an enterprise can leverage the cloud without violating existing contracts.
  • This Network World blog details the concept of a web of interconnected clouds called Intercloud. Intercloud will be comprised of cloud computing resources which are owned, shared, and connected by multiple providers on an open platform. This kind of federation cloud will allow providers to buy, rent, and share cloud resources externally, especially benefiting smaller providers.

MSP Corner

  • In this blog on Talkin’ Cloud, Justin Crotty describes how MSPs need to be innovative and set themselves apart from the common MSP. He also explains the difference between MSPs selling on an industry scale and an individual scale.

Upcoming Cloud Events

 http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud_january_12_2012_10_000_cloud_jobs_cloud_complexity_ibm_buys_platform_comp_gartner_report_on_security_testing_inside_and_more_/ http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud_january_5_2011_ibm_buys_green_hat_10_cloud_startups_to_watch_how_cloud_is_changing_job_descriptions_what_s_next_with_hypervisors_and_more_/ This Week in Cloud, January 5, 2011: IBM buys Green Hat, 10 cloud startups to watch, How cloud is changing job descriptions, What’s next with hypervisors. And more… 2012-01-05T08:17:02-05:00

Download our iPhone app

New: Download the This Week in Cloud iPhone app. Now it’s even easier to get your weekly cloud news and perspectives.

Cloud News

  • IBM is purchasing Green Hat, which provides technology for testing applications without the need to use underlying hardware. Green Hat provides cloud-based tools for analyzing the performance of major vendors’ software in a controlled environment so customers can test how it interacts with their existing stack, according to this ZDNet UK article.
  • Private cloud provider Nimbula launched a migration service to help customers move from public clouds to Nimbula-powered private clouds. Nimbula claims that companies can run certain workloads more efficiently and cost-effectively in a private cloud environment. Read more in this Information Week article.
  • In a light news week due to the holidays, several industry pundits took time to reflect on 2011. Michael Miller in PC Mag writes that 2011 was the year of tablets and cloud computing. ReadWriteWeb identified their top ten list of enterprise cloud apps and services in 2011.
  • Derrick Harris with GigaOm called out 10 cloud startups to watch in 2012. On his list: AppFog, Bromium, Cloudability, CloudSigma, Kaggle, Nebula, Parse, ScaleXtreme, SolidFire and Zillabyte.
  • InformationWeek shared the results of a survey identifying 10 in progress IT shifts. Findings suggest that not all IT budget news is bleak, that cloud progress will slow down a bit in 2012, that it’s been a banner year for data analytics and that cloud services are increasingly being used for disaster recovery. To read the full list of predictions and review the survey, read this article.

Featured Content on Cloud Commons

IT Procurement Best Practices - Nine Contractual Terms to Reduce Risk in Cloud Contracts

When it comes to cloud contract negotiations and SLAs, certain terms can often be unclear or overlooked. This Gartner report (available free of charge on Cloud Commons) defines the nine key terms that you should be aware of to help your organization recover damages and help prevent against potential threats that could have a serious impact on your business.

Feature Article

Pragmatic Cloud: A look at yesterday paints a picture of tomorrow

by George Watt, CA Technologies

Having completed my last road trip of the year, I dusted off the notes I took during a series of Cloud Exchange roundtables (and a few other cloud conferences) I attended to see what I might learn from them. (The first thing I learned was that I take a lot of notes.) I thought I would share what I discovered, which I will do in a 2-part series.

The following five topics were top of mind for Cloud Exchange roundtable participants: security, resilience/business continuity, data, finance, and the user experience. Read part 1 for summary notes and comments on security, resilience and data. Read part 2 for thoughts on finance and user experience.

Cloud Views

  • This Network World article titled ‘What’s next with hypervisors?’ discusses why companies would leverage an open source vs. a proprietary hypervisor approach, the battle brewing between Xen and KVM, whether the hypervisor market will commoditize and more.
  • This article on Cloud Commons titled ‘A handful of 2012 cloud resolutions’ includes useful guidance on how to avoid common cloud gotchas.
  • This Forbes article discusses how cloud computing is changing many job descriptions. The changes reflect the more strategic role IT plays in the direction of businesses as cloud computing is enabling more reliable and predictable supporting technology. There is also a growing demand for professions and managers more focused on business development than application development. The article also includes an analysis of recent job openings and their descriptions.
  • Cloud computing buyers are adopting more sophisticated cloud services, according to research published by InformationWeek Reports. The research identified that there will be fewer new adopters of IaaS. New users of PaaS, SaaS and cloud services provided by virtualization vendors will continue to grow at a rapid clip. Read more in this InformationWeek article.

MSP Corner

  • In this MSP News article, Laura Stotler identifies Eight Considerations for MSPs in 2012. For example, while 2011 saw service providers focused on building cloud platforms that mimic major cloud vendors in terms of infrastructure, pricing and self-service, the focus in 2012 will shift to providing customers with smart data, transparency and visibility using updated monitoring and management tools.
  • Cisco has launched a cloud-based managed services program, OnPlus, for channel partners seeking to offer remote network management and assessment services to SMBs. Read more in this SearchNetworkingChannel article.

Upcoming Cloud Events

 http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud_january_5_2011_ibm_buys_green_hat_10_cloud_startups_to_watch_how_cloud_is_changing_job_descriptions_what_s_next_with_hypervisors_and_more_/ http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud_december_21_2011_defense_department_to_launch_cloud_salesforce_com_and_ibm_acquisitions_hey_enterprise_is_your_head_in_the_cloud_and_more_/ This Week in Cloud, December 21, 2011: Defense department to launch cloud, Salesforce.com and IBM acquisitions, Hey Enterprise: Is your head in the cloud? And more… 2011-12-22T09:38:23-05:00

Download our iPhone app

New: Download the This Week in Cloud iPhone app. Now it’s even easier to get your weekly cloud news and perspectives.

Cloud News

  • The US Congress has instructed the Defense Department to adopt a strategy that involves use of cloud computing services. In an effort to reduce expenditures, the bill requires the Pentagon to migrate data to the cloud. These moves are likely to generate US contracts for suppliers like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. To find out how the White House plans to embrace the cloud, and deal with the associated security concerns that arise, read this Bloomberg Businessweek article.
  • CA Technologies recently released its new global report called ‘The Future Role of the CIO 2011’, based on a survey of Chief Information Officers. According to the report, cloud computing is drastically changing the attitude and vision of CIOs and also their role in enterprises. Many believe that cloud technology allows CIOs to focus on strategy and innovation, thus making the transition to CEO easier. To know more about the results of the survey on ‘Changing Role of the CIO’ by CA Technologies, read this article at BIZTECH2.
  • Hillingdon, one of London's boroughs, will be the first local authority in the UK to make the move to the cloud. This Guardian article details the transition which will be facilitated by Cloudreach, a reseller of Google Apps for Business.
  • IBM recently announced that it will purchase the cloud-based supply chain analytics firm Emptoris. The Massachusetts-based firm specializes in products that make supply chain operations and procurement more efficient. To know more about the acquisition, read this article in InformationWeek.
  • Cloud provider Nimbula, whose founders helped build Amazon Web Services, is looking to help firms build their own private or hybrid clouds as alternatives to public clouds like AWS. Nimbula is targeting the customers who realize that private clouds offer better performance than public clouds and can be more economical. To know how the professional services offered by Nimbula seek to address cloud users’ concerns, read this PCWorld article.
  • Salesforce.com is looking to counter SAP's acquisition of SuccessFactors by purchasing Rypple, a cloud computing startup. Like SuccessFactors, Rypple too provides tools related to human resource management. Salesforce.com plans to use Rypple's social performance management applications to generate employee feedback and optimize the performance of its cloud-based platforms. To know more about Salesforce.com's collaboration with Rypple, read this eWeek article.

Feature article

Hey Enterprise: Is Your Head in the Cloud?

By Jeffrey Abbott

Only 9 months ago, I was writing about how the word "cloud" has no business being used on the consumer level. It was just the latest IT buzzword that nerds used to make the "normals" feel dumb or go buy some "i-stuff."

But today, I stand here, behind our firewall, to tell you that it is the consumer and small business owner, not the large enterprises and telcos, who are making the most progress. And hindsight being 20-20, I now see why. Whoever is the least equipped is the most nimble. For them, the transition to cloud is just a matter of awareness, education, and signing up. But the businesses that have invested the most, for the longest periods of time, are the ones having the most trouble making the jump to hyper-drive. Read the full article.

Cloud Views

  • Recent cloud acquisitions by major companies such as Oracle, IBM and SAP, point to the future for cloud software vendors in 2012. Large IT firms with sufficient budgets for acquisition are competing for a share in the cloud market. In this Seeking Alpha blog, Michael Fauscette outlines the cloud efforts of companies including Oracle, Google, Microsoft, IBM, and Salesforce.com, and also predicts their cloud strategy for the coming year.
  • On December 14, 2011, Microsoft revealed that it will sign the European Union’s “model clauses”, following the firm’s struggle to address legal concerns of EU customers. This move is aimed to ensure that their offerings are compliant with legal requirements in Europe, and the HIPAA accountability act from the US. However, there still remain concerns about compliance with other legislation like the US PATRIOT Act, and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). To read about Microsoft’s recent data security measures and a comparison with efforts made by other large firms, read this article at ZDNet blog.
  • In this blog at Virtualization Review, David Davis explains the common issues that he’s encountered with cloud pricing.

MSP Corner

  • The latest trend in the market is the direct delivery of products and services to SMBs. MSPs that aren’t prepared for the transition of direct delivery, which tends to bypass the MSP, may face difficult times in the years to come. To find out why it is important for MSPs to adapt to the change, read this Business Solutions article.
  • This article by Erin Harrison at MSP News contains four 2012 predictions for MSPs. Erin breaks her predictions down into four categories: CEM and the Cloud, Managed Services, OTT providers and telecoms, and Analytics and CSPs.

Upcoming Cloud Events

 http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud_december_21_2011_defense_department_to_launch_cloud_salesforce_com_and_ibm_acquisitions_hey_enterprise_is_your_head_in_the_cloud_and_more_/ http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud__december_15__2011__new_cloud_security_standards_from_the_us_federal_government__ibm_buys_demandtec__why_it_s_so_hard_to_talk_about_cloud__2012_predictions_roundup__and_more__/ This Week in Cloud, December 15, 2011: New cloud security standards from the US federal government, IBM buys DemandTec, Why it’s so hard to talk about cloud, 2012 predictions roundup. And more… 2011-12-15T00:00:00-05:00

Cloud News

  • US CIO Steven VanRoekel unveiled the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), which establishes a set of baseline security and privacy standards that all cloud service providers will need to meet in order to sell their products to government agencies. FedRAMP will require that all federal agencies only use FedRAMP-certified cloud services and technologies and it will also provide federal agencies with standard procurement language to use in RFPs. Read more in this ComputerWorld article.
  • IBM is purchasing SaaS vendor DemandTec for $440 million. DemandTec provides pricing, merchandising and marketing analytics for retail and consumer products companies. In this ZDNet article, IBM software and systems chief Steve Mills points out that IBM’s acquisition approach differs from some of its competitors because it is focused on targeting verticals.
  • Microsoft announced plans to support open-source tools and technologies on its Windows Azure platform, according to this ZDNet article. In separate but related news, VMware partner Tier 3 is making available an open-source .Net framework implementation of the Cloud Foundry platform. Read this ZDNet article for more information.
  • HP and Microsoft have announced a 4-year partnership to deliver public, private and hybrid cloud Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint and Lync services in highly regulated enterprise environments. For more information, read this Information Week article.
  • IBM has released the Strategic IP Insight Platform, a cloud-based data analytics systems to support companies’ intellectual property efforts. The system searches the US Patent and Trademark Office, the European Patent Office and the World Intellectual Property Organization patent databases, as well as abstracts from MEDLINE, the US government’s scientific literature database, according to this article in Wired.
  • Fujitsu has introduced a cloud service that will help customers manage the impacts of requirements when building information and communication systems, using the Tri-shaping methodology. Read more in this CBR Online article.

Feature article

When Cloud and Consumers Collide: Consumer-driven IT

By Adam Famularo, CA Technologies

It's no secret that the consumerization of IT is defining a new era of corporate computing, bringing with it both business opportunities and technical challenges. A host of technologies--ranging from cloud-computing services, mobile applications, social networks and mobile devices--are being introduced into the enterprise ecosystem by employees, business partners, customers, and corporate executives.

It's also no secret that consumer apps, hardware, communication, and platform technologies are giving people unprecedented flexibility in how, when, and where they do business. They're creating new and better ways for organizations to engage with people and markets, potentially strengthening customer loyalty and boosting revenues.

Read the full article, which includes key findings from an IDC research study on the consumerization of IT.

Cloud Views

  • In this GigaOm blog, James Urquhart writes about ‘Why it’s so hard to talk about cloud,’ pointing out the challenges of using legacy terms like application to describe concepts that have been altered by newer models, namely service orientation and cloud computing.
  • ‘Tis the season for 2012 predictions. Here are links to some of our favorite predictions and some of the ensuing discussion:
  • From James Staten with Forrester: The awkward teenage years are upon us.
  • Gartner released their predictions for 2012 and beyond. One interesting example: Gartner predicts that by 2015, the prices for 80 percent of cloud services will include a global energy surcharge.
  • IDC predicts 2012 will be the year of mobile and cloud platform wars.
  • Andi Mann with CA Technologies shares his 2012 predictions and reviews his predictions for 2011.
  • Nati Shalom with GigaSpaces shares his predictions—highlights include moving from Amazon-centric clouds to cloud mashups and iCloud everywhere.
  • Derrick Harris with GigaOm analyzes predictions from Gartner and IDC on big data and cloud computing.
  • Ron Miller explains why he believes Gartner has underestimated cloud security concerns.

MSP Corner

  • CA Technologies made enhancements to its ARCserve product and MSP Program, including the addition of a per-terabyte pricing option and the ability for CA ARCserve to handle cloud-based backups, and integration to Nimsoft, Kaseya and other monitoring platforms. Read this CRN article for more.
  • Cisco has rolled out a new cloud-based service called OnPlus that offers small business-focused channel partners a way to easily and affordably provide network assessment, management and advisory services to customers, according to this eChannelLine article.

Upcoming Cloud Events

 http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud__december_15__2011__new_cloud_security_standards_from_the_us_federal_government__ibm_buys_demandtec__why_it_s_so_hard_to_talk_about_cloud__2012_predictions_roundup__and_more__/ http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud__december_7__2011__ca_technologies_cloud_marketplace__cisco_cloudverse__cloud_s_impact_on_it_jobs__sap_acquires_successfactors__and_more__/ This Week in Cloud, December 7, 2011: CA Technologies Cloud Marketplace, Cisco CloudVerse, Cloud’s impact on IT jobs, SAP acquires SuccessFactors. And more… 2011-12-08T00:00:00-05:00

Cloud News

  • CA Technologies recently launched its Cloud Commons Marketplace, an open marketplace and community for cloud developers, software vendors, enterprise businesses and service providers. The marketplace is built on an app store business model, which allows users to compare, rate, buy, and sell cloud solutions. To learn more about the Cloud Commons Marketplace and how a cloud marketplace based on an aggregation model can benefit enterprises as well as service providers, read this Search Cloud Provider article.
  • Cisco recently announced CloudVerse, which combines Unified Data Center, Cloud Intelligent Network, and Cloud Applications and Services to help organizations build, manage, and connect their internal and external cloud. This Data Center Knowledge article describes the offering in detail.
  • On December 3, 2011, SAP America announced its $3.4 billion acquisition of SuccessFactors, which provides cloud-based human capital management tools. With this move, SAP aims to make a more aggressive foray into cloud computing. To learn more about the acquisition and SAP’s cloud vision, read this article in PCWorld.
  • According to research findings by Gartner, low-cost cloud services will take over a significant portion of the revenue of outsourcing firms by 2015. Industrialized low-cost IT services (ILCS) could restructure the pricing and value of IT services, by directly or indirectly substituting traditionally outsourced services. To know more about what Gartner analysts say about the future of ILCS, and the consumerization of the cloud, read this Business Standard article.
  • Mobile device connectivity may be the number one factor in driving business cloud adoption. In a recent CSC survey of 2,645 IT executives, 1/3 of respondents said that having access to information through multiple devices was the reason they adopted the technology. In comparison, only 10% attributed cost savings as the main reason for going to the cloud. Read more in this Forbes article.

Feature article

The impact of cloud computing on IT jobs - a few thoughts

By George Hulme, Independent Writer

Talk around the (mostly negative) impact cloud computing will have on IT jobs doesn’t seem to ever let up. In his piece, Cloud computing’s real creative destruction may be the IT workforce, Larry Dignan at ZDNet writes that “humans will be virtualized just like servers are, as he recaps a presentation from two analysts at the market research firm Gartner. Taking a different view, Bernard Golden at CIO.com provides a strong argument in his The IT Jobs Cloud Computing Will Create.

Goldman contends, essentially, that rather than jobs being automated away - on net - that the increased use of IT that cloud computing will usher in will actually create IT jobs.

I tend to agree with Goldman, and think the hysteria on how many IT jobs cloud computing will displace is significantly overhyped - if not flat out wrong. Read the full article.

Cloud Views

  • According to a new study by The International Data Corporation, the future of IT lies in the coming together of mobile devices, social networking, cloud computing, and data storage. This convergence is likely to cause major upheaval among large companies. As major firms adopt and invest in new technology, significant changes in IT are expected. To find out what IDC analysts predict about the spending on advanced technologies, and their effects on the industry, read this blog in The New York Times.
  • The Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY) recently ran into a problem with their cloud services. The company decided to go to the cloud to support its mobile workforce, but soon learned that different areas of the enterprise were actually using different cloud hosts. This Information Week article details how VNSNY remedied the problem and how access control can be a major concern for industries with sensitive data.
  • In this blog on Cloud Commons, Kurt Milne discusses the results from a survey he conducted at the OpenStack hacker event in Silicon Valley on whether or not it makes sense to move existing workloads into the cloud.

MSP Corner

  • MSPs are now partnering with IaaS providers, such as Rackspace and AWS, to bring more visibility and transparency to their customers. By partnering with IaaS providers, MSPs gain the advantage of transparency into key SLAs which includes metrics on end-user performance indicators such as latency and bandwidth. To learn more about how the traditional role of MSPs is shifting with advent of cloud computing, read this AppNeta article.
  • According to a poll by Kroll Ontrack, 81 percent of attorneys in medium-to-large companies that participated in a recent survey on e-discovery said they plan to leverage the cloud for storage and e-discovery purposes within the next two years. Noticing the trend, MSPs, including Kroll Ontrack, are beginning to offer SaaS versions of e-discovery. Read more in this Talkin’ Cloud article.

Upcoming Cloud Events

 http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud__december_7__2011__ca_technologies_cloud_marketplace__cisco_cloudverse__cloud_s_impact_on_it_jobs__sap_acquires_successfactors__and_more__/ http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud__december_1__2011__new_offerings_from_fujitsu__alcatel-lucent__hitachi_and_vmware__why_google_gets_no_respect_(from_developers)__10_steps_to_transform_desktops_to_universal_cloud_clients__and_more__/ This Week in Cloud, December 1, 2011: New offerings from Fujitsu, Alcatel-Lucent, Hitachi and VMware. Why Google gets no respect (from developers), 10 steps to transform desktops to universal cloud clients. And more… 2011-12-01T00:00:00-05:00

New: Download the This Week in Cloud iPhone app. Now it’s even easier to get your weekly cloud news and perspectives.

Cloud News

  • Research published by Cisco predicts that cloud traffic will grow 12-fold by 2015. The research also states that most networks aren’t ready to handle advanced cloud apps. Read more in this InfoWorld article.
  • Fujitsu launched the Cloud Connect Communication suite that provides unified collaboration and communication tools for the Cisco HCS platform. Applications include video conferencing, WebEx, collaboration, instant messaging and telepresence. Other solutions rolled out include the Cloud Connect Voice service to manage PBX hardware and software and the Cloud Connect Managed Mobile service. Read this IT Pro article for more.
  • Alcatel-Lucent has introduced the CloudBand cloud computing platform that will help operators guarantee bandwidth so they can deliver SLAs around priority and quality of service, according to this Embedded Computing article.
  • In the face of competition from Apple and Google’s cloud services, the team behind Microsoft’s SkyDrive cloud storage service outlined its thinking on what the company needs to do with its cloud strategy. Read more in this PC Mag article.
  • Hitachi plans to sell cloud-based systems that merge and analyze data collected from diverse sources such as roads, shipping, energy grids and mass transport, according to this PC World article.
  • VMware introduced Caldecott, a Ruby-based tool that enables developers to migrate application data between different Cloud Foundry clouds. Read more in this eWeek article.

Feature article

As cloud becomes a teenager, it is time for adult supervision!

By Andi Mann, CA Technologies

James Staten at Forrester recently published his Top 10 Cloud Predictions for 2012. In it, James talks about how cloud is maturing, and warns of the challenges as cloud enters, as he describes it, "the awkward teenage years.” It is a great piece, and I really love this analogy. I have been using it myself recently, as it fits and resonates so well. It also perfectly highlights the growing need for 'adult supervision' in cloud computing.

As a toddler, cloud was not expected to have any maturity, discipline, self-control, or to understand the real world. So we all just did our best to help it grow, resigned in the process to just clean up after it and at least to prevent any life-threatening injuries. Read the full article.

Cloud Views

  • In this GigaOm blog, Barb Darrow explains why Google gets no respect (from developers). The article also includes an interesting counterpoint on why Google tools are better for business than you’d think.
  • Read about 10 steps for transforming desktops to universal clients for the cloud in this Tech Republic article. Article author Jeanne Morain has also recently published a book on the topic that provides additional guidance and detail. Morain is also one of Andy Mann’s co-authors for the Visible Ops Private Cloud Book.
  • This CIO article debates whether public or private clouds are cheaper for the enterprise.
  • This PCWorld article explores five points to consider when deciding whether or not to move to the cloud. Making the list are: lower cost of ownership, dependability, scalability, mobility and future-proofing.
  • Will supercomputers live only in the cloud? Read why David Linthicum thinks so in this PC World article.

MSP Corner

  • After the Talkin’ Cloud websites (which run in the cloud) experienced poor performance issues, Joe Panettieri wrote this blog titled, ‘My Confession: Why SMBs need MSPs for reliable cloud services.’
  • Thrive Networks, the managed services business owned by Staples, is building a cloud services platform for small businesses. ThriveCloud services will include hosted Exchange and hosted Microsoft Small business Server, aimed at customers with 10 to 250 employees. Read this Talkin’ Cloud article for more.

Upcoming Cloud Events

 http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud__december_1__2011__new_offerings_from_fujitsu__alcatel-lucent__hitachi_and_vmware__why_google_gets_no_respect_(from_developers)__10_steps_to_transform_desktops_to_universal_cloud_clients__and_more__/ http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud__november_17__2011__ca_cloud_360__cloud_commons_developer_studio_&_marketplace__oracle_releases_solaris_11__is_cloud_security_better_than_we_think__and_more__/ This Week in Cloud, November 17, 2011: CA Cloud 360, Cloud Commons Developer Studio & Marketplace, Oracle releases Solaris 11. Is cloud security better than we think? And more… 2011-11-17T00:00:00-05:00

Cloud News

  • CA Technologies announced new cloud solutions to help businesses be more agile and to accelerate the adoption of cloud services. CA Cloud 360 helps companies validate and select which applications and business services are best suited for private, public and hybrid clouds. Read this Silicon.com article for more detail. The company also introduced a new release of CA Automation Suite for Clouds, adding support for additional cloud platforms, and introduced two new identity and access management cloud solutions to its CA CloudMinder™ family of IAM-as-a-service offerings. This article in Network World provides more insight on the new CA CloudMinder offerings.
  • CA Technologies also introduced enhancements to the Cloud Commons® ecosystem this week, including the Cloud Commons Marketplace for comparing, procuring and selling subscription-based cloud services. The new Cloud Commons Developer Studio provides developers and independent software vendors free access to CA AppLogic® grids so they can plan, build and test cloud-based software projects. Read more about what’s new in this blog on CA.com and be sure to check out these new enhancements at www.cloudcommons.com.
  • Oracle announced the release of Solaris 11, which it calls the first cloud operating system. The operating system represents the foundation of the future Sparc systems business that Oracle hopes to rebuild. For more detail, read this article in The Register.
  • Symantec introduced Instant Messaging Security.cloud, a SaaS offering that supports Microsoft Lync users and helps address security and compliance issues related to instant messaging platforms. Read this eWeek Europe article for more.
  • RightScale is adding OpenStack and SoftLayer to the list of cloud services that can be managed from its RightScale cloud management platform, according to this Network World article.
  • HP privately introduced a cloud service based on the VMware Cloud Foundry platform to some testers earlier this fall, according to this Wired article. Wired points out that a year and a half ago, HP had announced plans to offer a cloud service based on Microsoft’s Windows Azure, and that that service offering is not yet available. HP plans to officially unveil its cloud services in the spring.
  • Enterprise IT spending in Europe, the Middle East and Africa will grow by just 2.3% according to Gartner, after a drop in spending of 1.4% in 2011, according to Gartner research cited in this Computer Weekly article.

Feature article

Emptor Scire (Buyer Aware)

By George Watt, CA Technologies

As I prepared for an upcoming CA World panel discussion on consumer-driven IT, my thoughts took a 90 degree turn. While I had primarily been thinking about the implications of consumer-driven IT, I had paused to consider that it is also a challenge IT teams have had to address "forever". So I began to think about what might be different about the current change wave we are calling "consumerization" or "consumer-driven IT" and similar demands consumers made to their IT groups many years ago. Certainly there must be some differences. If not, would we not have addressed it many years ago? And if we understand those differences can we better respond to today's consumer-driven IT challenges?

So, as the plane I was on while contemplating this began its descent, here are a few of the differences I was able to think of. Read the full article.

Cloud Views

  • Is cloud security better than we think? J. Nicholas Hoover explores this question in this Information Week article, citing many senior technology officials in government who believe that clouds are actually more secure than conventional IT environments.
  • This Channelnomics article titled ‘Former US CIO: Cloud will disrupt pro services’ describes the point of view Vivek Kundra shared in a keynote at CA World this week.
  • Federated cloud strategies: what CIOs need to know. This Network World article identifies some cloud trends (for example, that IT organizations are responding to unexpected competition from public cloud providers by web-enabling their own internal infrastructure) and then discusses federation issues between private clouds, between public clouds and between private and public clouds.
  • In this Wired article, Jon Stokes writes about why the cloud will bring the app store revolution to enterprise IT.

MSP Corner

  • This CRN article titled ‘Cloud channel opportunities abound, if you take them,’ summarizes guidance shared at a recent COMDEXvirtual session titled ‘Cashing in on the cloud’ that featured panelists from THINKstrategies and Market Probe.
  • This CRN article describes changes that CA Technologies is making to its partner program and shares reaction from MSPs that attended CA World this week.
  • Symantec announced that it has updated its backup and security products as well as introduced a new subscription-based software licensing program to help support its Managed Service Provider partner program. This MSPMentor article has more detail.

Upcoming Cloud Events

 http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud__november_17__2011__ca_cloud_360__cloud_commons_developer_studio_&_marketplace__oracle_releases_solaris_11__is_cloud_security_better_than_we_think__and_more__/ http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud__november_10__2011__nist_releases__bible_of_cloud_implementation___bestbuy_acquires_mindshift__rackspace_extends_support_services_for_openstack_clouds__rsa_&_mcafree_cloud_security_announcements__are_i&o_pros_from_venus_and_developers_from_mars___and_more__/ This Week in Cloud, November 10, 2011: NIST releases ‘Bible of cloud implementation,’ BestBuy acquires mindShift, Rackspace extends support services for OpenStack clouds, RSA & McAfree cloud security announcements, Are I&O pros from Venus and developers from Mars? And more… 2011-11-10T00:00:00-05:00

Cloud News

  • NIST released a ‘Bible of cloud implementation’ this week. Read about it in this GCN article and access drafts of the first two volumes at the NIST site. Meanwhile, Jon Stokes writes in this Wired article his thoughts on why NIST should scrap “the cloud” entirely.
  • Abiquo released a new version of its cloud platform, which includes features such as multi-currency pricing models, Opscode Chef integration and a customizable, open-source end user portal. Read this ChannelproSMB article for more.
  • RSA and McAfee both made cloud security announcements, which are detailed in this Computerworld article. RSA is partnering with Microsoft and Citrix to support use of RSA SecurID authentication. McAfee introduced a new release of its Cloud Security Platform, which provides an email gateway and data-loss prevention services that are designed to be used between an organization’s network and a cloud service. McAfee has introduced a new module called McAfee Cloud Identity Manager.
  • Gartner says 30 percent of midsize companies will use recovery-as-a-service by 2014 (as opposed to just over 1 percent today), according to this Gartner press release.
  • In this InfoWorld article, Savio Rodriques explains why he believes OpenStack will falter in its race with Eucalyptus to be the leading open source cloud platform, despite the current spate of vendor momentum behind OpenStack. He proposes that a single-vendor controlled open source project has a higher potential of success than a foundation-controlled project, citing examples from Linux and the open source database space as models.

Feature article

How to best fight the rise of rogue IT services? Compete

By George Hulme, Independent Writer

There seems no way to stop it. And it’s no secret, yet it’s one of the more pressing issues IT departments face today. Workers are sidestepping their IT department altogether to find and procure the services they need, whether that be quick access to online storage, collaboration tools, a SaaS application, or a number of servers spun up within a public cloud.

This creates obvious security and regulatory compliance risks. But there are other risks and potential costs associated with users going “rogue” with their IT deployments. Read the full article.

Cloud Views

  • In this ZDnet blog, Forrester’s James Staten writes that ‘Public Clouds Prove I&O Pros are from Venus and Developers are from Mars.’
  • In this Computerworld article, Joab Jackson provides guidance on the types of apps that work best in a virtualized environment and which ones are better off being installed as native apps.
  • PC World writer Tony Bradley is documenting his experience spending 30 days relying solely on cloud-based tools. Here’s an installment from day 2 of his journey, titled ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Cloud.’

MSP Corner

  • Best Buy is acquiring MSP mindShift Technologies for $167 million. BestBuy believes the acquisition will help the company grow its SMB IT services business, which is currently serviced through its retail, Geek Squad and Best Buy for Business operations. BestBuy estimates the SMB managed service provider market is worth $40 billion. Read more in this CRN article.
  • Rackspace is extending its support services to OpenStack cloud implementations that reside within the walls of an enterprise or third-party commercial data centers. To use these services, an enterprise must use OpenStack according to the Rackspace reference architecture, which the company will make public. Read this InfoWorld article for more.
  • MSP ViaWest introduced a Xen-based version of its KINECTed Cloud service, which is based on CA AppLogic. ViaWest now offers its customers a choice between a VMware-based vCloud Powered hypervisor and an open source Xen-based hypervisor, so customers can choose the cloud that best meets their needs, according to this article in The WHIR.
  • MSP OpSource launched OpSource Cloud Software which offers Microsoft and Oracle software offerings on a pay-per-use basis. The service is intended to enable test and development without requiring companies to commit to an annual licensing fee, according to this CRN article.

Upcoming Cloud Events

 http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud__november_10__2011__nist_releases__bible_of_cloud_implementation___bestbuy_acquires_mindshift__rackspace_extends_support_services_for_openstack_clouds__rsa_&_mcafree_cloud_security_announcements__are_i&o_pros_from_venus_and_developers_from_mars___and_more__/ http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud__november_3__2011__dropbox_launches_smb_service__internap_launches_first_publicly_available_openstack_cloud_service__security_flaws_in_aws_identified__5_cloud_lessons_learned_from_it_finance_gurus__and_more__/ This Week in Cloud, November 3, 2011: Dropbox launches SMB service, Internap launches first publicly available OpenStack cloud service. Security flaws in AWS identified, 5 cloud lessons learned from IT finance gurus. And more… 2011-11-03T00:00:00-04:00

Cloud News

  • Dropbox, the cloud storage startup which now boasts 46 million users, announced a package for SMBs. The new offering, called Dropbox for Teams includes centralized billing and administrative tools. Read this Wall Street Journal article for more.
  • Internap has launched the first commercially-available cloud offering based on OpenStack. Internap’s Open Public Cloud compute service has added networking and high-availability to the base OpenStack code, in order to make the offering suitable for carriers, according to this article in The Register. This GigaOm blog provides some additional detail and references some of the other providers who are working on OpenStack-based clouds, specifically Rackspace, HP, Dell and DreamHost.
  • Researchers from the Horst Goertz Institute in Germany have identified security flaws in Amazon Web Services, and they believe other cloud offerings may be vulnerable as well, according to this CRN article. Using different kinds of XML signature wrapping attacks, they succeeded in taking over the administrative rights of cloud customers, which enabled them to create new instances in the victim’s cloud, and add or delete images.
  • Hitachi added new features to its private, public and hybrid cloud storage offerings. New features include file tiering, primary file serving, SharePoint archiving and a cloud management portal, according to this Information Week article.
  • The Department of Energy has decided to leverage Google Apps for email and collaboration. They have awarded a multi-million-dollar contract to Unisys to build a secure cloud-based environment it will manage for the project, according to this Information Week article.

Feature article

Top 10 Things I Learned about Cloud Last Week

By Andi Mann, CA Technologies

While travelling back from VMworld EMEA last week, I stopped at London and visited with CA Technologies customer and partner, Logicalis UK. Logicalis UK is an international provider of integrated information and communications technology (ICT) solutions and services, part of a group that employs over 2,000 people worldwide, with annualized revenues in excess of $1 billion.

Logicalis is doing some amazing things to deliver both public and private hosted cloud using CA Technologies, alongside key strategic partners Cisco and NetApp. While visiting their site in the UK - just outside of London, I learned a lot about the real world of cloud service providers.


Read the full article for Andi’s top ten list.

Cloud Views

  • This Information Week article shares 5 cloud lessons learned from finance industry gurus at a recent meeting of the Wall Street Technology Association branch in Boston. One highlight mentioned is that State Street bank expects to save $575 to $625 million by the end of 2014 from a multi-year restructuring effort that includes a private cloud strategy. Another learning is that Thomson Reuters feels that the biggest challenge for IT staffs in the financial services industry is the changing regulatory climate.
  • This Computerworld article titled ‘Where there are clouds, there’s lightning’ provides tips on cloud disaster recovery (note: free registration required to access the full article.)
  • In this PC World article titled ‘The IT jobs cloud computing will create,’ Bernard Golden responds to an article based on a Gartner Symposium presentation that posited cloud computing will be a net destructor of IT jobs. Golden explains why he feels that Gartner and others are wrong about cloud computing’s effect on employment.
  • This CloudPro article discusses how PPM is playing an increasingly influential role in driving forward cloud transformations, citing research conducted by Ovum and sponsored by CA Technologies.

MSP Corner

  • This MSP Mentor article provides some pointers on what MSPs should look in a cloud partner, be it a cloud aggregator or IaaS provider.
  • This Channelnomics article suggests that the managed services market is undergoing a renaissance in part due to two trends: new technologies such as security software and VoIP coming into the managed services fold and millions of businesses starting to adopt or expand managed services.

Upcoming Cloud Events

 http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud__november_3__2011__dropbox_launches_smb_service__internap_launches_first_publicly_available_openstack_cloud_service__security_flaws_in_aws_identified__5_cloud_lessons_learned_from_it_finance_gurus__and_more__/ http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud__october_27__2011__oracle_buys_rightnow__clouds_vs__outsourcing__the_threat_cloud_providers_pose_to_corporate_it__and_more____/ This Week in Cloud, October 27, 2011: Oracle buys RightNow. Clouds vs. outsourcing, The threat cloud providers pose to corporate IT? And more … 2011-10-27T00:00:00-04:00

Cloud News

  • Oracle purchased cloud CRM provider RightNow for $1.5 billon. This eWeek article speculates that the primary reason for the purchase was because of RightNow’s multichannel customer service and support capabilities, while this blog in ZDNet explores how this plays into Oracle’s growing rivalry with Salesforce.com. This news was on the heels of Oracle’s purchase of Endeca last week to bolster its big data capabilities (read this Forrester blog for more on that). GigaOm blogger Barb Darrow speculates about who’s next on Oracle’s hit list.
  • New research from IDC says cloud adoption will drive strong sales of storage products through 2015, according to this Infostor article. The article also references IDC research predicting that users’ data will double every two years.
  • Established outsourcing vendors like HP and IBM are going to face stiff competition from IaaS providers Amazon Web Services, Rackspace and others, according to a report published by PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Read more in this InformationWeek article.

Feature article

The cloud is falling, says Gartner – tablets and mobility should top IT’s list instead

By Jay Fry

Just when you thought cloud computing was receiving an unending supply of positive hype, the Gartner Group pulls a fast one on us.

 

Gartner rolled out their list of strategic technology trends for IT to pay attention to for 2012 at their annual Symposium this week in Orlando. And, instead of Gartner piling on with more publicity for cloud, it seems they pulled a bit of a switcheroo. Cloud computing, which reigned supreme atop their 2011 list, dropped all the way down to No. 10 this time around. Which might cause a cloudwashing vendor or two to worry that the sky (or at least the fluffy white parts of it) is falling.

Read the full article for analysis on why cloud dropped in the ranks and why tablets and mobile apps are becoming more important.

Cloud Views

  • Bernard Golden writes about the threat cloud computing providers pose to corporate IT in this Network World article.
  • This CIO article, titled ‘What your cloud consultant is trying to tell you’, identifies some euphemisms you may hear from your cloud service provider and explains what they really mean.
  • In this Cloud Commons article, Marv Waschke writes about the battle between cloud IaaS management API contenders.

MSP Corner

  • This CRN article, the IT Channel’s Future: Part II, describes what white-box resellers, transformative VARs and local, regional and national VARs should do to remain competitive.
  • This MSPmentor article explores 4 key questions MSPs should ask themselves every day, as provided by Mike Cooch.

Upcoming Cloud Events

 http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud__october_27__2011__oracle_buys_rightnow__clouds_vs__outsourcing__the_threat_cloud_providers_pose_to_corporate_it__and_more____/ http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud__october_20__2011__gartner_report__9_contractual_terms_to_reduce_risk_in_cloud_contracts__ibm_smartcloud_and_acquisition_of_platform_computing__news_from_vmworld_copenhagen__symantec_vip_intelligent_authentication__cloud_cannibalism__is_paas_killing_saas__and_more__/ This Week in Cloud, October 20, 2011: Gartner report: 9 contractual terms to reduce risk in cloud contracts, IBM SmartCloud and acquisition of Platform Computing, News from VMworld Copenhagen, Symantec VIP Intelligent Authentication, Cloud cannibalism: is PaaS killing SaaS? And more… 2011-10-20T00:00:00-04:00

Featured on Cloud Commons

IT Procurement Best Practice - Nine Contractual Terms to Reduce Risk in Cloud Contracts

When it comes to cloud contract negotiations and SLAs, certain terms can often be unclear or overlooked. This Gartner report (available free of charge on Cloud Commons) defines the nine key terms that you should be aware of to help your organization recover damages and help prevent against potential threats that could have a serious impact on your business.

Cloud News

  • IBM made a number of cloud announcements, including introducing IBM SmartCloud Application Services, a PaaS offering that it claims can reduce the time needed for routine management tasks. Read more in this PC World article. IBM also is enabling partners to white-label its public and private cloud offerings, as described in this Redmond Channel Partner article. IBM also announced the acquisition of Platform Computing, a software company focused on grid management, to bolster its private-cloud and big-data management efforts. Read this ZDNet article for more.
  • At its VMworld user conference in Denmark, VMware made a number of cloud-related announcements, which are summarized in this Information Age article. VMware launched the IT Business Management Suite 5.0, which displays IT management metrics such as financial indicators, service level agreements and systems performance indicators to help CIOs manage their IT operations. They also upgraded vCenter Operations to include new dashboards for health, efficiency and risk exposure, and unveiled the vFabric Application Management Suite to let software developers and admins see key operational metrics of a given application.
  • Symantec has introduced new security features to its cloud user authentication service, Symantec VIP. The new features, called VIP Intelligent Authentication, uses system fingerprinting, user behavior monitoring and geo-location access monitoring to provide authentication. Read more in this CBR Online article.
  • Spending on public cloud services will grow five times faster than overall IT enterprise expenditures, according to Gartner research cited in this Information Management article. In this IT Business Edge article titled ‘Goodbye to the Small Data Center?’, Arthur Cole analyzes data from Gartner about the growth of hardware sales through at least 2015, which will largely be driven by increasingly large deployments.
  • Cloud OS startup Nimbula announced support for VMware Cloud Foundry and VMware vSphere within Nimbula Director, according to this Data Center Knowledge article.

Feature article

The Dirty Little Secret of Cloud Computing

By Andi Mann

Without question, there is a great deal of buzz about public cloud computing and what it means for the future of IT.  Right now, IDC estimates that over the next five years as spending on public IT cloud services expands at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.6%, from $21.5 billion in 2010 it will reach $72.9 billion in 2015.


So what exactly belongs in – and out of - the public cloud is much more than just an academic question - it is a fundamental and high-value business decision. Read the full article.

Cloud Views

  • As PaaS begins to gain traction in the marketplace, Mike Jones with OutSystems asks whether cloud cannibalism is afoot. Is PaaS killing SaaS? Read this GigaOm blog to find out.
  • Cisco’s James Urquhart writes about new network models that are emerging with cloud computing in this CNET blog.
  • This Search Cloud Computing article covers what to look for when planning to leverage an external cloud service provider for test and dev environments.

MSP Corner

  • N-able Backup Manager has been updated to better support virtualized environments. MSPs can now do backups at the host level and do migrations to on-premise and off-premise virtual machines with minimal risk, according to this MSP Mentor article.
  • Managed services firm All Covered added cloud servers to its mix of outsourced IT services, according to this CRN article.

Upcoming Cloud Events

 http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud__october_20__2011__gartner_report__9_contractual_terms_to_reduce_risk_in_cloud_contracts__ibm_smartcloud_and_acquisition_of_platform_computing__news_from_vmworld_copenhagen__symantec_vip_intelligent_authentication__cloud_cannibalism__is_paas_killing_saas__and_more__/ http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud__october_13__2011__news_from_oracle_openworld__progress_&_pushback_on_us_gov_t_cloud_first_policy__5_cloud_security_companies_to_watch__4_essential_cloud_security_tips__and_more__/ This Week in Cloud, October 13, 2011: News from Oracle OpenWorld, Progress & Pushback on US Gov’t Cloud First Policy, 5 cloud security companies to watch, 4 essential cloud security tips. And more… 2011-10-13T00:00:00-04:00

Cloud News

  • As part of its commitment to the White House’s “Cloud First” policy, the Department of Homeland Security has committed to 12 cloud services (9 private and 3 public), according to this Information Week article. Meanwhile, the chairman of a Homeland Security subcommittee, Dan Lungren, expressed concern over cloud’s security risks in this Information Age article.
  • This PC Mag article summarizes the announcements made by Oracle at OpenWorld last week, including a new set of applications and database offerings, a new public cloud and hardware for both databases and analytics. This Information Week article describes how Oracle’s public cloud offering will differ from Amazon Web Services, Terremark and Rackspace. In his keynote, Ellison focused on how the Oracle cloud is based on industry standards, by which he meant, primarily Java.
  • Google launched a limited preview of Google Cloud SQL, a cloud database for Google App Engine developers looking to build database-driven cloud apps. Read this article in CRN for more. The service is available for free through at least the end of 2011.
  • Orbitz is outsourcing big data analytics to the cloud, having selected Kognitio’s Data Warehouse-as-a-Service offering. Read this GigaOm blog for more on Orbitz’s big data strategy.
  • The Cloud Standards Customer Council (CSCC) issued a Practical Guide to Cloud Computing, which consists of cloud deployment best practices, resources and expertise from consultants, end users and vendors. CA Technologies is a member of the CSCC.
  • Rackspace has spun off the OpenStack open-source cloud computing project to an independent foundation to drive future development efforts, according to this eWeek article.

Feature article

Real-world Applications for the Private Cloud

By Andi Mann

Not surprisingly, since the release of my new book, Visible Ops – Private Cloud, I have been talking with a lot of people about how to deploy private cloud, where to start, what to avoid, etc. So far, the most common question has been, “What type of existing workloads are organizations putting into private cloud environments today - and what are they avoiding?”

So I thought I would jot down some of my answers, specifically related to 'cloud-migrant' services, as opposed to 'cloud-native' services - and without getting too hung up on whether the use cases are 100% cloud or not! Read the full article.

Cloud Views

  • This NetworkWorld article identifies 5 cloud security companies to watch: Bromium, CipherCloud, Cloud Passage, High Cloud Security and HyTrust.
  • This Network World article provides 4 essential security tips from cloud practitioners: make sure your provider has VP-specific security, figure out a way to lockdown endpoints, push your cloud provider to put security in your SLA, act quickly.
  • In this GigaOm blog, Alex Salkever says that we are at the dawn of The Internet of Things, “the much anticipated era when all manner of devices can talk to each other and intermediary services.” Read about why he believes operators must fundamentally change the way they build and run clouds in order for us to realize the full potential of the Internet of Things.
  • Responding to Salesforce CEO’s consistent denunciation of private clouds as false clouds, this Information Week editor-in-chief Laurianne McLaughlin explores whether this is wise posturing. She asks: “Does Marc Benioff really want to tell CIOs like FedEx's Rob Carter [a Salesforce.com customer]--who recently shared how he has overhauled his vision for data centers, featuring private cloud--that private cloud is a crazy strategy?”

MSP Corner

  • Cloud hosting provider Hosting.com purchased Dallas-based NeoSpire to add deeper security and expand its geographic footprint, according to this CRN article.

Upcoming Cloud Events

 http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud__october_13__2011__news_from_oracle_openworld__progress_&_pushback_on_us_gov_t_cloud_first_policy__5_cloud_security_companies_to_watch__4_essential_cloud_security_tips__and_more__/ http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud__october_6__2011__benioff_uninvited_from_oracle_openworld__nasa_spinoffs_compete_head-to-head__identity_management_in_the_cloud__and_more__/ This Week in Cloud, October 6, 2011: Benioff uninvited from Oracle OpenWorld, NASA spinoffs compete head-to-head, Identity management in the cloud. And more… 2011-10-06T00:00:00-04:00

Cloud News

  • Oracle held its annual user conference, Oracle OpenWorld, this week. GigaOm’s Barb Darrow reviews Oracle’s launch of Big Data Appliance and poses 5 questions she’d like Oracle to answer in this article. The big news from the show seems to be Larry Ellison canceling Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff’s keynote session at the last minute. Read about it in this TechCrunch article and this New York Times blog. Says Benioff, “This is the best possible outcome. It’s free publicity and it is clear that Oracle is threatened by us.”
  • The former CTO and the former technical lead of NASA’s Nebula cloud computing project are squaring off in competing cloud computing ventures. Both companies, Piston and Nebula, are focused on helping customers quickly build and deploy OpenStack-based private clouds, both plug into commodity hardware and both are targeting big data applications. Read more in this Information Week article.
  • The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the first federal agency to take advantage of the General Services Administration’s IaaS blanket purchase agreement to move all its public websites to the cloud. Read more in this InformationWeek article.
  • The US Department of the Interior (DOI) is re-opening a search for a cloud email and collaboration vendor—a contract whose worth is nearly $60 million. The DOI was being sued by Google, which claimed it was unfairly ignored and that procurement documents were skewed to favor Microsoft. After DOI decided to reopen the search, a federal judge dismissed Google’s lawsuit, according to this CRN article.

Feature article

Pragmatic Cloud: You Can’t Always Get What You Want

By George Watt

Give your customers what they need.  It's not always what they ask for.

Soft skills are a key ingredient to cloud computing success.

This week I had the pleasure of joining the Cloud Exchange discussion in Toronto.  Though there was a great and diverse group in attendance with a broad range of interests, there were a few things that were of more universal interest.  Amongst these were several issues that might be placed into the "people management" or "soft skills" categories.  I was very encouraged to learn that, though not because I enjoy the suffering of others.  I believe this signifies an increase in the maturity of cloud computing.  At the very least it is a sign that more organizations are more mature when it comes to their thinking about cloud solutions. Read the full article.

Cloud Views

  • This Computer Weekly article discusses the identity management strategies enterprises should deploy in cloud environments.
  • This Government Computer News article titled ‘Cloud caveat: responsibility cannot be outsourced,’ includes a discussion of cryptography challenges and evolving threats and controls.
  • Learn how Amazon’s recently announced Kindle Fire tablet and its Silk web browser leverages Amazon Web Services EC2 to make web browsing faster for customers in this PCWorld article. This CNN article delves into concerns about Silk, which are being raised by privacy advocates.

MSP Corner

  • MSP Mentor hosted a webcast titled Five SaaS Habits of Highly Profitable MSPs. To register and watch a replay of the webcast, click here.

Upcoming Cloud Events

 http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud__october_6__2011__benioff_uninvited_from_oracle_openworld__nasa_spinoffs_compete_head-to-head__identity_management_in_the_cloud__and_more__/ http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud__september_29__2011__new_openstack_release__google_paas_price_hike__virgin_media_s_jargon-free_cloud__10_cloud_app_dev_mistakes_to_avoid__and_more__/ This Week in Cloud, September 29, 2011: New OpenStack release, Google PaaS price hike, Virgin Media’s jargon-free cloud, 10 cloud app dev mistakes to avoid. And more… 2011-09-29T00:00:00-04:00

Cloud News

  • OpenStack launched a new release with several features to make it easier to implement a private cloud for enterprise use. The new release, called Diablo, includes a dashboard for monitoring cloud health. For more detail, read this ReadWriteCloud article.
  • Google recently increased the pricing for its App Engine Platform-as-a-Service offering by 100% or more for most users. Following a huge backlash that ensued, Alex Salkever with GigaOm writes about 5 ways to protect against vendor lock-in.
  • In federal testimony to the House Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation, senior executives from EMC, Microsoft, VCE and the General Services Administration testified that cloud computing is critical to ensuring the US can remain economically competitive across the globe. They also testified that open standards are overdue and that user security concerns persist. Read this Information Week article and this Information Management article for more.
  • Jargon-free cloud? Virgin Media is using Savvis (a CenturyLink company) to launch a business-oriented cloud service that it promises will be jargon-free. The service will help businesses quickly test and develop in-house applications or launch e-commerce services without building out significant infrastructure themselves. Read more in this GigaOm article.
  • Salesforce.com purchased Assistly, creator of a cloud-based customer service portal that lets Salesforce users initiate direct contact with customers. Read this ReadWriteCloud article for more.
  • Microsoft is investing an additional $150 million to expand its new data center in southern Virginia, according to this Data Center Knowledge article.

Feature article

A Service Taxonomy for Cloud Choices

By Andi Mann

I have been talking with many CIOs for some time about strategic adoption of cloud solutions. A key step in these conversations is always the review of the portfolio of services they provide to business users, so they can choose which clouds to adopt and why.

This has led me to describe a high-level taxonomy that segments the service portfolio according to the different cloud requirements, capabilities, and approaches in different types of applications and services.

Essentially, this work has segmented most (all?) service portfolios into four areas, which (roughly) follow the adoption curve of cloud computing.

Read the full article.

Cloud Views

  • Cloud application deployment: 10 deadly mistakes to avoid. ‘Deadly mistakes’ covered in this eWeek article include building an infrastructure cloud rather than an application cloud, treating automation as an afterthought and not controlling golden images.
  • How clean is your cloud, really? This GigaOm article explores some additional criteria that should be considered when assessing how green a data center is. Questions that should be asked include: Is the data center in a new facility or refurbished older building? Are the companies handling the e-cycling of old gear correctly? How efficient is their water use? Are the utilities supporting the data center using renewable energy?
  • This Information Week article provides guidance on how to incorporate an enterprise content management approach, even as users begin leveraging cloud-based storage and file-sharing services.
  • Box.net CEO makes the case that cloud is the ultimate disruptive innovation in this Fortune blog.
  • This Cloud Commons article talks about how the cloud is impacting legal departments within the healthcare industry.

MSP Corner

This CRN article on the rise of the cloud provider describes the changing landscape for service providers (the article segments the market into transformative, vintage and progressive service providers). One-third of all solution providers expects to change their business model in the next three years, and solution providers anticipate that 36 percent of their sales will come from off-premise solutions by 2013.

Upcoming Cloud Events

 http://www.thisweekincloud.org/archives/this_week_in_cloud__september_29__2011__new_openstack_release__google_paas_price_hike__virgin_media_s_jargon-free_cloud__10_cloud_app_dev_mistakes_to_avoid__and_more__/