Grazed from ITProPortal. Author: Guy Wright.

At a recent conference Salesforce.com’s Peter Coffee pointed out that Google searches for the term ‘cloud computing’ have been declining over the past few years. Does this mean people aren’t interested in the cloud any more or are IT departments just dragging their feet? In a series of tweets, Gartner’s Lydia Leong said that, far from being finished with cloud implementations, many IT personnel don’t even really understand cloud computing.

She went on to say that many IT organisations fail to understand the key characteristics of cloud computing and, as a result, fall far short of actually operating real cloud environments. The 451 Group recently published the results of a survey regarding server automation and configuration and they found that more than 25 per cent of all respondents had no cloud implementation plan at all, while nearly one-third were six or more months away from providing server automation…

Grazed from NetworkWorld. Author: Linda Musthaler.

Even after a decade of cloud computing, many organizations are still struggling over the issue of cloud security. The issue is especially acute when it comes to Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). Developers love the aspects of the cloud that free them from limitations and delays — things like elastic compute capability, self-service and broad network access. On the other hand, network security teams have difficulty keeping pace with lots of servers that can come and go at the developers’ will.

The tools that security experts use in the data center don’t fit well in the cloud’s virtualized infrastructure. The traditional tools were built with some kind of perimeter and segmentation in mind, and that simply doesn’t apply when your servers can come and go with the ebb and flow of your application needs…

Grazed from Hitachi. Author: Editorial Staff.

Business applications (e.g., CRM and ERP) in private cloud computing systems are accessed from all over the world owing to modern-day globalization. This makes it difficult for the cloud to deliver a good response time in fact, the response time can be hundreds or even thousands of milliseconds if terminals access the applications from a great distance.

This exceeds the maximum response time for end users to use applications without deteriorated usability. Contents delivery networks reduce the response time of static (i.e., read-only) Web content, but it does not work for dynamic (i.e., read/write) content such as business applications. To lower the response time, applications and data should be replicated at datacenters (DCs) in the same geographical regions as the terminals by federating multiple clouds. Most terminals are globally distributed, while most DC locations provided by a cloud servicer are typically limited to a few regions…

Grazed from CloudComputing. Author: Editorial Staff.

If you are using a CRM, your CRM is most likely hosted in the cloud. If you aren’t using a CRM, you are light years behind your competition in regards to the amount of knowledge you have on your customers and your interactions with them. Cloud CRM presents distinct advantages versus the traditional model of setting the system up in an onsite data centre.

Technology research firm Gartner predicts that 50% of CRM tools will most likely be delivered by cloud in 2015 and by 2025, 85% of CRM offerings will be hosted in the cloud. Angus McFayden, a technology law expert affiliated with Out-law.com says, “The move towards cloud based solutions is predominantly being driven by cost effectiveness and the flexibility of those solutions.”…

Grazed from Bloomberg. Author: Tim Culpan.

Acer Inc. is getting into the cloud-computing business to compete with the likes of Amazon.com Inc. and Google Inc. The difference is the maker of notebooks wants you to host the service on your own personal computer. Its private cloud offers more security than rival services that store information on off-site servers, according to the Taipei-based company. Acer’s software to operate a personal cloud is free and compatible with a wide variety of smartphones, tablets and computers, according to the company.

Facing a third straight annual loss, co-founder and Chairman Stan Shih came out of retirement in November to help lead a revival at the business as demand for PCs slumps. Amid the company’s $691 million loss last year, the fledgling cloud services unit was a lonely bright spot, turning a small profit…

Grazed from CNBC. Author: Nyshka Chandran.

Cloud computing isn’t just for humans – robots are getting in on the action too. Connecting robots to the Internet reduces the need for additional hardware, enabling greater mobility and communication. Softbank’s new robot, Pepper, for instance, owes its capability to read human emotions to cloud computing.

Pepper’s primary goal is to make people happy to interact with it, Bruno Maisonnier, CEO of the French robotics firm Aldebaran that developed Pepper, told CNBC. Pepper uses cloud computing to share data that enhances its emotional capabilities. "It’s very important that we gather as much data as possible to improve [Pepper’s] understanding of human emotion and recognition of environments and contexts…

Grazed from BusinessWire. Author: PR Announcement.

CSC, a global leader in next-generation IT services and solutions, today announced a new opportunity for clients to accelerate their adoption of cloud solutions with the SAP HANA® platform. Working with SAP (NYSE: SAP) and in collaboration with CSC’s global consulting practice and applications modernization partnership with HCL Technologies, a leading global IT services provider, CSC will develop a broad set of innovative end-to-end cloud solutions.

These solutions are designed to help companies quickly and easily move to the cloud to gain new insights, engage customers and partners in new ways, and help unleash new operating models that can drive profitability and advantage. The initial market focus will be on banking, engineering, construction and operations, and public sector social services solutions, with other industries expected to follow…

Grazed from SysConMedia. Author: Gilad Parann-Nissany.

Suppose you want to hire someone to do a job for you, but you suspect she might leak sensitive details of your business to your enemies. The immediate solution: don’t hire her. But real life is often not so clear cut. Your prospective employee may be very good at a particular job, and you don’t want to lose her skills; while the risk that she turns bad may be low and you need the job done.

This general real life problem has had many solutions over the centuries. People have written contracts with confidentiality clauses, threatened court action, come up with rules for the workplace, tried to instill pride in their workforce, and sometimes they’ve even begged for good behavior…

Grazed from PRWeb.  Author: PR Announcement.

BizCloud® Inc., a leading edge provider of cloud Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) solutions, today announced a new IT Intervention program targeted to existing enterprise clients and prospects of CSC BizCloud and its reseller partners. The newly launched program is designed to help organizations mitigate risks associated with purchasing cloud infrastructure from vendors selling infringing products, namely CSC BizCloud. Sale of BizCloud-branded cloud products and services by CSC and its partner companies is an infringement of the BizCloud trademark rights, and BizCloud believes that a majority of their clients have unknowingly purchased infringing products.

BizCloud IT Intervention program aims to help CSC’s clients convert an uncertain future by offering them the opportunity to rehabilitate their entire IT infrastructure with next-generation BizCloud IaaS offerings available at unrivalled prices. BizCloud IT Intervention program offerings include BizCloud-in-a-Vault, a private, single tenant cloud solution architected on NEC’s Nblock technologies and delivered in partnership with Cyber Innovation Labs, and OrionVM’s high-performing, enterprise-grade wholesale cloud IaaS products and services. By collaborating with these innovative cloud computing companies, BizCloud is able to deliver IaaS offerings that are second to none in terms of performance and cost…

Grazed from CloudTweaks.  Author: Editorial Staff.

Big Data is BIG business and will continue to be one of the more predominant areas of focus in the coming years from small startups to large scale corporations. We’ve already covered on CloudTweaks how Big Data can be utilized in a number of interesting ways from preventing world hunger to helping teams win a championship.

Many tech startups are jumping onboard with interesting services and we can expect many more innovative uses and thought provoking services to entice the market very very soon. Investments are up, and trends continue to point in the right direction…