Grazed from ChannelPartnersOnline. Author: TC Doyle.

A new study of SMB customers by Techaisle suggests that cloud computing has become a strategic platform for small and midsize (SMBs) customers, not just a tactical tool used for saving a few bucks. The new report, which is entitled “SMB & Mid-Market Cloud Computing Adoption Trends," highlights seven distinct developments underway in this important customer segment.

Among them: SMB customers who once turned to cloud computing as a means to save money now do so with the expectation that it will increase their agility and competitiveness. In addition to why the cloud is being adopted, the study also zeroed in on other trends, including who inside SMB companies drives adoption, what kinds of clouds they use, why cloud usage patterns change and how, who is responsible for security, what are the attributes of successful cloud implementations and what are the inhibitors to broader adoption…

Grazed from eWeek. Author: Todd R. Weiss.

The Google Cloud Platform is expanding its capabilities with Hadoop through new connectors that can be used with Google BigQuery and Google Cloud Datastore to run Hadoop queries. Also bolstering the cloud platform is a new version of Google App Engine that includes scalability and performance improvements. The new Hadoop connectors were announced by Pratul Dublish, a cloud platform product manager, in an April 16 post on the Google Cloud Platform Blog.

"Today, we are making it easier for you to run Hadoop jobs directly against your data in Google BigQuery and Google Cloud Datastore with the Preview release of Google BigQuery connector and Google Cloud Datastore connector for Hadoop," wrote Dublish. "The Google BigQuery and Google Cloud Datastore connectors implement Hadoop’s InputFormat and OutputFormat interfaces for accessing data…

Grazed from CloudTweaks. Author: Editorial Staff.

For some time now, genomics or the study of genes has been branded as the possible playing field for the next medical revolution. Indeed, some believe that genomics can have as much an impact on human civilization this century as computers did in the previous one, with possible applications from the frivolous (specifying eye color in an unborn child) to momentous (developing designer medicine to target specific symptoms in specific patients).

Gene sequencing produces an enormous amount of data, and processing this data requires an enormous amount of computing power. While the price of gene sequencers has reduced drastically over the years, the same is not true for computing resources. Unless, cloud computing is the resource being used…

Grazed from ZDNet. Author: Eileen Yu.

LG’s consulting services unit is seeking out growth opportunities in cloud computing and big data, which it believes will be further fueled by the emergence of smart devices. "Our goal is to become one of the most trusted suppliers for technology solutions in cloud computing and big data," said Kim Dae-hoon, CEO of LG CNS, during last week’s Entrue World 2014 forum, reported The Korea Times.

He said the world was transitioning toward Smart Technology 2.0, an era comprising smart devices such as smart glasses, faster network connectivity, big data, and cloud computing services. Businesses in the automotive, medical, security, transportation, logistics, and manufacturing sectors would benefit most from this new realm, Kim noted, adding that LG CNS is poised to rise this wave. Its cloud offerings include virtual desktop infrastructure, storage, and consulting services…

Grazed from Datamation. Author: Jeff Kaplan.

Although I’ve been a big advocate of the business benefits of moving corporate data centers, software development and enterprise applications to the Cloud, I’m also a realist about the significant challenges that this migration process entails. The many obstacles to adopting a Cloud-first strategy worldwide were brought home to me again by a good friend who happens to be a CIO of a multinational company.

My friend, “Joe,” called me unexpectedly the other day after we hadn’t talked for a few months. He’s a very successful CIO who has taken on numerous executive IT jobs in major corporations to help them achieve various milestones or recover from a significant setback…

Grazed from ComputerWorld. Author: Nicholas D. Evans.

The Internet of Things (IoT) will be everywhere. According to Gartner, by 2020 the IoT will be more than a $300 billion market, with over 26 billion devices installed. In contrast, today we use 7.3 billion smartphones, tablets and PCs. Naturally, the IoT will run up against today’s other disruptive technologies, including social, mobile, analytics and the cloud. Let’s take a look at how the IoT is affecting and leveraging each of these areas, as well as its impact on cybersecurity.

Social

Many IoT applications have already gone social. Most prominent so far has been the "quantified self" arena, with countless runners, cyclists and triathletes sharing details of their routes and times with friends in their social communities. But we are also seeing other ways that social networking can interact with the IoT. In the "connected home" space, for example, Internet-connected, remotely operated door locks offer the ability to share access to your home with other family members and approved house guests…

Grazed from eWeek. Author: Darryl K. Taft.

IBM launched a series of new initiatives to bolster its SoftLayer cloud computing effort, including providing new resources to support SoftLayer ecosystem members as well as adding new disaster recovery and security services to the SoftLayer cloud platform. With an eye on beefing up its channel for cloud computing services, among the moves IBM announced are improved margin opportunities with richer earned-volume discounts for SoftLayer business partners without requiring a prior commitment.

IBM also said it is creating a new SoftLayer Services & Solution Provider program, which streamlines the SoftLayer hosting reseller and strategic partners program to improve clarity of eligibility requirement and benefits of the program. “Cloud computing is transforming the relationship between business partners and their clients, creating unprecedented opportunities to enter new markets and sell new services,” said Tom Blair, senior vice president of global sales for SoftLayer, in a statement…

Grazed from EarthNet. Author: PR Announcement.

Boulder, Colorado-based Earthnet announced that it has completed a $200,000 expansion of its cloud computing infrastructure. Earthnet CEO, Bahman Saless, said that the company has adopted a new private cloud platform, Fractus, that provides a level of security and accountability for small business that isn’t available in the conventional cloud environment. Fractus is hosted by the Dell Active System 800 Cloud Solution.

"Fractus is a HIPAA compliant private cloud system, hosted on our Boulder premises, that allows practitioners to access medical information directly, securely and from anywhere in the field," said Saless. "The system is also effective for industries that are security sensitive, such as law, finance and government contractors." Saless expects that the Earthnet infrastructure upgrades will allow the company to expand its customer base by a further 50 percent.

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Grazed from ComputerWorld. Author: Antony Savvas.

Over a quarter (28 percent) of mid-sized UK businesses don’t have a mobile strategy in place, according to research. Managed service provider Intrinsic commissioned market research firm Vanson Bourne to question 250 IT decision makers at mid-size companies – employing between 250 and 1,000 – about their attitudes towards mobility.

Intrinsic’s study shows that mobile technologies, including mobile devices and applications, voice and video conferencing and cloud computing, are now seen by almost all IT decision makers (92 percent) as the fourth utility for business, alongside electricity, gas and water. Despite this the study suggests that many businesses are not taking a concerted, strategic approach to embracing mobile, with 28 percent not having a mobile strategy, and 30 percent not having a continuity strategy when it comes to internet access…

Grazed from ArsTechnica. Author: David Kravets.

The question of whether online broadcast television is to remain in the hands of a stodgy industry that once declared the VCR the enemy is being put directly before the Supreme Court. Broadcasters’ latest legal target is 2-year-old upstart Aereo—which retransmits over-the-air broadcast television using dime-sized antennas to paying consumers, who can watch TV online or record it for later viewing.

Broadcasters like ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, and others haven’t given Aereo permission to do that, and they say it violates US copyright law. The industry will ask the Supreme Court during a Tuesday hearing to kill the New York-based Aereo service. The high-stakes oral arguments come 30 years after Hollywood told the justices that the VCR—and its time-shifting elements—would doom television and its producers forever…