Grazed from MidSize Insider.  Author: Doug Bonderud.

Spending predictions favor the cloud. Research firms have been reporting that big numbers are to be expected from cloud computing over the next few years. This increased spending means bigger software-as-a-service (SaaS) deployments, larger infrastructure implementations and greater expectations of uptime. To achieve these goals, midsize companies need more than just a powerful cloud; they need the right network backbone. Can network architecture keep up with cloud demands?

A Very Good Year

According to a February 19 article from Whir, companies across the globe spent just over $145 billion on cloud computing in 2013. Referencing research findings from IHS Technology, the piece notes that 2014 has an even better outlook, with companies expected to spend almost $175 billion this year, a 20 percent year-to-year increase…

Grazed from eWeek.  Author: Jeffrey Burt.

Broadcom and Huawei Technologies will be among the growing number of vendors bringing network-function virtualization offerings to the Mobile World Congress 2014 show this week.  Broadcom will demonstrate a new platform designed to enable system makers and third-party vendors to create virtualized network function applications that can migrate across multiple system-on-a-chip (SoC) platforms, bringing greater flexibility and cost-effectiveness to network operators and service providers who are navigating an increasingly cloud-based environment.

For their part, Huawei officials at the show will talk about its Cloud Edge solution for deploying network-function virtualization (NFV) capabilities on mobile broadband networks…

Grazed from eCommera.  Author: PR Announcement.

eCommera, a global software-as-a-service (SaaS) and big data company that was formed to help retailers profit from the move to omni-channel commerce, has announced a $41 million Series C funding round – one of the largest raises in its category.

Dawn Capital led the round together with investors West Coast Capital, Frog Capital, ePlanet Capital, WPP and new partner Wti. The funding will be used to advance global growth of a next generation "Decision Intelligent Commerce" solution built exclusively for retailers. This game-changing solution combines big data predictive analytics with online, mobile and operational software to allow retailers to sell everywhere, fulfil from anywhere and to do so profitably…

Grazed from CloudTweaks.  Author: Andrei Maguleanu.

If you follow the gaming scene in its entirety, you have undoubtedly noticed some changes over the past few months. The major change on the gaming scene has undoubtedly been the arrival of the next gen consoles, after years of speculation and rumors. Both the Playstation 4 and the Xbox One are big hits so far, and after testing them both, and after testing them both I was glad to see that they have greatly improved the whole gaming experience. And one of the things I liked the most was, not unexpectedly, the integration of cloud management.

When I first got my hands on an Xbox 360, playing a game was pretty straightforward: buy the console, buy the game on a disc, put the disc in the console, run the install and play. It was the same with the Playstation 3. The problem was that you relied on that single disc, without it you’d simply lose access to the game…

Grazed from PRWeb.  Author: PR Announcement.

Awesome Cloud Services recently published an infographic illustrating the growth of cloud computing. The infographic also showcases the opportunity for IT providers to generate new revenue by providing cloud services to their clients as part of the AwesomeCloud Channel Partner Program.  Cloud Computing Infographic:

http://www.awesomecloud.com/blog/cloud-insights/cloud-computing-infographic/

The infographic is interesting in that it not only outlines the growth rate of cloud services by segment but also predicts growth.

Grazed from CloudComputing Intelligence.  Author: Marcus Austin.

Cloud billing is expected to take off in 2014 but the use of in-house-developed billing systems and manual processes are slowing down businesses moving their apps to the cloud.  A new survey by Cerillion Technologies, has revealed that more than half of all businesses today (53%) are still using either an in-house-developed system or manual processes to bill their customers.

At the same time, the results highlight a clear shift in the way products and services are sold: away from traditional one-off product sales towards a more flexible pricing model based on subscriptions and usage.  One-off pricing models are currently used by 84% of organisations but the research shows that this proportion is set to fall to 51% in the future. In contrast, new pricing initiatives built around an on-going service relationship are growing steadily, including subscriptions, pay-per-use and freemium pricing models…

Grazed from SysCon Media.  Author: Editorial Staff.

Unless you are an IT manager, understanding all of the technical details of how big data technology — such as Hadoop Hive or Apache Pig as a Service — works isn’t as important as understanding how big data can be used to improve lives. Public safety, whether it’s reducing crime rates or maintaining roads and bridges, is a huge undertaking with serious consequences when mistakes are made. Big data can provide additional insights (such as the connection between home games and crime rates discussed below) to governments and businesses to help them keep cities safe, and better respond to disasters when they strike.

Bridge Maintenance

The U.S. Department of Transportation keeps track of more than 600,000 bridges, all of which are more than 20 feet long and used for vehicular traffic. Of those bridges, 25 percent have been classified as deficient. Unfortunately, repairing bridges is an expensive endeavor costing billions of dollars, and until recently, the process of inspecting bridges for problems was slow and inaccurate (since each bridge had to be inspected manually). Occasionally even small mistakes can lead to big consequences, such as when a bridge collapsed in Minneapolis, killing 13 people and injuring 145…

Grazed from BusinessWire.  Author: PR Announcement.

 Catapult Consultants, LLC, a leading healthcare solutions firm, today announced that it has reached a marketing agreement with Blue Ridge Networks, a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions. Catapult will be demonstrating Blue Ridge’s proven solutions for health IT customers next week at the HIMSS Conference (Booth #5579) in Orlando (Feb. 24, 2014 – Feb. 27, 2014).

Catapult Consultants will expand its healthcare capabilities to include Blue Ridge’s mobile and zero-day malware solutions, which protect sensitive patient information by allowing physicians, hospitals and clinical consultants to securely access medical records over hospital networks and through the cloud. Blue Ridge’s isolation and containment technologies provide secure connectivity with advanced protection to prevent identity theft, loss of sensitive data, phishing, and similar threats associated with virtual networking and browser-based medical operations…

Grazed from PRWeb.  Author: PR Announcement.

Intermedia, the world’s largest one-stop shop for cloud IT services and business applications, including hosted Microsoft Exchange, archiving and backup, collaboration and file management, has announced an aggressive growth strategy for EMEA, with a major focus on channel recruitment.

The announcement follows closely on the company’s acquisition of UK security vendor, SaaSID, which bolsters Intermedia’s expanding portfolio with identity and access management tools that provide SMBs with a single point of control over all their cloud services, regardless of provider…

Grazed from OttawaCitizen. Author: Vito Pilieci.

Microsoft Corp. has moved past its days as an operating system and office software provider, according to the company’s new Canadian president. While visiting Ottawa Thursday, Janet Kennedy said the once dominant company has had to learn how to become humble and has even embraced the role of “underdog” in many of the markets it now operates in.

“I look at us in the mindset of a challenger,” said Kennedy. “You are going to see a very different Microsoft a year from now. It won’t be about Windows and Office.” Microsoft’s success over the decades has been due to the company’s ability to dominate the market for desktop computer operating systems and office productivity software…