Grazed from PCWorld. Author: Damon Poeter.

Dell’s long-promised, cloud-tapping, enterprise-computing-environment-on-a-stick is finally here. The company on Wednesday announced the general availability of the Dell Wyse Cloud Connect dongle, first unveiled way back in January 2013 with the code name Project Ophelia.

Dell Wyse Cloud Connect devices are priced at $129 per unit and plug into any compatible monitor to deliver access to the desktops, data, apps, and corporate networks utilized by business users. The upshot is that the dongle, which runs a hardened version of Android, offers access to those assets and data from virtually anywhere a user can plug it in, whether it’s the corporate office, home office, or on the road…

Grazed from PCWorld. Author: Stephen Lawson.

If the hardest part of the “Internet of Things” is getting to the Things, Cisco Systems is offering a lifeline. The so-called IoT encompasses a range of Internet-capable devices that could be almost limitless: Thermometers, electric meters, brake assemblies, blood pressure gauges and almost anything else that can be monitored or measured. The one thing they have in common is that they’re spread out around the world.

From a network builder’s perspective, the biggest challenge this poses is backhaul, or the links between devices in the field and data centers that can analyze and respond to the data they spit out. Typically, IoT devices talk to a small router nearby, but that router may have a tenuous and intermittent connection to the Internet…

Grazed from Business2Community. Author: Eugene Rudenko.

The beginning of a new year is a perfect time to make plans and predictions for the year ahead. Cloud technologies are one of the most rapidly growing sectors in IT and it draws a lot of attention. I’ve tried to come up with the possible (in my opinion) trends in the clouds that will take place in 2014. Here’s what I’ve got.

Blurred boundaries between cloud technologies and CDN

From the point of view of cloud technologies, network is the last obstacle on the way of common shift to clouds. That’s why network technologies will be subject to improvement and growth, and their efficiency will increase. The main goal of their improvement will be the faster data delivery among cloud servers…

Grazed from CloudTweaks. Author: iWeb.

Many people have heard of cloud computing. There is however a tremendous number of people who still cannot differentiate between Public, Private & Hybrid cloud offerings. Here is an excellent infographic provided by the group at iWeb which goes into greater detail on this subject…

To view infographic, visit http://cloudtweaks.com/2014/01/cloud-infographic-cloud-public-private-hybrid-differences/

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Grazed from Forbes. Author: Joe McKendrick.

Cloud computing represents one of those once-in-a-generation shifts that not only changes the way we think about managing information, but also the way we design and run businesses. Sometimes, people get a little too excited about all the possibilities, however, and jump in with both feet without thinking things through.

For that reason, Mike Kavis, a seasoned chief technology officer and IT architect, urges greater care when rushing into the cloud space. That’s the theme of his latest book, titled Architecting the Cloud: Design Decisions for Cloud Computing Service Models, which explores the key steps both IT and business leaders need to take as they enter the cloud world. (Kavis provided me the opportunity to preview the book a few weeks back, and my endorsement appears on the back cover.) He identifies some of the "worst practices" he has seen that tend to make cloud projects go awry:…

Grazed from ODCA. Author: PR Announcement.

Open Data Center Alliance (ODCA), the global organization where members work together to advance the deployment of enterprise cloud solutions and services that are interoperable, secure and free of vendor lock-in, today announced that it has become a Technology Sponsor of Cloud World Series (CWS) events. As a CWS partner, ODCA will hold leadership events and experts from its membership will deliver keynotes, participate in panels, and lead technology sessions focused on best practices for open enterprise cloud computing at CWS events around the globe. The partnership provides CWS event attendees with a unique opportunity to meet and learn from ODCA members who are leaders in driving the open enterprise cloud.

"The Cloud World Series are important events for bringing enterprise IT experts together to address some of the most important issues facing the data center today," said Correy Voo, president of the ODCA Board of Directors and chief technology officer at UBS. – We’re excited to be collaborating with CWS in markets around the world and look forward to demonstrating how our members are using ODCA usage models to unlock the business benefits associated with open enterprise cloud computing and to ease and speed the migration of data center IT operations to the cloud."…

Grazed from Napatech. Author: PR Announcement.

Napatech, the world’s leading supplier of network analysis adapters, today commented on reports from both Cisco and McAfee predicting a sharp rise in distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks in 2014. Napatech is focused on addressing the security challenges facing enterprises today and proposes a holistic solution based on analysis of a combination of network and security information.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• As the use of cloud computing, big data analytics and mobility continue to soar, so will an increase in data traffic, changes in traffic patterns and the potential exposure of network vulnerabilities, including DDoS attacks. Cisco reports in its 2014 Annual Security Report that the occurrence of DDoS attacks have been increasing in both volume and severity, while McAfee reports that the deployment of cloud-based corporate applications will create new attack surfaces that will be exploited by cybercriminals…

Grazed from GlobalNewsWire. Author: PR Announcement.

Cbeyond, Inc., the technology ally to small and mid-sized businesses, announced today it placed as a finalist in three 2013-2014 Cloud Awards Program categories: TotalCloud(R) Phone System for Best in Mobile Cloud Solution (finalist), TotalCloud(R) Data Center for Best Cloud Infrastructure (finalist) and Best B2B Customer Strategy (finalist).

Identifying and celebrating excellence in the field of cloud computing, the cloud computing awards program encourages entries from across the globe. Entrants can be from organizations of any size, including start-ups. Over 200 organizations made submissions, with entries coming from Europe, the U.S., Canada, Australia and the Middle East…

Grazed from TalkinCloud. Author: Chris Talbot.

Fears that began last year about National Security Agency (NSA) spying techniques could have a significant impact on cloud revenue over the next three years, according to some industry trade groups and analysts. But the dollar figures being quoted seem more like warnings from Chicken Little or that lad who cried "wolf."

Six technology groups wrote to the White House in December noting they believed the NSA scandal could cost upwards of $35 billion in revenue in the cloud computing sector by the end of 2016. Not an insignificant dollar figure at all, but James Staten, an analyst at Forrester Research, wrote in a blog post that $35 billion is too conservative of an estimate. Instead, Staten said the market could face a $180 billion shortfall in that timeframe. By estimates, that’s a 25 percent hit to service provider revenue, he noted…

Grazed from v3.co.uk. Author: Carly Page.

Local storage is the sixth most important factor for smartphone buyers, while it is the third most important for those purchasing a laptop, research firm Gartner has claimed, thanks in part to the rise of cloud storage solutions. Gartner told V3 that battery life and the speed of 3G and 4G cellular connectivity are more important considerations when purchasing a new handset than storage.

Of course, buyers are also wooed by factors such as a glossy, metallic casing, or a 6in screen, for example, with demand for large-screen smartphone devices due to grow by 600 percent in the next three years. While some may regard the amount of storage too important to be placed sixth on the list, this ranking can be credited in part to the growth of cloud storage. Apple offers 5GB of free iCloud storage for a new iPhone buyer and Samsung smartphones boast 25GB of free Dropbox storage, for example…