Grazed from TalkinCloud. Author: CJ Arlotta.

Security and storage solutions provider Barracuda Networks Inc. announced a joint relationship with Drobo, a developer of data storage products for businesses and professionals, that aims to bring cloud accessibility and storage to Drobo customers. Drobo 5N, designed to enable sharing of storage and accessing of data, will be integrated with Barracuda Copy, allowing users to access shared files from any location and any device. The integration of both solutions extends the Copy cloud functionality to Drobo users and enables the following key features:

• File sharing – Anything users store on the Drobo device and share with Copy can be accessed without the hassle of file attachments. Unlike email attachments with size limitations, Copy allows users to upload and share files of any size, including 1080p videos and photographs…

Grazed from DataCenter Knowledge. Author: Bill Kleyman.

With cloud computing taking off at a very fast pace — some administrators are scrambling to jump into the technology. Unfortunately, many organizations are purchasing the right gear, deploying the right technologies, but still forgetting the policy creation process.

The truth is that cloud computing is relatively new for many organizations. This means that companies looking to enter the cloud must be careful and avoid jumping in with both feet. Although every environment is unique, administrators must take the time to create a plan which will help them retain control over their cloud initiative…

Grazed from FortMillsTimes. Author: Editorial Staff.

Accenture has been recognized with an HP Partner in Excellence Global Innovation Award for Cloud Computing at the 2013 HP Global Partner Conference. HP Partner in Excellence Award winners are selected by a panel of HP Alliance executives and presented to outstanding HP partners worldwide who have demonstrated exceptional business performance, achieved significant overall growth, have delivered innovative solutions to customers, or have demonstrated IT innovation through philanthropic activities in their local communities.

The HP Partner in Excellence Global Innovation Award for Cloud Computing honors Accenture for demonstrating significant success with HP by implementing a Private Cloud solution for a global healthcare products client…

Grazed from GovConWire. Author: Ross Wilkers.

Accenture Federal Services has won a five-year, $24.4 million contract to transition the U.S. National Science Foundation’s financial accounting system to a cloud computing environment. The company plans to host the agency’s 25-year old system in a shared service environment and use commercial-off-the-shelf software for the project, Accenture said Thursday.

NSF managed and dispersed $5.72 billion in funding for research and related activities last year for fields such as mathematics, computer science and the social sciences.
Formed in 1950, NSF contributes funding for nearly 20 percent of federally-supported research at colleges and universities…

Grazed from CloudTweaks. Author: Editorial Staff.

1) Al Gore Invented the Cloud.

The collective sigh heard around the world when they read this section may signal that this joke has run its course, but you must have forgotten already, this article is about what your parent’s think. In addition, the day your dad stops telling the same bad joke over and over again is the day he is no longer a father. So let me explain an inconvenient truth (see what I did there?) about this misconception. Sure the joke, “Al Gore invented the internet,” is a little old but your parents had seven years to work on this environmental Cloud twist to the joke to shock it back to life. Now our parents will confuse their joke with reality and we have to hear them complain about Al Gore for a few more years. Just let the man be!

2) “Auntie Em, Auntie Em It’s a Twister!”

One day I hope you are graced with, “So if everyone uses this Cloud, how does it keep everyone’s stuff separate?” You may laugh at the absurdity of this, but sadly I was not fortunate enough of coming up with such a wonderful question. It seems that with some parents the Cloud produces thoughts of the mighty tornado, nature’s fiercest re-arranger of stuff. So it only makes sense that when the Cloud’s network processor becomes too hot and then mixes with the cooling system it produces a twister of biblical proportions from your Cloud and out pops apps, pictures, music, and movies that aren’t even yours. Because nothing can stop the mighty tornado Cloud as it throws all your information to other random Cloud users and you will lose everything!…

Grazed from Forbes. Author: Louis Columbus.

Hiring great people and creating a culture of achievement that is fun, focused and able to get challenging tasks done is not an easy task. Keeping that culture strong and focused on the customer takes a unique leader that consistently earns trust and respect. Those are the qualities I think of whenever I’m asked to recommend the best cloud computing companies to work for.

Using the scores from Glassdoor.com I’ve put together the table below comparing cloud computing companies and when available, the percentage of employees who approve of their CEO. Cloud computing companies are sorted based on the percentage of employees would recommend their company to a friend…

Grazed from Mashable. Author: Chris Taylor.

The tech pundit jury has apparently reached a solemn, sober verdict on the Chromebook Pixel laptop Google launched Thursday. And the verdict is … "Oh my God, look at the sticker price!" (Tech pundits faint with shock.) This rush to judgment, most of it without so much as seeing the device, is a great pity. I’ve been using the Pixel all day, and it’s one of the most gorgeous pieces of hardware I’ve picked up in a while.

The Pixel is a pleasure to use, with a screen that’s just as eye-poppingly beautiful as a Macbook Retina — except you can navigate it by touch like a retina-display iPad. (And if you don’t want to touch the screen, the giant glass trackpad on the keyboard is just as awesome.) The i5 chipset is incredibly fast. A great deal of thought went into every aspect of its construction, from the click of the keyboard to the solid car-door clunk of the magnetic latch…

Grazed from InfoWorld. Author: Lucas Mearian.

Calling it the biggest news since its creation, VCE today added two low-end models to its line of Vblock pre-configured, cloud-computing systems. VCE also announced it is teaming with SAP AG to add the SAP HANA database to its Vblock system. Models prequalified to work with the in-memory database software are called Vblock specialized System SAP HANA.

The new Vblock System 100 and System 200 models join the System 300 and System systems. Additionally, VCE unveiled a new software management application said to give users a single view of their entire Vblock environment. The new software, called VCE Vision Intelligent Operations, allows the preconfigured systems to be managed in a "much simpler converged way," said Nina Hargus, VCE’s chief marketing officer…

Grazed from InfoWorld. Author: Juan Carlos Perez.

Google has launched fee-based support services for customers of its cloud platform and infrastructure products, like App Engine, Compute Engine, Cloud Storage, and Big Query. Google, often criticized over the years for having weak technical support both for consumers and enterprise customers, rolled out a four-tier support program specifically for customers of its Cloud Platform services.

"Support is as important as product features when choosing a platform for your applications. And let’s face it, sometimes we all need a bit of help," wrote Brett McCully, from the Google Cloud Platform Team, in a blog post on Thursday. The Bronze tier, which is free, includes access to online documentation, community forums and billing help. Building on those services, the Silver tier, which costs $150 per month per account, adds the ability for customers to ask the Cloud Platform support team questions via email related to product functionality, best practices and service errors…

Grazed from HispanicBusiness.  Author: Editorial Staff.

Business advisory company PwC US on Wednesday announced the publication of a new book titled Business Models for the Social Mobile Cloud: Transform Your Business Using Social Media, Mobile Internet, and Cloud Computing by Ted Shelton, a managing director in its US Advisory practice. 


The effects of social media, the mobile Internet and cloud computing technologies on business are all examined in the book, which offers advice on how to use those technologies in support of business objectives for innovation and growth.

Shelton’s title is published by John Wiley & Sons Inc and is available in both print and all e-book formats.