Grazed from Credit Union Times.  Author: Jason Ray.

Companies are quick to incorporate cloud computing into their business functions, and with all the benefits the cloud offers, it’s easy to understand why.

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platforms, like Salesforce.com, allow employees to conduct their work more efficiently and at a reduced cost to the company. Meanwhile, personal cloud-computing networks, such as LinkedIn, have become important marketing and recruiting tools.  

Yet, despite all the good that cloud computing has to offer, the potential risk exposure it presents is enough to keep in-house counsel up at night.

Legal departments are just beginning to understand how cloud computing may impact e-discovery, and the initial reaction of many corporate counsel is to exert extensive control over the flow of electronic information. However, as the landscape of cloud-based apps and social media changes on a daily basis, attempting to control the actions of employees is becoming an impossible task…

Grazed from DailyFinance.  Author: Keki Fatakia.

Cloud-computing software maker VMware (NYS: VMW) seems to be on a roll. The company’s first-quarter revenue managed to beat analyst expectations, as it came in at a little over $1 billion, about 25% higher than the comparable quarter last year. That’s also applicable for the company’s more-than-expected net income, which soared 52% to $191.4 million.

So what is it that makes VMware tick and why should it continue doing well in the future?

A cloud-driven future
The whole thing boils down to the fact that companies like VMware are benefiting from the boom in customers who prefer to cut costs by shifting to a cloud-computing-based IT system. In fact, the sheer demand for the company’s cloud-based products even prompted VMware to raise its full-year revenue forecast to between $4.53 billion and $4.63 billion, in contrast to the $3.77 billion it made last year…

Grazed from CRN.  Author: Editorial Staff.

As the cloud computing model has moved from hype to a bona fide segment of the technology landscape in a few short years, distinguishing the major players from those just looking to throw their hat in the ring can be a difficult task. For solution providers and their customers looking to reap the benefits of the cloud, sifting through the increasing list of potential partners can be downright daunting.

Fortunately CRN has drilled into the growing madness that is the cloud computing industry with an annual list that examines the best-of-the-best when it comes to cloud vendors. The aim of CRN’s 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Vendors is to identify the most innovative cloud vendors across the platforms, infrastructure, storage, security and software segments. For solution providers already arming customers with cloud services, check to see if your partner made the cut. And for those looking to get into the cloud game, don’t select a vendor without consulting this list…

Grazed from Wired.  Author: Alexander Haislip.

Most people don’t realize that there are two HPs in Silicon Valley.  There’s the one you know from the news, plagued by scandals such as journalist spying, Russian bribery and that whole Mark Hurd thing. The one that appointed a CEO nobody interviewed who tried to scrap its flagship business. The big, old behemoth.

But as HP prepares for the May 10 launch of its public cloud and HP Cloud Services, people are going to start noticing the other HP.

The other HP closes the biggest contracts to be had and books ridiculous revenue by making large corporations and governments very comfortable with a new technology and pulling them into the future…

Grazed from MiamiHerald.  Author: Joseph A. Mann Jr.

Fort Lauderdale-based Citrix Systems on Wednesday opened its annual Synergy conference in San Francisco and announced a series of new products, services and enhancements aimed at easing the transition from the PC era to the cloud computing era.

Previously, it was assumed that employees were going to work in offices on devices owned and managed by companies on large corporate computer systems and using well controlled applications, Wes Wasson, Citrix’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer, said in a pre-conference briefing.

“The key to success in the cloud era is to design everything you do with the assumption that everyone is mobile and is using a mix of personal devices, communications over wireless networks you do not own and using cloud systems,” Wasson said. Young people today are accustomed to working with a wide variety of apps and often arrive at a company with a set of their favorite apps. “This is the new normal.”…

Grazed from V3.co.uk.  Author: Daniel Robinson.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has extended its cloud computing service offerings aimed at Windows developers with the introduction of SQL database and ASP.Net application support as managed services.

Available now worldwide, the Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS) for Microsoft SQL Server and ASP.Net support for AWS Elastic Beanstalk enable organisations to deploy SQL Server databases and ASP.Net applications onto Amazon’s cloud infrastructure using familiar Microsoft tools, without having to worry about management or adding extra resources if they need to scale up, the firm said.

"We’re excited to give Windows and ASP.Net developers new options for taking advantage of AWS to quickly deploy and easily manage their databases and applications in the cloud," said Amazon Web Services vice president Charlie Bell…

Grazed from BusinessWire.  Author: PR Announcement.

6fusion, the leading provider of utility metered public, private, and hybrid cloud infrastructure management solutions today announced multi-hypervisor support with the expansion of its cloud computing platform to support the Open Source and Citrix Xen platforms.

“6fusion’s objective is to neutralize the relevance of the hypervisor when building cloud infrastructure,” says John Cowan, CEO and co-founder of 6fusion. “With this release, customers now not only have the ability to operate Xen based infrastructure side by side with other hypervisors managed by 6fusion’s UC6 platform, but they can move cloud workloads seamlessly across private or public cloud infrastructure managed by different hypervisor technologies,” he added.

With this new release, 6fusion users will have the ability to build, meter, and manage both public and private infrastructures using the VMware vSphere, Open Source Xen, and Citrix Xen virtualization platforms…

Grazed from Computing.co.uk.  Author: Graeme Burton.

Grazed from MarketWatch.  Author: PR Announcement.

Wyse Technology, the global leader in cloud client computing, today announced the Wyse Xenith 2, based on the ultra-secure Wyse zero framework. This breakthrough zero client was revealed today at Citrix Synergy(TM) 2012, the premier event on cloud computing, virtualization and networking. Wyse, the leading shipper of fixed and mobile desktop zero clients in the world, will be demonstrating the Xenith 2 at Wyse Booth #206 from May 9-10, 2012.

Following on the success of the Wyse Xenith and Wyse Xenith Pro, the Wyse Xenith 2 is the ideal Citrix zero client solution for both enterprise and SMB organizations. The Wyse Xenith 2 zero client is purpose-built for Citrix XenDesktop(R) blending the amazing cost benefits of the ARM System-on-Chip (SoC) architecture, with a non-Windows Citrix Receiver compatible client, developed in cooperation with Citrix. Improving on the success of the Xenith, with 30% faster performance and lower power consumption, the result is a super secure, very affordable, true high-fidelity desktop experience. For users requiring a diverse variety of applications, including HD multimedia, the Wyse Xenith 2 delivers a new standard in price and performance in a compact zero client and delivers an unprecedented combination of simplicity, performance and security for office-based workers…