Grazed from MarketWatch.  Author: PR Announcement.

AMAX, a leading provider of enterprise and cloud computing solutions, has joined the Intel Cloud Builders program, which publishes best practices, hardware blueprints and software architectures on how to deploy cloud infrastructures. The AMAX-Intel reference architecture, published as part of the program, demonstrates how to build private cloud solution using Intel(R) Xeon(R) processor-based servers and helps to accelerate the deployment of secure and efficient cloud computing infrastructures.

"We are pleased to welcome AMAX into the Intel(R) Cloud Builders program with the publication of their reference architecture," said Rick Cecil, Cloud Builder Program Manager, Intel Corporation. "AMAX is the only Intel Platinum Channel Partner currently participating in Cloud Builders, and their detailed guide to the deployment and optimization of a cloud infrastructure will be beneficial to IT managers looking to integrate cloud computing solutions."…

Grazed from MarketWatch.  Author: PR Announcement.

Wyse Technology, the global leader in cloud client computing, today announced the introduction of the Wyse E02 zero client in support of Microsoft’s Shape the Future program, which has provided technology and access to over 10 million students around the world over the past five years. In conjunction with Shape the Future, Microsoft and Wyse have supported significant education-related initiatives in Africa and Eastern Europe. In Serbia, Microsoft’s Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 and Wyse E01 zero clients are expanding access to the latest learning technologies for over 30,000 students.

Jasna Matic, State Secretary for Digital Agenda and former Minister for Telecommunications and Information Society said, "Enhancing ICT for education is a major goal of the Government, and this programme is delivering on our promise to give every student access to their own computer at school. With cutting edge technology from Microsoft and Wyse, our schools have a solid foundation for delivering education to the highest standards."…

Grazed from ITWire.  Author: Stuart Corner.

Huawei has joined the Cloud Security Alliance, a not-for-profit organisation set up to promote best practice in the provision of security assurance within cloud computing, and to provide education on the uses of Cloud Computing to help secure all other forms of computing.

Huawei said it would work with the CSA and its members "to advance their innovative efforts, such as the Trusted Cloud Initiative, to ensure that users of cloud services can have confidence in the security of their information."

Huawei said its membership was part of its commitment to developing more open, cooperative and secure communications ecosystems – linking operators to enterprises to consumers…

Grazed from BBC News.  Author: Tim Weber.

Spanish banking giant BBVA is switching its 110,000 staff to use Google’s range of enterprise software.  The deal is the biggest that the search giant has signed with one company for its cloud-computing services, where software is offered as a service via the internet.  The bank told the BBC it would use Google’s tools only for internal communication.

But the deal can be seen as a breakthrough in corporate adoption.

Banking – with its high security needs and strict regulations – was always considered to be one of the last industries to accept cloud-computing.

BBVA’s director of innovation, Carmen Herranz, stressed that all customer data and other key banking systems would "stay in our own data centres" and be completely separate from the cloud solution…

Grazed from Forbes.  Author: Jacqueline Vanacek.

The cloud computing benefit most often cited is IT’s reduced cost of ownership, because a company can convert fixed IT costs into variable spend for 60-80% of the budget that is used to “keep the lights on.”  The total cost of IT as a percent of revenue is reduced, and that savings can be re-invested to grow the business.

While the IT savings is compelling, the strongest benefit of cloud computing is how it enhances business agility – especially how the cloud can help launch entirely new businesses with little to no up-front capital.

And when cloud computing helps launch businesses focused on improving the greater social good—cloud computing can help change the world…

Grazed from InformationWeek.  Author:  Elizabeth Montalbano.

The federal CIO Council has released security controls for the new agency-wide program that standardizes security requirements for cloud-computing products and services, a key move in setting standards for cloud security across the federal government.

More than 150 security controls in 16 categories have now been defined for the Federal Risk Assessment Program (FedRAMP), which provides common security requirements for cloud implementation on specific types of systems…

Grazed from Channel Pro.  Author: Christine Horton.

Dell is putting the finishing touches on its first partner certifications around cloud computing.

Bob Skelley, Dell’s executive director, Global Certified Partner Programme, confirmed at the vendor’s Storage Forum in London: “We’re very close to launching the first phase of our cloud certification.”

The new certification will be divided into three categories, depending on the type of partner: Cloud Builder, Cloud Provider and Service Enabler – as well as a fourth specialisation based on Dell’s acquired technologies, Boomi and SecureWorks…

Grazed from PR NewsWire.  Author: PR Announcement.

Kurt Johnson, CEO of Horizon Technology and Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2005, announced Monday the official launch of Horizon Private Cloud.

“We are very pleased to announce a bold step forward in cloud computing for the small to medium business market,” said Johnson. “In 2009, Horizon Technology embraced information technology as a competitive advantage and implemented a total desktop virtualization strategy which dramatically changed the way we conduct business. I attribute much of Horizon Technology’s success to this virtual desktop strategy, so much so, we decided to add our name to it – Horizon Private Cloud.”…

Grazed from IT Business Edge.  Author: Michael Vizard.

Enterprise IT continues to get more complex. It’s already difficult to manage distributed computing environments that now have as many, if not more, virtual servers than physical ones. And now IT organizations are wrestling with the prospect of having to manage all those servers across hybrid cloud computing environments.

IT vendors such as IBM in the case of the zEnterprise mainframe or Cisco in the form of the Unified Computing System (UCS) X86 server are responding to these concerns with homogenous platforms that allow IT organizations to consolidate the management of servers, storage and networking under a common management platform…

Grazed from EON.  Author:  PR Announcement.

Lorton Data, a leader in data driven marketing services, today announced the release of A-Qua Command™, a fully automated, cloud-based, enterprise mailing software alternative that integrates directly into mailers’ workflows. Just two years after launching the first complete cloud-based pre-mail processing service, A-Qua Mailer™, Lorton Data adds another powerful solution with A-Qua Command.

“Now, they can seamlessly incorporate this solution into their current workflow at a much lower cost, and also take advantage of everything that cloud computing has to offer.”

In comparison to A-Qua Mailer, where a browser is used to access services, A-Qua Command provides a Windows command line interface for users to configure templates and scripts that automate repetitive or similar address quality and mail list processing jobs. No mailing software is needed…