Cloud computing is ‘outsourcing on steroids’
Loh Tiak Koon, HiSoft‘s chief executive, explained to ZDNet Asia that there is an overlap between cloud computing and outsourcing, rather than a clash.
Kroes calls for better EU cloud security
"A cloud without robust data protection is not the sort of cloud we need. So these features should be well-integrated in the design of cloud-computing products and services, from the very beginning of the business processes," Kroes said on Thursday in a speech at the Les Assises du Numerique conference in Paris.
Data protection standards must also be transnational, she added, noting that "the free movement of personal data within the EU is another way to complete the digital single market in Europe".
Long-Term Doubts Over the Private Cloud
Most enterprise executives find the idea of the private cloud very appealing. After all, what’s not to like about enjoying all that scalability and flexibility within your own firewall.
But there’s a growing chorus of voices arguing that the economics of the private cloud do not work. Not only are most enterprises too small to see any real benefit to manning their own clouds, but the security and reliability fears surrounding the much more cost-effective public cloud are overblown. Private clouds, therefore, entail all the costs of traditional infrastructure but deliver none of the benefits.
Software-as-a-service solutions recommended to insurance companies
Many insurance companies could benefit from using software-as-a-service solutions inside their organisation.
This is the opinion of Benjamin Moreland, a senior analyst at Celent, who told Information Management now is the time for many businesses working in the field to seriously consider making use of such offerings.
"You can no longer delude yourself into thinking you can do IT solutions better than any software-as-a-service vendor, especially into today’s market where utilisation, agility [and] speed to market … are key business drivers," he stated.
SAP to Pay Oracle $1.3 Billion in Damages
Cloud computing ‘has many potential benefits’
Cloud computing solutions offer users a wide array of potential benefits, it has been explained.
According to Gartner research vice president Rakesh Kumar, there are a number of factors which are leading to more people and businesses considering making use of the technology.
"The potential benefits of cloud are a shift from ‘capacity’ on demand to ‘capability’ on demand, a reduced cost of computing resources and a shift from technology use to ‘value’ consumption," the expert said.
Out of Many, One In-box
Smart phones allow multiple ways to connect with friends, from phone calls to Twitter messages, but each has its own app or in-box. Now the cell-phone manufacturer Nokia is experimenting with a universal in-box that puts messages and updates from separate apps in one location, so you can see everything at a glance.
The universal in-box looks superficially like a regular e-mail in-box. But the stream of recent messages can be a mixture of e-mails, text messages, call logs, tweets, Facebook updates, Flickr photos, and more.
10 questions to ask your cloud provider
Earlier this month I attended a Red Hat sponsored Cloud Camp. (Full disclosure: They gave me a hat–guess what colour it is?) One of the most interesting discussions for me centered on Red Hat’s recently announced Cloud Engine.
I found the Deltacloud API concept quite compelling. Without getting into technical details of an as yet unreleased product, let me quickly outline the parts that I found most exciting by describing a possible future scenario of how the Cloud Engine would work using the Deltacloud functionality:
Information Governance In The Clouds
In the rush to adopt public and hybrid cloud computing services organizations appear to be ignoring the emerging risks to information governance – policy compliance and enforcement – according to a new report from EMC’s Leadership Council for Information Advantage, a blue-chip panel of IT execs. Using IDC data, EMC says 75 percent of IT organizations are running or plan to deploy applications in a private cloud environment, but only 34 percent have a governance policy for cloud-based information. Over half — 57 percent — believe their organizations need to do more, and almost a third report they are not confident in their preparedness.
Companies that Ignore Cloud Computing Could Be Left for Dead
I wrote a few months ago in Wall Street & Technology about the dissolution of the corporate data center brought about by the undermining of data center economics resulting from colocation and proximity hosting. As one major tenant leaves the data center, the "rent" lost from that tenant is shifted to the remaining tenants, increasing their costs and reducing their profitability. Higher allocations force more tenants to leave, until processing costs force everyone out of the data center. It’s the "last guy at the bar picks up the tab" phenomenon. I believed this erosion would take place over the next 10 years or so.