Grazed from FCW. Author: Bill Aubin.

We’re in an intense era of digital transformation in which every industry is experiencing a shift. And out of this shift we’ve seen the rise of a new digital economy. Some consider that economy — driven by the arrival of new computer technology and a generation of people dedicated to innovation — to be the next Industrial Revolution.

The proof is everywhere: the prevalence of sharing services such as Uber and Postmates, automated business solutions, chatbots and more. Government agencies are under increasing pressure to adapt to the new economy while also facing the challenge of being a growing target for cyberattacks…

Grazed from JDSupra. Author: Editorial Staff.

On October 7, 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”), released a guidance document (the “Guidance”) on the HIPAA-compliant use of cloud computing technologies. The Guidance includes “frequently asked” questions and answers for covered entities and business associates who use cloud products and services.

The Guidance focuses on cloud computing services provided by third-party cloud services providers (“CSPs”). The Guidance notes that “CSPs generally offer online access to shared computing resources with varying levels of functionality depending on users’ requirements.” …

By leveraging CloudFAST’s Microsoft Windows based intelligent file caching technology, distributed enterprises are achieving unprecedented centralization and consolidation of unstructured data, enabling collaboration all while taking performance to new levels, even across global geographies. CloudFAST eliminates distributed enterprise storage complexity and backups allowing organizations to manage data at a single location in an enterprise datacenter or a cloud datacenter while delivering high performance, consistent file access and sharing at geographically dispersed locations. With CloudFAST, all remote users experience real-time access to corporate storage and file shares as if they were in the same office even if the actual data is stored in data centers thousands of miles away.

IT organizations know what a challenge managing a distributed data center can be. Many an IT Director has spent sleepless nights figuring out how to maintain – or fix – data-center infrastructure deployed at regional offices. While they serve a purpose for companies with specific needs, such as those with branch offices far from headquarters or manufacturing facilities spread across the globe, distributed data centers are notorious for being a drain on resources. They can be siloed systems running well below capacity, and they usually require expensive, on-site data-center support, often requiring IT admins to jet around the globe in direct, hands-on-support roles.

But times are changing. The old model of hardware-focused data centers operating as silos in various geographies has given way to a new technology: hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI). While HCI’s predecessor – converged infrastructure – combines compute, networking and storage capabilities on a single chassis in the data center, HCI goes a step further by integrating all of those functions in a software-defined environment. HCI involves running all of the functions of a datacenter as software on the hypervisor rather than on dedicated physical equipment. HCI is packaged in a compact, factory-integrated appliance, enabling data centers to scale by running compute, networking and storage in virtual building blocks and stacking those blocks to create a flexible infrastructure.  

Grazed from FederalNewsRadio. Author: Jason Miller.

Sometimes covering the federal IT community is like a bad roller coaster. The buildup when going up the big hill is exciting and stomach churning. But when the downhill falls flat, you feel a little cheated. That’s the feeling today when it comes to cloud computing. You can’t shake a stick at a conference without someone mentioning the need to the cloud. The crucial role software-, platform-, infrastructure-as-a-service play and will continue to play in the future of federal IT always is hot topic.

But then Deltek’s GovWin puts out a report that is like that flat roller coaster ride. GovWin, a market research firm, looked at preliminary federal procurement data for fiscal 2016 that shows spending on cloud computing hasn’t lived up to its hype. GovWin found civilian agencies have awarded $75.4 million in cloud contracts in 2016 and the Defense Department, its services and agencies awarded $45.3 million in 2016…

Grazed from CXOToday. Author: Sohini Bagchi.

Cloud robotics is gaining significant momentum in recent times. Experts believe increasing investments in cloud-based technology will fuel innovations in the robotics sector, which in turn can have a profound impact on the enterprise – leading to cutting edge innovation and increased efficiency at a much lower cost.

Simply put, cloud robotics is about empowering a robot to work beyond its physical ability. In an interaction with the New York Times, Ken Goldberg, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, defines Cloud robotics as a new way of thinking about robots. “For a long time, we thought that robots were off by themselves, with their own processing power…

Grazed from NetworksAsia. Author: Editorial Staff.

Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group, announced recently at its Computing Conference that it will provide its artificial intelligence (AI), deep learning and data analytics capabilities to two new cutting-edge developments in China, demonstrating its role as a leading driver of the country’s technological advancements.

Initiated by the Hangzhou government, the “Hangzhou City Brain” is set to address the city’s urban living challenges. As the hub to consolidate data and provide real-time analysis, the “Hangzhou City Brain” will rely on Alibaba Cloud’s AI program “ET” and big data analytics capabilities to perform real-time traffic prediction with its video and image recognition technologies…

This Cherwell Service Management Orchestration Pack for Azure enables customers to automate and streamline the service request, provisioning, and change processes for Azure virtual machines (VMs). Users can easily procure and modify Azure VMs using an intuitive self-service portal, and IT departments can apply policies and processes for creating and maintaining VMs. Plus, because requests and changes live within Cherwell Service Management as the system of record, IT teams can track and document the path of work, improving governance while enhancing communications and services to their business users.

Tips for Your Cloud Architecture Design

These days, it seems like companies are migrating to the cloud. The cloud offers some amazing benefits to companies by creating a way for data and applications to be shared and accessed remotely. However, it’s helpful to evaluate the needs of your company prior to making such a large transition. As with most things in life, it’s important to make a plan before getting started with your migration.