HP’s CFO Speaks on the Cloud, Shadow IT, and Tumultuous Times at HP
In its most recent 10-K filing, HP, number 11 among the 2011 Fortune 500, lists among its business risks “the growing demand for an increasing array of mobile computing devices” as well as the “development of cloud-based solutions,” both of which could “reduce demand for some of our existing hardware products” and consequently require HP to “transition to an environment characterized by cloud-based computing and software being delivered as a service.”
So far, that transition could not fairly be described as smooth. It has been marked by former CEO Leo Apotheker’s announcement last August that HP would abandon its TouchPad tablet (an “existing hardware product”), meaning, essentially, that it would write off its investment in the WebOS operating system (for “mobile computing devices”) HP got by acquiring Palm (for $1.2 billion) in 2010…
The Green Cloud: Grounded Reality or Smoke and Mirrors?
Cloud computing is making broad strides across the technology industry as more small and midsize businesses (SMBs) find benefit in having their data stored off-site and in getting infrastructure, software, and even platforms delivered on demand. While the concept of the cloud is not new–Hotmail was one of the first widely adopted pieces of software-as-a-service (SaaS) back in 1997–what is new is the way the cloud is being sold. According to providers, this technology is naturally energy-efficient, inherently a "green cloud" that can save on energy expenditures. But is this the real deal or just greenwashing hype?
What’s Behind the Cloud Curtain?
A recent article at Enterprise Irregulars discusses a presentation given by Tom Raftery, in which he argues that cloud computing is not as green as SMBs are led to believe. While the technology expands on the data center concept that’s been around since the 1960s and certainly improves on its efficiency, Raftery’s contention is that very few providers are "chasing the moon" (i.e., actually making sure they take advantage of things like low-cost power at night or moving their services from data center to data center as power rates fluctuate across the globe and over the course of a day)…
Cloud Computing: LG Signs Android Patent Deal with Microsoft
LG Electronics Thursday became the latest Android and Chrome OS peddler to bow to Microsoft’s patent claims and sign a "patent agreement" that Microsoft said "provides broad coverage under Microsoft’s patent portfolio for LG’s tablets, mobile phones and other consumer devices running the Android or Chrome OS Platform."
Usually Microsoft brags that it’s getting paid for privilege. This time it didn’t a word about royalties, merely noting that the "contents of the agreement have not been disclosed," describing the deal as expanding on a pre-existing agreement. That license covered Linux and, as FOSS Patents points out, Android is a Linux fork. So, the new arrangement is assumed to be royalty-bearing…
African Cloud Computing deployment set to rise in 2012
Intel’s journey in to cloud computing
Being a computing innovation company, Intel has one of the largest internal IT infrastructure spread across its organization and facilities globally.
In addition to its 82,500 employes, including 6,300 IT employees, the company has 91 data centres, 75,000 servers spread over 4,58,000 square feet area, more than 1,05,000 computing devices and over 14,000 hand held devices, of which 90 per cent is employee owned.
With increasing number of headcounts and ever growing demand for IT and computing resources, Intel had no other choice but to consolidate its internal IT requirements that would help addressing annual IT budgets as well as overall operational costs…
Retail Anywhere Announces POS SuiteApp For NetSuite’s SuiteCloud Computing Platform
Retail Anywhere, a leading provider of point of sale and retail management systems for midsize retailers, today announced the general availability of its Retail Anywhere POS SuiteApp built using the NetSuite SuiteCloud Computing Platform. The Retail Anywhere POS SuiteApp, combined with NetSuite’s cloud computing business management suite, unlocks a comprehensive, multi-channel retail management solution for retailers.
NetSuite’s SuiteCloud is a comprehensive offering of cloud-based products, development tools, and services designed to help customers and commercial software developers take advantage of the significant economic benefits of cloud computing. The complete SuiteCloud includes NetSuite’s multi-tenant, always-on SaaS infrastructure and the NetSuite Business Suite of applications which cover accounting, enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM) and Ecommerce…
DeskStream Acquires Northern Irish Cloud Start-up WorldDesk
DeskStream Inc., a leading provider of desktop virtualisation software, has today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire a prominent Northern Irish start-up in the cloud computing and virtualisation software space. DeskStream, with development centres in California, U.S.A., and Hyderabad, India, will acquire Belfast-based start-up, WorldDesk Ltd. The deal was announced at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
The financial terms of the deal, which will close in the first quarter of 2012, have not been disclosed but the acquisition will see DeskStream adopt the WorldDesk name and branding with immediate effect.
With the acquisition of WorldDesk, DeskStream will take control of a unique cloud-based workspace delivery platform prototype built on Dropbox but is capable of being extended to leverage other cloud storage providers. DeskStream will also add customer support services, marketing expertise and additional software development capabilities. The deal will see the employees of WorldDesk, including co-founders Jonathan Chesney and Claire Moore, join DeskStream. WorldDesk, founded in 2010, will continue to be based in Belfast…
Cloud Computing – A Look Back to Basics
There has been much talk about the cloud and about how it can help businesses and how cloud computing is one of the top technologies of the future. Although, at this point it is probably more appropriate to say cloud computing is the present and the future. But starting with the name, cloud computing, and also looking at the vast majority of articles written about the cloud, one may think that it is an incorporeal thing, floating out there somewhere and providing services. The truth is, cloud computing as it is today has been made possible by technological advances in the data center industry. Yes, data center, a term slightly less glamorous than cloud computing, that lays at the foundation of cloud computing.
The infrastructure serving the cloud may not be glamorous, but it is, nonetheless, essential. There are a few key issues the infrastructure underlying the cloud has to provide for: scalability, flexibility, reliability, virtualization, and security…
MuleSoft Wins 2012 Cloud Award; Recognized in PaaS Category with iON Integration Platform as a Service
MuleSoft, provider of the #1 integration platform for the cloud and enterprise, today announced that it has been named a winner of the 2012 Cloud Awards. The annual Cloud Awards program, open internationally across the US and EMEA regions, recognizes and celebrates industry leaders and pioneers in the field of cloud computing. MuleSoft’s iON, a cloud-based integration platform as a service (iPaaS), won the Best Platform as a Service category.
Cloud Awards organizer Larry Johnson said, “Almost 200 organizations entered the program, which is among the first of its kind. We were swamped by entries, and the standard was remarkably high. Judging the submissions was a challenging task. But we’re happy to endorse MuleSoft as among the best of the best in their field.”…
Intelligent, Auto-Scalable Cloud Platform ‘eNlight’ by Eukhost Ltd.
eUKhost Ltd. a UK based company offering fully managed web hosting services, announced a public launch of their new cloud platform eNlight. The new Cloud Platform offers users’ privileges such as rapid deployment of VMs, VM management through an easy to use web based interface and an auto-scalable multi-server cluster architecture. eNlight focuses on a true pay-as-you-go payment model.
“eNlight offers an altogether different approach to instant vertical scaling capabilities of a Cloud. With eNlight, users can avail flexibility, economy and security at the same time, unlike any other company in the industry.” claims a senior representative from eUKhost Ltd. eUKhost’s ten years of experience offers them the capability to serve a robust environment for eNlight servers as a service product. The web-based GUI powered by AJAX, helps customers with real-time deployment of new VMs as well as real time monitoring of the already created VMs. eNlight offers an on-demand intelligent auto-scalable service created on a cluster of high configuration dedicated servers…