Author: David

January 17, 2012 Off

Release of OpenNebula 3.2 for Data Center Virtualization and Private Cloud Computing

By David
Grazed from PR NewsWire.  Author: PR Announcement.

OpenNebula 3.2 is the most feature-rich enterprise-class open-source software for comprehensive management of virtualized data centers based on Xen, KVM and VMware.

The OpenNebula Project is proud to announce the release of a new stable version of its widely deployed open-source management platform for enterprise data center virtualization. OpenNebula 3.2 is the first stable distribution produced by OpenNebula’s new release cycle aimed at faster delivery of new features and innovations to the community, based on their requirements and feedback, while also increasing technical quality.

"The most recent requirements of organizations building large scale production environments have been the driving force behind all our development and innovation efforts in OpenNebula 3.2," said Ignacio M. Llorente, Director of the OpenNebula Project. "Most of these organzations are using OpenNebula as an enterprise-ready open-source alternative to proprietary cloud solutions."…

January 17, 2012 Off

Technology ‘Bigfeet’ Like IBM, Cisco Systems, SAP Form Standards Unit for Cloud Computing

By David
Grazed from International Business Times.  Author: David Zielenziger.

More than a dozen of the biggest technology companies, including IBM, Cisco Systems and SAP, formally announced a new standards-setting committee Monday for the emerging sector of cloud computing.

The goal of the big guns is to develop some early benchmarks for the cloud, or Internet-based computing, as early as the fourth quarter of 2012, IBM’s chief technology officer for cloud computing, Chris Ferris, told International Business Times…

January 17, 2012 Off

Red Hat RHEV 3.0 to launch this Wednesday? We’re virtually sure…

By David
Grazed from The Register.  Author: Timothy Prickett Morgan.

Commercial Linux and Java development tool distributor Red Hat has big aspirations in the server virtualization and cloud computing arenas, and it looks like the company is getting ready to bust out the 3.0 version of its Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization hypervisor – RHEV for short.

Red Hat has cooked up an all-day event for this Wednesday, January 18, that it calls the "Virtual Experience", and that’s dedicated mostly to the RHEV hypervisor and its surrounding tools and ecosystem partners. (You can see the agenda here.) Paul Cormier, president and executive vice president of products and technology, and Navin Thadani, senior director of the company’s virtualization business, will kick off the event – and that almost certainly means RHEV 3.0 is ready for launch…

January 17, 2012 Off

Lotusphere: IBM takes on Google and Microsoft with cloud-hosted document-editing tool

By David
Grazed from V3.co.uk.  Author: Dan Worth.

IBM has announced it will launch a cloud-hosted document-editing tool in the second half of 2012 to help firms collaborate more effectively, as it looks to compete with similar offerings from Microsoft and Google.

The IBM Docs tool will form part of the firm’s LotusLive cloud computing platform, which is being rebranded IBM Smart Cloud for Social Business and said it will enable staff to share and edit text documents, spreadsheets and presentations in real-time…

January 17, 2012 Off

What SMBs Need to Know About SaaS…Now

By David
Grazed from Forbes.  Author: Bill O’Dell.

Software as a Service is one of – if not the most – popular cloud delivery models for small- and medium-sized businesses. According to Gartner’s Hype Cycle for Cloud Computing (2011), SaaS is entering the mainstream market in the next two to five years. The SaaS model levels the playing field between growing businesses and larger competitors, by equipping SMBs with application functionality that only large enterprises previously enjoyed. Moreover, this increase in functionality no longer requires huge investments in technology and resources.

SMBs no longer have to worry about the costs and investment associated with building and maintaining an infrastructure to support modern business applications as the SaaS subscription and delivery model now makes these applications affordable to businesses of all sizes…

January 17, 2012 Off

Has SAP gotten cloud religion?

By David
Grazed from GigaOm.  Author: Barb Darrow.

Last Friday, when SAP pre-announced better-than-expected earnings for its 2011 fiscal year, there was no mention of cloud computing. But, there’s a feeling the company, as it completes its buyout of SuccessFactors and closes more Business ByDesign deals, just might be able to put its reputation of cloud cluelessness behind it.

SAP is the leader in enterprise resource planning (ERP): the software brains behind most companies’ inventory and accounting systems. But in the tough transition from client-server to cloud computing, SAP lost its way. It launched a subscription-based Business ByDesign ERP offering in 2007, boldly predicting it would attract 10,000 customers and contribute €1 billion in revenue by 2010. It came in just a little bit short — only 100 companies signed up…

January 17, 2012 Off

The downside of cloud computing: 4 reasons to think twice

By David
Grazed from CloudBeat.  Author: Casper Manes.

You’ve probably seen tons of articles, editorials, and marketing anecdotes about how great the cloud is; how it can save you tons of money, empower you to do incredible things, free your staff up to do all kinds of important projects, and more. There’s a great deal that is true and accurate in all of those assertions to be sure, even if most of the writing is intended to convince you to buy into the hype. I’m a fan of cloud computing, having bought into it while at two separate companies and working in it now for a cloud services provider.

However, both as a customer twice over and as a consultant helping others move to the cloud, I have seen the other side of the rainbow; I’ve seen where the rain falls and where the reality doesn’t quite live up to the hype, and where you as a customer might be surprised or disappointed…

January 16, 2012 Off

Amazon starts offering free Windows Server in the cloud

By David
Grazed from GeekWire.  Author: Todd Bishop.

Amazon Web Services plans to start letting businesses run Windows Server applications for free for up to 750 hours of usage per month, putting the Microsoft operating alongside Linux in the Free Usage Tier designed to help new AWS customers get started with cloud computing.

The offer, through the company’s Elastic Compute Cloud infrastructure, was announced this morning.

“Our customers want the flexibility to choose how they build their applications without being locked into a particular programming model, language, or operating system. We continue to focus on increasing that flexibility,” say Amazon GM Peter De Santis in a news release…

January 16, 2012 Off

“Cloud Check-What’s Your Next Move?” New Event Series Launch in 2012

By David
Grazed from MarketWatch.  Author: PR Announcement.

Zenith Infotech, an international company that specializes in delivering innovative business continuity and cloud computing for IT service providers, announced today the launch of an advanced series of events focused on cloud computing. These events, appropriately named "Cloud Check – What’s Your Next Move?" will begin in Mid-January in Los Angeles and continue throughout 30 U.S. cities as well as South East Asia and the Middle East.

Zenith is thrilled to partner with CompTIA to present an education-based program that will elevate IT service providers’ ability to gain entry into the cloud and/or improve their cloud computing business. The focus of the program is on educating attendees on setting business goals, developing effective marketing programs, enhancing the sales pitch and overall operations. In addition, attendees will be able to increase their knowledge by networking and sharing strategies with their peers…

January 16, 2012 Off

Symantec acquires cloud archiving company – LiveOffice

By David
Grazed from Cloud Pro.  Author: James Stirling.

Symantec today announced it acquired cloud-based archiving firm LiveOffice for $115 million (£75 million).

LiveOffice partnered with Symantec as its original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for the firm’s Enterprise Vault offering, but will now be fully integrated into the company.  Symantec said the deal would help bridge the gap between its storage and eDiscovery units, as well as increase its presence in the cloud computing space.

Overall, it means the security firm will be able to offer on-premise, cloud or hybrid solutions, allowing for a bigger push of its governance portfolio…