Category: News

Grazed from ComputerWeekly.  Author: Adrian Bridgwater.

Developers should take note of the more evolved and complex nature of cloud computing environments in the wider sphere of total computing ecosystems — so much so that they should consider cloud as sometimes, more than just "simple" software application development processing and storage capacity capabilities supplied as a service.

Sometimes, a cloud is not just a cloud.  Now we also have to consider the fact that a cloud can be a Geopolitical Cloud.  SAP cloud computing evangelist Sven Denecken reminds us that in China you need a local Chinese cloud and that, unfortunately, security and data protection concerns have accelerated the geopolitical discussion around cloud datacentre location dramatically in recent times…

Grazed from InfoWorld.  Author: David Linthicum.

Private clouds were the right solution for many enterprises that wanted to realize the value of cloud services without actually moving to a public cloud. However, from what I can see, the trend now appears to moving to deployments on public or hybrid cloud models.  Gartner seems to agree. Michael Warrilow, a research director at Gartner, says more enterprises will look to use public and hybrid cloud models in 2014 as they realize "it’s impossible to private-cloud everything."

Although a private cloud is indeed a solid and viable architectural option, it’s typically overused. Enterprises that want to maintain control of their hardware and software see the private cloud as an option to help them kick the cloud can farther down the road. They can claim to have a cloud, but that cloud looks like the other systems lying around the data center. Moreover, the cost is about the same or more than traditional systems…

Grazed from BizTech2.  Author: Editorial Staff.

ABI Research forecasts that the active accounts associated with personal cloud storage services will exceed 1 billion at the end of 2013, nearly twice as many as a year ago. Over the next five years the global account base will more than triple, reaching 3.61 billion by the end of 2018. In the meantime, the aggregated data storage utilised by personal cloud services is expected to increase from 685 petabytes in 2013 to 3,520 petabytes in 2018.

Senior analyst Aapo Markkanen comments, “Various factors are contributing to the rapidly increasing personal cloud uptake, including the consumerisation of enterprise IT and multiple device ownership. For storage needs, the most far-reaching driver is the expansion and improvement of camera technologies. In particular, cameras embedded in smartphones have generated large amounts of high-resolution image and video content. This trend toward ubiquitous cameras is only set to intensify, as camera capabilities gain traction in wearable computing and the Internet of Things.”…

Grazed from V3.co.uk.  Author: Michael Passingham.

Cloud computing remained the main force for change for V3‘s readership of IT professionals, with four-fifths of voters in our end of 2013 poll citing the cloud as having had the most impact on business technology over the last 12 months.  Off-site services dominated proceedings, receiving 78 percent of the vote. In recent years cloud has become a ubiquitous term for all off-premises services which cover almost every element of the business technology landscape, so it is no surprise IT chiefs continue to rate its significance.

Issues surrounding cost and security, which have so often been the key reasons to avoid cloud computing, are beginning to fade away as data centres powering cloud services become ever more efficient and even governments begin to take some of their private data off-site.  More than $100bn will be spent on cloud computing services in 2014, according to IDC, making up five percent of the predicted global IT spend of $20tn, further proving its worth…

Grazed from MotelyFool.  Author: Timothy Green.

2013 has not been kind to IT giant IBM . The company’s stock has been declining since hitting highs last March, with disappointing earnings and a collapse of the hardware business in emerging markets largely to blame. IBM was the only stock in the Dow Jones Industrial Average to decline in 2013, even after a significant end-of-year surge.

2014 will be a year of challenges for IBM, but the company should continue to make progress toward its long-term goals. Hewlett-Packard managed to win some market share from IBM in the server business in 2013, and the general trend toward cloud computing will continue to pressure IBM’s hardware business and the server industry as a whole. Meanwhile, Amazon’s aggressive expansion of its cloud services has put IBM in the position of playing catch up, with at least one high-profile private cloud contract going to the retail giant instead of Big Blue in 2013. There’s certainly plenty to worry about going forward for IBM, but many of these worries seem overdone…

Grazed from FederalTimes. Author: Nichole Blake Johnson.

The June deadline is quickly approaching for cloud providers to prove their services meet federal security standards. Meanwhile, agencies are being advised to inventory whether their cloud contractors have made the cut. The deadline isn’t that far off considering it can take a company six months to complete the government’s security cloud program, known as FedRAMP. Cloud services in use at federal agencies must meet FedRAMP security requirements by June 5.

“If agencies have cloud providers that have not been accredited they should contact my office and ask if they are in the pipeline,” said Maria Roat with the General Services Administration. Roat, who serves as FedRAMP director, spoke last month at the Federal Cloud Computing Summit in Washington…

Grazed from CloudComputingTopics. Author: Editorial Staff.

Did you know that more than half of American companies have converted to the cloud? No one can deny the benefits of cloud computing, but security issues are still a concern for many. Since the days of PRISM, surveillance controlled by the NSA, Americans have been acutely aware that their data is being tracked. Cyber-crime mimicking “Big Brother” has reached new levels when it comes to the security of your data and communications.

Are You Securing Your Cloud In The Right Manner?

Cloud Computing is not just about securing a good cloud service provider; it’s about ensuring that your data and communications are secure. Gaining confidence and trust in your cloud service provider (CSP) is just a mere aspect of cloud security. Here’s a look at eight commandments every company should follow to ensure the security of your cloud no matter what region…

Grazed from CloudTweaks. Author: Manoj Tiwari.

Cloud computing is everywhere and presents a compelling value proposition for its end users. However issues like privacy and security still are grey areas when it comes to public clouds. Here presented are five issues one must be aware of:

1. You own the data and hence the responsibility CSP

Many cloud users do not know the answer to this question – Who owns my personal information once I upload it on the Cloud Service Provider’s (CSP) server? Most public cloud service providers recognize that the user retains ownership of data once it is uploaded. (e.g. https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms) This also means that you have decided to trust the CSP with handling of your data. The CSP may have some responsibility for handling the information safely but not all. You may choose a different service provider or choose not to put particular data on cloud altogether. But the buck stops at you are responsible for the data you put up there…

Grazed from The Var Guy. Author: Charlene OHanlon.

Cloud backup provider Carbonite (CARB) is streamlining its lineup of services offerings to better meet the needs of its solution provider partners and their customers.? The company is doing away with its current five-plan menu of services and is now categorizing its plans into three core areas: Personal, Pro and Server, said David Hauser, senior director at Carbonite.

The move coincides with what the market needs and how the market is purchasing new cloud services, he noted. “What we found out with our current structure is people have different needs—some SOHOs have a personal need for backup, while some just want to do servers,” he said. “These better align with what the market is asking for.”…

Grazed from BizTech2. Author: Editorial Staff.

Scott Davis, CTO for VMware’s End User Computing B.U. shares his vision for technology in 2014. “I think we will see a growing realisation that mobile app to cloud services is the key distributed application construct to focus on. That means less focus on securing and managing physical devices, as well as less reliance on VPNs and the corporate LAN itself since it is becoming a less significant boundary. There will be a greater focus on app to cloud service security technologies. I think we will see more embracing of mobile/cloud applications in our day to day lives. The apps on your phone will become the brains for your car’s navigation and audio systems, and the car dashboard becomes just the display technology,” says Davis.

As part of this broader movement to the mobile/cloud, he predicts 2014 will be a big year for Desktop-as-a-service (DaaS) aka Windows-as-a-Service. With users demanding greater mobility and access while IT departments look for ways to reduce TCO of enterprise desktops, DaaS is an ideal approach for enabling/delivering access to business critical Windows applications for mobile users in a cost effective manner…