6 Benefits of Cloud Computing: If You Haven’t Considered It, You’re Way Behind
Grazed from Yahoo. Author: Lindsey LaManna.
The cloud, cloud computing, SaaS…like it or not, we hear these terms mentioned incessantly in the technology and business world. And for a good reason – the benefits of cloud computing are vast. The fact is that the role of the CIO has shifted in a way that makes cloud very difficult to ignore. The CIOs of today’s organizations are no longer solely responsible for the management of IT, but now for supporting business growth by reducing costs and driving innovation in effort to build a strategic advantage.
Driving innovation AND lowering costs? That’s a lot of pressure. The solution is the cloud. By adopting cloud solutions, businesses can lower total costs and transition from a fixed cost structure to a variable one while freeing up critical IT resources for strategic initiatives and innovation…
IBM’s SmartCloud infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) product is ramping up its speed to allow the capability for real-time business analytics. Some time during the second half of 2013, SmartCloud will implement the latest version of IBM’s DB2 as its database layer. This version of DB2 includes a new technology called BLU Acceleration, which speeds up data analysis routines by a factor of 25, according to IBM.
After three and a half years in operation, Amazon Web Services’ RDS is finally generally available, and users can also get a service-level agreement if they choose to run the database in multiple places. The combination of customer adoption, numerous new features and a lot of operational experience has taken RDS (Relational Database Service) to a level where Amazon thinks its mature enough to be made generally available. Until now, users could gain access to it under a beta testing program.
Over the past few years, there has been an explosive growth in cloud computing, mainly due to the cost efficiencies of its pay-as-you-go model as compared to legacy IT. However, many companies that have migrated to the cloud have done so for more than cost savings; for them, performance has been the deciding factor. Whatever be the reason, these companies want to know what they are getting for their money.
The major innovation Microsoft has brought to the technology business is the ability to play a good game of catch-up ball. From graphic interfaces to email to Web browsers to the entire Internet, the company too often sits out the first innings of big technology shifts, sputters about in the middle innings and finally, finally gets its act together before game’s end.
SAP has confirmed it is to bolster its cloud offering by acquiring Swiss e-commerce software provider hybris software, with completion expected in the third quarter of 2013. hybris, which was founded in 1997, offers an enterprise commerce suite for both business and consumer facing sales that incorporates web, mobile, call centre and in-store functionality.
After two months of rumor, SoftLayer Technologies found a suitor in the form of IBM. The two firms announced Big Blue would purchase the privately-held cloud services provider, ending months of speculation over what suitor might win the hand of the firm.
Virtela, the world’s largest independent managed network, security and cloud services company, today announced that it has been selected by AlwaysOn as a 2013 OnDemand Top 100 winner in the ‘Cloud-Infrastructure’ category. Virtela’s inclusion in the OnDemand 100 signifies leadership amongst its peers and game-changing approaches and technologies that are likely to disrupt existing markets and entrenched players.