Category: News

Grazed from CloudTweaks. Author: Rick Blaisdell.

Cloud computing has been a hot topic during the last few years for technology specialists all over the world. Cloud computing has been adopted by many enterprises, but still challenges continue to rise. With all the articles and documentation on this subject, there are many myths that have developed over time. So here are the most common myths regarding cloud computing: security, data loss and performance.

Security is compromised in the cloud

Without a doubt, this is the most talked about point. In order to be a successful service provider, cloud providers have to assure the customers or prospects that their data is secure. The security risks that exist in the cloud are no different than the ones that exist in-house. The greatest advantage when outsourcing to cloud is that providers are permanently focused on improving controls and procedures so that the data is always secure, while enterprises might neglect this focus from time to time. So one could argue that a risk could be to remain in a physical environment. Most cloud computing providers also offer the customer different levels of security protection, which allows for more enhanced security…

Grazed from MidSize Insider. Author: Sharon Hurley Hall.

Could cloud computing help midsize businesses avert the worst effects of disaster? Hurricane Sandy is only the latest in a long list of storms destined to wreak havoc on the U.S., and it raises an issue that businesses should be aware of: the need for a disaster recovery plan. Perhaps that plan should include moving some functions to the cloud.

Disasters: A Big Business Problem

Hurricanes and other big storms are not just an inconvenience; they are a major problem for businesses affected by the loss of power and other utilities. What’s even worse, as an article in Talkin’ Cloud points out, is that businesses may lose access to their business data. That includes businesses who are outside the direct path of the storm. We are used to a world where business is going on 24 hours a day, but that only works if the networks and computers that support that business stay online. Many businesses’ buildings are not designed to withstand the high winds of hurricanes and the delicate electronic equipment they contain can easily be damaged by sudden power outages and floods. That could mean data loss, which is bad news for any business. One potential answer suggested by the Talkin’ Cloud article is wider use of the cloud…

Grazed from CloudTimes. Author: Saroj Kar.

IBM announced a wide range of security software solutions to help organizations protect their information and identities within and outside the company in massive data environments such as Big Data, mobile and cloud computing.

Specifically, IBM presented ten products and improvements for organizations to deal with new security threats and challenges arising as a result of the increased use of these emerging technologies. In fact, according to the IBM 2012 Global Reputational Risk and IT study, a major cause of concern of executives worldwide is how to ensure the security of their data in real time outside the traditional security perimeter of the company. The new capabilities of IBM software to help customers better manage the security of mobile devices, mitigate threats and reduce internal and external security risks in cloud environments, enhance security of the databases in real-time such as data security solutions for Hadoop and other big data environments, and automate compliance and security management information…

Grazed from VentureBeat. Author: Jay Simons.

In the wild kingdom of cloud computing, there are still a few mountains to summit. Development in the cloud is a big one. Software is truly eating the world, and today code and the teams writing it are the crown jewel of almost any business. Software is increasingly the way most businesses will differentiate from one another, leapfrogging each other’s product or service, accelerating how quickly they onboard new employees or improve logistics.

All that code — the characters on a keyboard strung together harmonically and the teams that weave it together — means a lot to the bottom line. So creating ways for teams to churn it out even faster is a huge opportunity. That’s where the cloud comes in…

Grazed from Adobe. Author: PR Announcement.

A patent by the inventors Peercy, Mark S. (Cupertino, CA); Loh, Danny D. (Menlo Park, CA), filed on May 29, 2009, was cleared and issued on October 23, 2012, according to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by VerticalNews correspondents. Patent number 8296763 is assigned to Adobe Systems Incorporated (San Jose, CA). The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background information supplied by the inventors: "Description of the Related Art":

"The computing, information, and communication industries are undergoing a massive transition with the rise of low-cost, high-performance devices, high-bandwidth communication infrastructure, and the Internet. The personal computer (PC), once a stalwart of information technology, is in rapid retreat, its value being drained away by innumerable large and small players offering solutions to problems that overlap the offerings of the PC and often extend well beyond them. Unfortunately, although users have been offered a dramatically wider array of options than before, it has come at a very real cost: data and applications are fragmented across heterogeneous and often incompatible devices and the Internet, device management has become extraordinarily complicated, and devices and Internet services come and go at an astonishing rate. Chores that were complicated for some users, even when they had just one PC to manage, have become significantly more difficult…

Grazed from FCW.com. Author: Matthew Weigelt.

A blustery lady named Sandy may be the motivation some agencies need to finally jump aboard the cloud. The full effect of Sandy — the “frankenstorm” that started as a tropical system, grew into a hurricane, then collided with two other systems to become a different kind of devastating event — is yet unknown. But as one former federal CIO said Oct. 31 agencies often have the newer systems and data centers because of their recent transition to the cloud. And those newer data centers, which are designed to handle natural disasters, likely rode out the storm without significant disruption.

“If they have sort of a weaker infrastructure, I would think [Sandy] would be a motivating factor. If they have a very solid infrastructure already established, I’m not sure it would make any difference,” said Gregg “Skip” Bailey, director at Deloitte Consulting LLP and the federal cloud computing lead at the firm. He was formerly CIO at the Bureau for Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives…

Grazed from Trefis. Author: Morgan Smith.

Over the past several years, technology has taken some giant leaps forward in terms of allowing businesses to better engage with their employees, customers, and competitors – and one of the biggest keys in providing companies with the means to do so is cloud computing. The term cloud computing – a concept that was unknown to the majority of the planet until just a few short years ago – has today become almost a household name.

In this article, I will discuss how the current and future need by large and small companies, as well as by individuals, has helped in transforming the businesses that both provide cloud computing and allow for the usage of cloud computing capabilities – and in turn may lead to a great opportunity for investors…

VMware, Inc., the global leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure, today announced new research findings that demonstrate public cloud adoption has moved beyond test and development in many companies. The study, commissioned by VMware and conducted by analyst firm Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG), found 67 percent of the mid-market and enterprise companies surveyed are running what they view as mission-critical workloads on Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS).

"The study demonstrates that IaaS from cloud service providers is seeing broad adoption by mainstream business for business-critical applications and data, moving beyond test and development," said Mathew Lodge, vice president, cloud services, VMware. "As IaaS adoption grows, so does the importance of strong customer service and support as well as the quality of the underlying technology. Compatibility with existing virtualized datacenters and private clouds was also key."

Grazed from CUTimes. Author: Natasha Chilingerian.

Pano Logic, the provider of the end-to-end, virtual hardware and software desktop solution Pano System, has gone out of business, according to the company’s former public relations firm.

The shutdown comes shortly after the company announced a PC replacement project with the $3.4 billion Redstone Federal Credit Union in Huntsville, Ala. Redstone FCU had been in the process of replacing 75% of its PCs with Pano Logic’s virtual desktop computing solutions and planned to continue the project into 2013…

Grazed from ZDNet. Author: Mary Jo Foley.

Microsoft has gone store-happy this year, debuting a Windows Store for Windows 8 and Windows RT; an Office Store for Office 2013; a SharePoint Store for SharePoint Server 2013; and a renamed Windows Phone Store (formerly the Windows Phone Marketplace).

On October 31, Microsoft added another new store to its list: A Windows Zzure Store where it will allow its cloud-computing customers to purchase third-party apps and services through the Azure management portal…