Category: News

Grazed from The Sydney Morning Herald. Author: Matthew Hall.

Experts don’t often agree, especially in IT, but when it comes to cloud security it appears some finally do.

Is cloud computing secure? It depends, is the answer.

It is also the reason why the Open Data Center Alliance (ODCA), an organisation that counts BMW, Deutsche Bank, Disney and National Australia Bank as members, is still attempting to end ambiguity and define cloud security stardards for businesses. An assurance model proposed by the ODCA a year ago, is still under revision, after a proof-of-concept threw up more questions than it answered…

Grazed from eWeek. Author: Todd R. Weiss.

To help business clients discover all of Google’s available cloud services, the search giant this week unveiled its new Google Cloud Platform Partner Program to bring consultants and vendors together to help customers learn how the cloud can help them.

And that, according to analysts, will be a good way for companies from small to large to really explore all that the cloud might have to offer them, without having to do the research, planning and configuring on their own.

"Clearly there’s a huge horse race underway for many of the large cloud and enterprise vendors who have been staking out their market shares in this huge cloud opportunity for the enterprise," said Dana Gardner, principal analyst with Interarbor Solutions. "We’ve seen lots of movement in this direction from traditional enterprise vendors toward the cloud and from traditional Web services portals and SaaS providers, too. So here we have Google recognizing that the cloud is not just a self-service application over the Internet to get the job done, but that customers do need to have good service and support."…

Grazed from Sys Con Media. Author: Maureen O’Gara.

Tintri, a producer of purpose-built VM-aware storage appliances, has closed a $25 million D round led by Menlo Ventures. Existing investors NEA and Lightspeed Venture Partners joined in.

It says the round was oversubscribed and brings total investment to over $60 million.

Tintri plans to use the money to accelerate R&D and sales operations as well as support global expansion. It says it’s grown 100% a quarter on average since it launched last year, attracting 100 companies including Alliance Bank, F5 Networks, Tibco and Mitsubishi Electric Information Network Corporation as customers…

Grazed from Wired. Author: Marc Jones.

Last week I read Rob Vandenberg’s article on cloud adoption, which covered the benefits of cloud computing for the government, and noted that Washington could save between $5.5 and $12 billion by migrating their systems to the cloud. As Rob pointed out, there’s a mad rush — indeed, a mandate from former U.S. CIO Vivek Kundra — to move to the cloud over a fast 18 months to collaborate, store files, and run high-capacity applications.

The cost savings are the silver lining. But there’s a dark cloud on the horizon, and it’s one that literally all coverage of the federal government’s leap to the cloud has, to date, overlooked. It’s something that could send much of the anticipated $12 billion in savings up in smoke…

Grazed from Sys Con Media. Author: Maureen O’Gara.

GoodData and its Cloud BI Platform, which got started in the Czech Republic, have closed a $25 million C round from Tenaya Capital, along with Next World Capital and existing investors Andreessen Horowitz, General Catalyst Partners, Fidelity Growth Partners and Windcrest Partners. Tenaya, the old Lehman Brothers Venture Partners, gets a board seat.

The Big Data analytics start-up has raised $53.5 million to date.

It claims more than 6,000 customers, including Capgemini and Software AG, have adopted its widgetry to monetize their data and says it posted 600% bookings growth last year, more than doubling employees and customers…

Grazed from MarketWatch. Author: PR Announcement.

Contegix(R), a cloud computing leader, managed hosting and colocation solution company known for its Go Beyond(TM) philosophy, announces lower, more simplified pricing for its MiraCloud(R) hosting service.

Beginning today, all MiraCloud instances are being offered with a standard guarantee of 10GB HDD for Linux-based systems and a 20 GB HDD for Windows-based environments. These simplified packages are available on both monthly and hourly subscription levels. Monthly package pricing is as low as $7.48/month and hourly rates start as low as $0.01/hour. In addition to lower pricing and simplified hosting packages, all monthly MiraCloud subscriptions now include 200 GB of bandwidth at no charge…

Grazed from Economic Times. Author: Editorial Staff.

Symantec Corp unexpectedly replaced its chief executive, naming current Chairman and former Intuit Corp CEO Steve Bennett to run the world’s biggest maker of security software.

The company said Enrique Salem had stepped down on Tuesday, ending a three-year term during which he and the company had been criticized by investors for a string of financial disappointments.

Symantec, which had not previously said it was considering replacing Salem, also issued a quarterly outlook that was below Street projections as it announced the news on Wednesday morning…

Grazed from Sys Con Media. Author: Maureen O’Gara.

Apple missed by Wall Street standards when it reported its Q3 numbers Tuesday and its stock tanked, dropping more than 5% after-hours, down roughly 31 bucks to $570 at best. It sold only 26 million iPhones, down 26% sequentially. Wall Street expected maybe 28 million or better.

On the other hand, it sold 17 million iPads, which was better than the 15 milion-16 million the Street figured. It also got off 6.8 million iPods and four million Macs, up 2% and better than negative 1% IDC is giving the industry.

At $35 billion revenues, although up 23%, it fell short of the $37.2 billion analysts expected. Ditto earnings. They were up 21% to $9.32 a share, but Wall Street wanted $10.35…

Grazed from MarketWatch. Author: PR Announcement.

DataCore Software, the storage hypervisor leader and premier provider of storage virtualization software, today announced the appointment of its first Chief Operating Officer (COO), Steve Houck. The new position was created to organize and drive DataCore’s rapid growth and market leadership in storage virtualization. Houck is a highly regarded veteran in virtualization, flash storage, cloud computing and data center technologies. His previous roles included vice president of worldwide channels for VMware, along with various global sales leadership posts at EMC Corporation. Houck has also held executive posts for global field sales and go-to-market strategy development at start-up ventures focused on cloud computing and flash storage, with the most recent executive role at Astute Networks, an innovative SSD technology company.

"DataCore’s industry leadership – combined with a top-notch management team and superb market conditions – presented a perfect scenario for all involved," stated Steve Houck, COO, DataCore Software. "The momentum toward storage virtualization adoption is palpable and SANsymphony-V 9.0 is head-and-shoulders above any other solution. I look forward to ensuring DataCore builds upon its success and reputation for delivering ‘must have’ technology."…

Grazed from GigaOM. Author: Barb Darrow.

Do you want to put some of your work on the Google cloud but don’t have the tech wherewithal to do it? Google will point you to an array of partners to get you there.

On Tuesday, the company launched the Google Cloud Partner Program – a central spot for prospective customers to find vendors, consultants or ISVs with expertise in what you want to do. Partner programs are old hat among the software powers of the past. Microsoft, IBM, Hewlett-Packard all sport big, complicated programs that aim to woo value-added resellers, integrators, consultants — and try to get those partners to sell their products over those of competitors. All with varying degrees of success.

Now the cloud players are getting in on the act. Google already had a partner program of sorts to help push Google Apps and the Google Appliance into enterprise accounts. Amazon launched a formal partner program earlier this year and will host its first-ever partner event in Las Vegas in November. Microsoft, which is trying to move tens of thousands of partners into the Windows Azure cloud — or at least try to stop them from freaking out about it — is in a different position…