Category: News

Grazed from Baseline Magazine.  Author: Eric Friedberg.

When it comes to data security and cloud computing, many companies indulge in magical thinking: They envision the cloud as a single type of computing platform guarded by service providers that secure the data and think through the tough issues. In fact, while cloud computing may reduce costs, it introduces new layers of complexity that must be managed by your company’s IT, legal and executive personnel.

The reality is that cloud computing presents a spectrum of choices. At one extreme is limited outsourcing, in which the company retains responsibility for most computer security, including configuring server operating systems and the data center firewall—but not the physical security of the cloud data center itself. In this scenario, your IT department must secure all applications and databases, oversee security patch management, and be prepared for all forms of cyberattack and incident responses…

Grazed from ComputerWorld.  Author: Jeff Vance.

Back in the fall of 2000, the buzz at the Internet World conference centered on two things: the NASDAQ meltdown and a number of acquisitions. One of the big acquisitions announced at the show was HP’s deal to purchase Bluestone Software for $450 million. With VC money left to burn before the acquisition closed, Bluestone threw a huge party, renting out the entire U.S.S. Intrepid museum, hiring several popular bands to play below decks in the massive aircraft carrier, and inviting anyone and everyone at the conference to the blow-out party.

A move like that would be unheard of today. Not just because that kind of reckless spending is now frowned upon, but also because few startups will have raised excess VC money that is burning a hole in their corporate pockets…

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

HP’s VP of cloud services Emil Sayegh, responsible for sales, marketing, product management, customer support and the voice of OpenStack at HP, has been named president and CEO of up-and-coming cloud house Codero.

Sayegh was also head of Rackspace’s Cloud Computing Division before joining HP a year-and-a-half ago. He says he’ll take what he admires most about both his former employers and use those strengths in shaping Codero, which has been in the cloud game since 2006 when private equity house Catalyst Investors took over A Plus Hosting and spun out its hosting and cloud interests to form Codero…

Grazed from ChannelEMEA.  Author: Stuart Wilson.

VAD outfit Avnet Technology Solutions (ATS) has picked up IBM cloud builder certification status. ATS reckons that this further illustrates its commitment to the cloud computing market. This latest certification strengthens ATS’ cloud proposition, cloudready, and showcases its ability to provide cloud solutions incorporating IBM software and hardware across Europe.

Silvia Massetti, business partner organisation cloud leader at IBM Europe, said: “In addition to revenue and client reference criteria, Avnet was required to meet skill and certification requirements for cloud computing, IBM hardware and software in terms of sales and technical abilities in at least two IBM brands.”…

Grazed from Virtual Strategy.  Author: PR Announcement.

NTT America, a global infrastructure services provider and wholly owned subsidiary of NTT Communications Corporation, and Integralis, a global provider of IT security and information risk management solutions, today announced an ongoing partnership to provide global enterprises with secure, high performance, streamlined and cost-effective use of cloud computing. NTT America brings virtualized global data centers and high speed networks to enterprise cloud computing, while Integralis offers comprehensive Managed Security Solutions (MSS) to form a complete cloud computing solution for enterprises. Integralis will be available to discuss its security approach at the RSA Conference 2012 in San Francisco, February 27 – March 1, in booth #657…

Grazed from CloudTweaks.  Author: Cenon Gaytos.

Information technology is very important in higher education. There are just many advantages of the IT that we cannot just ignore. For example, IT allows learners to actually explore the world in the safety of their classrooms. With IT facilities, the teacher can bring the world to the classroom and bring the classroom to the world.

IT, as a matter of fact, is also supposed to mean less consumption on the part of the education institutions (Hignite et al., 2010).  How is IT supposed to do this? Well, IT is largely capable of making sure that learners and teachers can access applications through the internet. With this, it is thought that educational institutions can reduce or cut their educational spending. However, we now know that they are wrong…

Grazed from ComputerWorld.  Author: F.Y. Teng.

Grazed from InfoBoom.  Author: Sharon Hurley Hall.

Are countries ready for computing in the cloud? The answer is not simple, says a recent Reuters report. According to the results of the Global Cloud Computing Scorecard, recently released by the Business Software Alliance, there are wide variations in countries’ readiness for a global network of cloud services, and this has serious implications for midsized businesses.

The Reuters report says the survey, released for the first time this year, rates 24 countries (which make up 80% of the world’s information and communications technology market) on their readiness for cloud business. The report does this by looking at applicable laws and regulations in seven national policy categories: data privacy, security, cyber crime, intellectual property, standards, promotion of free trade, and information and communication technology (ICT) readiness…

Grazed from ITWire.  Author: Beverely Head.

Akamai has around 95,000 servers in 71 countries which essentially optimise the performance of the internet. Its intelligent internet platform effectively acts as a network traffic cop, monitoring flows and congestion, and routing data by the most sensible route across the internet.

Riverbed Technology meanwhile is a software company which makes tools to optimise computing performance, especially over wide area computer networks.

The Steelhead Cloud Accelerator combines the smarts of both companies to allow what Riverbed describes as “cloud bouncing”. Companies which have a Steelhead appliance, which optimises wide area network performance, can subscribe to the Cloud Accelerator service and have their data “bounced” across the internet using the Akamai network to reduce latency and speed performance…

Grazed from Forbes.  Author: Joe McKendrick.

Attempting to rein in and and squeeze more efficiency out of its $80 billion annual information technology budget, the federal government appears to be pulling out all stops when it comes to cloud computing. A year ago, under the tutelage of then-CIO Vivek Kundra, federal agencies were required to adhere to a “Cloud-First” option when making new technology purchases. It was estimated that up to one-fourth of the government’s IT budget could be moved into the cloud.

Now, there are concerted efforts to bring even more existing systems into cloud formations as well, as exhibited by the newly hatched “Shared-First” initiative — which promotes the government’s own private clouds (as well as commercial resources) as a way for agencies to tap into online resources…