Heads in the cloud: Part 1
Cloud computing creates unprecedented opportunities for CPA firms to do more chargeable work faster and with better client communications. But transitioning to the cloud and having confidential information accessible over the Internet raises implementation and security concerns that CPA firms must address.
To help CPAs better understand the benefits and challenges of the cloud, the JofA invited five CPAs to share their cloud experiences in a round-table discussion…
Aryaka Wins TMC Cloud Computing Excellence Award as the World’s First ‘Optimized Network’ in the Cloud
Aryaka, provider of the world’s first cloud-based WAN optimization and application acceleration solution, today announced TMC has named Aryaka a winner of the Cloud Computing Excellence Award as one of the companies that most effectively completes the cloud story by providing the ‘network’ in the cloud.
"The cloud delivery model has fueled a competitive spirit within the vendor, developer and provider communities that has resulted in a wave of new products, services and applications being introduced at an unprecedented rate," said Erik Linask, Group Editorial Director at TMC. "I am pleased to recognize Aryaka as one of the companies that have exemplified innovation and excellence in the market by leveraging the latest technology trends to create an enriched user experience."…
Cloud Computing: Facebook to File for Massive IPO according to WSJ
Facebook will put in its papers to IPO next week, according to the Wall Street Journal Friday, maybe by Wednesday February 1. Apparently the timing is still a bit up in the air but it’s in the works.
The offering, looking to raise $10 billion, is supposed to value the company at somewhere between $75 billion and $100 billion.
Britain’s Telegraph said PrivCo claimed Thursday night that Facebook was targeting an IPO price of $38-$40 for its shares, with a target value for the company of $90 billion-$95 billion because Facebook was "reluctant to aim for the full $100 billion valuation in the hope of leaving some value for investors following the listing."…
Nutanix Mad Men Spoof: Build Your Private Cloud
We’re always looking to share things that are interesting, funny or educational in the Cloud Computing space. And this one fits the bill. Check out this recent video, Mad Men Meets High-Tech Virtualization Private Clouds, from Nutanix, created for the company’s Sales Kickoff 2012. Five Reasons to Move to the Cloud in 2012
Gartner, Inc. recently highlighted the top 10 technologies and trends that they feel will be strategic for most organizations in 2012. Things like in-memory computing, next-generation analytics and app stores are all extremely relevant, but at Mosaic, we think that cloud computing is the real forerunner here.
Interestingly enough, many companies have still not made the move to the cloud. In a 2009 survey of IT and business executives, many expressed concern about moving to the cloud, citing security, availability and performance as some of their main reasons. The facts, according to Gartner, show that the cloud is a disruptive force and has the potential for broad long-term impact in most industries.
We believe that while the cloud offers a lot of business opportunities, what will happen first is the move to the private cloud otherwise known as virtualization. Throughout 2011, we talked a lot about the benefits of migrating to a virtual environment. There are also a number of Mosaic customers that were willing to provide a behind-the-scenes look at what virtualization did for their business. All that said – while cloud computing is what every marketing person wants to discuss, it is virtualization that many businesses are seriously considering in 2012…
Cloud Computing: Intel to Buy RealNetworks IP
Intel last year bid billions trying to get the Nortel patents. Thursday RealNetworks said Intel was paying it $120 million cash for 190 "foundational media" patents, 170 patent applications and next-generation video codec software good for stuff like streaming. The IP is apparently supposed to brace Intel’s Ultrabook, smartphone, tablet and digital media interests.
Intel’s also picking up Real’s video codec engineering team.
Real retains "certain rights to continue to use the patents in current and future products."…
VMware Simplifies, Automates Virtual/Cloud Management
VMware is expanding its management portfolio with vCenter Operations Management Suite by integrating with VMware vCenter Capacity IQ and VMware vCenter Configuration Manager for improved performance, capacity and configuration management. VMware revamped its virtualization management suite last October adding the VMware vFabric Application Management and VMware IT Business Management tools. The new enhancements focus on embedding and integrating management tools into the platform streamlining processes and applying analytics so customers can achieve better economics with their cloud computing deployments.
With VMware virtualization becoming increasingly pervasive within enterprise data centers, vCenter Operations Management Suite provides customers with detailed views into their infrastructures while also providing standardized methodologies for more effectively managing virtualized systems, said Charles King, principal analyst Pund-IT. He noted there are two main elements to the product’s value proposition…
Evolving Your Managed Service Business to a Cloud Hosting Model
Grazed from MSPNews. Author: Laura Stotler.
Managed service providers (MSPs) are constantly trying to come up with new and innovative offerings and differentiators to avoid getting stuck in the cloud. TMC (News – Alert) recently held a webinar discussing some of the challenges service providers face and how to meet them head on to make the most of the promise of cloud computing.
According to an audience poll, more than half of webinar participants said they were already delivering cloud services in 2012. Around 22 percent said they were planning to introduce services this year, and another 14 percent were not sure, while 11 percent were not planning to offer services. Presenter Antonio Piraino, CTO of ScienceLogic (News – Alert), said that while many MSPs are telling the market they’re offering cloud services, they’re actually still transitioning to the cloud model and facing challenges each day…
Pixar Animates Cloud Computing
One of the more interesting attributes of cloud computing is the ability to invoke compute-intensive resources as a service. Rather than having to acquire and deploy IT infrastructure to handle peak loads or processing requirements, IT organizations can “rightsize” their IT investments to handle their average workload requirements. Any time their computing requirements exceed those average workload limits, they can invoke additional compute capacity in the cloud using a process known as “cloudbursting.”
It’s still early days in terms of the mainstream adoption of “cloudbursting,” but the concept is already leading to the creation of some new business models. For example, Pixar has announced that it is partnering with GreenButton and Microsoft to deliver a new rendering service in the cloud that will be managed by GreenButton using its namesake cloud management software running on the Microsoft Azure cloud computing platform…
Cloud Computing Fueling Global Economic Growth: London School of Economics study
The development of cloud computing will promote economic growth, increase productivity and shift the type of jobs and skills required by businesses, according to a new study by the London School of Economics and Political Science.
The LSE study selected two industries, aerospace and smartphone services, and examined the impact of cloud computing on these industries across the UK, USA, Germany and Italy between the years 2010 and 2014. The LSE study was underwritten by Microsoft.
Investing in cloud computing is contributing to growth and job creation in both the fast-growing, high-tech smartphone services industry as well as the longstanding and slow-growth aerospace sector, the study claims. In addition, cloud is directly creating employment through the construction, staffing and supply of data centers, which will host the cloud. Using cloud computing enables businesses of all sizes to be more productive by freeing managerial staff and skilled employees to concentrate on more profitable areas of work…