Degrees of Hybrid Cloud Computing
Although there is a lot of debate about the merits of hybrid cloud computing, there does seem to be a building consensus that says a hybrid cloud will be necessary to one degree or another either as the dominant form of cloud computing or as some transitory state of enterprise IT on the way to cloud computing nirvana.
If you accept that premise, then the next logical concern becomes how quickly can your organization set up a hybrid cloud environment? As any IT executive will tell you, replicating all the application and network settings in the enterprise on a third-party cloud computing service is not especially easy.
Security top cloud for APAC SMBs
Released Thursday, the Worldwide SMB Cloud Services Study revealed that the region’s SMBs are more keen on adopting software-as-a-service (SaaS) security solutions, than counterparts in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and Australia, which have already adopted these applications.
In addition, Asia-Pacific and Southeast Asian countries are also more likely to invest in a remotely-managed security service than the leading advanced countries, said AMI-Partners.
Google may float paid YouTube streaming subscription
Google wants to be your go-to guy for online media, and is inching closer to the launch a paid YouTube subscription service, according to reports.
But can YouTube, which has mostly been free and fed by advertising dollars, function as a pay service? And can Google acquire content rich enough to compete with Amazon, Netflix, and others?
Google Apps plug-in injects the cloud into Office
Google’s latest effort to lure business customers away from Microsoft Office to Google Apps comes in the form of a plug-in for Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The plug-in essentially syncs Office files with an online counterpart that lives in Google Docs, which allows users to always see the most recent version of a file, whether they’re viewing it in a browser, in an Office app or even on a mobile device.
Which Cloud API Do You Prefer Today?
The OpenNebula Team has just announced the availability of a Sunstone Cloud Testbed. Sunstone is offered on top of the OpenNebula Cloud, which offers a virtual computing environment accessible through two different remote cloud interfaces, OCCI and EC2, and now through a web interface, OpenNebula Sunstone.
SpotCloud Explores the Cloud’s Utility Computing Future
Parallels Launches Hosted PBX, Cloud Infrastructure Services
Hosting and cloud services specialist Parallels announced the introduction of cloud infrastructure and hosted PBX platforms, as well as support for
Dissecting the New SGI’s Plan for Profitability
Microsoft strikes 14 new cloud services deals with state, local organizations
Microsoft said it has signed new contracts with 14 state and local government organizations for cloud computing services, including the cities of Alexandria, Va.; Chicago; and Virginia Beach, Va.; and the state departments of labor in Colorado and Idaho.
The new deals, signed in the past several weeks, bring the total to 190 state and local government organizations now using Microsoft cloud solutions, company officials said. Altogether, more than 3 million government employees are using the company’s online business services, they added.
Software Licensing Is Sticking Point for Cloud Adoption
Ask folks about barriers to the cloud and you’ll get a very familiar list: security concerns, performance issues and a niggling fear of giving up control. What you don’t often hear about is licensing costs, which could prove to be a pretty big hurdle.