10 Ways Enterprises Can Take Control of the Cloud Chaos
Grazed from eWeek. Author: Darryl K. Taft.
As organizations evolve and grow, employees turn to hundreds of cloud computing services without expressed permission from the enterprise or the IT department. Various business units also deploy cloud technology separately from other departments. This has led to a confusing cloud environment, resulting in misallocated expenses, lost efficiency and poor policy enforcement.
Without visibility into the wide variety of cloud apps employees are using every day, organizations are struggling to monitor and control the associated expenses and face an array of problems such as potential liabilities and security issues. Other concerns surround ownership, responsibility and indemnification for loss or damage to customer data. Indeed, many enterprises are reluctant about cloud computing because of the threat of data breach or loss due to unauthorized access. Some are also concerned about their ability to comply with local and national regulations in a public cloud environment…
FireHost this week teamed up with Dell Services to roll out a converged infrastructure solution that brings together Dell compute and server hardware with FireHost’s cloud architecture to create a secure, single-tenant managed cloud. Known best for its security-focused public cloud platform, FireHost steps out with this move into the managed private cloud market for the first time.
I’ve written in the past about Banking 2.0, a general term that is used to describe a new way of banking that takes all of the advances in connectivity, cloud computing, social networking and ease of use and applies them to the generally backwards world of banking. I’ve also done a bunch of consulting work within banks and have often been frustrated that many banks idea of innovation is to redesign the layout of their retail banking space, or build a new marketing website.
Verizon Enterprise Solutions (NYSE: VZ) has expanded its agreement with group-purchasing organization MiCTA, enhancing the reach of its service portfolio to state and local government agencies, K-12 schools, colleges and universities, libraries and nonprofits. Through this new agreement, Verizon is expanding the suite of solutions it will offer MiCTA to include cloud computing, managed hosting, mobile device management and content delivery capabilities through Verizon Digital Media Services, as well as expanded network and desktop security and professional consulting services.
IT pros considering IBM SoftLayer and Amazon Web Services will find solid security in both clouds, though true cloud security should ultimately be something the user controls, experts say. IBM SoftLayer and Amazon Web Services (AWS) both cater to enterprises with extensive cloud security features, as well as marketplaces full of third-party products to secure the customer’s side of the cloud.
IBM announced a major cloud deal with Marriott along with three other hybrid cloud wins today. IBM said Marriott will use IBM’s cloud to power its IT operations for its more than 4,000 properties across the globe. Marriott will migrate a significant portion of its core IT systems and applications to IBM’s open cloud platform over the next few years. IBM did not disclose the value of the deal.
Red Hat cloud strategy general manager Bryan Che is out with a blog post today that takes some harsh shots at rival VMware. For background, VMware this week announced a new “one cloud, any app, any device” strategy. Read more about that 
eFolder, a leading supplier of business continuity and cloud file sync services for the IT channel, today announced that it has earned recognition on The Channel Company’s CRN 20 Coolest Cloud Storage Vendors of 2015 and 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Vendors of 2015. These annual lists recognize some of the most innovative cloud companies supporting the IT channel today.