Implementing cloud strategies

Grazed from Lexology. Author: Editorial Staff.

As companies struggle with how to develop cloud strategies that are both cost effective and protect sensitive consumer and corporate data, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) can provide hands-on information to the private sector to help implement a reasonable cloud computing solution. Though NIST provides guidelines to the U.S. Government, the private sector can learn, too. Recently, NIST has stressed that the three major challenge areas for adoption of cloud computing are security, portability and interoperability.

In June, NIST released draft Special Publication (SP 500-299) as part of its ongoing obligation to develop technical and security standards for federal agencies as they adopt cloud computing solutions. This draft has been undergoing further comment and review. While these standards will establish protocol for procurement of cloud services by the federal government, they are likely to impact the use of cloud services and contractual terms in the private sector…

Cloud computing — the big picture

Companies adopting cloud solutions may struggle with setting a framework for their analysis of how to adopt a cloud solution. Exactly what is the cloud? According to the NIST definition: Cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released. This cloud model is composed of five essential characteristics, three service models and four deployment models. —National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), U.S. Department of Commerce, September 2011…

Read more from the source @ http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=abac31d8-03e6-43ae-b1c9-69876909d1f8