Should cloud service providers take a vertical tack?

Grazed from TechTarget. Author: Christina Torode.

I know what I’m about to propose goes against the mass appeal of the cloud computing model — low cost, on-demand standard configurations that meet the needs of a broad customer base. Customization does not, for the most part, enter into the equation, but there is an argument for a customization of sorts in the cloud.
Christina TorodeChristina Torode

Data security, including regulatory compliance, is a big factor in keeping enterprise companies out of the public cloud. But some cloud service providers are starting to see the value in catering to industry-specific data security needs. This past May, for example, Microsoft introduced Office 365 for Government, which segregates government agency customer data in a multi-tenancy public cloud. Microsoft also has Office 365 ITAR, a caged data center environment that supports FISMA (Federal Information Security Management Act)and ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) requirements. The Federal Aviation Administration marked its entrance into the public cloud with plans to give 80,000 employees access to Office 365 productivity tools…

In talking with Michael Daly, corporate director of information technology security at defense and aerospace systems maker Raytheon Co., about how he sees security policies having to change with the move to cloud services and mobile device proliferation, he pointed to the possibility of industry specialization in the cloud. Given the business he is in, the use of the cloud is limited; but maybe other industries (retail, health care and so on) would make better headway in the public cloud if they formed industry groups to present their specific needs to cloud services providers, he said…

Read more from the source @ http://searchcio.techtarget.com/news/2240163684/Should-cloud-service-providers-take-a-vertical-tack