Reliable, scalable storage is a key component of cloud deployments. Those deploying an infrastructure cloud frequently opt for network-attached storage (NAS) over local storage, to make it simpler to implement enterprise-grade features.
By combining OpenStack Compute, today’s industry-standard open source cloud platform, with NexentaStor, the most popular open storage solution, companies can build clouds that are feature rich, avoid vendor lock-in, offer complete control of the stack, and reduce costs by unlocking the ability to use less expensive commodity hardware.
In his session at the 13th International Cloud Expo®, Boris Renski, Co-Founder & Executive Vice President of Mirantis, will discuss how Mirantis, a leader in engineering services for OpenStack Cloud, and Nexenta, which provides enterprise-class storage solutions, integrated NexentaStor with OpenStack Compute.
Monthly Archives: September 2013
Brass Tacks: Answering the Cloud Security Questions That Matter
Strong InfoSec strategies must answer the key questions of who is logging in, what is accessed, when was it changed and how is the IT landscape affected.
Enterprise security can be a labyrinthine, complex beast with many moving parts, dozen upon dozen of requirements, needs, implications, options and alternatives.
But when we get down to the nitty gritty (the brass tacks if you will), cloud security can be simplified by six simple questions.
The challenge of predicting enterprise cloud computing growth
69% of enterprises who have separate budgets for cloud computing are predicting spending increases this year and into 2014.
This is one of several key take-aways from a research study published today by TheInfoPro, a service of 451 Research. TheInfoPro Wave 5 Cloud Computing Study is based on research completed in the first six months of 2013, and relies on live interviews with IT management and primary decision-makers in midsize and large enterprises in Europe and North America. You can view details of TheInfoPro Cloud Computing Overview Program and methodology here.
Additional key take-aways from the study include the following:
- The worldwide cloud computing market will grow at a 36% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) through 2016, reaching a market size of $19.5B by 2016.
- 38% of enterprises surveyed break out cloud computing budgets, while 60% include cloud-related spending as part of their enterprise-wide IT budgets. TheInfoPro asserts that …
SYS-CON Launches WebRTC Journal
SYS-CON Media has launched WebRTC Journal on Ulitzer.com featuring over 160 original articles, news stories, features, and blog entries. WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) is an open source project supported by Google, Mozilla and Opera that aims to enable browser-to-browser applications for voice calling, video chat, and P2P file sharing without plugins. Its mission is “To enable rich, high quality, RTC applications to be developed in the browser via simple Javascript APIs and HTML5.”
Follow WebRTC Journal on Twitter at @WebRTCSummit.
SYS-CON Announces WebRTC Summit November 6-7 Santa Clara Convention Center
SYS-CON Events announced today that the “First International WebRTC Summit” (@WebRTCSummit) will take place Nov 6-7, 2013, at the Santa Clara Convention Center, Santa Clara, CA.
WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) is an open source project supported by Google, Mozilla and Opera that aims to enable browser-to-browser applications for voice calling, video chat, and P2P file sharing without plugins. Its mission is “To enable rich, high quality, RTC applications to be developed in the browser via simple Javascript APIs and HTML5.”
A survey by TokBox found that the WebRTC adoption rate among small organizations is growing quickly where over 25% of developers say it is important for their work.
Cloud Expo Silicon Valley: Everything-as-a-Channel
Leverage your existing channels, and identify new ones to increase revenue…
In a recent Gartner report, Lisa Arthur of Forbes predicted that in five years the CMO will surpass the CIO in purchase authority for IT. As the SaaS business model continues to erode the authority of IT in the decision process of acquiring software and apps, opportunities to transform the channel are emerging all around us – platforms that have never been considered part of the traditional channel are being opportunistically recognized in developing new revenue streams and providing routes to market.
What Do All these SMAC Developments Mean?
I see digital transformation spinning off many different business trends and technology waves. Consumers want to consume media on mobile devices. This in turn drives tablet sales, as most media is easier to view on tablets. Tablets and other mobile devices encourage and promote the digitization of customer engagements and produce more data (code halos) that enables new business models to emerge based on a strategic use of big data analytics tied to marketing and commerce platforms.
The more data and commerce that flows through mobile devices, the more companies focus on mobile marketing and sales channels. I see no end to the popularity of mobile devices, so this trend is guaranteed to continue. The question for us now is how this will impact traditional sales and marketing channels and strategies.
Government Agencies Decoding Encryption – How to Keep Cloud Data Private
The latest reports surrounding the surveillance programs of the NSA and their International counterparts reveal that these agencies have been able to decode the encryption methods some enterprises and organizations use to keep their online data private.
While these headlines are likely disconcerting for those operating in the U.S. or using software applications from cloud providers, as stated in our recent press release and blog post, enterprises do not need to allow their fears to slow down or stop their cloud adoption.
More attention has been turning to tokenization recently as a strong approach to secure sensitive data. Tokenization, like encryption, encodes or conceals data so it is protected from unauthorized parties. But unlike encryption, in which a mathematical link back to the original data’s true form still exists; tokenization is unique in that it completely removes the original data from the systems in which the replacement tokens reside (in this case, the cloud itself). You can find out more information about tokenization on this resource page.
When implemented in its strongest fashion (a randomized token generation approach
IBM Wins Its Largest U.S. Cloud-Computing Contract
That’s one big check for Big Blue.
IBM won a federal cloud-computing contract with a maximum value of $1 billion, its largest such agreement with the U.S. government, according to an article on Bloomberg.com.
The Interior Department awarded similar, 10-year pacts to nine other suppliers, including Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT), which also described the agreement as its largest federal cloud contract.
The deals might reach a combined $10 billion, allowing the agency to speed its efforts to move information to the cloud, a Web-based pool of shared resources such as data storage and software. Other U.S. departments may eventually tap the program.
The agreement shows that “IBM’s ability to help governments transform with new technologies, like cloud, continue to grow,” Michael Rowinski, a spokesman for the Armonk, New York-based company, said in an e-mail yesterday.
Enabling the New Cloud Distribution Model to Fuel Growth and Adoption
by Alex Danyluk, Senior Director, ISV & SaaS Alliances, Parallels
The march to the cloud is accelerating and undeniable. And every link in the IT distribution chain, from companies that develop software to customers, is adjusting to the new cloud distribution model. At the center of this new chain are various types of new and traditional distributors, from traditional hosting companies like HostWay and Hostnet, to managed service providers (MSPs) like Apptix and ApprRiver, to telecommunication companies like Sprint, Telenor and America Movil, to non-traditional service providers like Dell and Staples.
While there is great diversity in the distribution, they all share some common challenges and needs. They all want to sell a rich basket of independent software vendor (ISV) goods that are well integrated with each other and are easy for distributors and their customers to manage. They also want to enhance customer and user interface (UI) experiences. These needs create a challenge for both the new distributors and ISVs that want to reach these new diverse distribution channels. Each ISV and distributor needs to integrate their systems one by one, integrating provisioning, billing, portals and inter-application interoperability.
The cost and time to connect these ISVs with cloud distributors is a barrier to growth and adoption. Several companies, including Parallels, recognized this problem a few years ago and helped create the APS standard (www.APSstandard.org) to build a replicable model for connecting ISVs to distributors. To date, more than 400 ISV applications are APS packaged, distributing their offers via hundreds of distributors around the globe.
Following the APS standard, an ISV can build a connector once to easily enable distribution through APS-enabled disruptors. APS integrations can automatically set up user accounts when a customer purchase is made and assists with billing information, as would be expected from such a standard. APS goes further to ensure the customers and distributors have an excellent experience. APS has the ability for two different services to exchange information so that services like Symantec anti-virus and Microsoft Hosted Exchange automatically knows how to work with each other when a customer purchase both. ISVs can also embed rich customer HTML5 screens, further enhancing the user experience.
With APS, both ISVs and distributors now have a means of not only enabling the distribution of cloud services in the new cloud distribution model, but also enhancing the overall customer and service provider experience for advanced cross product integration capabilities and rich UI experiences.
On September 9, 2:30-3:30, in the Sequoia Room, at VentureBeat’s CloudBeat conference, I’ll be participating in a panel with Uday Keshavdas, Director of Business Development at Box and Joan Fazio Senior Director, Emerging Channels and Verticals, Commercial Marketing at Symantec, and we look forward to continuing the discussion there.
