Monthly Archives: March 2015

Cloud computing, Cloud Hosting, Cloud Server, Cloud Services

Hewlett-Packard Announces New Cloud Service: Helion Rack

HP announced recently a new preconfigured package of software and hardware targeted towards enterprises who want to adopt the cloud but also keep their computational resources in-house: the Helion Rack. It is designed to aid companies adopt a private cloud much faster.

The use of a private cloud allows organizations to use cloud services on an internal network. However, creating a private cloud network can be quite difficult, taking organizations months to do. With Helion Rack, HP creates each system in its facilities then sets it up at the customer’s location. There has been much done to secure the system and tune it for maximum performance.

Helion Rack is based on open source software; specifically HP used OpenStack for infrastructure services. HP is a large contributor to the OpenStack project, and therefore has expertise on hand to help with any issues. OpenStack is also used for HP’s Helion Public Cloud service.

hp-helion-neutron-openstack

On the platform services side, HP used Cloud Foundry software, also open source. HP has also installed their Helion Development Platform, which is simply a set of development tools. For the hardware, HP went with ProLiant DL servers, which includes storage and network components.

Helion Rack is a great platform for developing new applications, specifically those that will run on a cloud infrastructure. It is also designed to deal with heavy workloads like data analysis and hosting. Helion Rack will be available starting in April and pricing is based on configuration starting with a system that can support 400 virtual machines.

The post Hewlett-Packard Announces New Cloud Service: Helion Rack appeared first on Cloud News Daily.

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WSM Offers DevOps Specialty Practice | @WSMINTL @DevOpsSummit [#DevOps]

WSM International has launched a DevOps services division that offers assessment, consulting and implementation to large enterprises and organizations with complex infrastructures.
The concept of DevOps is to blend information technology (IT) software development with operations to optimize the computing infrastructure according to the specific needs of the organization. According to a recent press release from Gartner, “By 2016, DevOps will evolve from a niche strategy employed by large cloud providers to a mainstream strategy employed by 25 percent of Global 2000 organizations.”

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Bonny Joy, Christopher Dodge, News & Analysis, Operator, telco, Telco Cloud

Cloud storage bundles improve stickiness but not revenues – research

Cloud storage helps operators retain customers, not necessarily generate revenue

Cloud storage helps operators retain customers, not necessarily generate revenue

Research undertaken by analyst firm Strategy Analytics has concluded that pre-installed mobile cloud storage bundles, such as Dropbox, have become table stakes for device vendors and are perceived more as a prerequisite than a value-add, reports Telecoms.com.

SA pooled the resources of three analysts covering mobile content, user experience and app tracking to come to the conclusion that premium storage bundles have already become ‘me too’ propositions that confer little product differentiation. Having said that they also conclude they can still be effective for both device vendors and operators when it comes to customer loyalty.

Christopher Dodge, Associate Director of SA’s Wireless Media Labs, said: “Our research suggests that consumers are agnostic to who the service provider is, but at the same time they place significant emphasis on the trustworthiness of the service, which in turn creates an opportunity for device OEMs and operators in becoming the trusted provider of the service, through pre-installing the application on the device with free storage.”

Nitesh Patel, Director of the Wireless Media Strategies Service, said: “For operators, the focus with cloud storage service should be on indirect monetization – this means rather than relying on cloud as a premium service, they should manage it effectively for reducing customer churn.”

Bonny Joy, Chief of SA’s Consumer Telemetry Platforms said: “ OEM partnerships with cloud storage providers are being received favorably by the end users. The AppOptix based on over one million application sessions in the US found that Dropbox on Samsung devices realize a traffc of 12.8 MB  per day, the highest among  major OEM brands.”

Fellow analyst firm CCS Insight has also published some research today, but focusing on the UK consumer communications services market. CCS is forecasting that by 2020, 79% of UK households will have signed up to a multiplay service bundle, a 60% increase on the current level. Furthermore the number of households buying a bundle of at least four comms services is expected to increase by over 400%.

Paolo Pescatore, Director of Multiplay and Media at CCS Insight, reckons this means premium content will become even more valuable and that industry consolidation is set to continue. “With a furious battle for customers raging, we expect the amounts paid for exclusive content deals on movies, sports and TV shows to continue to skyrocket. Sports will be a major weapon in every provider’s arsenal for many years to come,” he said.

“Our surveys reveal that consumers find it more convenient and better value to buy broadband, mobile, TV and land-line access from one company, so established providers that can offer all these services are in a strong position. Once multiplay packages are the norm, it’ll be the exclusive content on offer that’ll set providers apart. It’s little wonder we’re seeing a frenzy of acquisitions as leading players scramble to secure assets.”

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Microservices: Operationalization of the Network | @DevOpsSummit [#DevOps]

Microservices are the result of decomposing applications. That may sound a lot like SOA, but SOA was based on an object-oriented (noun) premise; that is, services were built around an object – like a customer – with all the necessary operations (functions) that go along with it. SOA was also founded on a variety of standards (most of them coming out of OASIS) like SOAP, WSDL, XML and UDDI. Microservices have no standards (at least none deriving from a standards body or organization) and can be based on nouns, like a customer or a product, but just as easily can be based on verbs; that is, functional groups of actions that users take when interacting with an application like “login” or “checkout.”

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Why there is still a culture of ‘hope’ and ‘fear’ around cloud and big data technologies

(c)iStock.com/portishead1

Is more sensitive data being kept in the cloud? According to the latest report from Vormetric, in association with analyst house Ovum, 60% of US IT decision makers and 54% of respondents globally say they store sensitive data in the cloud.

Yet cloud environments (47%) are more of a risk to enterprise organisations than databases (37%) and file servers (29%), while cloud and big data concerns remain “genuine” and “deep rooted” according to the study, which surveyed over 800 IT decision makers worldwide.

The numbers revealed worrying findings about why organisations were moving data into the cloud; almost half (46%) of respondents expressed concerns over ‘market pressures’ forcing them to use cloud services. In terms of key changes to increase the use of cloud services, 55% wanted encryption of data with enterprise key control on their premises; 52% wanted encryption of their organisation’s data within the service provider’s infrastructure, and 52% wanted liability terms for a data breach.

The stakes are high if something goes wrong – which is more often than you think. Two in five (40%) organisations experienced a data breach or failed a compliance audit in the last year.

Increasingly, as sister publication Enterprise AppsTech has discovered, it’s the insider threat which is particularly worrying. Nine in 10 (89%) say they are at least ‘somewhat’ vulnerable to insider attacks, while respondents believe the most dangerous insiders in terms of data breaches are privileged users (55%), followed by contractors and service providers (45%) and business partners (43%).

Consequently, data breach protection is now the number one priority among IT, ahead of compliance. For Ovum, this trend can be clearly seen in recent events – the recent Sony, Target, and Vodafone security issues came about even though each company was compliant at the time.

“The cloud and big data survey results demonstrate that there is both hope and fear when it comes to cloud and big data technologies,” said Andrew Kellett, Ovum lead analyst and report author.

“This fear can lead to slow implementation of these platforms, which stymies innovation and growth. But there are steps enterprises can take and changes providers can make that will increase adoption.”

You can take a look at the full report (email required) here.

CGI, Datacentre, Keith Jefferies, Ministry of Defence, News & Analysis, Private Cloud, Steve Smart

UK MoD launches dedicated private cloud for internal apps

The UK MoD is using a hosted private cloud for internal shared services apps

The UK MoD is using a hosted private cloud for internal shared services apps

The UK’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) Information Systems and Services (ISS) has deployed a private cloud based in CGI’s South  Wales datacentre which is being used to host internal applications for the public sector authority.

The ISS said it received Approval to Operate for the new Foundation Application Hosting Environment (FAHE), which is hosted as a private cloud instance in CGI’s facilities, and that the first applications have successfully transitioned onto the new platform.

The hosting environment was procured through the G-Cloud framework, the UK government’s cloud-centric procurement framework, and the contract will run for at least two years.

“FAHE provides the foundation of our Applications Services approach and a future-proofed platform for secure application hosting. Our vision is that ISS will be the Defence provider of choice for applications development, hosting, and management,” said Keith Jefferies, ISS Programmes, EMPORIUM deputy head, UK Ministry of Defence.

“FAHE is the first delivery contract under the broader banner of the Applications Programme and we have selected CGI on their ability to deliver a secure environment coupled with a flexible commercial model that allows us to rapidly up and down-scale in line with future demand,” Jefferies said.

Steve Smart, UK vice president of space, defence, national and cyber security at CGI said: “MOD ISS is taking an important step towards delivering the Government’s vision of using  flexible cloud services. The CGI platform is compliant to Defence and pan-Government ICT strategies and architectures. It will provide multi-discipline services from the most appropriate source with the agility and cost of industry best practice.”

The move comes just a few months after the MoD contracted with Ark to design a new state-of-the art datacentre in Corsham, Wiltshire, a move that will allow the department to decommission its Bath facility and save on energy and operations costs.

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Fast-Growing @WhoaCloud Expands Data Center | @CloudExpo [#Cloud]

WHOA.com has announced the newest addition to its data center footprint with the expansion into Equinix’s newest state-of-the-art facility: DC-11 Washington, DC IBX+. Located in Ashburn, VA, this data center expands Whoa.com’s presence to meet rapidly expanding customer demand for secure cloud solutions.
Equinix, Inc. operates International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) data centers in 32 markets across 15 countries in the Americas, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific. Equinix is committed to operating facilities that meet the rigorous standards and compliance needs of global businesses. Equinix IBX data centers deliver even greater levels of standards compliance and physical security to safeguard mission-critical data.

Equinix, Inc. operates International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) data centers in 32 markets across 15 countries in the Americas, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific. Equinix is committed to operating facilities that meet the rigorous standards and compliance needs of global businesses. Equinix IBX data centers deliver even greater levels of standards compliance and physical security to safeguard mission-critical data.

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Backing up your computer, Backing up your virtual machine, Parallels Desktop, Parallels Desktop for Mac, Parallels Desktop Snapshots, Parallels Desktop Support, Time Machine

How to Use Parallels Desktop Snapshots

Guest blog by Ram Chavali, Parallels Support Team In the age of cyber-attacks, data leaks and computer viruses, people tend to back up their computers more often. Virtual machines should be backed up from time to time too. However, it can be difficult and time-consuming to create multiple backups, especially if you’re using an external […]

The post How to Use Parallels Desktop Snapshots appeared first on Parallels Blog.

Enterprise IT, Newfield Exploration Company, News & Analysis, oil and gas, Oracle, site connectivity, Thomas Smouse

E&P firm sends HR function to the cloud

Newfield Exploration Company is moving its HR operations to the cloud

Newfield Exploration Company is moving its HR operations to the cloud

Newfield Exploration Company, an independent oil and gas exploration and production company has adopted Oracle Human Capital Management Cloud (Oracle HCM Cloud) in a bid to streamline global HR operations and make them more mobile-friendly.

The company, which has E&P operations in the US and China, said it wanted to improve employee access to central HR resources (corporate profiles, previous interactions, staff photos) in order to improve global collaboration.

It said moving its HR systems to the cloud will also reduce maintenance costs and help its IT department focus on end-user delivery and adoption.

Newfield will also deploy Oracle HCM Cloud Mobile as the mobile interface its 1,500 employees will use when application launches later this year.

“Advanced technologies like Oracle HCM Cloud are critical to our success as a company that thrives on discovering and working in uncharted territories,” said Thomas Smouse, vice president of administration and human resources, Newfield Exploration Company.

“With Oracle HCM Cloud, we are transforming the way we communicate our goals throughout the organization, creating a more transparent environment. The increased clarity around goals has led to better collaboration and more productive employees focused on common milestones, which inevitably results in better business outcomes,” Smouse said.

While E&P firms are traditionally more conservative in terms of moving their IT systems to the cloud, there is a trend that sees some independents – that don’t have the capability to build or deploy their own private datacentres – moving some of these systems. Many E&P firms have diverse operations spread around the world, which can make accessing these systems quite challenging (of course, once these systems are centralised in the cloud, site connectivity becomes pivotal).