It’s clear that cloud computing has transformed the enterprise IT landscape, from the computing infrastructure layer up through enterprise software, as companies move to leverage more efficient and cost-effective service-delivery models and bring new cloud-based products and services to the market. Perhaps less known is the innovation taking place at the network level and how leading companies are transforming their Wide Area Networks (WAN) to more quickly and efficiently fuel their move to the cloud.
Moving to the cloud requires network managers and IT shops to implement scalable solutions that ensure the reliability and performance of cloud-based applications across their extended enterprise. Cloud computing drives the need for more reliability across the WAN and ever-increasing amounts of highly available, secure and reliable bandwidth across all users, locations and geographies. However, many enterprises are constrained by their existing network infrastructure, both from a cost and performance perspective. They can’t cost-effectively scale their networks; and latency, jitter and packet loss impact performance and reliability in the cloud.
Five ways VMware’s vCloud hybrid service takes your data centre to the cloud
VMWare is well known for its virtualization products, so it’s not surprising that it is establishing a presence in the cloud computing world. Its hybrid cloud service, VMware’s vCloud Hybrid Service, runs off of vSphere and vCloud.
It’s set up as an Infrastructure as a Service offering, with a hybrid cloud approach that seeks to expand the customer’s existing datacenter, instead of replacing it.
Here are five methods by which the vCloud Hybrid Service takes existing data centres to the cloud.
5. The hybrid approach. Instead of using a completely cloud-based solution, the hybrid server uses existing infrastructure and augments it with cloud-based resources. VMWare offers both dedicated and virtual private clouds for this service.
4. Integration with existing VMware deployment. VMware makes it simple to connect the cloud-based data centre with the physical data centre. The infrastructure used in the cloud is the same as …
ITprenuers to Exhibit at Cloud Expo New York
SYS-CON Events announced today that ITprenuers, the leading content and instructor provider for IT best practices training and workshops, will exhibit at SYS-CON’s 12th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 10–13, 2013, at the Javits Center in New York City, New York.
ITpreneurs offers innovative competence development programs for IT best practices to support the educational needs of IT professionals. With expertise in key domains including Cloud Computing, ITSM, IT Governance, Information Security, Process Improvement, and Project Management, ITpreneurs provides guidance on disparate frameworks and integrated solutions.
Cisco Buying JouleX for Cloud-Based Energy Software
Cisco is spending $107 million in cash and retention incentives to buy JouleX, whose cloud-based software is supposed to help companies reduce energy costs.
It monitors, analyzes and manages the energy use of all network-connected devices and systems through a set of policies derived through analytics tailored to the enterprise.
The widgetry, which provides policy governance and compliance as well, works across global IT environments.
The company was started in Munich in 2009 and is now based in Atlanta with R&D in Kassel, Germany. It’s gotten at least $17 million in venture funding from such companies as Intel Capital.
Open Data Centers to Exhibit at Cloud Expo New York
SYS-CON Events announced today that Open Data Centers, LLC, a carrier-neutral data center operator in New Jersey and New York City, will exhibit at SYS-CON’s 12th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 10–13, 2013, at the Javits Center in New York City, New York.
Open Data Centers is located in Piscataway, New Jersey in a very high power density area. Located 16 miles south of New York City, the facility offers enterprises, service providers and carriers 8,500 feet of high-quality, cost-effective services in an ideal location for carrier Points of Presence (PoPs), low latency alternatives for colocation of financial services applications, and location for cloud services.
Cloud Computing Is Smart
“The open development business model positively impacts the cloud ecosystem by fostering much-needed cloud standards and removing the fear of “lock-in” for cloud customers,” stated Joan Rothman, CMO at CoreMatrix Systems LLC, in this exclusive Q&A with Cloud Expo Conference Chair Jeremy Geelan. “The open model also creates a cross-cloud environment where innovative development can occur at a speed and cost that only a few companies can do on their own today.”
Cloud Computing Journal: The move to cloud isn’t about saving money, it’s about saving time – agree or disagree?
Joan Rothman: Disagree. The move to the cloud is about saving time and saving money – along with gaining an opportunity to immediately improve processes. We’ve helped companies in several industries move their systems to the cloud in just a few weeks. Of course, for complex and global implementations, it takes longer due to the number of requirements, different groups, disparate databases and existing systems involved in the design, build and deploy process. But the time and cost savings are there for organizations of any size.
Cloud computing firm iomart’s profits continue to rise
iomart Group, proclaimed as the UK’s leading cloud computing company, has registered end of year profits of £10.7m before tax growth, an increase of 56% and marking a significant improvement on 2012’s £6.9m profit.
Revenue growth went up 29% to £43.1m, again an improvement on the previous year, whilst adjusted EBITDA growth (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) was 48%, up to £16.5m.
The figures are suitably impressive for the Scottish company, proving last year’s comments from senior execs were almost Nostradamus-esque in their accuracy.
iomart Group director of marketing and corporate communications Phil Worms told CloudTech this time last year that “the market expected us to deliver”, with CEO Angus MacSween adding that “at least another two or three” acquisitions were expected to be made.
And with buyouts of Melbourne Server Hosting, Skymarket and Internet Engineering for an overall figure of …
Standards for Integrating and Managing the Cloud
“Both cost and trust are much further along than before, but there are still many components that can and need to be optimized for SMBs to truly adopt the cloud,” said Vikas Aggarwal, founder & CEO of Zyrion Inc., in this exclusive Q&A with Cloud Expo Conference Chair Jeremy Geelan. “There needs to be integration and manageability at the service level and not just the infrastructure level,” Aggarwal explained.
Cloud Computing Journal: The move to cloud isn’t about saving money, it is about saving time. – Agree or disagree?
Vikas Aggarwal: Agree. Though saving time is all about money anyway – saving money in optimizing compute resources as well as faster time-to-market, faster delivery, and better revenues.
Governance Strategies for Successful Cloud Initiatives
At the top of many IT group’s list of concerns lie security, compliance and internal process governance – both in static data centers and in dynamic clouds. Indeed, governance should not be overlooked. And, as they say in many security circles, the best measure of successful security is silence. Although the discussion around governance in the cloud has evolved, many organizations still struggle with questions such as:
Which apps should we deploy to public clouds?
When and where should cloud environments be encrypted?
Who has access to cloud-based applications and infrastructure?
Which firewall rules should apply?
How do security rules differ from app to app based on the application’s lifecycle phase?
Compliance and Security in Cloud Migration
“Anyone moving to the cloud saves not only time but money,” stated Joel Daly, Chief Operating Officer of HOSTING, in this exclusive Q&A with Cloud Expo Conference Chair Jeremy Geelan. “For SMBs, the primary cost issue is a lack of resources. They have no choice but to run legacy systems during the transformation to the cloud. This gets expensive, but once done, the cost savings are there.”
Cloud Computing Journal: The move to cloud isn’t about saving money, it is about saving time. – Agree or disagree?
Joel Daly: Agree, but time is money. Virtualization allows for faster provisioning and faster recovery, therefore increasing time-to-market for solutions. In many cases, especially if you’re a software provider, getting to market sooner means revenue sooner. In addition, via the cloud, you can reinvest that money and use it to increase your capabilities. A recent study by the University of Manchester showed that 60% of companies have more time to focus on strategy and innovation and 70% of large enterprises and 59% of SMEs surveyed have been able to reinvest more money back into their business.