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Is cloud computing ready for prime time?

By John Dixon, Senior Solutions Architect

A few weeks ago, I took part in another engaging tweetchat on cloud computing. The topic: is cloud computing ready for enterprise adoption? You can find the transcript here.

As usual with tweetchats hosted by CloudCommons, five questions are presented a few days in advance of the event. This time around, the questions were:

  1. Is public cloud mature enough for enterprise adoption?
  2. Should public cloud be a part of every business’s IT strategy?
  3. How big of a barrier are legacy applications and hardware to public cloud adoption?
  4. What’s the best way to deal with cloud security?
  5. What’s the best way to get started with public cloud?

As far as question #1, the position of most people in the chat session this time was that public cloud is mature enough for certain applications in enterprises today. The technology certainly exists to run …

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SYS-CON.tv Interview: SaaS Solutions

“We started in 1997 and launched in 2001 and now we have over 500 ISVs on the platform. We now have an end-to-end solution for ISVs,” stated Jan Aleman, CEO of Servoy, in this SYS-CON.tv interview with Cloud Expo Conference Chair Jeremy Geelan at the 11th International Cloud Expo, held November 5-8, 2012, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
Cloud Expo 2013 New York, June 10–13, at the Javits Center in New York City, New York, will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty and the leading Cloud industry players in the world.
The growth and success of Cloud Computing will be on display at the upcoming Cloud Expo conference and exhibition in New York City, New York, June 10–13, 2013.

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Cloud servers: Leading the pack in Linux VPS

Although Microsoft Windows still dominates the desktop operating system popularity, Linux has become a dominant force in cloud servers and virtual private servers (VPS). Linux is not only a cheaper way to host cloud applications, but it also comes in several distribution flavors.

Customers looking at cloud hosting as a solution can choose from CentOS, Fedora, Ubuntu and Debian. Each of these distributions offers the same basic functions, but they have different tweaks that some administrators like over other distributions.

Linux VPS versus Windows solutions

Aside from the more affordable option, what makes Linux better than Windows? First, the Apache hosting environment and the Linux operating system are free, so, no surprise, Linux is a cheaper hosting solution.

Apache hosting usually includes the «cPanel» control panel. cPanel is popular with end-users and is more easily managed than Plesk, the equivalent Windows solution for managing cloud web servers.

Linux hosting naturally …

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Why Is the Cloud So Confusing?

Last week I wrote a guest blog post for Washington Technology Industry Association explaining What Applications Benefit the Most from the Cloud. While working on the post I looked around the Web and once again was reminded that, like with other technology the cloud is becoming more and more confusing. Don’t understand me wrong! I do love the technology but there is always one thing that always baffles me – we (the techies) always invent new fancy terms and try to use those to sell the technology (it even happens quite often that we just call an old technology with new name and sell it again). Well, we are pretty good at confusing our customers with our fancy TLAs (TLA stands for three-letter-acronyms if you are wondering :)) hence I decided to start a series of posts explaining the cloud with much simpler terms.

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Cloud Computing Pioneer Linthicum Returns to Blue Mountain

David S. Linthicum, a well-known pioneer in the worlds of cloud computing, big data, and Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), and who founded Blue Mountain Labs in 2006, has returned at CEO and founder of the elite consulting and advisory firm. Blue Mountain Labs will continue to focus on making cloud computing work for larger enterprises and government agencies, allowing them to save hundreds of millions of dollars a year by leveraging proven methodologies, procedures, and technology.

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An Open Cloud Discussion

There is a vast new movement developing at a breathtaking pace that is changing the way the world utilizes cloud computing. Specifically, open source cloud computing. Rackspace is helping lead the global discussion about the benefits of building a business on an open cloud.
In his Day 2 Keynote at the 11th International Cloud Expo, John Engates, CTO of Rackspace, provided insight on the difference between an open cloud and a closed, proprietary cloud. He also explained the hidden dangers of vendor lock in and where the open cloud is headed into the future.

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EIM, Enterprise Information Management, Microsoft, Mobile, OpenText, OpenText Corporation, Windows 8

OpenText Releases Windows 8 Apps

OpenText today announced that OpenText Tempo Box and OpenText eDOCS DM, two secure enterprise information management applications, are now available in the Windows Store for Windows 8.

OpenText has expanded its product roadmap to deliver Windows 8 solutions for OpenText Capture, OpenText Provision, Case360 and MBPM. Similarly, OpenText Content Server, Enterprise Connect, and Email Management are adding Windows 8 support along with Web Experience Management, Portal, Media Management and other products.

“Businesses today are increasingly asking for technology solutions that will provide them with the flexibility to access important documents on their PCs and mobile devices interchangeably. Windows 8 and Windows RT give them this access with the rich functionality, ease of use and a heightened level of security they’ve come to expect from the Windows operating systems,” said John Richards , Senior Director, Windows App Marketing for Microsoft Corp.

Tempo Box is a comprehensive offering that fulfills organizational needs for security, control and integration. Unlike other solutions, it provides enterprise-grade security features that help businesses ensure compliance with regulatory and organizational mandates. Tempo Box allows users to access, view and manage files from their Windows 8 device, as well as edit files in other apps installed on Windows 8. Direct integration with a user’s corporate LDAP or AD directory makes security-enhanced sharing with other Tempo Box users fast and easy.

Tempo Box, a simple, secure file transfer and synchronization service, and the newly developed eDOCS DM app, designed to support legal and mid-market businesses, support both Windows 8 and Windows RT on tablets and PCs, providing customers with the versatility of cloud-based data access – whether in the office or on the go.

“Our Tempo Box product and our eDOCS DM app will empower our business users to quickly take full advantage of all the innovative mobility features that Microsoft offers in these new operating systems,” said Muhi Majzoub, Senior Vice President of Engineering at OpenText. “These innovations demonstrate OpenText’s continued commitment to bringing leading-edge EIM solutions to customers and represent key parts of OpenText’s Enterprise Information Management (EIM) strategy, helping organizations to work more efficiently and drive better business outcomes.”

The newly developed OpenText eDOCS DM app also supports virtually anytime, anywhere access for Windows 8 users with an easy to use app that is consistent with the new Windows user experience. It supports Windows touch interactions and provides a consistent user experience when interacting with eDOCS DM content on any Windows 8 or Windows RT device regardless of form factor.

OpenText Tempo Box and eDOCS DM users can now take advantage of all the simplicity and elegance of Windows 8 – such as the new Start screen; touch screen capabilities; Cloud-connected access; improved performance and system reliability; as well as increased end-to-end enhanced security and manageability features. OpenText Tempo Box and eDOCS DM enables users to take full advantage of the new advanced mobility and usability features in Windows 8, while ensuring a consistent experience when interacting with EIM applications on different devices.

EIM helps organizations manage and exploit their enterprise information to drive innovation, create competitive advantage and make better decisions about their business without compromising their information governance and security.

All editions of Tempo Box including CS10, Express, and Cloud editions are available immediately. Tempo Box is also now available in the Windows Store

Customer experience, Customer Relationship Management, Marketing, Mobile

Total Communicator Solutions Launches Mobile Marketing Communication Platform

Total Communicator Solutions has launched its Mobile Marketing Communication Platform, a cloud-based platform which enables a company to communicate with their clients who download the company’s mobile app via a simple web based dashboard interface.  The solution includes a mobile app that can be dynamically changed and controlled by the CRM system.

“We have created a business solution by combining cutting edge mobile technologies such as an Augmented Reality (AR) solution with a powerful cloud based CRM system. With this we have developed a simple to use Mobile Marketing Communication Platform,” explained TCS Founder and CEO Erik Bjontegard .  “The CRM system serves as the central nervous system. The app can be used to gather information such as activity, location and more – the system then can deliver content that is relevant to the app user’s context and behavior. We have gone from context awareness to what I like to call contextual intelligence.”

The platform is targeted for use by a company’s marketing department. It enables automatic delivery of messages, content and offers based on a variety of parameters. These include location, activity and past behavior within the app. The solution can also reward those that use the app to share with others through their social networks.

The first company to use the application is the cutting edge restaurant group Enlightened Hospitality Group of San Diego. They are active users of social and digital marketing and have their own in house digital ad agency. Partner and CEO, James Brennan states, “When we first saw the TCS solution, we knew we wanted this, and wanted to be the first to use it.  This fits perfectly in our marketing plans where we promote our restaurant group as well as our celebrity Chef, Brian Malarkey .”

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Deploying the Cloud? Make 2013 the Year to Do It Right

It’s no secret that the cloud is growing at an exponential rate. By 2016, two-thirds of the world’s server workloads will exist in the cloud. But according to Cisco’s 2012 Cloud Index, less than half of server workloads currently run in the cloud. Closing the gap between current capabilities and future requirements is a mission-critical priority for businesses across a range of industries. Without adequate planning and preparation, the race to the cloud can easily become a long slog through a minefield of missed opportunities, user failures and IT nightmares. As more and more workloads make their way to the cloud each year, enterprises have a vested interest in expanding network capabilities and evolving critical data center infrastructure to accommodate an ever-increasing array of cloud-based applications and data storage requirements.

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Business Intelligence, Business Processes, FreshBooks, FreshBooks Automatic Expense Import, Small business

FreshBooks Launches Automatic Expense Import, Connecting Customer Accounts Directly to Their Bank

FreshBooks today rolled out Automatic Expense Import which automatically draws expenses in from bank accounts and gives users an easy way to track spending and to see their profit and loss at a glance.

This latest addition to the FreshBooks cloud allows small business owners to connect their financial institutions (including bank accounts and credit cards) directly to FreshBooks and have their expenses imported automatically into their account every day.

“Small business owners want to focus on serving their customers and on doing what they love, not on accounting,” said Mike McDerment, FreshBooks co-founder and CEO. “The ability to automatically import expenses from your bank enables small business owners to effortlessly manage their expenses, which helps them know exactly how much they’re spending and frees up times to work on more important things than paperwork. This is the promise of the cloud – a better way to work.”

Automatic Expense Import includes:

  • Quick one-time setup to connect financial institutions to your FreshBooks account
  • Automatically brings in new expenses daily, on an ongoing basis until disconnected
  • Accommodates multiple accounts including checking, credit card and PayPal
  • Imports the last 30-90 days of expenses data (depending on the bank)
  • Flags duplications and makes editing painless

FreshBooks Automatic Expense Import, which has been in use with over 3000 customers since October 2012, is now broadly available in North America with support for more than 9,000 US financial institutions and 61 Canadian financial institutions. Customers outside of the US and Canada can identify which banks they would like supported by completing a form request found on the FreshBooks blog. Going forward, Automatic Expense Import is included with all FreshBooks paid packages, and for a limited time it is also available to existing, free FreshBooks accounts as well.

FreshBooks supports a wide range of service-based small business types: designers, lawyers, marketing and IT professionals, plumbers, interior decorators – any business with 1-10 employees that serves clients with their time and expertise. Whether logging expenses at the coffee shop, on the way from a client meeting or at the airport lounge, FreshBooks Automatic Expense Imports will help small business owners to save even more time managing the money they spend.

The cloud news categorized.