Sin categoría

Does new study show cloud computing is viable for SMEs?

Advantage of cloud for smaller businesses “loud and clear”, according to Australia-based research

A survey by Australian cloud software provider MYOB has shown that many SMEs are not taking advantage of the cloud – but those that do experience tangible benefits.

The research, conducted by market researchers Colmar Brunton and commissioned by MYOB, polled over 1000 SMEs and found some intriguing trends:

  • Accessing data from any location proved the biggest draw for SMEs migrating (42%)
  • Working remotely (28%); reducing IT usage issues (26%) and data protection (23%) also popular
  • But 27% of respondents said they didn’t know enough about the cloud to make a decision

Nearly four-fifths of the companies surveyed (79%) said they didn’t use the cloud for business. 14% said they did, while 8% weren’t sure.

The highlights from the research included various quick wins for enterprises. For example, 44% of SMEs in the cloud expected …

AutoCAD, AutoDesk, Autodesk 360, Building Information Modeling, Tools

Autodesk Liberates Designers with Cloud-Based Pay-As-You-Go Simulation

Autodesk, Inc. today unveiled Autodesk Simulation 360—a comprehensive set of tools delivered securely in the cloud with a pay-as-you-go pricing model that enables any company to make simulation part of their everyday design and engineering processes.

With Autodesk Simulation 360, designers, engineers and analysts can more easily predict, optimize and validate the performance of things in the world around us. The virtually infinite power of the cloud allows complex engineering tests that were once limited to simulation specialists to be performed by mainstream designers. For example:

  • Product designers can test how various ergonomic designs of furniture,
    such as chairs, will accommodate and adapt to differing body types and
    levels of use well before the piece is ever manufactured.
  • Manufacturers can understand the heat generated by electronics devices
    enabling them to design-in proper cooling, avoid overheating and help
    prevent costly consumer recalls.
  • Architects and engineers can gain deeper insight into how buildings,
    including plants, will perform by simulating air flow to help ensure
    thermal comfort; analyze environmental effects on bridges and
    buildings; and test the behavior of structural materials including
    concrete — all before anything is ever built.

Autodesk Simulation 360 is the latest offering to build upon the Autodesk 360 cloud-based platform. By performing computationally intensive simulation tasks in the cloud, designers, engineers and analysts can test multiple “what if?” design scenarios in parallel. The computational power of the cloud also eliminates the need for specialized hardware, thereby removing previous limitations and helping to increase productivity.

“The ability to run multiple simulation studies in the cloud, in the same time as a typical singular simulation study with single variables, really opens up the game for us by helping us understand much more of the system in a shorter amount of time,” said Matt Nowicki, senior product engineer at BioLite, Inc. “It’s impressive how easy, valuable and seamless simulating in the cloud can be for a company such as ours.”

“Our customers can now visualize building comfort before the project is constructed. This enables them to make more informed decisions pertaining to project costs and lets them evaluate system and energy trade-offs as well. Providing this type of service helps distinguish us from our competition,” said Darryl McClelland, BIM and Virtual Design manager at Heapy Engineering, which provides Mechanical-Electrical-Technology Systems Design Services, LEED and Energy Consulting Services, Building Commissioning Services, and Planning Services.

The Autodesk Simulation 360 software portfolio includes a wide range of cloud-based mechanical, fluid flow, thermal and plastic injection molding tools at an affordable price. Additional benefits include direct geometry exchange; robust meshing tools; extensive material libraries; and proven solver technology to improve simulation accuracy in the areas of greatest concern.

“Businesses simply can’t afford not to understand how their designs will perform before anything gets built,” said Robert “Buzz” Kross, senior vice president, Design, Lifecycle and Simulation at Autodesk. “Autodesk Simulation 360 puts powerful simulation capabilities within reach for designers and engineers at virtually every company, giving them the tools they need to better predict, optimize and validate their designs early in the design process.”

In contrast to traditional perpetual licensing, Autodesk Simulation 360’s easy and affordable, pay-as-you-go model simplifies access and offers unparalleled flexibility. Autodesk Simulation 360 is now available in English, and is planned to be available in other languages in the near future. For additional information on how to access Autodesk Simulation 360 and take part in the Simulation Liberation event, visit www.autodesk.com/simulationliberation. Additional resources such as simulation experts, on-demand videos and tutorials are available at www.autodesk.com/simulation-360.


Sin categoría

Filling in Big Data’s Missing Link: Making Big Data Pay for Itself

Say hello to Bashes — the first cloud-apps that enable companies to turn Big Data into new sources of revenue
I don’t want to sound overly dramatic, but today’s the day GoodData makes it possible for companies to finally monetize Big Data. That’s because today we unveil our first Bashes — cloud-based business mashups — on our platform that enable anyone, in any size business, to turn mountains of disparate data into insight that finds new sources of revenue, boosts profit and builds a competitive edge.
We call these new solutions Bashes because they combine the best elements of consumer apps with modern, enterprise-class technologies. That means consumer apps’ clean and intuitive user interface, ease of use and device independence, with cloud-based business technologies that collect and manage structured and unstructured data from hundreds of sources. With Bashes, businesses can discern meaning from all the data flooding in from emails, social media, enterprise software and cloud apps.

read more

Sin categoría

Topics Evolve for Cloud Expo in Santa Clara

Only eight weeks lie between now and the next US Presidential election and the next Internationl Cloud Expo – the latter to be held Nov 5-8 at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center.

Politics often become part of cloud discussions, particularly in the areas of open source and its unloved cousin, cloudwashing. But where said alleged cloudwashing was a big topic of discussion in the aisles and after-hour parties of the recent Cloud Expo in New York, I think that topic is being washed away, so to speak, but a few other large items:

The importance of software-defined networking, or dare I say it, cloud networking
The continued importance of Big Data – how to define it within the context of your specific organization, whether and how to handle it, what to do with it
Social media and social networking – the topic just won’t go away, despite the schadenfreudistic plunge in Facebook’s stock over the summer. Most businesses still have no clue about how to use SM/SN effectively, whether its effect can truly be measured, and how it can drive new, perhaps useful Big Data streams
Standards. Whoops, almost forgot, we’re nowhere near standardized ways of doing things throughout the ideotypes of cloud computing. And I’m not talking about what NIST does. The cloud industry is almost willy-nilly erecting new silos of babble

The last topic seems to be the most important, by far. Where’s the standard electrical outlet or USB of cloud APIs, not to mention user interfaces? When will we have “brake on the left, accelerator on the right,” in Scott McNealy’s timeword phrase about the enterprise IT industry? Will we be able to stop the madness before Oracle simply buys up everything and puts a rude end to all this idealistic cloudy talk?

I’ll be roaming the halls of the SCCC in November, after having duly voted early and often in my Illinois hometown.

Will I see you there? Let me know.

Follow me on Twitter

read more

Sin categoría

Cloud Expo Silicon Valley: The Executive View on Cloud Service Brokers

Cloud services and solutions play a critical role in the cloud ecosystem. With the cloud comes increased complexities and an increased need for integration, aggregation and automation capabilities. This is a disruptive change for both business and IT, and constitutes a series of challenges, coupled with new requirements. Leveraging the cloud requires more than just technology and platform migration. It requires a common platform across providers to design, build and operate a solution with a single point of accountability and transparency to enable successful transition to the cloud model.
In his session at the 11th International Cloud Expo, Chad M. Lawler, Director of Consulting, Cloud Computing at Hitachi Consulting will explore the aggregation integration, customization, and automation of cloud solutions design, architecture, provisioning, procurement, deployment, management and governance in the cloud service broker model. Attendees will receive an overview of how innovative cloud brokerage technologies are helping government agencies streamline cloud sourcing, procurement, on-boarding, integration, aggregation, billing and use of different cloud services for cost savings, centralized management and increased governance control.

read more

Sin categoría

Compuware and Netmagic Partner

Compuware has announced that Netmagic Solutions has expanded its application performance management (APM) partnership with Compuware. Netmagic will offer Compuware APM® products—Gomez—to its customers in a pay-as-you-use service model as part of the company’s existing Managed Services Portfolio (MSP) offerings.
Neeraj Dotel, Managing Director at Compuware India, stated: “We are pleased to partner with Netmagic Solutions and help its clients improve business productivity and application performance. Companies need to understand how customers use their sites to capitalize on every single interaction and application usage. Compuware strives to provide the most inclusive set of technologies to optimize all aspects of application performance.”

read more

Sin categoría

Modernized IT Infrastructure Spawns Cloud and Mobile Computing Benefits

Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings, based in Tel Aviv, both satisfied current requirements and built a better long-term enterprise architecture, illustrating the multiplier effect of value and capabilities from IT transformation efforts.
One of the things that’s interesting to me is the speed and depth of how your organization has embraced virtualization. You went to nearly 100 percent server virtualization across mission-critical applications in just a few short years. Why did you need to break the old way of doing things and why did you move so quickly to virtualization?

read more

Cloud & IT Management, Consulting, Infinitely Virtual

Infinitely Virtual Offers Onboarding Service Designed to Get SMBs Up and Running Quickly

Recognizing that some organizations find migrating to the cloud intimidating, Infinitely Virtual, a provider of virtual server cloud computing services for businesses, today announced an innovative Onboarding Service, aimed at eliminating the fear factor from the migration process.

The service, which consists of a free, one-hour tutorial on hosting in the cloud, enables new customers to ask virtually any question of a live company representative and get the relationship off on a sound, secure footing.

“Self-service can be an ideal business model, even in the IT world, but self-serve doesn’t need to be completely hands off,” said Adam Stern, founder and CEO, Infinitely Virtual. “Our goal is to eliminate the fear factor, especially as small and midsize businesses migrate to the cloud, by offering a distinctly high-touch orientation session. As cloud computing grows, it naturally attracts organizations that may not have full-blown technology departments, but it’s especially important that the experience for this population of users is positive and productive from the get-go. With our Onboarding Service, companies can now go from purchase to production in just hours.”

According to Stern, services like Infinitely Virtual’s new user orientation are essential if cloud computing is to achieve true critical mass.

“Building a Virtual Dedicated Server hosting environment requires collaboration among professionals from every discipline,” he said. “What matters is the quality of the total package – the hardware and the software, of course, but also the support and the intangibles that, in the end, define the solution. In the cloud, as on the ground, it’s always buyer beware. Businesses need to know that virtualization/cloud hosting isn’t a commodity business, and that some vendors do emulate the so-called big players both in the quality of the environments they build and the kind of support they provide. It’s entirely possible to provide high function at modest cost, but doing so requires expertise, experience and a genuine understanding of what businesses need.”


Distance Learning, M&A Activity, MindLeaders, SkillSoft

Skillsoft Acquires ThirdForce Group MindLeaders

Skillsoft Limited, a provider of cloud based learning solutions for customers worldwide, today announced that it has reached agreement on the terms of a recommended cash offer to be made by its indirect subsidiary, Skillsoft Ireland Limited, for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of ThirdForce Group plc. The acquisition is being structured as an Offer under Irish law.

The acquisition will add to Skillsoft’s existing offerings in learning content, and supports the company’s overall strategy to continually increase the quality and flexibility of the learning solutions it makes available to its corporate, government, education, and small-to-medium size business customers. Also, the addition of MindLeaders’ capabilities will strengthen Skillsoft’s ability to expand its compliance-related business in the United States and United Kingdom.

“We see compliance-related learning as a growth opportunity for SkillSoft. Currently, we are serving legal compliance and ES&H compliance needs of many our corporate customers, and our success has encouraged us to explore ways to accelerate this part of our business,” said Jerry Nine, Chief Operating Officer of Skillsoft. “MindLeaders’ learning content for food safety and adult care will immediately bring a wider range of compliance solutions to the customers we serve in the United States and United Kingdom. We are also excited about the potential to expand these compliance solutions to serve additional global markets in the future.”

MindLeaders offers many of the same financial and operating characteristics as Skillsoft’s business model, including an annual recurring subscription-based licensing model for access to its learning resources library, a direct sales force distribution system complemented by resellers and telesales support, and a corporate client base offering visibility through multi-year contracts. As a result, the acquisition is expected to support both Skillsoft’s revenue predictability and growth.


Backup, Disaster Recovery, Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity, VMware

EVault 7: The New Shape of Backup and Recovery

EVault, Inc. today announced the release of EVault 7, a significant update to its cloud-connected backup and recovery platform. The new release offers a more resilient architecture, with enhanced replication and additional deployment options that customers can tailor to their needs. EVault 7 delivers faster backups – up to 100 percent faster for VMware environments than EVault 6 – and is optimized for a distributed environment. As part of this release, EVault is introducing a new management interface built around the ”social business.”

“With EVault 7, our customers are seeing the future shape of data protection,” said Terry Cunningham, president and general manager, EVault. “Our backup and recovery platform is designed for a cloud-connected world – and now it’s faster, smarter and more resilient than ever. We’ve also added a management interface built on a social platform, so customers can stay on top of their data protection operations and collaborate in real-time with colleagues, peers and the EVault team.”

Unlike  solutions that force customers into a rigid deployment model for backup and recovery, EVault 7 now offers geographically-distributed replicas in a private cloud, a service provider cloud, the EVault cloud – or in all three. Should an IT organization want an onsite cache of their data for fast, local recoveries, they can deploy EVault Express Recovery Appliance: Virtual Edition and get LAN-speed backup and recovery. Because the virtual appliance fits within current environments, it lowers total cost of ownership by leveraging existing IT infrastructure and eliminating the need for additional capital expenses.

Smarter, faster and more efficient than ever, EVault 7 helps IT managers put an end to worries about backup and recovery windows. Updated support for VMware environments includes fast granular restores of files and folders from only a single backup of the virtual machine, delivering backups 100 percent faster than EVault 6. With WAN-optimized data transfer that now has faster replication, EVault 7 customers achieve efficient bandwidth usage, storage optimization and end-to-end security. Granular recovery will also be available for mailbox and message-level restores within Microsoft Exchange applications by the end of the year.

“With EVault, we know that we can deploy cloud-based backup and recovery without having to sacrifice security, speed and efficiency,” said Bill McCown, Director of Information Technology at C&J Energy Services, Inc. “EVault 7 also gives us the system and application support we need, at the level we need it. I can protect and recover my data within time windows that don’t disrupt our business.”


The cloud news categorized.