The Business Aspects of Cloud: Let’s Get Started

The cloud discussions have been changing rapidly over the last months, focusing away from infrastructure to applications, services and industry requirements.
I’ve spent the last several weeks addressing some of the business aspects of cloud and why/how companies move to the cloud. It’s time now to wrap this series up. The cloud discussions have been changing rapidly over the last months, focusing away from infrastructure to applications, services and industry requirements.

Implementations in larger companies typically started with development & test activities within the IT department, while business teams used “shadow-IT” approaches to source services from external parties, potentially putting the enterprise at risk. [Disclosure: HP is a sponsor of BriefingsDirect podcasts.]

The main reason is the perceived lack of responsiveness and agility of IT. As I pointed out, it is increasingly becoming clear that one size does not fit all, in cloud computing and that the CIO should become a “strategic service broker”, sourcing services from a series of cloud environments going from private to public clouds and from IaaS to SaaS services.
To achieve a successful transition to cloud computing, the CIO needs to address three areas

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Jill Cooper Joins Zetta.net as Vice President of Sales

Zetta.net, a provider of enterprise-grade online backup and disaster recovery solutions, today announced the appointment of technology sales industry veteran, Jill Cooper, as vice president of sales. The addition of Cooper to the Zetta.net management team was a direct response to the dramatic growth the company has seen as it delivers a «no appliance» solution with enterprise-class features for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
«We continue to outperform consumer-grade and alternative solutions in this market, as customers eagerly embrace our appliance-free approach,» said Ali Jenab, CEO, Zetta.net. «We are pleased to add Jill Cooper to our management team to accommodate this rapid growth. Her depth of experience and insight will be a valuable resource as we continue to drive the company’s success throughout 2012 and beyond.»

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Cloud Computing: Taming the Cloud Data Beast at Cloud Expo New York

Navigating the complex web of regulatory and compliance requirements related to the processing and storage of sensitive enterprise data in the cloud is a huge challenge for business. The cloud is borderless – so how do you cover your business risk and security requirements when your SaaS application requires your data to move out of your control and into the cloud?
In his session at the 10th International Cloud Expo, David Canellos, President and CEO of PerspecSys, will highlight some of the data residency and privacy requirements that make cloud adoption a challenge for many businesses and will explore, through the use of case studies, how some innovative organizations are tackling the problem and embracing the cloud.

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HP Coupon Code ▸ hpVIPgold Special Offer as Cloud Expo Bronze Sponsor

As a Bronze Sponsor of Cloud Expo New York, HP is offering special passes to SYS-CON’s 10th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 11–14, 2012, at the Javits Center in New York City, New York.
HP is a technology company that operates in more than 170 countries around the world. HP explores how technology and services can help people and companies address their problems and challenges, and realize their possibilities, aspirations and dreams. HP applies new thinking and ideas to create more simple, valuable and trusted experiences with technology, continuously improving the way its customers live and work.

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Cloud Computing Adoption Approaching a Crucial Point

There’s a «tipping point» for cloud adoption, according to the CIO at Google, and it’s fast approaching.
Once that point arrives and companies enter the world of cloud computing, there’s no going back – it will become the standard for IT, according to Google CIO Ben Fried.
An article in Midsize Insider takes a look at this issue and explores how midsize businesses and their IT fit into this new world of cloud computing. Is cloud adoption only meant for large-scale customers, or will it benefit «mom and pop» organizations as well? Have a look here.

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Global Cloud Computing Acceleration Techniques at Cloud Expo New York

The convergence of cloud and mobile trends has created demanding new challenges for IT departments to support global users accessing applications from many different devices. In addition, as more mission-critical applications are deployed to the cloud, sensitive data must be protected while still providing the best experience for global end users. As the pace of application development and deployment increases, organizations increasingly need immediate ways to provide global scale and optimal performance to their global end users.
In his session at the 10th International Cloud Expo, Gary Ballabio, Sr. Product Line Manager at Akamai, will provide technical details for how dynamic content can be accelerated with a globally distributed platform and how applications can be instantly supported with minimal effort. In addition, he will also discuss how sensitive data for mission-critical applications can maintain security while still providing highest possible response times.

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AT&T Coupon Code ▸ attVIPgold Special Offer as Cloud Expo Sponsor

As an exhibitor at Cloud Expo New York, AT&T is offering special passes to SYS-CON’s 10th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 11–14, 2012, at the Javits Center in New York City, New York.
AT&T Inc. is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.

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Cloud Computing: Protecting Data at Rest in Public Clouds

The need for Encrypting data that is stored on public cloud platform is fully realized by enterprises, as it has got direct legal implications and the credibility of the organisation at stake. As mentioned we may have multiple options like either using specialized middleware platform like ‘Trend Micro’ SecureCloud™ or specialized database features like Oracle TDE. As evident from the above chart each has its own advantages and specific needs of the enterprise will ultimately facilitate selection of a particular option.

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Dell Acquires Make Technologies for Cloud Transition Tech

English: logo.

Dell announced today it has finalized the acquisition of Make Technologies, a leading application modernization software and services company. This acquisition, combined with the recent acquisition of Clerity Solutions, enables Dell to empower customers to reduce the cost, risk and time required to transition business-critical applications from legacy systems to cloud infrastructure and open, standards-based platforms. Through this technology, Dell is positioned to help organizations leverage more flexible platforms, allowing them to better leverage social and mobile technologies, enhancing workforce productivity and helping to deliver better business results.

The acquisition significantly augments the applications expertise Dell offers to customers with the following services enabled by the Make Technologies Transformational Legacy Modernization (TLM) suite:

  • Detailed application portfolio assessments to help customers define a
    modernization roadmap
  • Faster, lower risk, and cost-effective approach to application and
    data re-engineering

With this acquisition, Dell is better able to provide customers IT modernization solutions to reduce operational costs, migrate to an easier-to-maintain, standards-based architecture, and move to an application and data architecture that more effectively aligns with their business strategy. With a comprehensive mix of software and services dedicated to application modernization, Dell is well positioned to help scale Make’s offering and adds another tool in its suite of solutions that can help relieve customers from the inefficiencies of legacy applications and legacy infrastructure.

By better aligning their environments with current and future business processes, Make can empower customers’ modernization efforts by providing fully re-architected applications that provide a foundation for growth. The company differentiates itself in several ways:

  • Provides customers with end-to-end application portfolio
    transformation solutions that modernize entire portfolios of legacy
    applications in less time and with higher precision
  • Provides code and data migration tools to re-architect legacy
    application software to a more modern architecture
  • Reduces cost of maintaining and managing legacy applications
  • Drastically reduces the amount of custom code in legacy portfolios,
    while protecting the legacy information and business processes of the
    business functions it supports
  • Increases business agility through a re-engineered application that
    better aligns with our customers’ current and future business processes

“The addition of Make Technologies to our Dell Services portfolio allows us to offer customers a complete suite of application modernization services to help them move their legacy IT environments to more modern architectures,” said Steve Schuckenbrock, president, Dell Services. “At Dell, we are focused on solving some of our customers’ most complex problems with powerful IT solutions. With Make and Clerity we believe we have the industry’s most robust offering to help customers meet their modernization goals in an efficient, reliable and cost-effective way.”

“If Dell embraces the MAKE process as well as the tooling, it will gain a formidable weapon for its services arm. The sky truly is the limit for Dell – if it plays its cards right¹,” wrote Forrester Research, Inc. principal analyst, Phil Murphy.

“The combination of Make Technologies and Dell provides the market with a single vendor solution for any modernization activity and is an exciting step in expanding growth opportunities for our core application modernization software and services,” said Bill Bergen, president and CEO of Make Technologies, Inc. “Together, with Dell’s global reach, scale and reputation for customer support, Make’s methodology and tools will become even more accessible to more customers struggling with the dilemma that surrounds legacy environments.”


EMC Coupon Code ▸ emcVIPgold Special Offer as Cloud Expo Sponsor

As an exhibitor at Cloud Expo New York, EMC Corporation is offering special passes to SYS-CON’s 10th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 11–14, 2012, at the Javits Center in New York City, New York.
EMC Corporation is a global leader in enabling businesses and service providers to transform their operations and deliver IT as a service. Fundamental to this transformation is cloud computing. Through innovative products and services, EMC accelerates the journey to cloud computing, helping IT departments to store, manage, protect and analyze their most valuable asset – information – in a more agile, trusted and cost-efficient way.

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