Industry Commentary

ENISA Cloud Computing Risk Assessment

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:45:00 EST

The ENISA (European Network and Information Security Agency) today released the Cloud Computing Risk Assessment document. The document does well by including a focus on SMEs (Small and Medium sized Enterprises) because, as the report says, "Given the reduced cost and flexibility it brings, a migration to cloud computing is compelling for many SMEs".

Seeding the Cloud: The Future of Data Management

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:00:00 EST

Doing more with less is a familiar refrain for IT professionals, and today’s challenging business environment has only increased the pressure on managers to achieve efficiencies, maximize performance and improve responsiveness of the data center. More and more frequently, IT is turning to virtualization to accomplish its mission-critical goals. The hot new trend in cloud computing is a natural extension of this drive toward virtualization. In the case of the public cloud, IT can add processing power and infrastructure as needed, and in the case of the private cloud, IT can improve the utilization of existing infrastructure. In other words, cloud computing platforms offer IT the opportunity to increase efficiencies and become more agile, transforming the data center into an environment that delivers greater benefits to end-users.

Will Cloud Computing Confuse Network Management?

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST

In today’s technology-dependent enterprise environment, the efficiency of most business processes depends directly on the effective performance of the IT infrastructure. Almost every single activity - from servicing a customer to shipping purchased products - is dependent upon one or more software applications and the underlying computing/network infrastructure.

The Character of Cloud Computing

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 13:15:00 EST

Here's an important reminder for cloud service providers: character counts. Ethics, Values, and Trust are table stakes – for anyone who wants to succeed in business long term – but especially for cloud service providers. As a cloud customer, I am not simply buying/renting your hardware and software. I am grafting my company onto yours. We are intermingling our corporate DNA. I am loading my databases on your disk drives. I am modifying my internal processes to map to your services.

Cloud Expo New York Call for Papers Now Open

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 19:15:00 EST

Cloud computing is a game changer. The cloud is disrupting traditional software and hardware business models by disrupting how IT service gets delivered. Entrepreneurial opportunities abound as this classic disruptive technology begins to proliferate, so it is no surprise that SYS-CON's industry-leading International Cloud Computing Conference & Expo series is going from strength to strength.

Enterprise Cloud Computing Requires Service-Level Discipline

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST

The Enterprise Cloud Requires a real time infrastructure and a management discipline that understands and can enforce service level discipline. Organizations have become increasingly dependent on technical infrastructure to enable customer interactions. As such, the business has a vested interest in making sure its technology partners understand what constitutes good customer experience so that it’s prepared for projected volumes and rapidly knows how to resolve any impediments.

India Looks at Cloud Computing and SOA

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:30:00 EST

The Obama Administration has been very forward thinking when it comes to Cloud Computing. I'm encouraged to see the tremendous efforts being made across the board by the monolithic sectors of government to embrace or at least seriously consider the Cloud as a feasible and substantial IT strategy. Obviously, not everything within Government can be "cloud-enabled" to gain all of the professed efficiencies. There are data and security concerns, many of which are shared by the Enterprise, however, in-roads are being made to gain adoption across the board. Here at GoGrid, we host some Government clients and have plenty of Enterprise customers. IT managers and C-level execs are now being pushed from multiple angles to implement cloud strategies. 2009 was a year of "research and understand" Cloud Computing as a potential alternative. 2010 will be the year of implementation and wider adoption across the board.

Managed IT Enhances JetBlue Business Model

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 10:45:00 EST

New York-based JetBlue Airways created an airline focused on value, service and style. They've proven to be a trailblazer in the U.S. airline industry. They're also a communication technology early-adopter. JetBlue introduced complimentary in-flight e-mail and instant messaging services on their aircraft -- a first among U.S. domestic airlines. However, their core competency is centered upon air travel. They out-task the rest to service providers, wherever possible.

The CIO as Tarzan

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:30:00 EST

In this age of collaborative technologies and social media, is there still a place for in-person meetings and real phone calls? Yes! The idea of "going primitive" can actually give you a strategic advantage in your communications.

The Ten Commandments for Achieving Excellence in Business and Life

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:45:00 EST

I. Build Your Self Esteem –Successful people know that, building their mind, exercising their body, growing their skills and intellect provides them with layers of protection against failure in life, relationships and business. They are more confident, more hopeful and people are drawn to them by this healthy dose of self esteem II. Set demanding Goals – A muscle doesn’t grow without resistance. Successful individuals realize that to grow financially, spiritually or personally they need to challenge themselves with demanding goals.

Pragmatic Enterprise 2.0 and SOA

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:15:00 EST

Our topic this week centers on how to define, track and influence how people actually adapt to and adopt technology. Any new information technology might be the best thing since sliced bread, but if people don’t understand the value or how to access it properly -- or if adoption is spotty, or held up by sub-groups, agendas, or politics -- then the value proposition is left in the dust. Perceptions count ... a lot.

Diffusing Technology into Generation Z

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:00:00 EST

Us “Baby Boomers” tend to believe we have accomplished a lot in the years ranging from our roots of hard rock, to the birth of basic internet technologies in the early 1970s. We started our generation with black and white television, experiencing everything from the assassination of President Kennedy to absorbing the wonders of man walking on the moon.

Contrary Opinion: CRM is a Hoax

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:15:00 EST

I have a pet peeve concerning two things I’ve been meaning to write about lately, namely CRM and multi-tenancy. I recently read an excellent article referencing both concepts and thought it might be a good stepping stone to a quick blog post. In his article Don’t Get Conned – The many disguises worn by software-as-a-service, Matt Wallach discusses CRM software and the concept of SaaS multi-tenancy.

Google Responds to the Bing Challenge

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST

"At Google, we run anywhere from 50 to 200 experiments at any given time on Google sites all over the world," notes a Google spokesman in a recent statement on The Google Official Blog. "Right now, we are running a small experiment of a new Google homepage design that shows links when a user mouses over the screen. This is just a test and a way for us see whether our users will celebrate an even simpler search interface."

Google Wave

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:00:00 EST

Looks like Google sent out another bunch of invitations (2620) for Wave & since most of my friends are already on Wave, I thought why not give it away. So, in case you want one, just drop a comment (don’t forget to protect it against spamming by substituting @ with [at] & the [...]

ILM Was Cloud Computing Buzzword de Jour A Few Years Ago

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:45:00 EST

Disclaimer, warning, be advised, heads up, disclosure, this post is partially for fun so take it that way. Remember ILM, that is, Information Lifecycle Management among other meanings. It was a popular buzzword de jour a few years ago similar to how cloud is being tossed around lately, or in the recent past, virtualization, clusters, grids and SOA among others. One of the challenges with ILM besides its overuse and thus confusion was what it meant, after all was or is it a product, process, paradigm or something else?

What Does Internet Routing in Space Mean for the CTO?

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Yesterday, 23 November 2009, an Atlas V rocket from the United Launch Alliance successfully launched the Intelsat 14 satellite (IS-14). Liftoff of the Atlas V occurred at 1:55am ET. The satellite separated successfully two hours later. Today we received word that the satellite’s solar panels have deployed and all is well. Great launch! There is something [...] Related posts:

To Take Advantage of Cloud Computing You Must Unlearn, Luke

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:15:00 EST

One of the benefits of cloud computing is supposed to be efficiency, particularly in the utilization of compute resources. Over-provisioning of compute resources has long been one way in which IT combats the need for scalability and availability of applications but this often leaves a large percentage of compute resources unused. The utilization rule once employed as a means to ensure availability and performance of applications, i.e. no device or server should utilize more than X% of its resources at any time, is no longer acceptable as it wastes resources which in turn eats away at the bottom line.

Moving to the Cloud: The Road Ahead

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:04:00 EST

I hope it’s clear that today’s clouds are powerful resources that can be used to rapidly develop and deploy applications; they provide on-demand resources and true value. The challenges I outlined in configuration, storage, networking, and management really come into play when you try to integrate the power of the cloud with your existing infrastructure and processes. These challenges are centered on the fact that the cloud is separate from the data center – a problem that hits home when you want to utilize existing applications and rely on your existing services and infrastructure.

Seven Warning Signs Your Company Won’t Survive

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

In these difficult times are you doing enough for your business? Will you bring excuses to the next board meeting or can you justify and demonstrate that you have taken control of your business' performance. Companies with flawed pricing strategies are easy to spot: they are never the market leader, they always struggle, they are always the runner up, and they have revolving doors at the executive suite. Fortunately, you have a choice and this article will guide you towards a better fate and a higher chance of surviving the current economy.

Nice Screens, Shame About the Dancing

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST

I have not seen the stores in person, but from a distance I really, really like what Microsoft has done with its retail presence. Sure it looks vaguely familiar to Apple's stores, but big whoop. The wall to wall screens are brilliant.

However, I am now second-guessing whether I'd actually want to step inside a store and be trampled by line-dancing geeks rocking out to Will.I.Am and Fergie. Sheesh.

I'd love to see the look on the guy who walked up to cash to buy his Windows 7 upgrade and got stuck watching this horror show. "Umm, can I, excuse me, can I pay for this ... EXCUSE ME!!!"

And check the "Oh please God don't let my buddies see this" look on the face of some of the staffers."

As spotted in Gizmodo ...

Facebook, Twitter LinkedIn, Ulitzer, MeettheBoss - Execs Go Online Big-Time

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST

A study run by online business networking service www.MeettheBoss.com shows that executives are spending an extra 11 hours a month online sharing their professional experiences and learning from their peers. The survey asked its executive users what direct value they gained from spending time running blogs, writing tweets and connecting with other executives on sites such as LinkedIn, Xing, MeettheBoss, Ryze, Facebook, Ulitzer and Twitter.

COSS BI: Open Source, Open Core or Openly Naked?

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:45:00 EST

Peter Yared wrote recently a BusinessWeek guest blog post called “Failure of Commercial Open Source Software.” Not surprisingly his post caused a lot of angry replies from people who work for COSS companies. “The emperor is not naked” they argued. I believe that the COSS emperor is openly naked. And the discussion shouldn’t be whether COSS [...]

Who Invented Virtualization?

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST

I’m willing to make this little bet with you: Most people of a certain age are more than willing to bet folding green that IBM ‘invented’ virtualization. Gen-any-letters will bet VMware with confidence. You will win either way. Today’s burgeoning virtualization market is a different story. And in that story, VMware is the dad.

How Economic Challenges Help Enterprise 2.0

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:30:00 EST

Enterprise 2.0 is described by Carl Frappaolo and Dan Keldsen as, "a system of web based technologies that provide rapid and agile collaboration, information sharing, emergence and integration capabilities in the extended enterprise." It is basically social networking for businesses. This article explores how the recent economic challenges are promoting the growth of Enterprise 2.0 in businesses.

Just What Exactly Is Email For?

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 03:30:00 EST

I don’t know about you, but when I get long emails my eyes go running around my head. Too many words for me to take in during a busy day when I’m sure I’m suffering from some form of ADHD as I try to multitask beyond human capability. So I ask folks to please, please, puLEASE not send me long emails. But they do anyway. And then they get mad when I don’t read them – especially when they’ve written something personal. They actually expect me to put down what I’m doing and read a one-way missive, interpret what they are meaning and feeling against how I interpret their words, then gather my own thoughts and feelings along the way that I can’t manage cuz the communication is one-way and obviously my thoughts and feelings have no credence – and then, then… then what? I can’t remember what I was thinking and feeling with each paragraph or thought, so I have to go back. And god forbid if I miss something!!

Cloud Computing Can Revitalize Your Career as Software Developer

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:45:00 EST

Everyone knows that the longevity and ultimate success of a platform lies in the developers willing to create on that platform. Creating a healthy developer ecosystem in which both the developer and the platform vendor can grow and prosper is very important. No one knows this better than Microsoft. It has long been their mantra that “developers, developers, developers” are the key to success. With most of the new large scale websites and platforms being launched on open source platforms and now the cloud, this is becoming even more important.

Markets Are Networks

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST

I gave a keynote at theCanadian Marketing Association's Marketing Week conference in Toronto a couple of days ago. It was a new talk, and I tried to structure it carefully. I've gone through my slides, and here's an extended summary of what I said (or meant) in this 35-minute ...

Madoff Programmers Busted

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:15:00 EST

Two Madoff computer programmers who authorities say made the whole decades-long $65 billion Ponzi scheme possible were arrested Friday and brought up on criminal charges of conspiracy, falsifying the books and records of a broker-dealer and falsifying the books and records of an investment advisor. The SEC, which never tumbled to the ripoff before Madoff up and confessed last December, added civil charges.

Questions Data Center Operators Don’t Want You to Ask

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:15:00 EST

We live in a world of clouds, SaaS, outsourcing, and Everything over IP (EoIP). The challenges IT professionals face when trying to sort through the maze of technology, globalization, SOX, HIPPA, PUE, and on,… result in daunting confusion. Mix in a few overzealous sales people, an inquiring CFO, incorrigible users within the organization, and you have all the pre-requisites for a world class, globalized, migraine headache.

Top Five Considerations When Retiring Legacy Applications

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST

As organizations modernize to meet computing demands, they face enormous challenges when it comes the topic of retiring old applications. Consigning old applications to the backburner in favor of newer, safer, more stable, and more user-friendly systems is never as easy as it sounds. Most CIOs and tech department heads share this challenge – and the problem is more pronounced when the confines of regulatory, budget, and time requirements are taken into consideration.

A Swift Kick to the IPv6 Backside

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST

The institutional horror stories continue, the old Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) address space is nearly gone, and if we do not transition to IPv6 with its nearly unlimited address space the Internet will grind to a halt.

New Media First Movers May Not Win

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:15:00 EST

When an enterprise declares its intention to implement Web 2.0, it could be attempting to do one of the following things: Use social networking sites available on the web (Blog, FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc.) to reach out to their customers to … … sell to them … provide after sale services Use technologies classified under Web 2.0 (Wiki, Blog, [...]

Enterprise 2.0 and Mobile Software Applications

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:05:00 EST

The term Enterprise 2.0 is receiving a lot of press these days (see definition of Enterprise 2.0). In this article we are going to discuss possible use cases for Enterprise 2.0 in the context of enterprise mobile applications. Carl Frappaolo and Dan Keldsen defined Enterprise 2.0 in this way, "a system of web based technologies that provide rapid and agile collaboration (kudos for buzz words), information sharing, emergence and integration capabilities in the extended enterprise." The bottom line, unstructured information sharing tools for use by the enterprise.

4th International Cloud Expo: Photo Album

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST

SYS-CON's 4th International Cloud Computing Conference & Expo, held on November 2 – 4, 2009, in Santa Clara, attracted more than 50 sponsors with over 2,200 delegates, a record attendance. The three content-packed days emphasized value with a rich array of sessions led by exceptional speakers about the business and technical value of cloud computing. Enjoy here the photo album of the show.

The Cloud Computing Kettle Heats Right Up

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:00:00 EST

The past month has seen an unprecedented concentration of Cloud-related articles, events, tweets, and - above all - product launches, partnership announcements and M&A moves. So is Cloud Computing, after three years, finally coming to the boil? Here, by way of allowing you to judge for yourself, SYS-CON's Cloud Computing Journal brings you a timeline of the trajectory of the Cloud so far.

Industry Experts Discuss the State of Cloud Computing

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:15:00 EST

"With cloud computing, price to deploy applications goes through the floor while flexibility to scale those applications goes through the ceiling!" says WaveMaker CEO Chris Keene, in this lively round-up of The State of Cloud Computing compiled and published by Conference Chair Jeremy Geelan. 4th International Cloud Computing Conference & Expo is taking place this week at the Santa Clara Convention Center (November 2-4, 2009).

The Top 150 Players in Cloud Computing

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:45:00 EDT

A robust ecosystem of solutions providers is emerging around cloud computing.Here, SYS-CON's Cloud Computing Journal expands its popular list of most active players in the fast-emerging Cloud Ecosystem, from the 'mere' 100 we identified back in January of this year, to half as many again - testimony, if any further were needed, to the fierce and continuing growth of the "Elastic IT" paradigm throughout the world of enterprise computing.

Oracle+MySQL Opponents Take to the Barricades

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:45:00 EDT

Monty Widenius, the creator of the MySQL open source database – which is apparently all that stands between Oracle and its acquisition of Sun – thinks that Oracle shouldn’t have his baby and that the European Commission – whose investigation into MySQL has put the Oracle-Sun merger in limbo – should force Oracle to spit it out to another company.

What is Enterprise Cloud Computing?

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:30:00 EDT

What is enterprise cloud computing? Simply stated, it’s a behind-the-firewalls use of commercial, Internet-based cloud technologies specifically focused on one company’s or one business environment’s computing needs. Enterprise cloud computing is a controlled, internal place that offers the rapid and flexible provisioning of compute power, storage, software, and security services to meet your mission’s demands.