Cloud Computing

Cloud Expo New York Speaker Profile: Dave Asprey – Trend Micro

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 07:45:00 EST

With Cloud Expo 2012 New York (10th Cloud Expo) just four months away, what better time to start introducing you in greater detail to the distinguished individuals in our incredible Speaker Faculty for the technical and strategy sessions at the conference... We have technical and strategy sessions for you every day from June 11 through June 14 dealing with every nook and cranny of Cloud Computing and Big Data, but what of those who are presenting? Who are they, where do they work, what else have they written and/or said about the Cloud that is transforming the world of Enterprise IT, side by side with the exploding use of enterprise Big Data – processed in the Cloud – to drive value for businesses...? We have technical and strategy sessions for you every day from Nov 7 through Nov 10 dealing with every nook and cranny of Cloud Computing, but what of those who are presenting? Who are they, where do they work, what else have they written and/or said about the Cloud that is transforming the world of Enterprise IT?

Europe's IT Commissioner Announces European Cloud Partnership Initiative

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:00:00 EST

"The cloud has the capacity to make lives easier for many of us, including the smallest of businesses. But to achieve that requires us to take many different policy areas and really test them to make sure they are as cloud-compatible as they can be." Writing in her official capacity as Europe's Commissioner for the Internet - and therefore as Czarina of the 'Digital Agenda' of the European Union - Commissioner Neelie Kroes has just announced a brand new initiative on cloud computing – the European Cloud Partnership.

How Are You Building Your Cloud?

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:15:00 EST

“What are the use cases you want to pursue with your enterprise cloud project?” The question seems innocuous enough, but I can tell you from first-hand experience that it is anything but. If you asked five people from different teams within the same company to each give you three use cases, you would end up with 15 different scenarios. Such is the case in the current enterprise landscape where points of view on cloud vary about as much as you can imagine. Each organizational fiefdom has its own set of pain points, challenges, and initiatives to tackle, and each one of those teams have an idea on how the cloud can help.

Les Thomas: "Make-or-Break Moment for Cloud Gaming"

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 06:07:00 EST

recently spoke again with Les Thomas, a key analyst and producer in the global gaming industry. Previously, in May, he'd told me that cloud computing was “being roundly touted as the replacement of traditonal videogame hardware.” Here are some of his current thoughts: “The last time we spoke of cloud gaming, it was essentially an industry conversation. The gaming public was largely unaware of (cloud-based) technology that would soon become videogame lexicon. But most gamers have heard the term now and have some vague notion of what it means.” And what's their reaction? “Many traditional game players are up in arms because they see (cloud) as a threat to the status quo. Some have embraced it in moderation, as the Big Three consoles contemplate, or have implemented some form of cloud computing.” “Sony’s PlayStation 3, for example, now allows game data to be saved in the cloud. We’ve reached the tipping point and it will only goes higher in the clouds. It’s a make-or-break moment for many in the industry.” So in this context, what are your plans for the cloud? “I continue to work with my partner, actress Sybil Danning, toward a cloud-based videogame. We are also becoming increasingly interested in setting up datacenters in Africa and Southeast Asia.” “It’s clear the cloud is the wave of future gaming, regardless of who embraces it. It’s a make or break moment for cloud computing in videogames, and we must jump on that cloud - like Super Mario has done so many times in his games!”

Cloud Expo Takeaways: Cloud Policy and Governance is the Missing Link

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 06:00:00 EST

With 9th Cloud Expo at Silicon Valley's Santa Clara Convention Center now finished, Cloud Computing Journal asked a variety of industry stakeholders what their Top Three takeaways were from the event, now that the many thousands of delegates are back at their desks and their companies, leveraging the knowledge and the insights that they gained through the extensive technical/strategic program and the huge number of booths on the Expo floor.

Cloud Expo Takeaways: Private Cloud is Growing Market in the Business Cycle

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:15:00 EST

9th International Cloud Expo | Cloud Expo Silicon Valley – Photo Album

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:15:00 EST

9th International Cloud Expo, held on November 7 - 10, 2011, in Santa Clara, CA, attracted more than 120 sponsors and exhibitors with over 7,000 registered delegates and four content-packed days with a rich array of sessions about the business and technical value of cloud computing led by exceptional speakers from every sector of the cloud computing ecosystem.

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend To All Our Cloud Expo Friends!

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

As we head into Thanksgiving Weekend, we bring a brief round-up of some of the many follow-up comments we have been receiving since November's 9th Cloud Expo in Santa Clara, CA. Thanks for your thanks, and see you on the other side...when the countdown steadily begins to New York's mega-event: 10th Cloud Expo | Cloud Expo New York (June 11-14).

Cloud Expo Takeaways: Cloud Confusion Still Exists

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 06:45:00 EST

The Future of Cloud Computing: Industry Predictions for 2012

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 05:00:00 EST

With 9th Cloud Expo - Cloud Expo Silicon Valley - in full swing at the Santa Clara Convention Center in California, what's being said about the future landscape of cloud computing? In this round-up we asked a variety of members of the cloud computing ecosystem, from CIOs to independent consultants to marketeers...here are their views on what's in store in 2012. Listed as one of the Top 100 Bloggers in the Cloud Computing Ecosystem, Peter joined Salesforce in 2007 after 18 years as a senior contributor to the enterprise IT journals eWEEK and PC Week. Based in the Los Angeles area, he works with IT professionals and ISVs to build a global community based on Force.com: the salesforce.com Platform Cloud.

Cloud Expo Day 4 Keynote Speaker Profile: Jill T. Singer - NRO

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 09:00:00 EST

With Cloud Expo Silicon Valley (9th Cloud Expo) now in its final day, Thursday November 10 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, CA, here's who is round off the four-day event in our keynote hall this morning...none other than the CIO of the National Reconnaissance Office, Jill T. Singer.

Cloud Expo Day 3 Keynote Speaker Profile: Willie Tejada - Akamai

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 08:30:00 EST

With Cloud Expo Silicon Valley (9th Cloud Expo) in full swing at the Santa Clara Convention Center, CA, let's continue introducing you in greater detail to the distinguished individuals in our incredible Speaker Faculty for the technical program at the conference...starting with today's keynote speaker (Nov 9), Willie Tejada. We have technical and strategy sessions for you every day from Nov 7 through Nov 10 dealing with every nook and cranny of Cloud Computing, but what of those who are presenting? Who are they, where do they work, what else have they written and/or said about the Cloud that is transforming the world of Enterprise IT?

9th Cloud Expo | Speaker Faculty A–Z

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

With Cloud Expo Silicon Valley (9th Cloud Expo) beginning its final two days at the Santa Clara Convention Center, CA, let's remind you in greater detail about all the distinguished individuals in our incredible Speaker Faculty for the technical program at the conference... We have technical and strategy sessions for you dealing with every nook and cranny of Cloud Computing, but what of those who are presenting? Who are they, where do they work, what else have they written and/or said about the Cloud that is transforming the world of Enterprise IT?

The Cloud Computing Wave Hits Silicon Valley

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:30:00 EST

The doors open today on 9th Cloud Expo - Cloud Expo Silicon Valley - the biggest event in the world-beating Cloud Expo series to date, with more members of the cloud computing ecosystem gathered than anyone has ever seen before in one place, to play catch-up with Internet technology's most compelling alternative to running all applications within a traditional corporate data center.

Cloud Expo Speaker Profile: Rich Wolski - Eucalyptus Systems

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:00:00 EST

With Cloud Expo Silicon Valley (9th Cloud Expo) starting today Monday November 7 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, CA, let's introduce you in greater detail to the distinguished individuals in our incredible Speaker Faculty for the technical program at the conference... We have technical and strategy sessions for you every day from Nov 7 through Nov 10 dealing with every nook and cranny of Cloud Computing, but what of those who are presenting? Who are they, where do they work, what else have they written and/or said about the Cloud that is transforming the world of Enterprise IT?

Cloud Expo Speaker Profile: Mark Worsey - GoGrid

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:30:00 EST

With Cloud Expo Silicon Valley (9th Cloud Expo) starting today Monday November 7 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, CA, let's introduce you in greater detail to the distinguished individuals in our incredible Speaker Faculty for the technical program at the conference... We have technical and strategy sessions for you dealing with every nook and cranny of Cloud Computing, but what of those who are presenting? Who are they, where do they work, what else have they written and/or said about the Cloud that is transforming the world of Enterprise IT?

Cloud Expo Speaker Profile: Vijay Sarathy - Red Hat

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 10:00:00 EST

Cloud Expo Speaker Profile: James Thomason - Gale Technologies

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:45:00 EST

Cloud Expo Speaker Profile: James Weir - UShareSoft

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:45:00 EST

Cloud Expo Speaker Profile: Jason Waxman - Intel

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:15:00 EST

Cloud Expo Speaker Profile: Mark Skilton - Capgemini

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:00:00 EST

With Cloud Expo Silicon Valley (9th Cloud Expo) starting today Monday November 7 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, CA, let's introduce you in greater detail to the distinguished individuals in our incredible Speaker Faculty for the technical program at the conference... We have technical and strategy sessions for you dealing with every nook and cranny of Cloud Computing, but what of those who are presenting? Who are they, where do they work, what else have they written and/or said about the Cloud that is transforming the world of Enterprise IT?

Cloud Expo Day 1 Keynote Speaker Profile: Tyler Jewell - Oracle

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 07:45:00 EST

Cloud Expo Speaker Profile: Dave Linthicum - Blue Mountain Labs

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 07:15:00 EST

With Cloud Expo Silicon Valley (9th Cloud Expo) starting today Monday November 7 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, CA, let's introduce you in greater detail to the distinguished individuals in our incredible Speaker Faculty for the technical program at the conference... We have technical and strategy sessions for you dealing with every nook and cranny of Cloud Computing, but what of those who are presenting? Who are they, where do they work, what else have they written and/or said about the Cloud that is transforming the world of Enterprise IT?

Cloud Expo Speaker Profile: Bart Copeland - ActiveState

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 06:15:00 EST

With Cloud Expo Silicon Valley (9th Cloud Expo) starting today Monday November 7 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, CA, let's introduce you in greater detail to the distinguished individuals in our incredible Speaker Faculty for the technical program at the conference... We have technical and strategy sessions for you dealing with every nook and cranny of Cloud Computing, but what of those who are presenting? Who are they, where do they work, what else have they written and/or said about the Cloud that is transforming the world of Enterprise IT?

Cloud Expo Speaker Profile: Andy McLoughlin - Co-Founder of Huddle

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 06:00:00 EST

With Cloud Expo Silicon Valley (9th Cloud Expo) starting today Monday November 7 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, CA, let's introduce you in greater detail to the distinguished individuals in our incredible Speaker Faculty for the technical program at the conference... We have technical and strategy sessions for you dealing with every nook and cranny of Cloud Computing, but what of those who are presenting? Who are they, where do they work, what else have they written and/or said about the Cloud that is transforming the world of Enterprise IT?

Cloud Expo Speaker Profile: Jason Lieblich - Exoprise Systems

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 01:30:00 EST

Cloud Expo Speaker Profile: Peter Coffee - Salesforce.com

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 01:15:00 EST

With Cloud Expo Silicon Valley (9th Cloud Expo) starting today Monday November 7 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, CA, let's introduce you in greater detail to the distinguished individuals in our incredible Speaker Faculty for the technical program at the conference... We have technical and strategy sessions for you dealing with every nook and cranny of Cloud Computing, but what of those who are presenting? Who are they, where do they work, what else have they written and/or said about the Cloud that is transforming the world of Enterprise IT?

Cloud Expo Speaker Profile: Scott Chasin - McAfee

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:30:00 EST

Enterprise Cloud Computing: Why You’re Expecting Too Much from the Cloud

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 08:15:00 EDT

Cloud computing has so much potential – and has been the subject of so much hype – that it seems to some like a panacea. Information security will no longer be an issue; storage will be limitless; processing power will be immense; and total cost-efficiency will finally become a reality. Much of the promise of the cloud is true, but not all of it – especially for enterprises. The fact is, enterprise clouds must serve organizations. And organizations are messy. People, policies and conflicting priorities can threaten any major business initiative. Cloud implementations are no exception. IT folks, for example, often insist on total control. As the business entity held most accountable for enterprise cloud initiatives, IT is justifiably concerned with operational success. However, the result is often cloud applications with no flexibility, tools without autonomy, and functionality without ease of use.

CloudNOW Interviews: Lauren States, IBM VP of Cloud Computing

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 05:45:00 EDT

In a recent interview with CloudNOW, Lauren States, Vice President, Cloud Computing at IBM and a member of the CloudNOW advisory board, offers her insight into the top cloud-related trends and challenges facing organizations. Very few organizations have the insight that comes from longevity and are able to bring that experience to bear in new and emerging markets. IBM is one of them. That means when IBM makes a statement with respect to the (near and far) future of computing, it’s almost always more than prognostication, it’s pragmatism based on real experience. In that regard, IBM has consistently moved forward with cloud computing using measured strides across its portfolio of products and services, recognizing that the technology evolution often outpaces readies for adoption, if not interest. Its long history with organizations large and small ensures that IBM understands the challenges of adopting new technology, not just from a technical perspective but from a business perspective as well.

Cloud Expo Silicon Valley: What Happens When the Service Desk Goes Away?

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 15:00:00 EDT

Cloud management brings many advantages to providing IaaS. Some of the key value propositions are self-services and faster provisioning times. Many companies are ready to adopt the technology but are not ready to adopt the business process changes to fulfill the value proposition of private cloud and cloud management. In his session at the 9th International Cloud Expo, David Piontek, VP of Support and Services at Abiquo, will look at how to build process change management into your cloud deployment. He will cover the challenges customers experience with business process change when implementing a private cloud and what prevents these customers from gaining additional value from a private cloud.

The Top 100 Bloggers on Cloud Computing

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 04:15:00 EDT

Ever since I first published here my tentative list of Top 50 Bloggers on Cloud Computing it became clear that an expansion would be needed before too long. Thanks to community feedback via my Twitter account (@jg21) here goes with an expanded roster, listed as before in alphabetical order since I am making no attempt at this stage to rank the various blogs, merely to map - and celebrate - their existence.

Cloud Computing Making Waves

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 04:00:00 EDT

Every once in a while, I’ll do a news search for ‘cloud computing.’ Yesterday was one of those days and while there are always a few stories about ‘the cloud,’ I was somewhat amazed by the number and range of topics that appeared. Also, the most recent issue (Oct 2011) of Consumer Reports had an article about ‘what’s the cloud.’ It was fairly elementary but for some reason when something is covered in Consumer Reports, I tend to think it’s finally reaching the masses. I’m glad they included, ‘Use caution when signing up for any cloud service. Make sure your information is well protected against cyber thieves. The company you’re using should encrypt sensitive data and have state-of-the art privacy safeguards. And use strong passwords—a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols in a minimum of six characters’ Yes, we love encryption.

Leading C-Suite Perspectives Upcoming at Cloud Expo Silicon Valley

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 03:30:00 EDT

What does the CIO of the National Reconnaissance Office have in common with the CEOs of Abiquo, Apprenda, Tier3, OutSystems and OpSource, the Co-Founder & CTO of Dell Boomi, the CTOs of Rackspace, rPath, Compuware, BMC, NextIO, SoftLayer, SOASoftware, Gale Technologies, CiRBA and UShareSoft, and the Chief Cloud Executive at VMware? Answer: all are members of the distinguished Speaker Faculty of Cloud Expo Silicon Valley, due to take place November 7-10, 2011, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA - the heart of Silicon Valley.

Taking the Pulse of Cloud Computing, Fall 2011

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 06:45:00 EDT

The markets may be melting, but Cloud Computing continues to attract headlines, VC dollars, M&A activity, and more. So let's take a quick look at what's being said, written, and done about the Cloud...now that we have reached Fall 2011.

Evolution or Extinction?

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 06:00:00 EDT

When technologies turn obsolete and paradigms shift, what happens to the jobs that support them? Do they disappear into…the cloud? The world of IT is in perpetual motion, which means every job is potentially endangered. But even so, cloud computing has gotten many people spooked, and with good reason. This is a big change. Many in IT talk about being in business more than technology, but cloud computing makes that shift more real than ever. With the cloud hovering overhead, many specific aspects of IT must evolve or they will become extinct. Here’s the bottom line: with the shift to cloud computing, the IT department must hone a new set of skills – such as managing a broader set of service provider partners – in order to deliver hybrid cloud services to the business. In this new IT reality, business services become equally – if not more important – than technical minutiae. Vendor comparison, decision-making and management become a primary responsibility. IT folks need to shift, or risk being shifted themselves.

An A-Z of Cloud Computing at Cloud Expo Silicon Valley

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 05:00:00 EDT

An alphabetical selection of some of the many themes & topics to be discussed at Cloud Expo Silicon Valley (9th Cloud Expo) - being held November 7-10, 2011, at the Santa Clara Convention Center, CA. The markets may still be melting, but Cloud Expo is definitely coming of age!

Thar Be Danger in That PaaS

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 04:15:00 EDT

There's a lot of momentum behind moving to Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) for delivery of applications on the cloud, but is there enough maturity in PaaS to deploy a mission-critical application? Here's a story regarding one loyalty program provider that offers his customers SaaS solutions. This SaaS provider deployed his platform on a PaaS that offered SQL Server and ASP.NET services. The SaaS has been operating perfectly for months handling the needs of his clientele, but unexplainably stopped working midday on a Saturday—a busy retail time period. While the PaaS provider supposedly offered 24x7 support, they responded only to the first support ticket with a single response, “we really can't identify problems within your application.” The developers did what they could to discern the problem, but all their research pointed to something changing on the server. Upon hearing this, I had a bevy of thoughts regarding the maturity of PaaS.

It’s a Brave New World for Business Intelligence

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 14:15:00 EDT

It’s no secret that today’s IT professionals need to help their organizations capture, track, analyze and share more information than ever before. From mass quantities of transactional data, Web data, and huge and growing volumes of “machine-generated” information, such as sensor and log data, volumes are expanding into the terabyte (and even the petabyte) range. At the same time, the way end users consume information is rapidly changing. Thanks to innovators like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, social computing technologies are spreading like wildfire, and companies are starting to look at how to harness social networks, blogs, wikis and more to share business intelligence and collaborate more effectively. As the data center strains under the need for more storage and faster performance (all while keeping costs in check,) cloud computing, open source technologies and other emerging approaches are presenting compelling new ways to manage data and consume IT services. How can IT practitioners best navigate today’s rapidly changing BI landscape?

Debt Deal Done, Now What? Cloud Computing!

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 12:45:00 EDT

Government investment in the rule of law, infrastructure, defense, and a safety net set the conditions that propelled the US to the top of the global economic heap. In other words, deficit spending works. It was reassuring to see a pair of status quo politicians, Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid, realize this and together pull the country from the brink recently. Of course, the party has gotten out of hand. Actually, both parties have gotten out of hand. This same political status quo in the US has conspired to create annual deficits today of a size that must be curbed. Famed conservative and deficit hawk Sen. Everett Dirksen allegedly declared “a billion here, a billion there, pretty soon you're talking about real money.” What would this Son of Illinois, for whom a Senate office building is named, think of a trillion here and there? How to Get Back On Track? But nothing resembling radical action was taken over the past several weeks of sausage-making in Washington. The reason is – beside the urge to keep things as they've always been – most legislators know that an uptick in the US economy will go a long way toward reducing the deficit. “It's the economy, stupid” is as valid today as ever. How is this going to miraculously happen? The US has ceded much of its manufacturing sector to China, as tens of millions of people continue to trek to WalMart every week looking to save a few bucks here and there. The weak dollar should be generating more tourism. But the snarling half-beasts tourists encounter at US immigration have put a damper on that. The entertainment business is a big net exporter, but Hollywood's self-importance often masks the fact that it directly drives maybe 2% of the US economy. Most Americans are likely unexcited at the prospect of the financial services industry – epitomized by grinning Wall St. sociopaths – leading us out of this modern depression. If anything, the heavily mortgaged housing collapse has made credit in general tougher to get—you can't max out credit cards that you don't have. And the enormous retail sector isn't going anywhere until other industries improve first. Even government employment, an evergreen if there ever was one, is down at every level. The health care industry is on the rise, but only because of demographics, ie, Boomers are aging. Even in this sector, pharma and medical tourism to Canada, Mexico, and Asia reflect the hideous expense and convoluted nightmare of health care in the US. Back on the Soapbox So again, how is the economy supposed to recover? IT, IT, and more IT. IT doesn't just exis as a single sector; it permeates all parts of the economy. The use of this IT has an enormous multiplying factor and has defined American leadership for decades. Cloud computing is the most important recent development, as it brings together all that has come before. But all of us associated with Silicon Valley and other tech areas must do a better job lobbying Washington. We must carry the Gospel (or Sutra, if you prefer) of Cloud Computing to the nation's capital. In this vein, the Business Software Alliance had a nice Cloud roundtable last year, with several tech sponsors and two intelligent, pragmatic senators in attendance. I hope this group is able to do more such events. For my part, I'll be releasing my global Cloud Computing report at Cloud Expo in Santa Clara in November, then taking it to Washington. The report focuses on developing nations, but the US serves as the benchmark. So I'll open an office in the DC area to get my research directly into the hands of policy makers, their staffs, and other key influencers. The US government should lead the world in how it uses Cloud technology, but also in how it encourages it through policy (and non-policy, ie, knowing when not to buttinsky). Effective use of Cloud in the federal government alone could save billions of dollars from the current $80 billion federal IT budget. Effective policy that encourages investment in American jobs using American technology could be the magic trick that allows IT to again ride to the rescue of the US economy. To learn more about my research, tweet me @strukhoff.