IaaS

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.

Centerstance Joins Google Apps Authorized Reseller Program

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST

Google Apps brings simple, powerful communication and collaboration tools to all sizes of organizations. With Google Apps, users have access to applications such as Gmail webmail service, Google Talk instant messaging service, Google Calendar calendaring service, Google Docs program, Google Sites web application, and Google Video for business with their own domain to work together more effectively. Best of all, everything is hosted by Google, so there's no hardware or software to download, install or maintain. "It's a natural partnership," stated John Marshall, Director of Technology Services at Centerstance. "Centerstance is the Northwest's premier Cloud Computing consulting company and Google is a major player in both Software as a Service (SaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS)."

Vexed with Cisco HP Goes to Voltaire

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:45:00 EST

Emily Post would probably say Voltaire owes Cisco a bouquet of flowers – about the size Chicago gangsters send to funerals – for steering the two trophy accounts its way, since Cisco may have sacrificed its 77% market share to go adventuring. Voltaire marketing VP Asaf Somekh suggests that the champagne in Cisco’s bathtub could be drained in three-five years. Voltaire was able to nail both IBM and HP quicker than it thought it could.

Cloud Computing Journal "Readers' Choice Awards" Voting Is Now Open

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:15:00 EDT

SYS-CON's Cloud Computing Journal announced today that the voting in its first annual Cloud Computing Readers' Choice Awards is now open. Voting will end October 23, 2009, and winners will be announced the week of November 2-4, 2009. To vote for your favorite Cloud products and services today, don't put it off, voting takes just a few seconds.

CIA was Headed to an Enterprise Cloud All Along: Jill Tummler Singer

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EDT

"I believe commercial solutions - whether its Google’s cloud or Amazon’s web services - may be perfect for many companies. But some corporations and government agencies are not going to be comfortable outsourcing their information and services to the Internet-based cloud," said Jill Tummler Singer, Deputy CIO of the Central Intelligence Agency, on Tuesday, at SYS-CON's 1st Annual GovIT Expo, in the event's opening keynote. "For agencies like mine," Singer continued, "and for many corporations, keeping such precious gems in our own possession is a foregone conclusion."

Sybase CTO to Speak at 4th International Cloud Computing Expo

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:30:00 EDT

SYS-CON Events announced today that Irfan Khan, CTO of Sybase, will be presenting at SYS-CON’s 4th International Cloud Computing Conference & Expo in Santa Clara, CA, this coming November 2 – 4, 2009. His session is entitled “Developing Successful Cloud Strategies by Evaluating Data Infrastructure Demands.” The cloud value proposition has drawn us here, but you've been around the block enough to know compromises will be required to leverage this platform.

Tips for Efficient PaaS Application Design

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EDT

On yet another application review with a prospective client the issue of potentially troublesome data entity relationships came up. A number of our clients are existing QuickBase users who have made an initial attempt to design their applications and find that some assistance is needed. The first thing we look at to understand their application requirements are the data entity relationships.

Cloud Computing + POC = ‘Obvious’ ISV Revenue Growth

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EDT

I’ve always found that the obvious things in life are easy to understand once you see them. I’ve got a good one for you. The obvious thing here is ISVs should reduce POC installation and configuration time to near zero. It is obvious, isn’t it? And easy to understand. As it turns out, it’s also easy to do. How do I know?

How To Use Cloud Computing and Virtualization to Create Virtual Data Centers

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 06:45:00 EDT

Many IT organizations have inadequate governance processes to control the provisioning of virtual servers, resulting in problems including virtual server sprawl. Some IT organizations are building private or internal cloud environments to capture the benefits of cloud computing, yet they lack management tools to provide visibility into usage and costs. Successful IT service management, including the use of a Service Catalog, is critical to realizing the benefits of virtualization.

SpringSource Adds Grease to Java Cloud Skids

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 21:00:00 EDT

This is the clear path for open source and Java developers to the cloud. Microsoft will have its hands full just keeping the .NET developers and operators on the farm, so to speak. SpringSource made headlines last week when VMware scooped up the Java infrastructure and management firm for $420 million in a move to breed easier cloud migration. Now, the spotlight is on the San Mateo, Calif. company once again as it leverages one of its own recent cloud industry acquisitions.

PaaS and the Cloud Continuum

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 09:15:00 EDT

We were recently Tweeted an inquiry about what exactly cloud computing means. If you are listening in to tech chatter these days it's impossible to avoid the flurry of opinions about what the cloud is. So...we figured we might as well add our two cents and spent a thought provoking morning developing a cloud stack analogy. Cloud services tend to fit into the category of SaaS (Software-as-a-Service), PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service) or IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service), each one delivering a service that encompasses the stack components below. So, IaaS provides everything needed for server operation so that customers don't have to set-up their own server operation, hardware and server connectivity. PaaS adds a further layer of integrating providing the traditional server stack elements and installed code bases and databases as well as frequently layering on a codeless development environment. And SaaS delivers a complete application to end users via the browser with the rest of the cloud stack supporting it.

Demand for Cloud Infrastructure as a Service

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EDT

Some market studies continue to identify confusion regarding the true meaning of cloud-based services, and the apparent benefits derived by the early-adopters. One recent example comes from a survey of financial professionals in the UK.

Hosted Solutions Promises Trustworthy Cloud

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:30:00 EDT

Hosted Solutions, the eight-year-old infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) company acquired last year by ABRY Partners, the private equity house, for $144 million, is branching into the cloud business with an “over-architected” platform called the Stratus Trusted Cloud.