Archive for the ‘Cloud Computing’ Category

By Sue Poremba

For as much as cloud computing has become part of the technology landscape, there are still a lot of people who either haven’t got around to migrating data into the cloud or who have purposely avoided the move.

But have we reached a point where using the cloud has become almost mandatory for today’s business environment?

“There is nothing that dictates the need to go to the cloud,” says David W. B. Parker, owner of PTC Computer Solutions. “The cloud is really a medium whereby companies can interact by and between themselves and share with others within or without the company. If this is not something that is necessitated by the business or businesses your company serves or services, then the cloud is not a functional option.”

What does ‘The Cloud’ mean to you, how can you best use it, and will you be left standing if you don’t start migrating? These are all issues and questions that have provoked good debate on the forum over the past few months. So time for a re-cap.

What is cloud technology, asked Patricia Lytwynec. For Fred Held the cloud means faster connectivity. Gone are the days of slow telephone connections. In comes extremely high speed internet networks that are all over the world. 
”The destination is the same but how you get there has changed,” he said.

What is cloud technology, asked Patricia Lytwynec on this site.

“Cloud technology is a way of delivering computing services over the internet,” explained Andrew Boswell. “These services replace computing functions you would otherwise have to provide yourself.”

He listed examples of hitherto onsite services that are simple to migrate to the cloud: backup, file storage, office applications, games, business applications… “You can access these services from wherever you are, using a wide variety of devices – PCs, Macs, smart phones and tablets.”

For IT leaders, cloud computing offers opportunities to make their jobs easier and help business technology shine. But what does it mean to be an IT leader in an era of do-it-yourself IT? Two new surveys suggest as cloud moves into the mainstream of business, it brings new sources of anxiety as well, writes Joe McKendrick, on Forbes.com.

A report out of Saugatuck Technology confirms a dramatic shift in cloud computing intentions over the past one or two years. “Buying and deployment patterns have shifted rapidly toward a near full embrace of the cloud, from the more tactical and point solution-focused initiatives not long ago,” writes Bill McNee, author of the report.

If there’s one phrase that is guaranteed to provoke a response it’s this: cloud computing.

The chances are just the mention of cloud computing will provoke a reaction of ‘it’s too risky’, or ‘it’s cost effective and offers great flexibility’ or even ‘what do you mean – be more specific! Do you mean public or private? SaaS, Iaas or Paas?’

For many, private clouds are simply a stepping stone on the path to a full – public – cloud where both benefits and pitfalls are magnified. And likewise, to most end users, cloud computing really is referring to the software element – not the deeper levels of infrastructure on tap.