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This Week in Cloud, February 10, 2011:OpenStack and open source moves, NIST on federal cloud, calculating cloud ROI, unique security challenges for Iaas, Saas & PaaS. And More…
Feature Article
Did you know there is a wrinkle with time?
By Matt Richards, CA Technologies
Everyone always wants more time. But if you are building a cloud, time is only part of the equation. Cloud is part of your business, and you are in it for the long haul. So you need more than time. For the moment, let's assume you are building a cloud - MSP or enterprise. And let’s also assume that you want to deliver new services to your customers. If I were choosing a cloud platform, I would want to see proof of three things. Read the full article.
Cloud News
- A new release of the open-source cloud operating system OpenStack was made available, which includes ease-of-use features, support for Hyper-V and getting started documentation, according to this Information Week article. In another piece of open-source news, Dell introduced Ubuntu-powered cloud servers targeting enterprises that want to build private clouds. Dell plans to make a second announcement with OpenStack later this month, according to this InformationWeek article.
- Meanwhile, David Linthicum wrote in InfoWorld that Amazon’s recent move to support Oracle’s database in the cloud is evidence that open-source applications will have limited traction with enterprises.
- VMware began offering vCloud Connector, an interface that allows you to manage VMware virtual machines from a single pane of glass, whether they are running on-premises in a private cloud or in a remote location in the public cloud, according to this Information Week article.
- Blue Coat Systems launched a Web SaaS offering to provide real-time malware protection for customers regardless of their location, according to this eWeek article.
- China is working with IBM to build a city-sized cloud computing and office complex of 6.2 million square feet that will include a mega data center of 646,000 square feet. This ComputerWorld article points out that China’s overall level of IT spending, while growing rapidly, is one-fifth that of the U.S.
Cloud Views
- The NIST has introduced materials to help accelerate federal cloud adoption in response to a request from U.S. federal CIO Vivek Kundra. Read more on Cloud Commons.
- eCommerce Times is publishing a series on calculating cloud ROI. Here’s part 1.
- Impact of cloud on IT roles: This Network World article by Beth Schulz features interviews with several enterprise IT managers about their cloud career paths. This PC World article looks at what cloud computing means to programmers.
- In this CSO article, Mark O’Neill notes that all cloud models are not the same, and explores the unique security challenges of SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS.
- This blog by Cisco’s James Urquhart explores the role of the network in cloud computing, on the heels of Cisco, Extreme Networks and other networking vendors deciding to join the OpenStack cloud-management software project.
Upcoming Cloud Events
- CloudGov: February 17, Washington DC
- ComputerWorld IT Leaders Conference: Extreme Convergence: Fusing IT and Business in a Leaner, Global, Virtualized World, March 6 – 8, Palm Springs, California
- Cloud Connect: March 7 – 10, Santa Clara, California
- CloudSlam 2011: April 18 – April 22, global virtual conference
