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This Week in Cloud, September 15, 2011: HP intros new cloud and mobile security offerings, Start-ups worth watching, Google fesses up on energy usage. And more…

Cloud News

HP announced new cloud and mobile security offerings that leverage technology from its ArcSight, TippingPoint and Fortify acquisitions. HP’s enterprise security portfolio would help IT departments establish a unified security strategy that addresses threats and liabilities from mobile devices, cloud-connected devices, home computers and other non-corporate-issued devices, according to this eWeek article. Rather than selling new security products, HP is positioning the portfolio to offer customers a service to fill in gaps in their security strategy.
HP launched a public beta for its first two public cloud computing services, HP Cloud Compute and HP Cloud Object Storage, which will compete with developer-focused offerings from Amazon Web Services and Rackspace. GigaOm blogger Derrick Harris contrasts HP’s approach with Dell’s recently announced IaaS offerings and comments that HP’s offerings are only loosely based upon OpenStack.
Start-up Dome9, based in Tel Aviv, launched a cloud security solution it claims creates the equivalent of a firewall for public and private clouds. The solution is offered through a SaaS model and can be deployed as an agent via an API, working with a number of public and private cloud services including Amazon’s, GoGrid’s and Terremark’s. Read more in this GigaOm blog.
7 cloud companies to watch: this Computerworld article profiles the following up and coming cloud start-ups: Citrusleaf, Cloudability, Cloudfloor, Cloud Cruiser, CloudTP, Piston Cloud Computing and VCider.
Google Docs and Microsoft Hotmail, Office 365 and SkyDrive all suffered outages this week. Read this eWeek article for detail on the causes. Meanwhile, this PCWorld article advises that cloud outages should be expected and planned for and recommends a few different proactive approaches to consider.

Feature article

Clouds are not secure, clouds are not reliable

By George Watt

Late last week, I read a Bloomberg Businessweek article titled ‘Cloud security is looking overcast,’ discussing several of the reasons many businesses either will not, or are reluctant to, adopt cloud services, especially public cloud services. While I do not necessarily disagree with the article in general, or even with what the author offers as reasons businesses are concerned – and they are concerned – about the security or reliability of cloud solutions, there are a couple of myth-conceptions worth exploring. Read the full article.

Invitation to Twitter Event

Today, September 15, at 3:30 EDT (19:30 GMT), @CloudCommons will be hosting its first #CloudViews event on twitter. The event will focus on cloud outages and their impact on consumers and service providers. Join the expert panel, which includes thought leaders from Mimecast, ScaleUp, Cirrhus9, Acolyst, Mycroft Inc, DNS Europe and CA Technologies. For more information, visit the #CloudViews group on Cloud Commons.

Cloud Views

For the first time, Google publicly disclosed how much power it takes to run its data centers. In 2010, it used 2.6 million megawatt-hours of electricity. Despite its energy usage, Google figures its impact is carbon-neutral, because of its investments in renewable energy technologies and carbon offset purchases. This ZDNet article provides more detail, including a link to an article revealing Google’s data center efficiency secrets.
Will cloud fix on-premise apps too? This ZDNet article explores a point of view shared by Microsoft’s Brad Anderson that cloud apps will make on-premise server apps perform better. He feels that the faster pace and incremental nature of cloud development means that on-premise versions will get features later, but only once they’ve been debugged thoroughly.
More companies are focused on cloud readiness rather than full migration, according to IT decision-makers polled at the recent Cloud Computing World Forum. 51% said their over-riding priority was making their IT infrastructure “cloud-ready.” 28% are looking to migrate many workloads to the cloud. 72% are focused on testing individual cloud functions, such as email, test and development and hosting. Read this Computerworld article for more detail.

Upcoming Cloud Events

Hosting & Transformation Summit 2011: September 25 – 27, Las Vegas, Nevada
Virtual Cloud Connect: September 29, virtual
OracleWorld: October 2 – 6, San Francisco, California
Interop / Cloud Enterprise Summit: October 3 – 7, New York City
Gartner Symposium & ITxpo: October 16 – 20, Orlando, Florida
VMworld Europe: October 18 – 20, Copenhagen, Denmark

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About Cloud Commons

Cloud Commons is an independent online community of IT professionals, analysts, technology providers, and industry experts. Members can ask questions, learn from experts, and find the latest cloud-related news. Cloud Commons offers a forum to contribute and discuss best practices and successes, as well as research vendor solutions. Sponsored by CA Technologies, Cloud Commons has been growing steadily since its launch in May of 2010.

Hosted on Cloud Commons is the Service Measurement Index (SMI). Led by Carnegie Mellon University, SMI encompasses a growing consortium of members. SMI compiles user-submitted ratings of cloud services and scores them relative to other services of the same type. Ratings include metrics such as: quality, agility, risk, cost, capability, and security.

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