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Tag: cloud-computing

  • Cloud Storage Services Linked With Apps by Cloud Elements Hub

    A one-to-many document hub integration platform has been created by Cloud Elements that will offer a single API for developers to link cloud applications with the leading cloud storage and document services such as SkyDrive, Dropbox, Microsoft SharePoint, and Box.

    The company has also indicated that the new document hub will have support for Rackspace Files and Amazon S3 by early 2014.

    Cloud elements is extremely talented in creating ‘elements’ that are extensions of API’s whose main work is to speed up the integration of various cloud services. The company serves both SaaS developers as well as corporate IT teams that aim at integrating their applications with a variety of cloud services.

    In the past, such integration required the use of custom written integrations that always had to be updated.

    The CEO of SlideFish, Neil Smith indicated that the new elements from the company have taken a lot of pain from them. He indicated that the company will no longer have to worry about changes on the API from different cloud storage providers. This will enable such SaaS companies to integrate their services in a large scale at a faster and more reliable way than before.

  • Private Cloud for the Videogame Empire Built By Disney


    Cloud computing has significantly eased hosting and running of applications. Now developers can house their applications thanks to Joe Arnold, the chief technology officer at Engine Yard. Over the past decade, he has witnessed a shift towards building software that runs across numerous severs. He asserts that now developers are using completely different storage spaces.

    Engine Yard plunged into the cloud storage service through Amazon when it launched Simple Storage System, which is also known as S3. The S3 provides more speed and scalability through stripping away of traditional storage characteristics such as style of organization and hierarchical file folder. It is now a great and highly popular way of storing static content such as images and videos.

    Disney interactive is the latest addition to cloud computing. The web properties and video game division revealed that it had built a private cloud. This cloud is made through open source technologies such as swift. Disney is not making use of the entire OpenStack in its cloud. It is making use of CloudStack – an open source Amazon alternative.

  • Microsoft and Google hot on the Heels of Amazon in the Cloud

    Amazon's success in cloud computing is the cause of much woes for its competitors Microsoft and Google. In an attempt to catch up with Amazon, whose web services are currently the leader in the cloud computing service sector, Microsoft and Google have decided to upgrade their services with new features. These upgrades are also expected to heat up the competition between them.

    According to a NetworkWorld report, this week Google upgraded its public cloud service by launching load-balancing features. The service usually aims at enabling customers to scale up and down virtual machines and hence accommodate any demand spikes experienced. As for Microsoft, just a few months ago it improved its Azure cloud service with new auto-scaling feature, and thanks to these features users can now scale up and down resources in the cloud.

    Brandon Butler of NetworkWorld has been reported stating that the two companies are already playing catch-up with Amazon Web Services, which is the leading IaaS provider and already offers such services.

    In the meantime, Microsoft has raised its stakes in the battle against Google through a new advertisement in which Microsoft consumers are warned "not to gamble with Google Docs." This move is geared towards earning the company public favor in the cloud space.

  • Latest ownCloud Enterprise Edition to be Deployed Fully On-Premises

    The heat in the file sharing and sync space just went a few degrees higher as ownCloud made a move towards reassuring enterprise buyers of the security and reliability of its open source software, and satisfying the simplicity and convenience of end-users' needs.

    ownCloud is set to launch an updated Enterprise Edition next month. According to the software firm, the nearly one million users will be receiving an update they can deploy fully on-premises.

    Among the new additions and capabilities of this latest ownCloud EE are integration of home directory via CIFS/SMB or NFS, provisioning API, LDAP and AD integration, and AES encryption for data at rest. In short, there is integrating into existing governance processes, user directories, storage, monitoring, back-up, and security tools. Users can also get access to file sharing, file versioning, and external file system mounts by acquiring plug-in apps.

    ownCloud stored content can be accessed via mobile apps for iOS and Android devices, desktop syncing apps for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux, as well as through a web browser. As of July, the update is available at the official ownCloud website at a monthly cost of $15 for an annual subscription, the users being a minimum of 50.

    This move comes at a time when the file sync'n'share world is having escalated activity from the likes of Box and EMC. Box is adding glamorous speakers for its September BoxWorks customer event and EMC is revving up Syncplicity.

  • European Officials Press for Better Cloud Computing Contract

    The European Commission met in Brussels this week to discuss the contracts offered to clients by cloud computing firms, concerned over future legal and privacy issues. Cloud storage has emerged as a viable data storage option for large and small businesses as well as individuals, saving time and money across the board. But according to a policy paper the EC recently released, security and privacy remain complex issues.

    The European Commission declared they are working to help the cloud storage industry, not add additional roadblocks. But they feel that the complicated privacy situation and possibility for expensive legal disputes will keep many European citizens from adopting the new technology. Their focus is the contracts these providers offer, which they feel are unnecessarily complex, and packed with confusing and contradictory disclaimers. The EC found that many of these contracts do not hold the provider responsible for confidentiality, the integrity of the data, or any reliable continuity of service.

    Since data stored in the cloud is often divided among several data centers which could be managed by more than one company, a dissatisfied client will find legal action next to impossible. The policymakers want to insure that this same workflow that makes cloud computing so attractive for consumers and providers doesn’t simultaneously give the providers a way to avoid accountability.

    When pressed, the EC regulators have found that cloud storage companies aren’t clear with their clients what they would do if data is lost or stolen, or even if they would do anything at all. The EC will work alongside the World Trade Organization, the United Nations, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to come up with a fair and balanced legal solution for these issues, but there is no timetable for when those findings will be announced.

  • HyperOffice Releases New Version of Cloud-Computing Collaboration Software Suite for SMBs

    HyperOffice made the new version of its award-winning, cloud-computing messaging and collaboration suite widely available to small and medium-sized businesses.

    The release brings to an end a successful beta test program that spanned six months, thousands of users, and continuous enhancements – including innovations guided by a customer-driven Product Development Committee that helped to refine the user interface as HyperOffice reinvented the entire suite.

    The software-as-a-services suite makes it easy for company owners, employees, customers, partners and suppliers to run and grow a business by working together, planning projects, sharing documents, scheduling meetings, and more.

    HyperOffice integrates a range of software-as-a-service business applications over the Internet — shared online calendars and contacts, business class email, document collaboration, project management, web conferencing, databases and web forms; forums, polls and group wikis; project and task portals, Intranets and Extranets; user rights, versioning, commenting, backup, and more.

    HyperOffice builds into the new edition of its namesake web-based collaboration software nearly 10 years of expertise and experience working with small and medium-sized businesses with 5 to 250 employees – and delivers the new edition of the suite after two years of research and development with customers worldwide.

    Under the hood, rebuilt from the ground up, Ajax and an array of Web 2.0 technologies power improvements in performance, scalability and security.

    Where the business user meets the screen, the new version introduces a streamlined, intuitive interface that is instantly familiar to any user of what now becomes the "classic" edition of HyperOffice – yet far more flexible.

    For users ready to migrate online from Microsoft Outlook, SharePoint, Exchange and other conventional, expensive desktop and server email products, HyperOffice provides free support by email and phone, webinars and an array of free, online and custom training options.

    Hosted online, the HyperOffice suite delivers to smaller and medium-sized businesses the power and productivity of costly enterprise collaboration software – for a low monthly subscription fee of about $7 per month, per user, secure, and hassle free.

  • 2nd Annual Cloud Computing World Forum: Interview with Mathieu Poujol of PAC

    „Cloud Computing will strongly influence the future of the IT. But it will take time before it become the main way of delivering IT,” said Mathieu Poujol in an interview with Storage.Biz-news.com.

    Mathieu is a Director of Technologies at PAC (Pierre Audoin Consultants), a global market research and strategic consulting firm for the Software and IT Services Industry. He will be one of the speakers at 2nd Annual Cloud Computing World Forum that will take place in London, from 29th June to 1st July 2010

    He thinks Cloud Computing has in fact being stimulated by the crisis: “it is a reality for the majority of the IT managers, according to our surveys,” he siad. He also said that in PAC’s latest recommendations for the EU’s Commission and the French goverenment, the research firm put CC as the top priority for the EU’s investments.

    “With Cloud Computing, a big part of the IT is moving from light –workforce intensive- industry to a heavy –capital and automation- intensive industry. A bit like the automotive industry between the two World Wars,” he claims.

    Mathieu Poujol

    Asked about the business value of the cloud and how the economic crisis has changed it, he had this to say: “The goal of the IT since it exists is better IT Business alignment at lower costs. Trying to meet specific needs with cost effective mutualisation. Open Source, package applications, shared services and many more are all in this line. According to our latest studies, the business value of Cloud computing is optimisation, agility, simplicity and elasticity. So it is in the right sense of the IT history.”

    Mathieu said that Cloud Computing is growing very fast in Europe–more than 20%, according to their data, and will reach 4B€ in 2010. “But it is still a huge marketing hype, with everything that is virtualised being called Cloud Computing. Companies will also see that not everything is eligible to CC,” he said.

    He said he totally agrees with Ovum analyst Laurent Lachal’s opinion, that it’s becoming a hybrid system: for example, one creates his work on software on his PC, and then he saves it and shares it through the cloud. “IT Systems are by construction hybridizing technologies. If your SAP FI/Co is working well, why taking the risk and the complexity of putting it in the CC now?” said Mathieu.

    When asked which of the deployment strategies and integration techniques he consideres the best and most promising for enterprises, he said: “As always in any IT project, planning is critical. Also try CC on some already mature workloads such as messaging then the best is to make your IT “CC compliant”, to adopt private cloud, so you ill be able to better use all kind of CC, and more important asses data, security and backsourcing issues. According to a phone survey we do in March on 200 French IT manager, 71% of them will first embrace Private CC.”

    Mathieu also shared with us his thoughts on “private cloud”: “It will be either in-house or with a hosting company. As with traditional outsourcing, it is a good way to better use external cloud providers and not depend entirely on them.

    With private Cloud you manage your data and your security and have less network problems. IT inside the company is heading this way as it is confronted to the competition of external providers.

    Also, some regulations and security measures will prevent you from outsourcing some data: for example, none of Europe’s banks can put its client data out of its country of origin,” he said.

    When asked “Would you agree that cloud services will replace the Microsoft desktop?”, he answered: “VDI will also grow by more than 20% and competition is more open now with interesting Open Source and SaaS offers. But MS has also this kind of offers and capacities to remain a leader on this market. What I see, it that this increase competition, mostly based on prices will damage MS margins.”

    He also said that green IT and sustainable computing are not issues for the cloud today, “even if marketing is pushing it.”

    “Cost optimisation is the issue and the CC mutualisation, a bit like public transportation, is greener,” he said.

    Asked about the key challenge for 2010 in cloud computing, he said: “For the coming year, network will be the issue. No bandwidth, no CC.”

    Mathieu expects to meet CC project owners and share with them at the 2nd Annual Cloud Computing World Forum in London.

  • Turbulence Ahead for Cloud Computing

    Cloud computing took a serious hit with Google’s exit from search business, and its subsequent service issues, in mainland China, announced Canalys.

    While cloud solutions will remain appealing for certain customers with limited international ambitions, the platform’s inherent security and access issues will herald a shift back to traditional software models, said the industry analyst group in a recently issued report.

    ‘The two biggest trends in the IT industry – the rise of cloud computing and China’s emergence as a global growth engine – have just collided with a bang,’ said Steve Brazier, President and CEO of Canalys.

    ‘The hacking of Google’s systems in China has demonstrated that security weaknesses in the cloud have moved from a possibility to an actuality.’

    Canalys maintains that legacy software companies that reposition themselves for local services, or at least a mixed model, stand to benefit the most from cloud computing flaws, as customers demand increased security and access controls: ‘Customers will want global solutions that help them decide what information is stored where, coupled with systems that function competently, even when Internet access is down or restricted,’ said Brazier.

    As companies have sensitive information across many domains – finance, HR, legal, R&D and marketing, among others – a security breach anywhere could have devastating and far-reaching effects. Likewise, the regulatory threat posed by the local political landscape in emerging countries will influence multinationals’ choice of software platform moving forward.

    ‘It would be extraordinarily naïve for a company to believe Google’s situation with China is unique,’ said Brazier. ‘All the US giants have struggled, while local Internet brands have snagged top positions across major areas, such as search, auctions and video sharing.’

    Late entry, language and cultural issues, such as failure to adapt to local market trading conditions, combined with site performance, have encouraged customers to stick with local solutions in China. Similarly, other emerging regions, such as the Middle East, Russia and Indonesia, are capable of making unilateral business decisions to the detriment of foreign companies, while the situation in India and Brazil – more stable for now – could change due to the influence of neighboring countries.

    According to Canalys, cloud computing will not disappear for some time, due to the continued support of US-based proponents, which have yet to see the model’s challenges in emerging markets. Smaller companies, more willing to live with risks, and public bodies, mainly restricted to national borders, will be less concerned about international access issues and local hacking threats.

    The future of cloud computing will be a key technology track at EMEA’s largest and most influential annual channel event, the Canalys Channels Forum, being held from 5-7 October at the Hotel Arts in Barcelona. This two-day, invitation-only event will feature senior one-to-one meetings, business-savvy keynotes, research into industry and channel trends, and expert-led debates among an audience of more than 500 executives from top vendors, distribution management, leading SMB resellers and Canalys analysts. More information about the event can be found at www.canalyschannelsforum.com.

  • Nitty-Gritty of Cloud Storage: Interview with Robert Peglar, Xiotech

    Xiotech has been leading the way in redefining the value of storage since 1995 and stands as the world’s largest privately held storage company.

    The storage industry has been a hot bed for innovation and debate with discussion on local storage versus cloud storage, and the pros and cons of each.

    Xiotech offers a wide array of services that tend to cater to the small and mid-tier businesses where they have made a name for themselves. Just recently they have expanded their services to larger enterprises, and have recorded the same successes they’ve seen with their smaller partners.

    VP of Technology for Xiotech, Robert Peglar states that "Xiotech has been a pioneer of virtualization and have done innovative work in the space." Robert Peglar serves a dual role, working externally with customers and industry professional.

    The other role is the internal role, working to get product out the door, and plan a road map of the future with the technology trends that they should be taking advantage of.

    Robert shares that many things separate them from their competition to include: ease of use (through virtualization), intuitive user interfaces and web services.

    Robert Peglar

    "There’s not a real need to know all the nitty gritty of the storage equipment, web services give you what you need and you’re done," Peglar comments.

    Many companies find it hard to understand storage and for some the learning curve is too high. Xiotech provides simplicity in accessing and integrating into their own company’s growth.

    "The staff and training required is greatly different from competitors and much less rigorous. Anyone can access their storage systems. Storage should just work with automatic processes such as self healing and self checking processes without the need of constant hands on," Robert says regarding how easy it is for people to access their systems.

    Patented ISE Technology

    Xiotech is known for having patented the Intelligent Storage Element (ISE) back in 2007, offering improved performance, advanced capabilities, and improved system telemetry.

    "In typical RAID arrays the more drives you add the more the performance begins to degrade, but with the ISE in place, you see consistent and reliable performance no matter how many drives you install. This allows us to put a 5 year guarantee on their ISE products because we know it’s going to work, we put our confidence in it," Robert explains.

    The ISE offers scalability to grow with the company from 1TB to 1 PB, without seeing a single drop is performance.

    Allowing users to make adjustments to the ISE is one of their key selling points as well because Xiotech has truly focused on making their products customer centric with ease of use.

    "Standardized web services have streamlined the process which is easier for the end user to log in access, conduct business, and leave," comments Peglar.

    Cloud Storage

    Xiotech offers both virtualization and cloud storage. Some use the terms synonymously, but there is a distinct difference when looked at more closely. Virtualization would be a first step to cloud storage, but it still requires on-site equipment and man power to maintain, but simply localizes all software, applications and user information in one spot while allowing other computers to route through in order to gain access.

    Cloud storage is completely off-site, requires no equipment or manpower and simply offers you a place to store data, access software applications, share information and communications. Physical storage is slowly becoming a thing of the past, cloud computing is the way of the future.

    Currently the real drive for cloud interest is economic. The sheer cost of maintaining on-site equipment is becoming outrageously expensive considering the maintenance and manpower required to do it.

    A downside to cloud storage is the perceived security risks, perceived latency issues, and reliability issues. Robert states that "industry professionals across the globe are working on to boost the waning confidence in cloud computing due to these perceptions." There is no doubt that progress is being made everyday and that soon more and more companies will move towards the cloud as a way to manage their storage and data.

    Robert made sure to note that the same issues exist with local storage, but some put more emphasis on the cloud due to perceived lack of control. It’s easier for people to manage downtime and other issues when they feel like they have control on internal equipment, but putting that same faith on equipment that you can’t see or touch is another thing.

    When asked about how companies are balancing what needs to be physically at the location and in the cloud, Robert says, "I believe most company will end up using a combination of both, physical on premise and cloud."

    Cash for Disk Clunkers

    One of the more eco-friendly marketing efforts to assist companies around the globe was the start of the Cash for Disk Clunkers. Xiotech is once again taking the lead in encouraging companies to turn in their old arrays that are now too inefficient and less powerful to be of any use.

    "Some of the older systems require reinforced floors just to store. It’s an interesting marketing ploy, playing off the federal initiative for the cash for clunkers program. There’s been a huge user response for this to the point where they go to the offices to inquire on the process. It’s an effort to promote efficiency, getting rid of the old one which is costing a lot to maintain, to include some of their own older models," states Peglar.

    It’s definitely an interesting economic incentive for those interested in participating and a bonus with regards to their efforts to protect the environment from improper disposal of old equipment.

    Most recently Xiotech made an appearance at the SC09 Conference (Computing for a Changing World) and Interop New York where they focused on helping provide knowledge and insight to help IT and corporate decision-makers achieve business success.

  • Will Chrome OS Lead Consumers into Cloud Computing?

    "Chrome OS is ideal for ‘smartbooks’ and will lead consumers further into cloud computing," says Canalys in its recent Notebook Pulse Report.

    Google unveiled its Chrome operating system, making the source code available to developers and enabling them to assist in the project a year before Chrome OS is due for public release.

    “Speculation about Chrome OS and its impact on the PC industry has been rife since Google first announced it was working on the project in July. The announcement goes some way to address some of the questions that have since surrounded the OS,” says Canalys.

    Google has provided information on its initial use cases for devices running Chrome OS in documentation released on the platform. Canalys thinks it suggests that Chrome will suit secondary devices for ‘couch computing’, devices that are shared among family members, and those used in coffee shops.

    “To all intents and purposes, Chrome OS is an expansion of Google’s Chrome browser. All applications running on Chrome OS will be web applications that run from within a browser window.”

    But there are additional features that extend the functionality beyond that of a standard web browser. The addition of persistent windows, called ‘panels’, enables developers to create simple applications that can float on top of the browser window or be minimised when not needed.

    Two usage cases of panels that Google has so far demonstrated were an instant messaging client and a window for playing media. According to the analysts, another aspect of Chrome OS that Google is keen to promote is its security.

    “If the OS has been compromised, it is able to repair itself using its verified boot process. If the OS detects any changes to the system on start-up it will automatically initiate a recovery process that will replace the OS with the latest available version,” the report says.

    As Chrome users cannot install native applications, Chrome will not require additional security software. “Instead, Google will take responsibility for securing Chrome OS, possibly extending protection technologies from the Postini acquisition to protect Chrome users before threats reach the devices.”

    Chrome OS stores all of a user’s personal data in the cloud, so that if a chrome OS device is lost or stolen, personal data is not compromised and remains permanently backed up.

    Canalys says, as usual, concerns will remain regarding the storage of personal data with an advertising company. “A further concern is that Chrome’s lack of local data storage and limited offline functionality will make it largely unusable without an Internet connection.”

    Canalys therefore expects that devices running chrome OS will be bundled with mobile data contracts, and support for ARM-based processors will make it an ideal ‘smartbook’ OS.

    Analysts say the fact that the OS is not intended for offline use comes as no great surprise. “After all, unconnected users cannot access Google’s services or be reached by Google’s advertising.”

    “Though much could change between now and Chrome’s release in 2010, it is clear that, at present, the OS is not intended as a replacement for Windows or any other fully functional OS.”

    According to the report, one thing is clear: “However, Chrome OS will be the next step in bringing consumers further into the world of cloud computing, a world where Google provides many applications and most of which are free.”