As well as deploying new applications to the cloud, many organizations will also be considering the opportunities to migrate current applications to the cloud in search of reduced costs or SLA improvements. In this research note I consider several migration alternatives, expressed as a set of patterns. The patterns should serve as a useful way to communicate intent. When someone suggests that a current application could be migrated to the cloud, then these patterns should be a simple way to ask "what exactly do you mean by that, and what do you hope to achieve by doing so?" The patterns can also be seen as a sequence of activities, through which the current application is gradually modernized. Public or Private? A fundamental question will be the extent to which a pattern applies to the migration to a public or private cloud, or both. Architecturally, there should b... (more)

The 4th C - How the Cloud Changes Everything in B2B Marketing

"The Cloud Changes Everything" is heard so often that it is a cliché. But then again, distributed energy production and transmission enabled our 20th century manufacturing revolution and the interstate highway systems changed our society. Those of us who practice B2B technology marketing are living in the most interesting time of our careers. Not only is social media changing our communications channels faster than our ability to manage them, but cloud economics and delivery is changing our products and our customers. In order to thrive and succeed in cloudy times, we must be dis... (more)

Microsoft Embraces Amazon’s Cloud

Microsoft is going to let users move some of their licensed Microsoft server software to Amazon's cloud under its newfangled Microsoft License Mobility with Software Assurance program. It says they can move Windows Server application licenses between their on-premises environment and AWS. In a blog Microsoft goes off on an Azure-ignoring riff saying, "This is a game changer because now you can get industry leading enterprise-grade software from Microsoft and run them on the highly reliable, scalable on-demand infrastructure from AWS - it's the best of both worlds....Imagine the... (more)

Cisco Seems to Remember It’s in the Switching Business

Cisco, which has been having trouble moving its switches up against competition from HP and Juniper et al, updated the Catalyst 6500 Tuesday, its most popular product even, generator of some $42 billion in revenue the last 12 years with 700,000 installations out there somewhere, a seeming indication that it had gotten some focus back on its most important business. The widgetry promises to let users plug the upgrade into existing chasses. Meanwhile, HP claims market share gains in networking at Cisco's expense. Cisco's switching business was down 9% in the April quarter to $3.3 bil... (more)

PCs Weak Except Apple’s

IDC says PC shipments worldwide - not counting tablets which are eating into PCs - were up 2.6% in Q2, short of the 2.9% the researcher's May forecast. Gartner's findings look worse. It said PC sales were up 2.3%, a far cry from the 6.7% it predicted. HP is still the biggest vendor with 18.1% of the global market, followed by Dell with 12.9% and Lenovo leapfrogging a struggling Acer, down 10%, to claim third place with 12.2% market share. IDC said spending is still cautious. While things looked brighter in emerging markets, US sales were down 4.2% against a tough compare, hit by ... (more)