Organizations around the world are struggling to cope with the current data
explosion. A vital characteristic of this data is that it is unstructured and
represents things like email, images, and videos. Storage of this form of
data is typically in an object format which differs significantly from the
database norm. Databases housed data grows very slowly because most of it is
structured. Object storage formats are now being used to optimize access to
large amounts of non-transactional files across a growing number of vertical
markets.
These markets include:
Media and Entertainment - video Pre- through Post-Production which requires
secure distribution and hassle-free scalability on a mix of standard hardware
Retail Consumers - HTTP accessible Photo and Video Sharing that offloads SQL
databases to custom metadata which significantly reduces web applications
comp... (more)
In a recent post, titled "10 Surprising Facts About Cloud Computing and What
It Really Is", Zac Johnson highlighted some interesting facts about cloud
computing in the SMB marketplace:
Cloud Computing is up to 40 times more cost-effective for an SMB, compared to
running its own IT system. 94% of SMBs have experienced security benefits in
the cloud that they didn't have with their on-premises service Recovery times
for SMB are four times faster for businesses using cloud computing when
compared to those not utilizing cloud services. For SMB, energy use and
carbon emissions could be cut by 90% by using cloud computing, saving the
environment and energy costs.
These advantages show a strong indication that SMB information technology
should be dominated by the adoption of cloud computing services. Although
one of the most prominent of these cloud services is Microsoft'... (more)
Did you know that the reservations systems of the biggest carriers mostly run
on a specialized IBM operating system known as Transaction Processing
Facility (TPF). Designed by IBM in the 1960s it was designed to process a
large numbers of transactions quickly. Although IBM is still updating the
code, the last major rewrite was about ten years ago. With all the major
technologies changes since then, it's clear that IBM has already accomplished
a herculean task by keeping an application viable for over 50 years.
Just like Americas aging physical infrastructure, the airlines are suffering
from years of minimal investment in their information technology. This
critical failure has been highlighted by a number of newsworthy incidents
including:
Delta, April 4, 2017 - Following storms that affected its Atlanta hub,
Delta's crew-scheduling systems failed, causing days of op... (more)
When executing an effective digital transformation strategy, management is
tasked with placing the right workload into the most appropriate IT
environment. This represents a shift from buying parts for self-assembly to
composing services through self-serve consumption and pay-per-use models.
Quite often this transition also leads to the adoption of software defined
environments across the enterprise infrastructure.
Software defined infrastructures do, however, bring with them some very
unique challenges. Many of the most prevalent issues are centered around the
relatively immature state of the technology itself. The most significant
aspect of this challenge is the lack of industry standards for device
control. Control software must know the status of all network devices and
trunks, no matter what vendor equipment is being used. While OpenFlow stands
today as the d... (more)
Cloud Expo New York
In response to massive demand, the world's largest Cloud event - the
International Cloud Expo series - is expanding its number of tracks and
sessions for its upcoming New York event: 5th International Cloud Expo.
The deadline for the very popular Call for Papers, which resulted in a
greater deluge of submissions than ever seen before, is being extended to the
other side of the holiday period - to January 15, 2010.
Additionally, SYS-CON Events announces the addition of additional tracks,
additional session slots, and a general all-round expansion of the program in
line with the expectations and needs of the 5,000 delegates who are expected
to register for the event.
Submit Your Speaking Proposal Today to the Largest Cloud Computing Event in
the World!
Topics to be covered at the 5th International Cloud Expo will include:
SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS Stora... (more)
That world of homogenous IT technology managed entirely by the internal IT
organization has long disappeared. Operations today require efficient and
global management of technologically heterogeneous environments. The
challenges and mistakes organizations make when tackling this important task
include:
Operational disconnects caused by ineffective internal communications;
Resource contention when multiple, independently developed project plans
compete; Incompatible technical documentation; and Inconsistent
communications with vendors.
A case in point is the finance industry which has endured some rather unique
pains in this area, especially when it comes to ATM Fleet Management.
According to Diebold Nixdorf, a world leader in connected commerce, this
problem has been caused by three major trends that have changed the nature
of ATM network management.
The first, an... (more)
Cloud computing is more than servers and storage. In a crisis situation it
can actually be a lifesaver. BlackBerry, in fact, has just become the first
cloud-based crisis communication service to receive a Federal Risk and
Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) authorization from the United
States Government for its AtHoc Alert and AtHoc Connect services. If you're
not familiar with FedRAMP, it is a US government-wide program that provides a
standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous
monitoring for cloud products and services. The Blackberry certification was
sponsored by the US Federal Aviation Administration.
While you may not need a US Government certified solution in an emergency,
your organization may really want to consider the benefits of cloud computing
for crisis response. From a communications point of view, companies can... (more)
In the run-up to the next Cloud Expo, 7th Cloud Expo (November 1–4, 2010)
being held at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Silicon Valley, it's time
to give my earlier list a complete overhaul.
Here, accordingly, is an expanded list of the most active players in the
Cloud Ecosystem.
I have increased it from the 'mere' 150 I identified back in January of this
year, to 250, testimony – as if any were needed! – to the fierce and
continuing growth of the "Elastic IT" paradigm throughout the world of
enterprise computing.
Editorial note: The words in quotation marks used to describe the various
services and solutions in this round-up are in every case taken from the Web
sites of the companies themselves. Omissions to this Top 250 list should be
sent to me via Twitter (twitter.com/jg21) and I will endeavor to include them
in any future revision of this newly expanded rou... (more)
Cloud computing innovation will power enterprise transformation in 2018.
Cloud growth is also driving a rapid rise in the storage market, exacerbating
the enterprise challenge around storage cost and complexity. The business
reason behind this marketplace reality is the proliferation of real-time data
from the web, mobile devices, social media, sensors, log files, and
transactional applications. Big Data has also found a home on the operational
side of many market verticals in applications ranging from fraud detection to
the processing of video evidence.
Originally coined to describe datasets whose size stretched beyond the
ability of traditional databases to manage, the term's scope has
significantly expanded to include technology and services that capture,
store, manage and analyze extensive collections of data, to solve complex
problems. Despite concerns regard... (more)
Digital Transformation Drives Mainframe's Future
Digital Transformation is amplifying mainframe as mission critical to
business growth more than ever before. With 70% of the world's corporate data
and over half of the world's enterprise applications running on mainframe
computers, they are at the core of just about every transaction. A single
transaction can, in fact, drive up to 100 system interactions. The continued
increase in mainframe transaction volumes, growing on average 7-8% a year for
78% of customers, has even led to a new buzzword: The Connected Mainframe.
According to IDC's research, connected mainframe solutions generate almost
$200 million in additional revenue per year while simultaneously improving
staff productivity and cutting operational costs. Over 50% of the benefit
value comes from higher transaction volumes, new services, and business
expan... (more)
Behind every cloud service or cloud-based solution, there are real people...
A robust ecosystem of solutions providers has emerged around cloud computing.
But who are the CEOs & CTOs behind those providers, who are the internal and
external entrepreneurs driving companies involved in the Cloud, who are the
leading engineers, developers, analysts, researchers, marketing
professionals, authors...who, in short, are the people behind the cloud?
This list will be updated weekly between now and November 4-7, 2013, when
13th Cloud Expo | Cloud Expo Silicon Valley opens its doors in the Santa
Clara Convention Center, in the heart of California's Silicon Valley. Here
are some highly prominent "Cloud People" to kick off with...
RANDY BIAS | @randybias
"Randy Bias is visionary. He sees things others don't." [Emphasis added.]
That is how Mårten Mickos puts it, as succinctly as ever.... (more)
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