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Benefits of the Cloud

The bussines case for Cloud Comuting

 

Cloud computing allows organisations to outsource effectively their infrastructure, renting it as required – or ‘on demand’ – from a provider on the internet. Companies can eliminate the need to purchase and maintain expensive hardware and because the service is scalable, they don’t need to worry about satisfying growing demand or justifying the utilisation rates of the hardware. What’s more, the company employees can access their cloud computing applications from anywhere – their office, their home, their conference venue or the customer’s office. This increased mobility is an enabler of new business models.

Here we present a series of articles examining that advantages that cloud computing can bring, enabling you to make the business case for cloud computing in your organisation.

The Rise of Dark Cloud Computing

Reuven Cohen, Cloud Interoperability Magazine
05/2009

Together with the birth of internet, we have seen the birth of subnetworks called the darknets. The aim of these networks is the sharing of information and computing resources for illegal activities. This is what is called "dark cloud computing".
Members of these community are able to pool together computing resources to deal with the needs of these illegal actions.

In 2008, the term of Darknet has been associated with the use of dark fiber networks, private file sharing networks and distributed criminal botnets.
In the full article, we can also read how the botnets are used by the government to increase their protection.

In the full article, we can also read how the botnets are used by the government to increase their protection.

Cloud Computing - What is its potential value for your company?

This article describes how four organizations use cloud computing (i.e. Google Apps) to improve their business position in the marketplace without investing fortunes. Usage of Google Apps offers more than just e-mail management, or instant messaging systems, calendar scheduling, or a word processor. With his usage, these four organizations benefit from a multi-purpose tool that includes the productivity-enhancing capabilities of all of these applications.

In this report, we can read Thomas Claborn from Information Week who has reported (Claburn, 2008) on a presentation by Thomas E. Hogan, senior vice president at Hewlett-Packard, at the 2008 Cloud Summit Executive conference:
“Cloud computing promises to help IT organizations dial back maintenance costs so they can spend on creating business value.”
Furthermore, this article make an overview of which benefits small and mid-size businesses can expect. Here is a short list of these.

  • Low start-up costs

  • Low cost for sporadic use

  • Ease of management

  • Scalability

  • Device and location independence

  • Rapid innovation

 

Examples and results can be read in the full report.

Sources:

- Claburn, T. (2008, October 14). Cloud Summit: Cloud Computing Is Real. Retrieved from InformationWeek

- Hinchcliffe, D. (2008, April 11). Enterprise 2.0: Comparing Amazon's and Google's Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) Offerings. Retrieved from ZDNet

- Let it rise. (2008, October 23). Retrieved from Economist.

 

The do’s and the don’ts of moving to cloud computing

This comprehensive report details the lessons learned from various companies who have made them move to an on demand solution. Told through numerous anecdotes and illustrated cases, it is a informative and comprehensive whitepaper. Click to follow for It-tude’s abridged version: The do’s and the don’ts of moving to cloud computing

The fantasy of Cloud Computing

"I should rejoice in the near future of 'cloud computing', as it seems to be the legitimate son of the logical evolution of the Internet. But it is not ... I should also rejoice on the business side because with more and more essential elements to the processing of information 'sent in the clouds', then you’ll need more advanced monitoring systems such as ours, to restore the borders responsibility and understand the quality of service, actually released from complex chains. But it is not ..."

Read the full article about the drawbacks of Cloud Computing (in French).

Author: Jean-Michel Planche, Chairman, Witbe, March 2009

 

Cloud Computing for SMBs

This informative article is aimed at small and medium sized businesses. It gives a good run down on some of the things cloud can do for your typical SMB, its benefits, concerns and how to get started. A must read for any SME starting down the road to integrating cloud solutions.

Provided by: Silvertree Systems

Link: Cloud Computing for SMBs

 

The Economics of Cloud Computing

Despite the title, this article does not cover the economics of cloud computing. Rather it gives a god overview of the benefits of cloud computing from a strategic point of view. One of the principle benefits in the author’s eyes is the ability to destroy the age-old cost centre vs. profit centre vs. strategic role debate regarding the IT department’s remit by tying the costs of the IT to the activity or profit centre that uses. An activity based costing for IT costs, if you like. The article goes on to discuss a couple of the major offerings (Azure vs Google Apps), but readers would be advised to check out a more comprehensive and complete comparison, such as IT-Tude.com’s own Cloud computing providers.

Provided by cloudscale magazine 

The economics of cloud computing Part One , June 2009

 

Top ten reasons to transition your IT lab environments to the cloud

Many IT organizations are evaluating cloud infrastructure as part of their IT portfolio. Transitioning existing production environments is risky, so CIOs, IT managers and IT operations teams are looking for low risk, high ROI projects to prove out cloud services. This white paper explains the top ten reasons why they are choosing IT lab environments to transition first.

In summary the top 10 reasons are:

1.       Eliminate infrastructure constraints on the business.

2.       Run applications unchanged in the cloud .

3.       Reduce data center cost and complexity.

4.       Enable global team collaboration with shared virtual infrastructure.

5.       Accelerate provisioning time with a self-service model.

6.       Increase software quality and predictability.

7.       Reduce server sprawl.

8.       Create pre-production “sandboxes” to test the impact of production changes.

9.       Allow IT operations teams to focus on production uptime.

10.   Reduce the time to replicate and resolve software issues.

 

Date: 2008

Type: White paper

Pages: 8

Provided by: Skytap – Virtual Lab Management and Automation 

Link: The top ten reasons to transition your IT lab environments to the cloud

 

Six Benefits of Cloud Computing

Despite its possible security and privacy risks, Cloud Computing - according to a magazine article due published in 2008 - has six main benefits that the public sector and government IT organizations are certain to want to take advantage of. In very brief summary form they are as follows:

·         Reduced Cost
Cloud technology is paid incrementally, saving organizations money.

·         Increased Storage
Organizations can store more data than on private computer systems.

·         Highly Automated
No longer do IT personnel need to worry about keeping software up-to-date.

·         Flexibility
Cloud computing offers much more flexibility than past isolated computing methods.

·         More Mobility
Employees can access information wherever they are, rather than having to remain at their desks.

Allows IT to Shift FocusNo longer having to worry about constant server updates and other computing issues, government organizations will be free to concentrate on innovation.

 

Provided by: SYS-CON 

Link: Six Benefits of Cloud Computing 

 

Server Virtualization Can Save Costs

In the typical datacenter, computers are the second largest consumer of electrical power, after cooling. A common use for server virtualization is consolidation of underutilized servers to lower hardware and associated management costs and energy consumption along with cooling requirements. Various approaches to consolidation are possible. Consolidation of underutilized servers can address PCFE (power, cooling, floor space, and environmental health and safety) issues and reduce hardware costs. However, server virtualization does not by itself address operating system and application consolation and associated cost savings. If cost savings are a key objective, in addition to reducing hardware costs, consider how software costs, including licenses and maintenance fees, can be reduced or shifted to boost savings.

 

Server Virtualization Can Save Costs, By Greg Schulz, ByteAndSwitch.com 

 

Weather forecast: Will it rain Grids and Clouds

Bernhard Schott, Platform Computing, member of OGF-Europe's Industry Expert Group & IT-Tude.com Certified Contributor, believes that not only is business ready for the Grid and the Grid ready for business, but that it is wise to invest in this technology now, despite the economic downturn, as there is money to be saved in the long term as well as efficiencies to be gained.

Source: eProjects magazine, British Publishers, Edition 9 – pg 16-17

Link: Weather forecast: Will it rain Grids and Clouds

 

Deriving Business Value from Cloud Computing

Micro Focus have produced a White Paper on the business value of cloud computing with reference to the company’s cloud services. The White Paper primarily targets business leaders and especially CFOs and CIOs who should be involved in the decision-making process when considering adopting cloud computing. The document provides an overview of clouds with a glossary of some key terms in an appendix and explains why CFOs particularly need to understand the implications of adoption from a financial perspective, the steps involved and how to get started.

Authors : Micro Focus
Date: 2008
Target audience: Chief Financial Officers (CFOs), Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and developers.

Link: Enterprise Cloud Services: Deriving Business Value from Cloud Computing