Virtualization and Cloud Advisor Blog

Expert analysis and advice on server virtualization technologies, deployments and management.

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Our blogger: Bernard Golden is CEO of consulting firm HyperStratus, which specializes in virtualization, cloud computing and related issues. He is also the author of "Virtualization for Dummies," the best-selling book on virtualization to date.

Sat, September 10, 2011

Cloud Computing: What You Need to Know About PaaS

PaaS, or Platform as a Service, development offerings bring tremendous power and productivity to IT departments, along with a host of new challenges. Bernard Golden explains what CIOs need to know about this nascent segment of the cloud computing market.

Comments | Keywords: cloud computing, cloud, IPS, PaaS, platform as a service, SaaS, software as a service, IaaS, infrastructure as a service, benefits of PaaS, challenges of PaaS,

Fri, August 26, 2011

Cloud CIO: The Challenges of Competing with Cloud Computing Providers

There is no question that corporate IT departments need to change their cultures and their organizational structures to compete with cloud providers, but doing so introduces a variety of practical challenges--including convincing the CFO to embrace a new funding model for IT.

Comments | Keywords: cloud computing, cloud, public cloud, private cloud, IT organization, IT, EMC, Jon Peirce, Chuck Hollis, IT costs,

Is Cloud-Based Backup Safe?

Melissa has her doubts about backing up online. Could her data be stolen?

Comments | Keywords: Security, Software, Utilities, Backup, Internet, Cloud computing, Encryption, cloud, encryption

Amazon AWS GovCloud: Lessons for the Private Sector

Amazon introduced a new cloud service aimed specifically at the United States government this week. Although the Amazon Web Services (AWS) GovCloud is targeted at government agencies, there are also some valuable lessons for private sector businesses and IT admins to learn about cloud servers and data storage.

Comments | Keywords: Microsoft, Google, Internet, Cloud computing, Amazon Web Services, Storage, 

Cloud CIO: What "Consumerization of IT" Really Means to CIOs

The consumerization of IT isn't just about employees using consumer devices and apps at work. It's about consumers becoming the primary users of internal IT applications, and it has serious ramifications for how CIOs operate and scale their IT infrastructures.

Comments | Keywords: consumerization, consumerization of IT, consumerization of apps, cloud, cloud computing, virtualization, elasticity,

What ICloud Can Do for Your Small Business

In anticipation of the fall release of iCloud, Apple this week set icloud.com live for developers. iCloud represents a revamped version of Apple's existing Mail, Contacts, and Calendar, and integrates the document sharing features of iWork.com.

Comments | Keywords: Apple,Internet,Internet-based applications and services,Cloud computing,Software,Application development,Web services development,Web-based Applications,cloud,google,web services

How Cloud Computing Will Change IT: 6 New Predictions

CIO.com's Virtualization and Cloud blogger Bernard Golden presents a clear picture of what the IT world will look like when cloud computing becomes the status quo. The future of IT has never looked more promising.

Comments | Keywords: cloud, cloud computing, IT, future of IT, predictions, future of cloud computing, Bernard Golden

Cloud CIO: The Cost Advantage Controversy of Cloud Computing

There is an enormous amount of controversy about whether the capex or opex approach to cloud computing is less expensive. CIO.com's Bernard Golden explores some possible outcomes of a shift from capex to opex and utilization risk.

Comments | Keywords: virtualization,cloud computing,cio,capex,opex,utilization risk,cost,financial

Cloud CIO: Are You Making Your Data Centers Cloud-Friendly?

Data center construction is growing ever more complex and expensive as data center facilities expand to meet enterprises' seemingly limitless computing needs.

Comments | Keywords: data center, cloud, cloud computing, PUE, Zynga, energy efficiency, green data center, public cloud, private cloud, chargeback, showback

Lync is the Unsung Hero of Microsoft Office 365

After more than eight months of hype from Microsoft and analysis from PCWorld and our peers, Microsoft's cloud-based productivity suite, Office 365, formally goes live Tuesday with Microsoft launch events from New York and around the world.

Comments | Keywords: Microsoft,Software,Applications,Office suites,Internet,Cloud computing,Email,Instant Messaging,web services,productivity,microsoft office,windows phone 7,instant messaging