MMind ad on Parkannonser.se

Published a MMind ad on the Swedish site Parkannonser.se (in Västerås): http://www.parkannonser.se/ads.php?show=item&id=49

Hope it will bring some local business. :)

GP on maildistiller.com

My first and hopefully not the last guest post on Maildistiller is out: Cloud Price War Consequences

Special thank you to: Sarah-Louise, Caroline & Danielle

Short break out:

Cash is King

Yes, in a sellout price war world. Cash when it comes to services means long-term agreements. One of the fundamentals in cloud is the ability to move between CSPs, irrelevant of the reason why. Pay upfront, when it comes to IT services, is not cloud friendly: it’s a

My Cloud 2013 predictions

My Cloud 2013 predictions is out on Newvem: The Cloud is dead! Long live the Cloud!

Short break out:

• We don’t see cloud as a problem. You adopt a cloud service if it fits your business. You install a system/application as part of your on-premise solution if it fits your business. You make them work together; there are some orchestrating apps and people for that.
• It’s not an internal love affair between cloud service providers. It’s not even a love affair between cloud service providers and engaged IT Pros, evangelists, and journalists anymore. A sweet lasting smell of love is obviously starting to arise between cloud services and IT departments and non-IT business people.
• The transfer of legacy

Security – in, from and with the Cloud

My post Security – in, from and with the Cloud on ITBusinessCloud

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Security – in, from and with the Cloud

Security is one of the hottest topics when it comes to obstacles of adopting cloud services. Maybe we theatrically should “tear this wall down”, de-dramatize it, without tearing the importance of good security down – because it is important!

One type?

No, there are several different types of security services related to cloud. Examples:

1. Security within a cloud service which has another purpose than delivering security, for instance an email service. The security in this type of services is to protect your data from other people or systems, not being harmed by malware, backed up and the ability to be restored etc.
2. Security as a Service delivered as a cloud service which you can adopt to your existing on-premise solution. Examples:
• Encryption
• SPAM and Malware protection
• Firewalls
3. Audit tools/services who will audit the vulnerability within, to and around your cloud service (No. 1 & 2 above).
4. Consulting audit services. Pretty much like No. 3 but performed by humans and normally gives you a report how to act on a problem given by No. 3. 

This is on a high level what security in the cloud is about. No. 2, 3 and 4 normally works fine. People don’t fear security in services delivered from well-known security services providers. No. 2 might be a bit problematic to adapt to services delivered from other vendors but API’s, integration services and true co-op between CSP’s (Cloud Service Provider) will solve this better in the future. No. 1 is the wall needed to be de-dramatized and torn down…

Fear = out of your control

The highest obstacle to pass is

Collection of great posts

Some great and even important posts from yesteraday. You should read them to, it might be good for your business or career.

IT sourcing models are shifting: A Deloitte perspective by Karl Flinders (@karlfl). Short break out:

""Are we witnessing the death of the 'mega-deal'? Is it going to get even tougher for the traditional one-stop-shop IT Outsourcing (ITO) houses? Why are so many organisations re-thinking traditional sourcing models all at the same time?

'Doomed?' on Outsourcemagazine

My latest post 'Doomed?' on Outsource Magazine is out.

Breakout:

"I ask myself, will it be a true shift where traditional IT outsourcing providers* becomes outmaneuvered by smaller service provider, cloud brokers, in-house IT departments and non IT service providers acting as orchestrators of future hybrid IT? A shift caused by:

• Smaller SPs are able to change when the market does. Faster and shorter step to new decisions. 

• Smaller SPs are able to operate, manage and orchestrate solutions earlier exclusively reserved the larger ITO providers. 

• Non-IT service providers from mature branches bring money, resources and trimmed processes in to a sometimes immature IT world. 

• In-house IT departments are able to orchestrate their IT solutions. They don’t have to focus on fundamental operations provided by IaaS, PaaS and A-/SaaS; they are able to concentrate on core/special services and work more innovative to bring value to core business. To become the internal trusted cloud broker to avoid de-centralised procurement/adoption of products and services. 

• The act of “Fat and happiness”: instead of working innovative (know, predict and tell what the customer needs in the future) ITOs only focus on now! 

• ITOs don’t use partnership to build success. They build everything on their own." 

Tell me what you think on Outsourcemagazine, here on the blog or just send me a mail.


ITO's, SP's, non-IT SP's, "end-customers": Of course MMind is able to discuss in detail how your business can deal with this.

 

Extreme Outsourcing

My latest post Extreme Outsourcing on Outsourcing Magazine is out. Enjoy!

Short break out - the bullets:

Here are some of my bullets to a good start for a greater outsourcing. 

• Only demand things you really need. Ask for the rest. 

• Let the service provider explain how to solve glue, integration, add on services with their standard procedures and services instead of demanding your nitty gritty procedures. Core business for service providers is to know how to solve things in their environment: let them. 

• When you outsource, be prepared for change.

Comment to 'Europe: Lots of cloud opportunity to tap'

Added a short comment to Barb Darrow's (@gigabarb) post Europe: Lots of cloud opportunity to tap on GIGAOM, or maybe more a comment/answer to the comment posted by Davetrw87: "It would be interesting to delve into why cloud computing has developed slower in Europe compared to the US."

Short break out:

"European cloud adoption has happened slower than in the U.S., but there are signs that it’s about to rapidly accelerate. At Structure:Europe, cloud luminaries will talk about how they see this change unfolding and what’s motivating it. Hint:

Comment to: Cloud Service Providers Challenge Traditional IT Outsourcing

Short comment to the post 'Cloud Service Providers Challenge Traditional IT Outsourcing' by Stephanie Overby (@stephanieoverby) on CIO.com.

Short break out:

"the fastest growing segment of outsourcing--cloud computing services--is expected to nearly double from $3.4 billion in 2011 to $5 billion this year. Even more notable--infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) will contribute 38 percent of the increment outsourcing growth in 2012, compared to 8 percent in 2011. "This is reflective of how difficult the current market

Embrace the Multiculti Cloud: World wide cloud companies do great things!

My latest post Embrace the Multiculti Cloud: World wide cloud companies do great things!
on KnowYourCloud

Short break out:

"Why do you drive a German car? Why do you love a fantastic Nasi Goreng from Indonesia? Why do you go to Ibiza, Berlin, London or Miami for a good clubbers night? Why do you travel to meet up at great IT conferences in the US? 

Answer: 

comment to a comment to my comment...

...on the post Working On A Cloud Software Service Level Agreement on CloudTweaks by Rick Blaisdell.

Read the full story + comments.

I'm not sure if sarojkars comment was intended to comment my comment or comment the post...I think the later one. But what the h... I answered it. :) My comment/answer:

"@sarojkar Do you mean like a complete chain with several services included in a "full" ITaaS/XaaS? Or do you mean net, servers etc within the DC included in a SaaS? (Then it definitely should be included in the SLA) If ITaaS; it's definitely cool to deliver the chain of services from DC to user. It's a risk but definitely cool, you will certainly differ from many other SP's.

Comment to comment & post

My comment to the @cloud_zone comment and the post Cloud computing : Aggregating trust, broker or bust? on ITProPortal by Matthew Finnie.

Short break out from the post:

"An organisation’s ability to ’try before it buy’s with cloud services, in theory, meant that there is no longer the need to employ a consultant to decide which service would work for them. When the confusion around cloud is lifted, the future of the cloud broker may morph again, or even become extinct. If the issue

What’s Your Green Cloud Plan?

My latest post What’s Your Green Cloud Plan? on KnowYourCloud 

Please take a moment to think about your engagement in a better IT environment, but nevertheless - enjoy!

Short break out:

"And when Greenpeace is on your case there’s really nowhere to hide; as a big cloud service provider you get bad publicity = less money. That’s it. Always. The IT industry’s black sheep

Columnist on Outsource Magazine

I'm very happy to tell: As from today I'm writing as a columnist on the UK Outsource Magazine site. I will concentrate on IT outsourcing and publish about one post a month.

Since about two months I publish Cloud related posts on KnowYourCloud.

My special thoughts will remain here on In Max Mind.

All posts, comments on other sites etc will as always be linked up from here.

Please contact me on Twitter or mail (see About) if there's something you would like to have a comment on or read about as an article.

Cheers

/Max

Comment to 'Private Cloud: 'Everyone's got one. Where's yours?''

Commented the ZDNet post Private Cloud: 'Everyone's got one. Where's yours?' by Lauren Nelson.

When I was almost finished with the comment I realized it was more pointed to internal IT than cloud washing in general... I hope I was able to tweak it ok.

Short break out:

"Today, cloudwashing is prevalent. But it isn’t always intentional. In fact many truly believe they’ve got a true cloud — especially those using a pre-packaged private cloud software solution. But once you look under the hood it’s hard to miss.

Update about the garden wall’s

So what happened with the garden wall’s I wrote about in the post ‘My friend Mikael, the carpenter…’?

Recap:

“Yesterday I talked to Mikael about building two walls in the garden. I asked him: “Do you think one bag of concrete (20-25 kg mix) is good enough for each pole?” Mikael: “Nooo…. You know, when the wind starts to blow… its quite powerful… you should dig quite deep and use quite a lot of concrete. But, don’t you have something to fasten and secure it to, like…the house?” Me: “Yes,

On KnowYourCloud: The Successful Cloud Lock-in!

My opposite to the earlier The Devastating Cloud Lock-in: The Successful Cloud Lock-in! is now available on KnowYourCloud.

Short break out:

 "The differences lie in factors such as governance, service management and support.You might think this applies only to the IT outsourcing providers, but it’s not. Even if cloud services shouldn’t be drowned with governance models, cloud service providers and aggregators must present an extra value to their service. Here are some “common sense” guidelines that will help you to maintain a successful cloud lock-in..."

The Successful Cloud Lock-in!

Enjoy!

My comment to 'Can You Retrieve Your Data After Terminating Your Contract?'

Commented the post Can You Retrieve Your Data After Terminating Your Contract? on CloudTweaks by Balaji Viswanathan.

Short break out:

"Put simply, can you easily retrieve your data stored in the cloud to enable you to move from one service to another? This is a question that is worrying CIOs around the world. Unlike typical outsourcing services, retrieving your data from the cloud is not a straightforward thing. CIO.com recently posted an excellent article on this which raises some important questions. In this post, I will try to offer some insight into the topic."

My comment:

"I think some of the scenarios are quite ”aggressive” and most probably quite rare. Even if cloud tempts “gold diggers” like the Wild Wild West (www? Ooops! ;)) most CSP’s won’t go bankrupt. And most companies

My comment to 'How to negotiate a contract with a cloud or SaaS provider'

Yesterday I read a wise post in InfoWorld: How to negotiate a contract with a cloud or SaaS provider by Mary Shacklett (@MaryShacklett).

I really think it's important we enlight the market on a reasonable level! So I wrote a "short" comment.

Seems like it takes some time (too long time for post momentums) to approve my comment (most probably because of my attached link). I post it here anyway...

Short breakout:

"What's important?Large enterprises have their own legal departments, but most small businesses don't. Small businesses and even enterprises are also very likely to not have a complete file of all of their contracts or not read all of their contracts end to end. A good practice is to

Cloud Washing…does it REALLY matter

Look at it from another perspective… The customers’ perspective. Does cloud washing really matter then?

I’m working at a Nordic IT outsourcing provider and have together with them delivered IT as a Service since 1997 (I'm now more on my own: MMind.se). I’m personally very into cloud services and how and why companies should adopt it. I’m also very into how IT service providers (cloud or “classics”) should think to give customers value and increase efficiency to become more productive. Therefor I’m not only talking cloud.

When I, with the option of three different subjects, asked what readers wanted to read as my next post they all (3…hm…well) pointed at Cloud Washing with the comment that it is important that people become aware of washed cloud services. The post was published in the beginning of this week on Know Your Cloud as Cloud Washing – Don’t End Up Washing Your IT with False Clouds. Though; from the beginning my intention was to talk about whether the washing of a service to a “cloud service” really matters as long as it kills customer pains.