Cloud (summ)arise 2012!

2012 was a remarkable year for me in social media. I’ve gained more than 1 000 followers…without any follow back strategy. More than 10’ visitors on the blog and good traffic and sharing on GP’s around the web. Not bad for a rookie I think. Big THANK YOU to all readers, supporters and followers. I truly appreciate it. And by the way… what a remarkable year it was for Cloud Computing.

And by the way...what a remarkeable year it was for Cloud Computing. Who’s not impressed by true cloud…when it makes sense, fulfill needs and works like it’s supposed to?

This is my cloud, and a bit of IT Ooutsourcing and management, summary for 2012.

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 2 of great posts

It's time for my second collection of great posts. These four are, according to me, connected to each other in two ways: career and orchestration. I will link each post up, give you a short break out and add a short comment of mine.

First, when reading; think about how you can be a part of future IT, in the cloud, in hybrid solutions. Customers, whether to an IT department an ITO, MSP or appl operator,  need support from someone they can trust, their IT need to be orchestrated not only techy, its needed to be orchestrated on all levels

What is cloud computing?

Great infographic from Microsoft Europe:

David Linthicums 'Cloud computing: The semi-secret economic equalizer'

Interesting read: Cloud computing: The semi-secret economic equalizer by David Linticum on InfoWorld.

Short breakout:

"As the study illustrates, the cost efficiencies of cloud computing are the same in third-world countries as in the developed world, and up-and-coming nations can leverage data, applications, and infrastructure that were once cost prohibitive. In turn, this increases

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

Cloud Compliance: Part 1 - The Basics

My first part about Cloud Compliance is now available on KnowYourCloud.

Short break out:

"Just for fun; a tricky question: What happens if an SaaS provider from Country A put its service on a PaaS provided from Country B? And, scary, the PaaS from Country B resides on an IaaS from Country C in Continent D? Is your organization cloud compliant in this scenario? Will any of the XaaS providers guarantee you’re cloud compliant? Let’s hope these scenarios won’t be frequent in the market in the future"

Please share if you like it.

Short comment to ZDNet-post

Yesterday I wrote a short comment to the post Why too many cloud relationships turn sour on ZDNet by Manek Dubash.


Short breakout:

"About half the negotiations revolve around issues such as people, governance, processes, and compliance. "It used to be all about just the technology," Corbelli said. "Now it's about who you are, your culture, your reason for being, the peer-to-peer relationship. People want to know if you can be trusted, if you're on the same wavelength. They want to feel that their CFO can call your CFO and talk to them as equals."

"Customisation of IT: sorry, but it’s NOT the future. Customerisation is!"

My second and latest column on Outsource Magazine: Customisation of IT: sorry, but it’s NOT the future. Customerisation is!


Short breakout:

"What to do (1) 

IT businesses have to walk away from seller-centric and buyer-centric scenarios to “swap-centric”, "customised standard", Lego-bricks or whatever you would like to call it.
IT providers have to listen to their customers and offer open standard services from which a customer can choose add-on services – either from the provider or from other service providers. Build up services in block: don’t customise a service if your goal isn’t to be that special services provider who will get paid for the effort you put in it. Plus,

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 '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

#CloudWisdom 16

Is adoption of cloud equal to put everything in the cloud?

Answer: No. You should adopt services which make you more productive, efficient, you can evolve with and cause you less headache compared to hosting them on prem.

Systems that works ok on prem and is not better fulfilled by a cloud service should remain on prem...until a better solution is available.

Cloud services should kill your pains, not reversed.

Comment to ZDNet-post 'Multitenancy & Cloud Computing Platforms: Four Big Problems'

Made a comment on the ZDNet post 'Multitenancy & Cloud Computing Platforms: Four Big Problems' by Eric Lai (@ericylai).

Short break out:

"Outside of the application space, things are well, more stormy. Take the Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) space. Providers here include Google App Engine, Windows Azure, Salesforce.com’s Database.com, and others.
For enterprises - who usually have much more rigorous requirements than consumers - multitenant cloud platforms have plenty of disadvantages. That goes double for the developers serving those enterprises."

My comment:

10 great cloud infographics

Reading tweets I found this '10 Incredibly Insightful Cloud Infographics' on evolven.com by a tweet from @cloudwebops. All gathered on one view. Worth a view for the cloud geek as well as the cloud novice.

A peak:

Orchestration

Read a new post (Cloud Orchestration starts to play its tune!) on 'how to build a cloud' about orchestration pointing on the systems named or aimed as orchestrators. Interesting and wise read. I recommend the site (orchestrated ;) by @BuildaCloud) for those who like to read about cloud and trends.

Short break out:

"Think of cloud orchestration as an amazing CTO with a wand standing at the front of the IT room directing his team of IT people through the symphony of 24/7 consumer facing IT service. The difference is no amount of people and no size wand is ever going to direct the symphony as well as a nice tidy piece of software specifically written for the job.

Orchestration of your cloud is only part of the puzzle, a big part granted but there is more cool stuff I like to see in my clouds, specifically around reporting and billing so I’m going to stick with cloud enablement as my main catch phrase until such time I find something better!"

As you might know I focus more on the assignment than systems when I talk about orchestration so my comment to this was:

#CloudWisdom 14

Sometimes they pops up... often by articles read during a day. Here is my #CloudWisdom 14:

PaaS M-/SP's; Look at the opportunity to provide PaaS to SaaS SP's. Become a SaaS platform provider and support the application providers to reach the cloud.
Application providers; Contact M-/SP's. Can they provide a PaaS; grab the opportunity to reach out in the cloud with your application. Become a SaaS provider in the cloud without building from zero or IaaS.

Comment on the post 'Platform-as-a-Service: The Game Changer'

Great short read: 'Platform-as-a-Service: The Game Changer' by Kevin L. Jackson on Forbes.

Short break out:
"Developers can create and deploy software faster. Agencies can lower their risks, promote shared services and improve software security via a common security model. Data centers can leverage PaaS to make their infrastructure more valuable. PaaS can lower the skill requirements to engineer new systems and can lower risks by taking advantage of pretested technologies."

My comment: