by Dave Saunders
The stampede to deploy cloud-based services by organizations threatens to overload IT and create far more problems than benefits, if not managed efficiently and efficiently. CIOs and IT service planners would do well ensuring that any moves to the cloud are preceded by a plan that involves what’s really going to be provided, along with the strategy for how to roll it out and support it.
by Eric Blum
As more business-critical services move to the public cloud, service providers must offer more differentiated, nuanced, agile, and automated services to compete profitably in this market. Service providers may seek to drive value based on reliability, levels of security, and regulatory compliance. They can be flexible, allowing customers to easily change the amount and types of services they consume.
by Jason Cowie
You know private cloud deployment is a strategic must-have for your company in 2012. But does your CEO know it? One of the key challenges facing Chief Information Officers this year will be communicating the value of the private cloud and the importance of harnessing its capabilities. On-demand Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) translates into improved operational efficiency and speed, but it will be up to IT leaders to prove that to the business executives who hold the purse strings. Here are four things you can say to influence your CEO’s view of the cloud.
by Livio Ricciulli
Cloud security is a huge issue for businesses looking to take advantage of cloud technology but worried about data confidentiality, integrity and availability. According to Symantec’s 2011 State of Cloud Survey, cloud security is both a top goal and top concern for business decision makers who cite malware, theft and loss of confidential data as potential risks.
by Andrew L. Goldstein
This article is the second in a two-part series examining the potential
legal issues – for both the vendor and customer – involved with the deployment
of cloud computing solutions. Read the first part of the series here.
Many companies are familiar with ‘e-discovery’ and have data retention, storage and destruction policies in place that apply in the event of litigation. If a cloud customer is sued, or there is the threat of litigation, the customer may have to initiate a ‘litigation hold’ to preserve documents, including electronic documents and any metadata in the documents. This could present a challenge in the cloud if the customer’s data is commingled with that of other clients or if the customer’s data is stored on parallel servers. Cloud customers should determine the vendor’s ability to prevent the destruction, alteration or mutilation of customer data in the vendor’s possession, as well as the vendor’s search capabilities for the data. Cloud customers should also make sure that their corporate policies and procedures account for any data in the cloud. Do the data retention and destruction policies of the cloud vendor align with those of the customer?
