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By CloudCommons 2012
Article Rating:
March 31, 2012 03:00 PM EDT
Reads:
 3,191

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Cloud News
  • In a bid to make its cloud a de facto standard, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has given its blessing to an open-source version of its APIs produced by Eucalyptus Systems, according to this Information Week article. Eucalyptus supplies on-premises cloud-launching software that can mobilize APIs that are a match for Amazon's major services. Meanwhile, rumors are circulating that AWS may be launching cloud services in India; the company has been buying up infrastructure from telecom provider Tata Communications in India, according to this PCWorld article.
  • Sprint is partnering with Cisco Systems to launch a cloud-based unified communications bundle for large enterprises. It is the first of several cloud initiatives Sprint will launch this year, according to this eWeek article, which includes more detail on the service offering.
  • Dell is partnering with Ubuntu Linux maker Canonical to deliver a cloud solution in Britain and China. The solution, which has been available in the US since last year is based on OpenStack software combined with Dell’s servers, services and open-source deployment framework. Read more in this Wired article.
  • Microsoft recently outlined a plan to deliver its Dynamics ERP software through a SaaS model. In this InformationWeek article, Doug Henschen identifies 6 pros and 3 cons of Microsoft’s cloud strategy.


Featured Content on Cloud Commons

Gartner Report: Top Five Trends for Private Cloud

Through year-end 2012, a significant number of pilot and production deployments of private cloud services will emerge, and hybrid cloud capability will become a major requirement. The market for cloud management platforms will expand greatly, but a number of vendors will be acquired or will exit the market. Outsourcing will become a mainstream alternative to internally deployed private clouds. This report by Gartner (compliments of Cloud Commons), examines the top five trends for private cloud and offers recommendations for your business based on those trends.

Feature article
The CIO as a Business Service Conductor

By Andi Mann, CA Technologies

Conducting an orchestra is easy; delivering a new CRM service is hard!

A long time ago, someone asked me on Twitter what is the difference between automation and orchestration. It really got me thinking, and eventually I think I answered by using an actual musical orchestra as a metaphor.

In this metaphor, having an autonomous musician play the entire violin part of a symphony is somewhat akin to typical automation - lots of activity and complex interactions all handled without external intervention, but all within a reasonably tight sphere of influence, in large part unconnected with the rest of the orchestra. In this case, as long as all your automation is well synchronized, then the symphony sounds at least listenable. However, whenever anything goes awry - a string breaks, a bow is dropped - then all of a sudden that instrument is out of time, and the symphony turns into cacophony. Read the full article.

Cloud Views
  • GreenTouch has developed technology that it claims will reduce energy consumption in fiber-to-the-home networks by 30 percent over current technologies. The new technology leverages Bit-Interleaved Passive Optical Networking. To learn more, read the announcement on Sys-con.
  • In this ITWorld blog, Bernard Golden shares his views on why cloud computing calls for rebuilding enterprise IT.
  • This Forbes article describes CIOs’ love-hate relationship with cloud computing. Some interesting data within: approximately 58% of respondents are running mission-critical workloads in the unmanaged public cloud regardless of policy and 79% of respondents to a Forrester Research survey plan to support running mission-critical workloads on unmanaged public cloud services in the next two years.
  • In this Cloud Commons article, Trevor Williamson with GreenPages explores the challenge of ‘how can you forecast and pay for resources and justify costs for problems you don’t have yet?’ He explores an analogy of the hypothermic cloud infrastructure, and explains an approach to maintain ‘blood flow’ to tier 1 and 2 apps.

MSP Corner

  • Boundary launched SaaS-based monitoring for big data and cloud software development platform, such as Hadoop and Cassandra. Boundary is focused on providing data collection, advanced analytics, an application-centric view and real-time monitoring, according to this Talkin’ Cloud article.
  • All Covered is acquiring Boston-based Covisia Solutions, an MSP that specializes in desktop virtualization. This is All Covered’s 7th acquisition in the last 12 months, according to this CRN article.
Upcoming Cloud Events

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Published March 31, 2012 – Reads 3,191
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More Stories By CloudCommons 2012

CloudCommons is an independent online community of IT professionals, analysts, technology providers, and industry experts. Members can ask questions, learn from experts, and find the latest cloud-related news. Cloud Commons offers a forum to contribute and discuss best practices and successes, as well as research vendor solutions. Sponsored by CA Technologies, Cloud Commons has been growing steadily since its launch in May of 2010.

Hosted on Cloud Commons is the Service Measurement Index (SMI). Led by Carnegie Mellon University, SMI encompasses a growing consortium of members. SMI compiles user-submitted ratings of cloud services and scores them relative to other services of the same type. Ratings include metrics such as: quality, agility, risk, cost, capability, and security.

ThisWeekInCloud is Cloud Commons weekly newsletter listing the industry events we felt worthwhile reading about. Read them here or subscribe to have it delivered to you inbox as email or as RSS Feed.

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