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Where insights are transformed into actions at the intersection of collaboration, information management, security, and business strategy.

Apples to Kumquats: Comparing Cloud Service Offerings

By Karen Hobert

I recently read through a new Google Apps Premier Edition (GAPE) Partner Guide called 7 Keys to Comparing Google Apps Premier Edition with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. Discrepancies and misdemeanors aside, the biggest problem I have with the piece is that it’s the wrong comparison if you want to sell Google Apps to customers. The piece is great collateral to demonstrate the differences between on-premises and hosted services but it does not say why way GAPE is say better than Microsoft Exchange Online.

To be fair, and not to single out Google, I’ve found that the collateral from major cloud computing vendors (including IBM and Microsoft) tend to do a pretty good job at presenting arguments in favor of cloud-based… Continue reading: Apples to Kumquats: Comparing Cloud Service Offerings

April 20th, 2009 | Tags: , , | Category: Collaboration | Leave a comment

Thinning Clouds? Report Questions Value Of Cloud Computing – Software – IT Channel News by CRN

By Karen Hobert

Follow the link in the article to the McKinsey report, it’s a highly worthwhile read. I think the last comment sums of the net effect of McKinsey’s observations and how nascent the market is, especially for cloud services:

But IBM said it is seeing many customers adopt a mix of public and private cloud models to reduce the cost of supporting specific applications such as business resiliency, information protection and collaboration services.

Thinning Clouds? Report Questions Value Of Cloud Computing – Software – IT Channel News by CRN Continue reading: Thinning Clouds? Report Questions Value Of Cloud Computing – Software – IT Channel News by CRN

April 17th, 2009 | Tags: , | Category: Cloud Computing, Collaboration | Leave a comment

Cloud Services: What do you want?

By Karen Hobert

I ran across this IDC chart on what customers want with cloud computing service providers. The survey is from August 2008 so it’s pretty current.

Overall not so surprising that cost and performance are at the top of the list. I was a bit surprised that an established provider fell into a lower percentile. I guess that’s mitigated by the #4 response, the ability to “move offerings back on-premise”; assuming that means being able to move data back on-premise. I would have figured that being an established provider would be more important.

A recent Information Week Cloud Services: What do you want?

April 17th, 2009 | Category: Cloud Computing | Leave a comment