Collaborative Strategy Guild » Cloud Computing

Apples to Kumquats: Comparing Cloud Service Offerings

Karen Hobert — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:09:33 +0000

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 services versus on-premises deployments, but they tend to confuse the comparison as justification that their particular services are better than another vendor’s services. Wouldn’t the Google piece have more value if it were called 7 Keys to Comparing Google Apps Premier edition with Microsoft Exchange Online?

Of course cloud computing is the hot new item and currently represents a huge new promised land for enterprise computing; what if you could have all of the benefits of email without all the fuss? It’s like dating without commitments. In reality there are commitments and right now vendors see huge opportunities as long as they can get the huge economies of scale that make it all pay off. It’s big business.

Last week I blogged about a recent McKinsey report that shoots some holes into the cloud argument. My best advice to any customer is to consider these delivery models carefully and make strategic decisions according to thier unique business, technical, and security requirements. The real comparison is two-fold; is cloud computing a good choice for you, and which cloud offering will meet the needs of your firm?

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

Karen Hobert — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 19:34:05 +0000

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

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Bringing Cloud Computing Security Down to Earth

collabstrategy — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:48:15 +0000

from an upcoming article series by Char Sample, Senior Scientist, BBN Technologies and Diana Kelley, Partner, SecurityCurve

Hi All – Char and I are working on a set of CC Security articles – here’s our current abstract. Comments on what you’d like to see in the article are welcome!

Cloud Computing is generating a lot of buzz right now – and for good reason. Cloud Computing promises seamlessly integrated services without the high costs traditionally associated with large integration efforts. Cloud computing and software-as-a-service transfers a large portion of the infrastructure set-up and on-going data center management costs from the end-user enterprise to the provider in the cloud. The providers can leverage economies of scale and robust high availability at their massive data centers, passing the savings on to customers.

Although this cloud does have a silver lining, enterprises need to understand the security and business implications of going into the cloud. Without proper assessments and requirement definitions, up front, organizations could find themselves caught in a “storm” of data exposure, uncertain liability, or costly fee structures.

In this multi-part series, Char Sample and Diana Kelley provide a down to earth de-mystification of security concerns and the Cloud phenomenon. Each article begins with an overview explanation of specific cloud security concerns and concludes with a short discussion of countermeasures.

In Part One, they cover infrastructure, management, and routing – with special focus on DNS spoofing and “evil twin” clouds. Part Two discusses host security concerns and data placement considerations. Part Three addresses whether or not enterprises should consider creating their own clouds and how reputational services can help increase overall cloud security.

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A Bigger Microsoft Cloud

collabstrategy — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:32:25 +0000

from Karen Hobert’s Connecting Dots by Karen Hobert

Since its announcement of the Software+Services strategy in 2006, Microsoft has been steadily refining and growing it’s online offerings. Over the last two years Microsoft has unveiled it’s strategy at regular intervals. Thus far we’ve been taken from the S+S strategy in the summer of 2006 through the general availability of US-based consumer and business grade hosted messaging, communications, and collaboration services in November 2008. Last week Microsoft’s cloud got bigger with the general availability of worldwide Microsoft Online Services for any sized company. According to Microsoft’s press release:

…the Business Productivity Online Suite, part of Microsoft Online Services, is now available for trial to businesses of all sizes in 19 countries. In addition, Microsoft will release Microsoft Office Communications Online, for instant messaging and presence, and the Business Productivity Online Deskless Worker Suite, an extremely economical e-mail, calendaring and collaboration service for the occasional user.

This steady cloud formation is formidable and steps up the competition in the emerging cloud-based platforms market. There’s lots of ground that still needs to be covered, especially when it comes to supporting enterprises, however. Microsoft is still not likely to suck the air out of the enterprise hosting room until it can make the entire platform (e.g., messaging plus all of its supporting services) affordable and secure. Cheap mailbox services are a good selling point but enterprises tend to look at (and need) more than just better mailbox service costs. The cloud maturity model looks more complex than one-stop shopping solutions when you get to the enterprise. Flexibility, adaptability, and risk mitigation are the keys to enterprise hearts. The cloud is still too squishy and moist for many.

Microsoft Online Services Available Worldwide: Microsoft signs agreement with GlaxoSmithKline to deploy Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Office Communications Online and Office Live Meeting for employees worldwide.

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Just Passing Through the Cloud

collabstrategy — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:25:49 +0000

from Spire Security Viewpoint by Pete Lindstrom

As noted by many, the phrase “cloud computing” is ambiguous enough to encompass everything (and therefore nothing). I think at the very least we should be discussing the cloud in terms of connections that terminate there. That is, we should think of cloud computing as providing services for either the connection source (e.g. virtual desktop infrastructure) or a connection destination (target servers).

If the service happens in the cloud, but operates on traffic that is just passing through the cloud, I don’t think it should be a part of “cloud computing.” That means that proxies and other inline security functions are not “cloud” proper since the termination points are still very traditional.

This is not really a strong position, so I would be curious to hear reasons against this position.

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