Security
HP’s Revised Proposal of $33 per Share Values 3PAR at $2.4 billion
Sep 2nd
HP Wins 3Par At $33, Beats Dell
Until this morning, Dell and Hewlett-Packard were mired in a bidding war over 3Par, a leading provider of utility storage solutions for enterprises. With a final bid of $2.4 billion for the company, HP has emerged the winner. Below we highlight the significance of 3Par and how it may impact HP’s storage in the future.
Utility storage primer
Utility storage is a category of data storage systems designed for utility computing, a form of information technology in which storage and computation are delivered as a metered service, rather like a power utility. 3Par’s unique storage technology powers so-called virtual data centers for mid-sized to large enterprises, including financial service firms, government entities, hosted computing providers, and consumer-oriented Internet companies.
3Par’s value proposition is based on the premise that unused storage is wasteful. Conventional data centers typically use just 10% to 25% of allocated disk space. By contrast, 3Par’s technology allocates disk space only when applications need storage capacity, reducing the total cost of storage by up to 50% according to the company.
As more enterprises shut down their in-house data centers and turn to on-demand storage and computing services delivered via the Internet, their storage needs become more variable and less predictable. This makes 3Par a great fit for the cloud computing era, which helps explain why HP and Dell are competing so fiercely to acquire the company’s proprietary technology.
Why were Dell & HP chasing 3Par?
(Source Forbes)
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Is Cloud an Adopted Brother of Virtualization or Not?
Sep 2nd
Is Cloud an Adopted Brother of Virtualization or Not?
By Nimantha (CloudTweaks)
Cloud computing came into the lime light very recently and became an instant hit among lot of people, especially CTO’s of different enterprises. Virtualization, the close friend of cloud computing was there for a longer period of time, but with the emergence of cloud, it was given the step mothers treatment. Still it didn’t die from our minds because Cloud and Virtualization did stick together most of the time rather than not. So then the argument began, Does Cloud and Virtualization does carry the same concept or is it different? Let’s figure it out.
What is Virtualization ?
The word virtualization defines of allowing multiplicity of access points from a single outlet. As an example, we can simply take interrelated personal computers that can each be accessed from whatever remote location. What it actually implies is that it will be using the internet to carry out activities that were previously done offline. In other words, the management or the CTO has decided that his organization would like to take control of the activities of that activity by going online rather than offline. Virtualization therefore always associates with technological development.
The best part of Virtualization is that the central command unit will be able to supervise the activities of outpost computers. This element is one which delights managers but it also causes some concern from civil liberties groups regarding their privacy.
What is Cloud Computing?
Well, here is the point where everyone gets confused. It is true that cloud computing utilizes the same basic principles as virtualization, but it involves the provision of externally managed IT services via hosted software, which allows IT systems to be managed from very remote locations where data is accessed and manipulated via a server.
As an example, lets say that there is a company in USA which wishes to reduce the budget they allocate for in-house developments, so what they decide to do is to totally outsource their IT developments to a company in India.
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Salesforce.com Announces Cloudforce 2010
Sep 1st
Chairman and CEO Marc Benioff to deliver keynote
Global industry leaders from BMC and CA to present at 8th September event
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 01, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Salesforce.com (CRM 116.40, +6.52, +5.93%) , the enterprise cloud computing company, today announced Cloudforce 2010: London, the largest cloud computing event in the UK. This industry, customer and developer event is being held on Wednesday, 8th September, 2010 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre in London.
With the arrival of Salesforce Chatter, this landmark event will showcase Cloud 2 technologies, the next generation of enterprise cloud computing that is social, mobile and real-time. Industry leaders including BMC and CA will participate alongside salesforce.com to deliver their vision of this next-generation of enterprise computing, and attendees will also hear from visionary business leaders on how Chatter is delivering a better way to work in the enterprise. Cloudforce 2010: London will provide the roadmap for cloud computing in the UK by bringing together industry luminaries, more than 35 cloud leaders on the tradeshow floor and 17 expert-led breakout sessions.
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Save $100 and join CloudTweaks at All About Mobile
Sep 1st
Save $100 and join CloudTweaks at All About Mobile, the ISV conference for mobile business, produced by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) and taking place November 16-17, 2010 in San Jose, California.
ISVs large and small have already begun to transition software and cloud-based applications for use on mobile devices. In fact, in today’s marketplace, we ALL need to have a mobile strategy, which is why we are proud to support this unique industry conference and hope to see you there!
To take advantage of our $100 discount, enter promotional code PRMCTWE when you register online here. (Note: this discount is valid off the individual SIIA non-member rate only and does not apply to current attendees.)
You’ll save even more with early-bird rates through October 18.
All About Mobile features a robust conference agenda with keynotes from Microsoft and Sprint. And you’ll network with top executives from ISVs, carriers, platform providers, and infrastructure providers — along with the industry’s leading analysts, venture capitalists and media — all gathering to explore, debate and discuss the mobile movement.
For details, visit www.AllAboutMobile.net
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Cloudtweaks VMWorld 2010 Updates and Agenda Report
Sep 1st
VMWorld 2010 Update By Malick
If you are not connected with the cloud, your individual mind would be a dumb terminal. Welcome to the VMWorld 2010!
VIRTUAL ROADS. ACTUAL CLOUDS: The statement ends as: Together we’ll travel from Virtual Roads to Actual Roads. Come engage. Leave enlightened. A true global event! 85 Countries represented in the audience. 17000 Attendees! And VMware announcing their Hybrid Cloud Computing Data Center! And claiming that already 4000 VMs (Virtual Machines) are created every hour! It is no secret that virtualization is the underlying driver of cloud computing. There is no cloud computing without virtualization! Well, one may say that virtualization is not the only enabler of cloud computing, but still, it is the key enabler. And VMWare is the pioneer in Virtualization. In the evolution of Information Technology, virtualization is a disrupting force.
Way back in 2004 itself, Gartner predicted that virtualisation will be the most disruptive technology in a decade
And this disruptive technology made cloud computing a reality. And cloud computing is promising a better IT environment today.
More >
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NetApp Alliance Partner, Showcases Cloud Orchestration Technology at VMworld 2010
Sep 1st
SANTA CLARA, CA–(Marketwire) – Gale Technologies, a leading provider of innovative software solutions that simplify and automate IT resource 
provisioning and workflow orchestration for Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) solutions, today announced its participation at VMworld® 2010 San Francisco, August 30 – September 2, 2010, where it will showcase its award-winning cloud orchestration and data center automation solution, GaleForce.
Gale Technologies offers GaleForce, an advanced IT automation and workflow orchestration platform that quickly and efficiently automates the management and provisioning of virtual and physical resources in the lab, data center, or cloud. GaleForce is the first true, end-to-end cloud orchestration and data center automation platform that manages multi-vendor and multi-technology environments, spanning across computing, networking, and storage resources. In addition to providing a comprehensive automation platform, GaleForce also offers a custom-brandable web portal to enable self-service provisioning of IT resources.
Gale Technologies will co-demonstrate its award-winning solution GaleForce at the NetApp booth (#601) at VMworld® 2010 in San Francisco, August 30 – September 2, 2010. The demo will illustrate support for secure multi-tenancy to help organizations develop internal and external cloud services that isolate clients, business units, departments or security zones for enhanced security in a virtualized infrastructure across the computing, networking, storage and management layers.
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Practically Speaking about Amazon Web Services – Part 2: A Cloud Giant
Sep 1st
Practically Speaking about Amazon Web Services – Part 2: A Cloud Giant
We saw the various innovative cloud products and services offered by Amazon Web Services in Part 1. At this stage, it is quite natural that we have the business economics going on in our mind as how big is the cloud business industry and what part is being played by Amazon. Let us have a look at how Amazon Web Services has fared in analysts views. After all, before Amazon Web Services came along, Amazon was the least known for putting up a fight with IT Giants: such as: Microsoft, IBM, Google etc., where they not?
IDC, in a press release dated June 23rd,2010, says that global revenue of public cloud services which was around $ 16 Billion in 2009 will grow to $ 55.5 Billion in 2014. The research report further states that IT cloud services are crossing the chasm with modest revenue; fastest growth of about CAGR 27.4%.
-Reference: Worldwide and Regional Public IT Cloud Services 2010–2014 Forecast by IDC – (IDC #223549)
Another report released by UBS Investment Research analysts Brian Pitz and Brian Fitzgerald says that, for the type of cloud services offered by Amazon Web Services the market size can be pegged at around $ 15 to 20 Billion in the year 2014.
As per analysts, Amazon Web Services clocked revenue of about $ 0.5 Billion in 2010; could go up to $ 2.54 Billion in 2014. And this is about a 5% of total market share! And a market share of about 15% in similar services! Analysts predict that from the last quarter of 2010, Amazon Web Services revenue will have an impact on Amazon Inc., as a company. Well, not minding accuracy of these market share figures, one can clearly say that Amazon is an early pioneer player poised to grow big.
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Confessions of a Cloudaholic
Aug 31st
Confessions of a Cloudaholic – Life in the Cloud
By Nimantha De Silva of CloudTweaks – Aug 31st, 2010
The script is written, actors are ready, it’s time to say ACTION, but hold on, this time it is not about a film, it is just about unveiling the script of Challenges faced in Cloud Computing. This article purely focuses on challenges faced on cloud computing along with how it’s architecture is made of and its key characteristics to make it so special. A real confession is about to make and lets follow it.
Introduction
Cloud computing, from its evolve itself has become a major talking point. There were wide spread consensus among many industrial observers to check whether it is ready for noticeable deployment in the year 2010. So before digging deep into cloud, lets figure out what cloud computing is defined for. Even though it was introduced sometime back, it can still be identified as in the emerging stage, so there are many definitions based on several releases, but the most appropriate according to my view is the definition given by Wikipedia saying “Cloud computing describes a new supplement, consumption and a delivery model for IT services based on Internet, and it typically involves the provision of dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources as a service over the internet”. With the introduction itself, this topic was subjected towards many discussions, arguments, reviews, etc… Many expressed their ideas over this new born kid, but it was not to stop it but to make it much better. From that time onwards, cloud did grow and overcame many obstacles, but it is not finished yet. There are a certain set of challenges which needs to be addressed. The challenges which came into limelight along with the boom of the cloud are as follows:
- Who has given rights to access the information that organizations are putting on these external cloud application and systems servers?
- What and how does an organization’s compliance posture for applicable laws, regulations, standards, contracts and policies change when business, and sometimes even customer and employee, information is stored in the clouds?
- How long does information put into the clouds stay in those clouds?
- Do the clouds have retention policies?
- Can information be permanently and completed removed from the clouds once it is put there?
- Are there any logs generated to show how that cloudy information is accessed, copied, modified and otherwise used by anyone else?
- Can all necessary information in clouds be easily retrieved during e-discovery activities? If so, what are the related costs involved in it?
Even though cloud has not reached its peak yet, there are certain level of growth in cloud usage from the year 2008 to 2010, mainly due to its change of architecture. Lets figure out how the architecture is built to make cloud look more clearer than earlier.
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Top 30 Cloud Service Providers Gaining Mind Share in 3Q 2010
Aug 31st
Top 30 Cloud Service Providers Gaining Mind Share
Article by: Ray DePena with Cloud Expo
Image Credit to incomingit.com
It has certainly been an exciting week in the Cloudsphere with Dell and HP battling it out over 3PAR. It’s clear who is on Dell and HP’s radar, and I’m looking forward to seeing the rest of 2010 Cloud acquisitions as the segment continues to consolidate.
Its been almost 2 quarters since the last report, though the BTC Logic team has done an excellent job in their Top Ten Cloud Companies in 2Q10 Report to pick up the slack. CRN released The 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Vendors list joining the The Top 150 Players in Cloud Computing, 85 Cloud Computing Vendors Shaping the Emerging Cloud, 50 of The Biggest and Best Cloud Computing Companies, The VAR Guy’s SaaS 20 Index, and even Congress has gotten into the Cloud game – Congress Holds Hearing on Cloud Computing.
With that M&A activity as background, here are my rankings for the Top 30 Cloud Service Providers Gaining Mind Share in 3Q 2010.
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HP Launches CloudStart to Fast Track Private Clouds
Aug 30th
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 30, 2010
HP today announced HP CloudStart, the industry’s first all-in-one solution for deploying an open and flexible private cloud environment within 30 days.
Built on an HP Converged Infrastructure, HP CloudStart simplifies and speeds private cloud deployments. Consisting of hardware, software and services, HP CloudStart empowers businesses to deliver pay-per-use services reliably and securely from a common portal, and it offers the ability to scale and deploy new services automatically. Real-time access to consumption and chargeback reports allows clients to operate their private clouds in the same fashion as a public cloud.
With HP’s open architecture approach, clients are able to integrate their private clouds with third-party enterprise portals, public cloud services, usage billing packages and multiplatform resource management.
“To better serve the needs of their enterprises, clients are asking us to help them become internal service providers with the ability to deliver applications through a highly flexible private cloud environment,” said Gary M. Budzinski, senior vice president and general manager, Technology Services, HP. “With CloudStart, HP is enabling clients to optimize applications for private cloud computing today, while providing a platform for a comprehensive, open and hybrid environment in the future.”
HP CloudStart delivers private cloud compute service in 30 days
HP CloudStart is delivered by HP Cloud Consulting Services, which provides the expertise needed for clients to transform their existing delivery approaches into more efficient shared-services models.
HP BladeSystem Matrix, enhanced with HP Cloud Service Automation software and data services provided by HP StorageWorks, forms the backbone of the CloudStart offering. It enables clients to reduce provisioning times up to 80 percent(2) with one-touch provisioning across infrastructure, applications and business services.
