The Big Gap -> Cloud Skills A recent study by market intelligence firm IDC shows that about 1.7 million cloud computing jobs could not be filled due to lack of training and certification as well as experience. Businesses are moving to the cloud at an exponentially accelerating rate. Various surveys of IT executives shows that 50% consider cloud a ‘high’ to ‘very high’ priority, and 67% are either planning to or are already using cloud computing, and 75% are concerned about security, access and data control. The majority of IT jobs require cloud-related skills. 26% annual growth in the demand
Cloud Communication Tools – Part II In one of my latest articles, I talked about cloud based social and communication tools that help organizations improve their performance and I mentioned some of these tools that SMBs should be focusing on: voice, email, collaboration, online backup, mobility and security. In this article, I would like to bring to your attention other tools that increase availability, flexibility and scalability for your organization. Here are some cloud tools to look at for companies wanting to operate at maximum productivity and efficiency: Fax. I know it may sound like prehistoric times, but fax’s are still being sent and received. Instead
Past, Present and Future: Cloud Computing in Three Minutes Perhaps the most interesting thing about the cloud is just how fluffy it really is. Recent news indicates that it has finally gone mainsteam. Yet at the same time, most people are still not quite clear on what the cloud really is. To get a better understanding, here’s a three-minute summary of where the clouds came from and where they are heading. Looking at the roots of the cloud computing movement, it all really started in the late ‘90s when companies with a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business model started surfacing. Perhaps the most well known pioneer is Salesforce.com,
Cloud Business Integration: What Service Providers are Doing to Penetrate the Enterprise Market A lot of cloud services began their lives in the consumer market and offered services for the individual rather than the Enterprise business. They offer free subscriptions and use for certain small amounts of resources as a preview of their capabilities. But the problem is that most individual users do not really need a lot of resources from the cloud unless they are running their own business online and so may need more. But the truth is no matter how big the consumer market is, and hence the number

Four Free Information Assets for the Healthcare CIO “He who has health, has hope. And he who has hope, has everything.” – Ancient proverb. Even in difficult times, one industry continues to prosper – healthcare. With an ageing population which has high spending power, the growth in healthcare is not unexpected. And like many other industries, healthcare depends heavily on technology for success. From maintaining patient EMRs (Electronic Medical Records) to credentialing doctors, technology permeates every section of the modern healthcare industry. However, healthcare is held to a higher standard than any other industry on matters of information security, as

5 Reasons Why Cloud Contracts Should Scare You Marketing Hype ≠ Cloud Contract. Accepting the terms and conditions on a cloud provider’s website can be dangerous, and often the user doesn’t have the option of negotiation. And face it, nobody reads those click thru agreements anyway (except lawyers). So, what do they say and why should they scare you? Here are my top 5 typical terms: We Don’t Do Security. “Confidential or sensitive data should not be transmitted over the Internet or stored on computers connected to the Internet,” warns a cloud contract. Perhaps this is sage advice, but how many computers aren’t connected to











