When Cloud Computing Failed: Harris Corporation Steps Away From the Cloud Amidst all the news of cloud computing successes, the occasional cloud computing failure does draw attention. However, before we write off this incident as an aberration, it’s important to examine the context and reasons why a company that launched cloud computing services with much fanfare only a year ago is now closing down an expensive facility, incurring a loss in the process. Harris Corporation, a Florida-based international communications equipment company that is one of the top Federal contractors, recently announced the intended closure of its cloud computing facility outside
US Cyber Command
US Senator Seeks Federal Funding for New York Cloud Computing Center It’s no secret that the US Government is a big supporter of cloud computing. Although this support has declined slightly from the days when former Federal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra was at the helm of the country’s information technology initiatives (See: The Architect of the Official Cloud Computing Revolution – CIO Vivek Kundra), cloud computing still manages to get considerable attention in the US administration (See: US Cyber Command Chief Gives Cloud Computing Security His Vote of Confidence). Now, it seems individual lawmakers have also decided to get
LAPD Refuses To Go On the Cloud Google Mail may be the most popular email service in the world, but it evidently fails to meet strict security guidelines as laid out by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). On 14 December 2011, the Los Angeles City Council voted to scale back the city’s email services contract with Google partner Computer Science Corp. (CSC) from 30,000 to 17,000 employees citing Google Apps’ inability to meet certain FBI security requirements. Consequently, the city’s 13,000 law enforcement employees will continue to use the existing Novell GroupWise applications. To add salt to its wounds,
Can McAfee’s New Security Updates Assuage Cloud Computing Fears? Security was, is, and will continue to remain a major issue in cloud computing. In spite of the relative newness of the technology, many companies are trying to improve matters in this field. These include startups (See: What Bromium’s Funding Means for Cloud Security ) as well as established names like McAfee, Inc. Here are some older articles dealing with security on the cloud:1. US Cyber Command Chief Gives Cloud Computing Security His Vote of Confidence http://www.cloudtweaks.com/2011/11/us-cyber-command-chief-gives-cloud-computing-security-his-vote-of-confidence/ 2. Health Care’s Reservations about Cloud Computing http://www.cloudtweaks.com/2011/06/health-care%E2%80%99s-reservations-about-cloud-computing/ 3. Are Cloud Computing Service Providers
What Does the US Military Want from Cloud Computing? Polytetraflouroethylene or PTFE was an exotic substance accidentally invented by DuPont chemist Dr. Roy Plunkett in 1938. In spite of its less-than-ordinary origins, PTFE was found to have some extraordinary properties – high heat resistance, high corrosion resistance and the lowest coefficient of friction of any substance yet manufactured. At the height of WWII, its composition was a closely guarded secret, but today we know it as Teflon. The reason behind this anecdote is to demonstrate the close relation between science and the military. After all, many of the greatest advances
