Thursday, September 22, 2011

Cloud Computing Australia : Cloud Computing - A Great Tool for Australia's Business

Cloud Computing: A Great Tool for Australia's Business


Author:Walter Scott


In this world, Australia is a country that has its own unique advantages. For one, it is a country and a continent at the same time. It also has one of the most stable economic systems in the world. Testament of this is its weathering the recent global financial crisis that brought other giant economies down to their knees. In addition, Australia has a very robust business industry, especially in the area of web-based commerce. Such potentials certainly serve as an attraction to interested entrepreneurs. And it certainly serves as a reason for web hosting services have become a hit for the firms. This all became possible through the development of cloud computing technologies. This is practically the next step in business.

[caption id="attachment_343" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cloud Computing Australia : Cloud Computing - A Great Tool for Australia's Business"]Cloud Computing Australia : Cloud Computing - A Great Tool for Australia's Business[/caption]

Websites are becoming more and more crucial to the operations of a business. Due to the increasing demand for products and services that can be purchased on the web, even commercial stores with brick-and-mortar outlets are starting to enter the web-augmented sales community. Now, creating a website is a simple task, one can hire a web developer to do it, although some store owners are practically capable of making and maintaining their own websites. The only problem, so far, that needs to be dealt with is the variability of the site. There are spikes in user demands, increase in processing power, and other things that can cause a server to break down. What is needed here is a better way to address these needs.

Which is pretty much the reason why cloud computing has become the next best thing.

Simply put, cloud computing is the use of programs and applications, plus other computer services, without the customers needing to know where the actual server is, nor is there a need for users to understand how the system works. This can be similar to an electrical grid, where power users don't need to understand the intricacies of electricity generation. Basically, it's a plug-and-play set-up, and if one would look at the way cloud computing works, then they would see that it function in the same way. As long as the user is connected to the Internet, then they would be able to get their work done. No need for them to worry about the maintenance of their servers, since they are just using a processing network.

Cloud computing provides greater flexibility not just for the company using a website, but also the hosting provider that offers web hosting services. This kind of flexibility also extends to the world of dedicated hosting, colocation hosting, and also reseller web hosting. Because of the development of computing through the cloud network, web-based or web-augmented business firms are able to get the best deals from a hosting provider.  There may be issues regarding data security, server integrity, as well the network instability, but these are certainly just a temporary phase. The thing here is that this form of computing is constantly evolving. In the Australian market, such issues can be taken cared of quickly.

The only thing that remains for a firm to do is to look for the right hosting provider to get some web hosting done. Finding one can be a bit tricky, but it's possible.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/web-hosting-articles/cloud-computing-a-great-tool-for-australias-business-5241131.html

About the Author

Walter Scott is a professional web hosting solutions consultant. To learn more on web hosting providers in Australia, visit http://www.webvisions.com.au

Cloud Computing Australia : Cloud Computing – Australia's Link to IT

Cloud Computing: Australia's Link to IT


Author:Walter Scott


When it comes to powerhouse countries, Australia no doubt ends up at the top. With an impressive economic performance, a manpower base that can push its growth, plus natural resources that can fuel its industries, then one can say that Australia is the land to be. But where does cloud computing comes in? Considering that Australia is already at the top, can something as basic as cloud computing make any difference? Of course. That's because this system is the framework many software services rely on. From website design to online publishing, cloud computing offers a whole new level of productivity for its users.

[caption id="attachment_338" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cloud Computing Australia : Cloud Computing - Australia's Link to IT"]Cloud Computing Australia : Cloud Computing - Australia's Link to IT[/caption]

Let's start with web hosting services. Websites these days are becoming more and more important in the commercial industry, as the convenience of shopping or purchasing goods online is fast becoming the norm for the modern-day Australian shopper. For this reason, many commercial establishments with brick-and-mortar outlets are exploring the possibilities of doing sales through the Internet. Now, setting up a website is an easy task, given the large number of IT firms offering such service. It's so easy that business owners can set up the site on their own, with a little training. How the finished product will look like is up to them, what's important is that the site they design can handle spikes or changes in demand.

This is where cloud computing comes in.


Cloud computing is a network system that allows the use of programs, applications, and other web services without the users needing to know where the physical server is actually located, let alone how it processes the information. One can liken it to an electricity grid where power consumers don't need to know how the electricity was produced in order to use it. The advantage of this set-up is that a hosting provider can rapidly address sudden changes in user demands, as well as adjust their system to meet the needs of their users. It also removes the need to buy multiple programs and applications for their users. All they need is to access the server through the Internet, run the programs, and do their work.

Computing through the cloud provides a hosting provider greater flexibility over their systems, allowing them to adjust according to demands. This flexibility and power can also be extended to firms that offer dedicated hosting, colocation hosting, and even reseller web hosting. These services become possible for web-based and web-augmented business firms because cloud computing is there to make it happen. Despite what pundits are saying about cloud computing, that it is unstable, that security is lax, that the servers may break down, it would still remain as one of the best options for a company making their own websites. The cloud is rapidly-evolving, so the next few years, even months, may produce good results.

In this case, an Australian firm making their own websites might find it to their advantage if they hire the services of a web hosting provider. Not only is this more affordable, since they only pay a small rental fee, they are also able to use the full services of a server, without the need to actually having it in their location and maintaining it. This is much more effective for dealing with customer needs and concerns.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/web-hosting-articles/cloud-computing-australias-link-to-it-5234149.html

About the Author

Walter Scott is a professional web hosting solutions consultant. To learn more on web hosting providers in Australia, visit http://www.webvisions.com.au

Cloud Computing Australia : Cloud Computing - Australia's Answer for IT

Cloud Computing: Australia's Answer for IT


Author:Walter Scott



Can Australia handle the needs of the modern marketplace?


The answer depends on how ready Australian companies are in meeting the demands of the time. Customer tastes and preferences have hanged, and so is the way they procure the goods and services they desire. Before, brick-and-mortar stores are the norm but, now, the Internet has become the new marketplace. This calls for the newer, better, and more powerful websites, all supported by web hosting providers that can deliver the best service and is able to meet the ever-changing demands of the market. To make this possible, cloud computing technology has been adapted. Using this method, network and website stability is ensured.

[caption id="attachment_331" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cloud Computing Australia : Cloud Computing - Australia's Answer for IT"]Cloud Computing Australia : Cloud Computing - Australia's Answer for IT[/caption]

For a company that relies on information technology, especially on websites, getting good web hosting services is a must. This is because one of the biggest reasons why websites break down is because of the lack of enough server capacity to handle spikes in visitor traffic. To avoid something like that from happening, there is a need to increase the capacity of servers to handle traffic. For a large corporation, it would not be a problem, but for small and medium firms, it may be too expensive for their budget. This is precisely where cloud computing comes in. It\'s the next step in the evolution of information technology.

To start with, cloud computing opens up a lot of possibilities for the firm. For one, it removed the need for a company to have a server of their own on-site. Second, the cloud allows a company\'s employees to use just one set of software applications or programs, reducing the need to provide each one with a program of their own. As long as they are connected to the Internet, then it\'s possible to get the job done. And in case there is a spike in usage, a server working through the cloud can get additional help by getting connected to another server. This added flexibility is what makes this type of network very attractive.

Companies in Australia has long recognised the potentials present by cloud computing. In particular, it has helped reshape the way people work and the structure of an organization. These days, more and more people are finding that they can actually work in their homes. They just have to be connected to the Internet, and use the cloud to get the tasks for the day done. All they need to do is to have their server placed in a special location, like in colocation hosting, buy their own server and then rent it to users of the same website structure, like in reseller web hosting, or simply rent an entire server from a supplier, like in dedicated hosting. Now this is where various hosting provider services come in. Client companies can be provided server space by the suppliers, and they can also be provided additional service like increased security, round the clock maintenance, as well as increased server flexibility for demand spikes.

Flexibility is not just the reason why companies are looking. Computing through the cloud network is way cheaper than buying their own servers or application for each employee they have. In addition, it lets a company plan ahead and prepare for any changes in the market. They could decide to make a special promo in the website and still be able to handle the increase in visitor traffic, because they know that they can still add capacity. It's like a plug and play arrangement, which works well for companies that do not need to have a large server for those lean months, only for the few days that they would actually need one

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/web-hosting-articles/cloud-computing-australias-answer-for-it-5222654.html

About the Author

Walter Scott is a professional web hosting solutions consultant. To learn more on web hosting providers in Australia, visit http://www.webvisions.com.au

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Cloud Computing : Utility Hosting Sydney – A Trend on the Rise in Australia

Utility Hosting Sydney – a trend on the rise in Australia


Author:Thomas deSouza


In utility computing, similar to other public utilities such as phone, electricity and water, you just need to pay only for how much you use. Therefore by enabling utility hosting you can reduce a significant amount in the expenditure for developing and maintaining physical IT infrastructure. This system helps to avoid buying hardware or software, and applies

[caption id="attachment_323" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cloud Computing Australia : Utility Hosting Sydney - A Trend on the Rise in Australia"]Cloud Computing Australia : Utility Hosting Sydney - A Trend on the Rise in Australia[/caption]

Utility computing has set the beginning of the On Demand computing. Strengthened with cloud computing technology, utility hosting provides excellent flexibility in IT management. That makes it popular among entrepreneurs in Australia. In addition, you can upgrade the packages with increasing demand for more resources easily and quickly in utility cloud hosting. It is a lot faster than the conventional mechanism in which you have to buy more number of computing systems. And you will be charged for the usage instead of applying flat rates. Another advantage of utility computing is its capacity to support grid computing. Thus it can easily accomplish large computational needs, and manage when computational demands topping out unexpectedly.

The most prominent benefit of utility computing is that it helps the users to get rid of the arduous task of developing and maintaining the system. In utility services, it lies on the shoulders of the service provider. Hence the clients can focus on other important matters of their business. It also avoids problems in running software applications. Software may show compatibility errors in companies with many departments as they use different software systems. But utility computing service providers allow the clients to opt the same software suite in the whole organization. The amount of data that can store in the virtualized cloud severs is very large when compared to that in single time-sharing computer. It is an out-and-out computer cluster consisting of multiple servers to serve as a strong back end.

Utility computing is more cost-effective than in-house IT systems. The clients get their operations done through a virtual channel. As a result, enterprises can invest more money in other departments and for business development.  So for any company that wants to move forward in the competition can gain more momentum through utility computing.

To get unswerving utility computing services in Australia, contact Infoplex, an Australia-wide cloud computing hosting provider with specialties in private cloud computing services, managed applications, utility hosting, etc.

Infoplex.com.au

Sydney, Australia

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/web-hosting-articles/utility-hosting-sydney-a-trend-on-the-rise-in-australia-4835914.html

About the Author

An enthusiastic person who enjoys helping people on the internet with information that may be of some assistance, which may or may not make a difference in their lives. I guess, as an author, one should get the information out on the internet, make sure its right and has integrity, and help people in some way or other. A passionate person who works with businesses as Website Marketing SydneyConsultant, in addition to copywriting website & advertising contents.

Cloud Computing Australia : Advantages of Managed Cloud Hosting

What are the advantages of Managed Cloud Hosting


Author:Thomas deSouza


That is why it is also called dedicated hosting service or dedicated server. Managed cloud computing offers more flexibility and superior controls, and ensures excellent compatibility to operating systems and software applications. This is secure and faster than shared server hosting, and significantly reduces the cost for maintaining an in-house IT system.

[caption id="attachment_319" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cloud Computing Australia : What are the advantages of Managed Cloud Hosting"]Cloud Computing Australia : What are the advantages of Managed Cloud Hosting[/caption]

A managed cloud hosting service assures the customers the complete power in managing servers, and choosing operating systems and hardware.  This technology is very useful in large organizations since it is devoid of routine IT management troubles including configuration, upgrading, and backups. This is made possible by transferring users' whole computing setups to offsite data centers. Whenever the client wants software, resources and application, he can access or be delivered them through the internet. Therefore the customers do not need to build up an onsite IT infrastructure. Through this method, he can cart off the burden of maintaining this system. In managed cloud computing, the service provider takes up the complete responsibility for the overall functioning.

Although, the user is not bowed down with arduous IT supervision in management cloud, he also has to carry out some administrative tasks. That is why it is known as managed cloud.  However, he doesn't require any hardware or staff with an expertise in IT for to accomplish them as it is too simple to handle. That provides him better control over the system than in shared server hosting.

The power of scalability is another highlight of managed cloud computing. It ensures the smoothness in data transfer and total performance. According to the increase or decrease in requirements, customers can easily and quickly change the plans. It is easier than in conventional IT infrastructure because in

Managed Cloud Computing service providers allow customers to make changes in bandwidth, software and hardware. Whatever be the requirement, the customer will be charged only for the capacity he uses. The customers are also given the options to choose the cloud administrator. He can either do it by himself or seek the assistance of the provider.

For any company having a futuristic IT strategy, managed cloud computing has become the foremost solution for IT infrastructure development and maintenance. To get reliable managed cloud computing services in Australia, contact Infoplex, an Australia-wide cloud computing hosting provider with specialties in private cloud computing services, managed applications, utility hosting, etc.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/web-hosting-articles/what-are-the-advantages-of-managed-cloud-hosting-4835934.html

About the Author

An enthusiastic person who enjoys helping people on the internet with information that may be of some assistance, which may or may not make a difference in their lives. I guess, as an author, one should get the information out on the internet, make sure its right and has integrity, and help people in some way or other. A passionate person who works with businesses as Website Marketing SydneyConsultant, in addition to copywriting website & advertising contents.

Cloud Computing Australia : Cloud Storage Provider in Sydney

What should be the concerns in selecting a Cloud Storage Provider in Sydney Australia


Author:Thomas deSouza


It has set a new trend in IT infrastructure management throughout the country. However, it is quite difficult for the customers to choose a good one among innumerable service providers. Therefore you need to consider some key factors that have to be examined before subscribing to a cloud storage service in Sydney Australia, which is an essential part of running your business and ensuring there are no downtimes or systems issues.

[caption id="attachment_314" align="aligncenter" width="243" caption="Cloud Computing Australia : Cloud Storage Provider in Sydney Australia"]Cloud Computing Australia : Cloud Storage Provider in Sydney Australia[/caption]

Cloud storage is exceptionally good in cost-effectiveness, speed, flexibility and eco-friendliness. It helps firms by providing virtual IT system that can outdo conventional methods in all these aspects. However, you should be wary of the security and reliability of a cloud storage service while renting it.  You have to get an entirely dependable provider who can guarantee you the security of your data. Therefore before approaching a service, you have to enquire about the measures which they have taken for the safe handling of data and other resources.

Companies employ some methods for ensuring the security of the cloud storage. It was usually a mix-up of different technologies. An important technique is encryption of information in which data are coded with complex algorithm. In order to decode the info, an encryption key is needed. As it is very difficult to crack this encrypted code, your data can be protected from hackers. In addition, the end-user will be provided with user ids and passwords to authenticating their accounts. They also carry out excellent authorization processes to control the access to cloud system.

You should also consider the stability of the cloud system you are planning to lease. An unreliable cloud computing will be a burden on your shoulders. No company can run smoothly with an IT system which often crashes due to various reasons.  Therefore you need to get a good service provider who can provide efficient failure-proof cloud storage service.

When plan to get Cloud Storage service in Sydney Australia, get it from a reputed firm with an impressive clientele. Infoplex is a reliable cloud storage service provider with proven and laudable track record. Infoplex also provides services in private cloud computing services, managed applications, utility hosting, etc.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/web-hosting-articles/what-should-be-the-concerns-in-selecting-a-cloud-storage-provider-in-sydney-australia-4836011.html

About the Author

An enthusiastic person who enjoys helping people on the internet with information that may be of some assistance, which may or may not make a difference in their lives. I guess, as an author, one should get the information out on the internet, make sure its right and has integrity, and help people in some way or other. A passionate person who works with businesses as Website Marketing SydneyConsultant, in addition to copywriting website & advertising contents.

Cloud Computing Australia : Why you need to shift to Cloud Computing in Sydney

Why you need to shift to Cloud Computing in Sydney


Author:Thomas deSouza


As cloud computing is in its developing stages, the world hasn't comprehended its complete usefulness yet.  However, day-by-day, more and more organizations are shifting to cloud computing as they understand its inevitability for sustainable growth of their businesses. Let's have a look at the factors that make cloud computing or hosting so essential for an enterprise to perform well?

[caption id="attachment_310" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="Cloud Computing Australia : Why you need to shift to Cloud Computing in Sydney"]Cloud Computing Australia : Why you need to shift to Cloud Computing in Sydney[/caption]

The foremost advantage of cloud computing is its capacity to help you reduce the expenditure for building IT infrastructure. As it serves as a virtual IT environment, you can store enormous amount of data, run applications, manage functions, etc more efficiently and economically than with conventional IT system. It allows you to apply the scaling of storage needs so that you only have to pay for your exact requirement. If you want more or lesser storage space, the cloud hosting plans can be changed accordingly. This facility can significantly minimize your budget on IT, and permits you to allocate those funds for the development of other departments.

Another advantage of cloud computing or hosting, that a physical IT infrastructure can never provide, is the flexibility. It offers a quick and easy upgrade, if you want to increase the computing capacity. Thus cloud computing makes you capable of finding easy solutions to your bourgeoning IT needs without purchasing any new hardware or software. So to thrive in a highly competitive market, such a flexible computing will be a vital support so that it can ensure that you won't miss any opportunity due to the incapacity of your computing systems.

Cloud computing possess an ability to create interfaces with the customers effortlessly. This makes end-users a driving force behind the success of a business. It enhances the pace of communication between an organization and its clientele. In addition, it has now become an essential weapon for the proponents of the motto –'Green IT' since it helps reduce energy consumption and physical infrastructure considerably.

Due to all these reasons the demand for cloud computing has been growing with an amazing rate. All industries have started realizing that to be a key player in the market, they need to be futuristic.

To get reliable cloud computing services in Australia, reach to Infoplex, an Australia-wide cloud computing hosting provider with specialties in private cloud computing services, managed applications, utility hosting ,etc.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/web-hosting-articles/why-you-need-to-shift-to-cloud-computing-in-sydney-4835979.html

About the Author

An enthusiastic person who enjoys helping people on the internet with information that may be of some assistance, which may or may not make a difference in their lives. I guess, as an author, one should get the information out on the internet, make sure its right and has integrity, and help people in some way or other. A passionate person who works with businesses as Website Marketing SydneyConsultant, in addition to copywriting website & advertising contents.

Cloud Computing for End Users and System Administrators

Cloud Computing Australia : Cloud Computing for End Users and System Administrators



By Fateh Kumar Singh


Today in this competing business world cloud computing has its own importance with respect to service delivery, customer benefits and satisfaction, business growth and revenue generation. All who are the end users sometimes find difference between the traditional computing model and cloud computing model. May be they use the old versions of the processes to do the work but now cloud computing has made the way easier because it has integrated many processes.

[caption id="attachment_306" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cloud Computing Australia : Cloud Computing for End Users and System Administrators"]Cloud Computing Australia : Cloud Computing for End Users and System Administrators[/caption]

Cloud computing makes you able to run software programs and access data from anywhere like from any computer and no need to install, download, upgrade and troubleshoot applications on a PC physically. This process is similar to the operations of the managed IT services providers because they also use integrated services and this is the reason why cloud computing has become so popular these days.

There is another aspect of cloud computing for the system administrators, how they use and how it works for them. Anyone can be a system administrator like we can provide admin rights to any person to access install and manage processes for us. There were many issues happened time to time causing a big effect on the business. After the cloud model was introduced it has become safe, fast and easier since the user don't have to install the desktop applications physically, upgrade and apply patches and even reinstall the application when the computer changes.

If you are an IT infrastructure management firm so your first priority should be to improve the efficiency of the bottom line. For this you will cut your costs and increase revenue but the efficiency level should not be disturbed. Here the cloud model does the job for your company. Here the internet also plays a big role because this model of computing depends on it. Cloud computing and the web are interconnected with each other and none of them can survive without each other.

The key constituents of the Cloud computing is omnipresent network access. Its success depends how the end users interact with each other through applications. The cloud is providing the services related to computing over the web to organizations and it has enabled a much dynamic and professional business environment.

For cloud storage data can be stored on multiple servers and they mainly hosted by third parties except hosting them on the dedicated servers. It has many benefits like the customers just have to pay for the storage space they are using. No need to install physical storage instruments on their own premises reducing the hosting costs.

Fateh Kumar Singh as a Business Development Associate of ProVal Technologies (managed IT services provider Company). He is continuously providing updates about technical services like IT infrastructure management and other Managed IT services by his writings.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Fateh_Kumar_Singh

http://EzineArticles.com/?Cloud-Computing-for-End-Users-and-System-Administrators&id=6415190

Cloud Computing Australia : Cloud Servers Vs VPS Platforms

Cloud Servers Vs VPS Platforms



By Blake A Fields


Cloud computing has taken a new twist with the widespread launch of various cloud platforms such as Amazon EC2, GoGrid and others. Cloud computing involves storing a computer's entire memory systems and processors remotely. The user logs on to the Internet and retrieves an entire operating system run on a remote system. The advantages are convenience and security. Users can store their information and projects away from their physical location and access them when they need to. Cloud servers differ noticeably from traditional virtual private server environments.

[caption id="attachment_302" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cloud Computing Australia : Cloud Servers Vs VPS Platforms"]Cloud Computing Australia : Cloud Servers Vs VPS Platforms[/caption]

A virtual private server, or VPS, is a special type of server created through a process called virtualization. Typically, a server is assigned one task at a time. Servers are the nodes that connect the Internet together. Web browsers retrieve the pages they display from servers. Virtualization effectively creates multiple virtual servers that use the same physical machine. A program called a hypervisor is used to interface with each virtual server and keep the others unaware of one another's existence. Virtualization increases the productivity of the server at the risk of overloading the memory and processing power. Every server has limits that can be reached through virtualization.

Cloud computing can use virtual private server platforms, but this creates several problems. First of all, the hypervisor may keep each server separated, but the unfortunate result is that VPS platforms tend to be oversold. This leads to the misallocation of resources that can cause server crashes and memory malfunctions. The worst-case scenario is total data loss from such a situation. Cloud servers that do not use virtualization perform much better because their resources are dedicated to one user at a time. That being said, some forms of virtualization can mimic traditional servers in terms of performance.

Cloud servers provide a dedicated central processing unit (CPU) allocation along with dedicated memory. Cloud servers are almost never oversold. A hidden benefit is that plenty of servers allow users to grab extra unutilized CPU cycles. Combining virtualization with cloud servers can yield some neat advantages. Virtualization enables a user to launch a new server instance from any server already on their account. Storing sensitive data is also easier since storage is on the host server. Data is preserved in case of an unexpected malfunction, such as server failure, so the data can be retrieved once the server is brought back online.

Some hosting companies can accomplish this through their unique implementations of a hypervisor program. Open source applications are becoming much more popular as users and companies seek to cut down on borrowing costs. Open source hypervisors often lend themselves to unique interpretations. Virtualization combined with cloud server technology is opening the door to a new era. The way servers are being used will change as cloud computing begins to catch on, despite lingering security concerns. Cloud servers free a business or a consumer from remaining in one physical place.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Blake_A_Fields
http://EzineArticles.com/?Cloud-Servers-Vs-VPS-Platforms&id=6511713

Cloud Computing And How It Can Impact Your Business

Cloud Computing And How It Can Impact Your Business


By Chandra Heitzman


Successful business is done by groups, not individuals. It takes an entire team of people to efficiently create, test, and distribute products and services. So why are so many business programs on the computer designed to be only used by one person? Wouldn't it make sense to provide all the workers on a team with an option for real-time collaboration and the ability to access to the same set of resources and tools related to the project they're working on? Cloud computing allows the storage of information on a server that can be accessed by multiple users. There's many benefits to this system of computing. Some of these benefits include improved worker productivity, decreased expenses for users, and the ability to work from any device with Internet access.

[caption id="attachment_298" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cloud Computing Australia : Cloud Computing And How It Can Impact Your Business"]Cloud Computing Australia : Cloud Computing And How It Can Impact Your Business[/caption]

Workers can save time using cloud computing therefore increase their productivity. Instead of working on documents and spreadsheets individually and then e-mailing them to coworkers asking for comments and criticisms, members on the cloud can receive real-time input and assistance from their peers who are working in tandem with them on the same file.

Hard drive space is both essential and expensive, and cloud computing can save its users a significant amount of money by freeing up room on users' computers. Large, important documents that once needed to be kept in a folder on a user's personal computer can now be stored on a server, leaving more room for other files that the user may need. There are no downloads required for cloud computing. Simply log into the network and store the desired files.

Since work is stored on a server and not on an individual's computer, project team members can access files on the cloud and work from any computer, phone, or tablet that has Internet access. This allows files to be edited regardless of their location, so if a user remembers they need to make a change to a document but they've already left their computer, it's possible to use another computer or a smartphone to open and edit that document.

Cloud computing can make life easier for business owners and employees. Although there have been skeptics of cloud computing who claim there's a number of security risks associated with the practice, these risks must be very minor or non-existent if companies as big as Amazon, Yahoo, Google, and Microsoft are cloud advocates. Proper safety measures can be taken by strictly limiting who has access to sensitive information, and this will all but eliminate any chance for security issues and allow users to improve work quality.

For more information about cloud computing development, visit Magenic Technologies who have been providing innovative custom software development to meet unique business challenges for some of the most recognized companies and organizations in the nation.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chandra_Heitzman
http://EzineArticles.com/?Cloud-Computing-And-How-It-Can-Impact-Your-Business&id=6511890

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Cloud Computing Security Threats Identify Cloud Security Breaches


Cloud Computing Security Threats Identify Cloud Security Breaches


By Tarun Gupta


Being the entirely new shift in the dimensions of information technology, cloud computing has offered new potential, innovation and paradigm to the industry verticals. Whole industry is now very much excited from the agility and on-demand provisioning of computing offered by the cloud vision. Among all the rejoice and nice swings, one thing that is still haunting the experts is the associated risks and strategies to fight with.

 

[caption id="attachment_289" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cloud Computing Australia : Cloud Computing Security Threats Identify Cloud Security"]Cloud Computing Australia : Cloud Computing Security Threats Identify Cloud Security [/caption]

 

The risks and threats are of the same extent both for the cloud service providers and cloud customers as well. The article is a comprehensive coverage of the industry standards that deal with the industry practices in order to secure cloud computing environment. Various organizations that deal in the domain of cloud computing have a very comprehensive approach to manage cloud guidance strategies. Below illustrated are the threats associated with the cloud computing:

Abusive and Flagrant use of Cloud Computing


The cloud environment offers several added utilities to the users including unlimited bandwidth and and storage capacity to run the applications smoothly. Some providers even allow other benefits like free limited trial periods and additional usage. These user models frequently come under the security threats and malicious attacks. The areas where these attacks could have the bigger impacts Future areas of concern includes decoding and cracking of the password, launching potential attack points and executing malicious commands. You may protect your application from the threat by:

  • Applying stringent registration and validation processes

  • Performing more deliberate monitoring and coordination throughout the computing platform

  • Analyzing the customer network traffic.

  • Monitoring network blocks


Serious breach in interfaces and APIs


Cloud computing users have smooth access of a comprehensive set of software interfaces or APIs manage and execute internal communication with cloud services. These APIs play an integral part during Provisioning, management, orchestration, and monitoring of the processes running in the cloud environment. It's recommended to monitor the authentication and access control and other associated encryption and activity monitoring policies to prevent any malicious attack. There exists many ways in which you can prevent such breach:


  • Security model analysis of cloud APIs




  • Strong authentication and access controls




  • API dependency chain evaluation




Insider threats and attacks


These kind of attacks and breaches are done due to the lack of transparency into the cloud provider s delivery mechanism and procedure. Any superficial command over the level of access could lead to various adversaries like corporate hacking and organized business threats in the domain of business verticals. You can prevent such cloud computing threats by:

  • Applying overall information security

  • Full fledged compliance reporting

  • Effective breach notification processes


BrainPulse Web Hosting India also the best in cloud computing Check out the latest Cloud Hosting Solutions

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tarun_Gupta

http://EzineArticles.com/?Cloud-Computing-Security-Threats-Identify-Cloud-Security-Breaches&id=5156599

Tips For Cloud Computing Security

5 Tips For Cloud Computing Security


By Mike T Klein


Are you hesitant about adopting cloud computing services into your IT infrastructure? You are not alone. Data security is the leading concern for IT professionals when it comes to cloud computing. Services like Amazons EC2 are simply not equipped to address the security and privacy needs of data-sensitive organizations. Because public cloud services offer server instances for many clients on the same hardware, your data can get literally "lost in the clouds" when you have very little control over where your data lives.

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Private cloud computing allows for the control that most PCI and HIPPA-sensitive organizations require over their data. When it comes to security, the importance of control over your environment cannot be overstated, and leads most IT professionals to adopt private cloud hosting over the public cloud.

When comparing cloud options, here are 5 security tips to consider:


Tip #1: Know where your data lives. How can you secure your data if you don't know where it is? Sure, firewalls and intrusion detection and prevention can keep out most intruders, and data encryption keeps the data safer, but how do you know where your data goes when you terminate your service or when the cloud provider goes out of business? Being able to point to a machine and say your data and only your data is on that machine, goes a long way in the security of your data in the cloud. Dedicated hardware is the key that allows for cloud computing services to pass the most stringent security guidelines.

Tip #2: Always backup your data. One of the most overlooked aspects of cloud computing and one of the easiest way to increase the control of your data is to make sure that whatever happens, you have a secure backup of that data. This is more about securing your business than your actual data but provides the same type of peace of mind. We have seen big companies like T-Mobile lose its customers data, by not having a backup, leaving them with nothing.

Tip #3: Make sure your data center takes security seriously. By knowing which server and data center your data is being stored at, you can probe them for all applicable security measures that are in place. You can see if they are SSAE 16 or SAS 70 audited, and if they have clients that are HIPAA or PCI certified. Managed services can also add a great deal of benefit and expertise to making your applications, data, and business more resilient. Services like managed firewalls, antivirus, and intrusion detection are offered by reputable data center or cloud providers, and allow for increased security measures for managed servers.

Tip #4: Get references from other clients. When in doubt, ask your cloud provider for client references that require stringent security measures. Financial, healthcare, insurance, or government organizations are a good start. While references don't guarantee anything, chances are if other companies that have similar security goals are using the provider, you may be a good fit as well. Be sure to contact these references directly when possible to see what these companies are using the cloud services for, and the steps they have taken to secure their data.

Tip #5: Test, Test, Test. Assume nothing. The only way to make sure something is secure is to test it. It is not uncommon for highly data-sensitive organizations to hire a skilled ethical-hacker to test their security provisions. Vulnerability scanning and assessments are just as important inside the cloud as they are outside the cloud. Chances are that if you can find a way to get unauthorized access to your data, someone else can as well.

Conclusion. Achieving sufficient security assurances in the cloud is possible but it is not guaranteed. Just like any other IT project, you have to do your homework and in the case of security, it is better to be safe than sorry. The private cloud hosting model can certainly provide a more secure framework than the public clouds.

Mike Klein is the President and Chief Operating Officer at Online Tech, a leading managed data center operator in the Midwest. Online Tech offers a full range of colocation, managed server, and private cloud computing in their SAS-70 secure and reliable multi-tenant data centers across the Midwest.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_T_Klein
http://EzineArticles.com/?5-Tips-For-Cloud-Computing-Security&id=5573572

Cloud Computing Security

Cloud Computing Security


By Danny Blacharski


One of the greatest game-changing innovations of this decade is cloud computing. The shift away from pure on-premises applications and data storage is already well underway, with consumers, small and midsize businesses, and even large enterprises putting applications and data into the cloud. The ever-present question however, is whether it is safe to do so. Cloud computing security is by far the biggest concern among those considering the technology. And if you're an IT manager, it's good to be paranoid. Losses from cybercrime and attack can be enormous, and the 2008 CSI Computer Crime and Security Survey show an overall average annual loss of just under $300,000.

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 It may seem like a leap of faith to put your valuable data and applications in the cloud, and to trust cloud computing security to a third party. Yet faith is not a part of the equation, nor should it be. Every enterprise needs to know that its data and applications are secure, and the question of cloud computing security must be addressed.

In fact, the cloud does have several security advantages. According to NIST, these cloud computing security advantages include:

o Shifting public data to a external cloud reduces the exposure of the internal sensitive data

o Cloud homogeneity makes security auditing/testing simpler

o Clouds enable automated security management

o Redundancy / Disaster Recovery

All four points are well taken. Cloud providers naturally tend to include rigorous cloud computing security as part of their business models, often more than an individual user would do. In this respect, it's not just a matter of cloud computing providers deploying better security, the point is, rather, that they deploy the precautions that individual companies should, but often don't.

A common security model


Most application providers impose some level of security with their applications, although when cloud application providers implement their own proprietary approaches to cloud computing security, concerns arise over international privacy laws, exposure of data to foreign entities, stovepipe approaches to authentication and role-based access, and leaks in multi-tenant architectures. These security concerns have slowed the adoption of cloud computing technology, although it need not pose a problem.

The very nature of a cloud platform is that it imposes an instance of common software elements that can be used by developers to "bolt on" to their applications without having to write them from scratch. This advantage is especially useful in the area of security. The cloud "platform as a service" brings an elegant solution to the security problem by implementing a standard security model to manage user authentication and authorization, role-based access, secure storage, multi-tenancy, and privacy policies. Consequently, any SaaS application that runs on the common platform would immediately benefit from the platform's standardized and robust security model.

Superior physical security through cloud computing provider


Lack of physical security is the cause of an enormous amount of loss, and insider attacks account for a surprisingly large percentage of loss. And while the specter of black hats hacking into your network from a third world country is very much real, very often, the "black hat" is in reality a trusted employee. It's the guy from the Accounting department who you have lunch with. It's the lady who brings you coffee in the morning and always remembers that you like two sugars. It's the recent college grad with so much potential, who did such a great job on that last report.

Of course, insiders can attack your network and data regardless of where it is located, given enough incentive and information, but physical proximity of the actual hardware and data makes it much easier to gain access, and cloud data centers tend to have better internal physical security protocols, including locked rooms, regulated access, and other protections against physical theft and tampering.

Conclusion: Superior security through the cloud


Besides physical security, technical security is of the utmost importance. Hosting your own servers and applications requires extra measures. A larger organization may need to deploy dedicated IT staff to security only. Cloud computing, on the other hand, builds cloud computing security directly into the cloud platform. While the company still must maintain in-house security in any case, the provider ensures that the applications and data are safe from attack.

We tend to think that retaining control over everything is inherently more secure, when this is not the case. Smaller companies especially may lack the skilled security staff in-house, and even larger firms often just don't have the resources to dedicate to implementing rigorous security on an ongoing basis. A cloud computing provider on the other hand, which offers a detailed service level agreement and retains skilled security staff in-house, will often provide superior security when compared with the in-house alternative.

For more information about cloud computing, please visit http://www.cloudipedia.com for a free copy of "Cloud Computing Made Easy." Cloudipedia is a property of Virtual Global, a provider of cloud-enabled enterprise IT solutions and the TeamHost� cloud computing platform for building SaaS applications without programming.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Danny_Blacharski
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Thursday, September 1, 2011

Cloud Computing : Bootstrap Google App Engine application using Google Services

Bootstrap your Google App Engine application using Google Services


Author: Kaushik


Google provides a number of free services which are available as easy to call APIs very useful to build a standard web application. Many of the services provide core functionality required in all web applications which could require a significant amount of effort if you attempt to build from scratch. Instead by using these services it should be possible to bootstrap an application with a very short turn around and focus on the core business logic that the application needs to provide. In this post we will cover some of the useful services available and how they can be utilized from any web application.

 

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Authentication
Google provides a few options for using the existing Google Authentication model to build the authentication layer for a web application.

  • Users Service: This is a simple user service which can be used by the application to integrate with Google Accounts. Users can use their Google Accounts to sign into the application.

  • OAuth: OAuth is a protocol that allows a user to grant a third party limited permission to access a web application on behalf of the user without sharing credential information with the third party. For example if you are building a travel application you can add an itenery into the users Google Calendar automatically. This can be done once the user authorizes the Travel application to access their calendar application. The credentials of the user is never shared with the Travel web application

  • Client Login: Client Login allows users to login into their google accounts from within the application. The application would then contact Google with the login information and request access to a specific Google Data API and gets a token which will be used by the application for the life of the token.


Events, Meetings, Calendar Management
Google has a great Calendar component which provides a number of interesting features like creating new Events, Meetings, Single Occurrence and Multi Occurrence Event, Calendar Subscriptions, Reminders and Notifications among other features. There are a number of applications which may need such functionality and it would be best to utilize the Google Services rather than build this functionality from scratch. Python and Java client libraries are available for easily utilizing Calendar Data API.

Contacts Management
The Contacts Data API provides applications the ability to use the contacts features available under Google Accounts to create new contacts, delete contacts and also query contacts. In addition it supports functionality to load a Photo with the contact. This is a great set of features to be used in any application which needs to maintain an address book or a contact list.

Documents Handling
The Documents List Data API provides functionality to upload various formats of documents including spreadsheets, word documents and presentations. You can also retrieve a specific document by a title or a group of documents within a folder. You can also update Metadata for a specific document. Any application which requires document management functionality for uploading and maintaining documents will find this API very useful for that purpose.

Videos
The Youtube Data API allows applications to manage video content on Youtube directly using the API. It supports various functionality including fetch, search and updated videos, including comments, playlists among others.

Photo/Image Handling
The Picassa Web Albums API allows client applications to manage image content on the Picassa web albums. Client Applications can use the API to create new albums, upload photos, add comments, or delete an album among other actions.

Spreadsheets/Simple Data Storage
The Google Spreadsheet API allows client applications to update spreadsheet data using the API. This includes requesting a list of user spreadsheets, edit or delete content in a spreadsheet and query content in an existing spreadsheet among other actions. The spreadsheet is also a great way to store data in a simple tabular structure and use it as a database. For many simple applications the spreadsheet could serve as the backend database.

We will follow up in some future posts with examples on how each of the above services can be integrated into sample applications deployed on Google App Engine. Utilizing these services should not only reduce the overall development time for building an app it also benefits from providing the rich functionality of these highly popular and well established services to enrich the overall user experience in the application.

For more details check our Tech Blog

 Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/information-technology-articles/bootstrap-your-google-app-engine-application-using-google-services-2832566.html

About the Author

Kaushik Raghupathi is a senior IT Professional and Project Manager working out of India. Over the years he has worked on numerous IT projects with large sized teams. He is personally very fascinated around Learning methodologies in general and specifically around Community Based Learning. He is currently experimenting the concepts by working with students in this area.

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