Thursday, December 15, 2011

Office 365 Helping Businesses In Cloud Computing

 

Cloud Computing Product Helping


Businesses To Collaborate Online


 

By Khalid Kamal


Office 365 is a very nice example of cloud computing that is developed by Microsoft. It has a familiarity with the MS office tools which we get via the cloud. We can use it from any part of the world means it is giving the feature of remote connectivity. Features like web conferencing, documents, and calendars can easily be accessed remotely. It offers compatibility according to your business requirements.


Office 365 contains Office Professional Plus, Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Lync Online and Office Web Apps all running via the cloud in a single productivity suite. With Office Professional Plus a user can customize its inbox with the conversation view, schedule meetings, and work on MS outlook. The users can collaborate with a better control. They can create and share slide shows with the help of MS Power Point Broadcast Slide Show option. You can find many new graphics editing tools in Power Point that help in creating a presentation. Office 365 works with the Microsoft software like MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel.


It has a good security mechanism against virus and spam. In any emergency, disaster recovery can be done via its datacenters. The enterprise plan offers the users to connect to the SharePoint services with the https SSL encrypted connections. For sharing the documents over the web, it has a cryptographic process. With its Exchange Online option users can access to emails, calendar, contacts and can manage them by having access via mobile phones with different OS smart phones. It also offers a mailbox space up to 25 gigabyte and 25 megabytes for email messages sending.


If the users want to connect with others they can use the Lync Online feature and easily connect via instant messaging, online meetings, and video calls. Many times we need online meetings in our office workplaces then we can use this with video screen sharing. It has another good option that users can easily join Lync meetings from their smart phones. It uses the dial in audio conferencing services for this process.


We can use the Microsoft Office applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote desktop applications over the web. The documents can be formatted and shared with other users also. It also offers online viewing & editing tools for the users who have not MS Office on their PCs and also to those who are using different platforms.


This is the short overview about the nice cloud service product by Microsoft that is also very useful for the organizations that are using the IT support services. It is an affordable product and saves a lot of time and financial resources. We will discuss with more information about Office 365 in our next article.


About the Author:

Khalid Kamal, as an author shares information related to the IT support services offered by ProVal Technologies Pvt. Ltd. ProVal with its Network Monitoring and NOC Support solutions helping its clients in saving their financial as well as infrastructural resources.


Articles Source: Cloud Computing Product Helping Businesses To Collaborate Online

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Mainframes and Cloud Computing : Business Angle Article 2

Extending Mainframes into the World of Cloud: The Business Angle - II


Author:Maintec


After highlighting the mainframe-cloud alliance and its business perspective in 'Extending Mainframes into the World of Cloud: The Business Angle - I', it is time to analyse the coalition with respect to the organisation of its workload and its capabilities of virtualization.

[caption id="attachment_919" align="aligncenter" width="480"]Mainframes and Cloud Computing : Business Angle Article 2 Mainframes and Cloud Computing : Business Angle Article 2[/caption]

How can mainframe be moved the cloud?


Mainframes and could computing possesses commonalities in terms of their sharing of resources, scalability and virtualization. Over the years mainframe computing has constantly measured up in the factors of security and reliability. IBM set the grounds for endorsing mainframes as cloud platform with its last released mainframe the zEnterprise 196 that includes the capability to incorporate distributed computing platforms. The mainframe-Linux union has also been a positive factor for the mainframe-cloud assimilation.  The IT industry is bound to witness a much beneficial path breaking union if the two forms of computing merge.

To back the ardent believers of the mainframe-cloud alliance and its triumphant future, when a survey powered by CA Technologies was conducted, 73of the 200 mainframe respondents were of the opinion that mainframes were a part of the cloud plans.

What are the benefits of the alliance?


Possessing years of experience in its field, mainframe is equipped with the most sophisticated virtualization and management capabilities compared to the others in the industry. Capable virtualization ability is the foundation of cloud architecture and it plays a significant role in making mainframe conducive for cloud computing.

The perfect union of cloud and mainframe would result in:
• More agility
• Security
• Increased accessibility
• Reduced risk
• Better capability and productivity
• Less energy consumption
• Manages infrastructure elements dynamically
• Effortlessly combines with an organization\'s existing computing atmosphere.

Together, the cloud and mainframe coalition can tackle their individual fall outs of high operational costs, lack of resources and difficulty in management. Also, mainframe provides the best platform of computing environment that is favourable to facilitate cloud computing.

Despite the listed benefits, apprehensions continue to linger.

How can an organisation derive better results from cloud as it does from it's existing mainframe? Where does Linux and Windows figure with respect to the mainframe-cloud computing? How can a mainframe resource possessed by a company alter into cloud computing?

With the cloud-mainframe in its infancy it's functional pros and cons can be identified only when organisations become willing to adopt and experiment with the concept. Until then, we too eagerly await the answers of these questions.

As the saying goes, ‘time will tell', as will experimentation and the ever changing technology.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/information-technology-articles/extending-mainframes-into-the-world-of-cloud-the-business-angle-ii-5470759.html

About the Author

Maintec Technologies, an Remote Infrastructure Management company offering Remote infrastructure mangement services including data center management services, application services and Remote IT staffing.

Mainframes and Cloud Computing : Business Angle Article 1

Extending Mainframes into the World of Cloud: The Business Angle – I


Author:Maintec

The IT industry has constantly evolved along with the ever changing technology. After having harnessed the potential of the internet, it is the cloud architecture that is currently being discussed in the IT business race by with it's new standards. Initially apprehensive about accepting the new bandwagon, the industry at large has now begun to warm up to the concept of cloud to better their business. Mainframe and cloud industry are exploring the possibilities of broadening the organisation's live mainframe systems to incorporate cloud computing for the benefit of an improved business perspective and also to cope with the shortcomings of the other. The industry specialists however, think differently about the cloud-mainframe union. The most visible cloud-mainframe coalition debate points are:

1. The resemblance between the mainframe and cloud computing, this coalition will be beneficial for the IT industry.
2. Cloud is a mere marketing hype. It is replicating what the mainframes have done all along.
3. Cloud and mainframe are two separate entities that has nothing in common in order to work with each other.

[caption id="attachment_917" align="aligncenter" width="452"]Mainframes and Cloud Computing : Business Angle Article 1 Mainframes and Cloud Computing : Business Angle Article 1[/caption]

Whatever be the argument, cloud and mainframe computing despite all its glory has it's own share of strong points and shortcomings. To be able to merge the two in order to produce a boon to the IT world is the challenge.

To be able to form an opinion a compare and contrast of mainframe and cloud is necessary.

Business benefits/features of mainframe:

Having floored the IT business world with it's strong features of reliability, serviceability and availability, mainframes have surpassed their predicted fate of extinction by leaps and bounds.

• Large-scale computation
• Reliability, Serviceability and Availability
• Efficient work load optimisation
• Utmost resource utilization
• Unequalled level of security
• Entirely virtualized environment
• Relatively lower price in comparison to distributed hardware

Business benefits/features of cloud computing:

Stalwarts of the IT Industry underscore cloud computing as the next advancement of systems architecture.

• On demand and scalable computing environment
• Applications, platforms and infrastructure offered as services
• Cost effective as the it follows the 'pay per use' concept
• Exceptionally flexible computing and storage
• Virtualized assets provided as facilities for clients
• Location and device independence can be accessed from anywhere using a web browser

Mainframe and cloud shortcomings:

  • Mainframe computing falls short mainly with it's the complexity in managing the systems, increased cost of maintenance and scarcity of resources.

  • Cloud computing's potential hurdles are in it's security of information and user privacy.


Whilst having discussed the business profits and losses of mainframes and cloud computing, a detailed understanding of the mainframe-cloud alliance in workload management capabilities and virtualization capabilities is required. We discuss the same in 'Extending Mainframes into the World of Cloud: The Business Angle – Part II'

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/information-technology-articles/extending-mainframes-into-the-world-of-cloud-the-business-angle-i-5470693.html

About the Author

Maintec Technologies, an Remote Infrastructure Management company offering Remote infrastructure mangement services including Data center management services, application services and remote IT staffing.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Outline of Cloud Computing Certifications

 

An Outline of Cloud Computing Certifications



000-032 exam test is renowned requirement to accomplish Foundations of IBM Cloud Computing Architecture V1certification.



  • Test consists of 48 questions



  • Duration of test is 75 minutes



  • Test language is, English.



  • Net price of the test is 200.00 USD


You are required to secure at least 66% marks in order to be an IBM Cloud Computing Architecture V1 certified.

000-032 exam test cover the topic of Cloud computing architecture which is helpful especially in maintaining and storing the databases. A certified person in Cloud Compounding Architecture has an expertise in web based computing and delivering services from data centers to all over the world.

  • Course outline gives a brief description of the key features of certification:



  • Identifying the architecture and designing the principles of cloud computing along with highlighting or identifying the consumer’s requirements towards Cloud Computing offerings of IBM covers the course outline.



  • Clearly interpreting the advantages and concepts of cloud computing to customers.



  • Describe the way how customer can realize the benefits of cloud computing within his environment along with an expertise in delivering hosting services over internet.



  • Clear explanation and description of cloud computing concepts.


Regarding exam clearance no need to bother about just because now there is a feasibility for you to get the utmost quality training material along with STE (Self Test Engine), Study guides, PDF version of test related questions & answers and Practice Exam etc.STE (self test engine) is extremely helpful regarding test preparation through self assessment and validation of your knowledge due to its interactive nature. There is a feasibility for you to find yourself in a real exam environment which can modify and polish your skills in the direction of real success. Provision of Exam simulations or Real exam environment can be a very effective source of self evaluation and self learning.

According to your acknowledgment ,Your time and your spent 200.00 USD fee for test is valuable as you would want to save your time and money at your first priority. So you are offered most competent and precise exam preparation material including Study guides covering all the major topics of the test which can embed you with all those professional skills which are considered necessary for success in IT industry. Your final consideration in this regard can build a straightway path towards your career building in IT industry.Author is web developer from a recognized institute willing to promote awareness about

IBM Certifications importance. In this regard, you can visit Testcertify website for more information.


Thursday, December 1, 2011

Ideal Testing Tool for Cloud Computing Applications

Ideal Testing Tool for Cloud Computing Applications


Author: johnwilliam



Cloud Computing is fast emerging as a preferred technology for application development and deployment. Though the concept of Cloud Computing has been in existence for quite some time, the Technology has gained wide recognition only recently. Cloud Computing makes use of several servers placed at various locations connected to one another by high-speed network connections.

The idea governing the Cloud Computing concept is utilization of several different servers in various locations to host applications and data instead of using a single server in one location.

With Cloud Computing, consumers and businesses can access various applications without installing anything. In short, one can access any application from any computer that is equipped with an Internet connection. This is of immense benefit to businesses, in particular, as there would be no necessity of having to be at a particular computer to execute a task.

Cloud infrastructure services are offered on rent by service providers. Payment is made only for the cloud computing resources that are actually used. This is efficient as unnecessary expense is prevented.

Cloud Computing is being increasingly preferred by businesses for its many benefits, including user-friendliness, flexibility and scalability. Another increasing use of cloud-based environments is in software testing. They are being employed increasingly for software testing for their flexibility and cost-effectiveness.

This shift to Cloud environment demands Cloud-based Testing tools as conventional testing tools are ineffective in Cloud Testing. In Cloud Testing, aspects such as the network, desktop, and the impact of alterations within the Cloud, need to be focused on. As such, Testing tools employed for Cloud Testing should be so equipped that they enable software developers and testers analyze the above-mentioned aspects.

There are many Open Source software testing tools being published for Cloud environments currently. PushToTest's TestMaker is a leading automation testing platform capable of running tests on test equipment or in a Cloud Computing environment, or both.

For more information, please visit http://www.pushtotest.com.



Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Eight Leaders In Cloud Computing

8 Leaders In Cloud Computing


Author: Robert Win



Cloud computing today is popularly accepted worldwide. Tech venture capitalists are building cloud computing businesses one after another. Tech companies that could possibly lead the market in 2011 are shown below.

Google
Google greatly improved the way we search and analyze information. The search leader once again changed how we use our office software with their Google Apps that provide cloud-based email, calendar and documents for small and medium sized firms to large enterprises. Are you looking for a web-based music storage service that allows immediate access and streaming to your home desktops and mobile devices? Then you should check the freshly announced Google Music Beta. As cloud storage internet businesses become popularly accepted, a new rumor appeared all over blogosphere is that Google may rejuvenate their G-Drive project.

Amazon
Amazon is the earth's most well known online retailer. We thought it can also be the most impressive cloud computing providers on Earth. Cloud computing, cloud storage, cloud data bank, content delivery, payment, monitoring are some examples of their services. Should you wants a decent cloud service provider with competitive price, you can’t afford not to have a look at Amazon.com’s AWS.

Apple
The enthusiastically awaited iCloud is Apple's answer to cloud computing. By using iCloud, users can sync a variety of contents for example pictures, songs, movies, documents etc. to cloud, and open or play it from any Mac, PC, iPhone & iPad. I will not be surprised if iCloud becomes very popular service. Apple without a doubt has millions of fans for iServices and iDevices.

Microsoft
Can cloud computing make Microsoft obsolete? Absolutely not. The tech -giant has already claimed its prime status in the industry with Windows Azure. Microsoft's Windows Azure is now very popular among their loyal customers.

Salesforce.com
Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM) is one of the leading cloud computing companies, and it offers organization products on a subscription basis.

Dropbox
Dropbox is probably one of the most successful cloud storage providers. One can find a number of user clients such as PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android etc to easily access Dropbox. By using Dropbox, users can quickly save and distribute files to others through the net. A big plus is from the mobile clients, users can enjoy their audio files and watch movie clips saved in their account. Free accounts can enjoy 2GB of storage. These people can get up to 8 Gigabytes of free online storage by recommending other people to join Dropbox. If you purchase $9.99 per month subscription, you could get 50 Gigabytes of storage space.Dropbox also offers 100 Gigabytes subscription and large storage subscription.

SugarSync
Another well acknowledged enterprise that provides web storage for documents, pictures and other media is SugarSync. Instant retrieval and synchronization via Windows PC, Mac and mobile tablets are easy and conveniently. Free users are provided with full 5 GB of web storage space.

Box.net
Box.net is known as a cloud storage box and content management business. While the competitor Dropbox gives you only 2 GB, Box.net now provides 5 Gigabytes to free user. However Dropbox's users can get as much as 8 GB absolutely free should they recommend others to sign up Dropbox. Box.net charges $15/month to get 500 Gigabytes online storage space when Dropbox will cost you $9.99 to get 50 GB. That's a huge difference. On the other hand, you can access Dropbox via different clients - Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone etc.

Robert Steel is addicted to technological innovations, and he usually spends most of his time on the internet. You can take a look at his latest article What is cloud computing? and his list of cloud computing companies at YesCloudComputing.com



Monday, November 28, 2011

The Future of Cloud Computing

The Future of Cloud Computing


By Claire M Jefferies


If up till recently cloud computing was considered the future, now that it is here, what would be the future of cloud computing?

Years ago, when dial-up internet connections were the most spread solution worldwide, the concept of software clearly implied a hard copy, CD or DVD that was meant to be installed on the PC and use the computers' resources to provide that particular service or role. As the average internet connection speed started to grow, broadband solutions expanded and costing decreased, utilizing a resource or service over the World Wide Web developed into complex business models. Citrix was one of the first developers to come with complete and viable solutions for sharing services and solutions via internet, regardless of the hardware utilized by the end-user.

Microsoft recently launched their Office 365 solution based on cloud computing. Also Google is offering more and more services directly via the web browser that uses cloud computing infrastructures. The direct results of this trend is the increase in popularity of tablet PCs. What this model proves is that cloud computing services require little to minimal hardware resources to run applications what otherwise needed a powerful PC.

Probably in the following years, more and more applications will be oriented towards cloud computing. The one that came forth with a major push in this direction is Google. Their OS proved that a PC can be very useful even when the entire computer only has a browser installed and actually works like one. To put the idea in a more simple manner, what Google proved is that with the help of cloud computing, you only need a browser on your PC and you can perform all the tasks you usually do like watching a movie, reading an email, playing games, editing documents, socialize etc.

On the other end of this model, we will find the cloud or the place where everything is getting computed for the end-user. Because of this efficient model, serve loads and user capacity increased to very high numbers. Up till now, if the server experienced down time, the resource became unavailable. In the cloud, if one server goes down, the others will distribute the load equally. Also when you have more servers dedicated for the same activity, the number of users that can access the resource increased.

The impact of cloud computing has determined very many important changes across many businesses. Even the federal government of United States had to reorganize its entire IT infrastructure for cloud computing due because it is cheaper, easier to maintain and much more stable while providing at the same time, very high uptimes.

Claire Jefferies is writing on behalf of Millrace IT, who collect and process redundant IT and telecoms equipment that still has economic value. They also offer sell laptops and sell laptop

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Claire_M_Jefferies
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Future-of-Cloud-Computing&id=6712732

Monday, November 21, 2011

What Is Cloud Computing? - 12 Facts

What Is Cloud Computing? - 12 Facts Every Small to Medium Sized Business Owner Should Know


By Nick Graham



Background


In the last 3 years dramatic changes have been taking place in how business computing happens, especially in larger companies. Traditionally companies build their own IT infrastructure, buy expensive equipment and servers and install everything locally. They need to keep hardware running, software compliant while making sure that the information input and output actually meets company needs.

Things have changed. With the advent of Cloud Computing a company can have reliable and safe business computing delivered like a utility service. Today we no longer dig wells for water, or run our own generator for electricity. These services are available as a utility service. So too with IT, you can "buy" IT infrastructure as a service, pay for what you need, and focus on the business not the technology.

1.What is Cloud Computing?


Computing delivered over the internet like a utility service that can be accessed by any device that has internet connection. Computing horsepower is located and happens outside the company on external servers, so no computing hardware needs to be owned and operated by the company. In fact, a well-known market research company, Gartner, has estimated that by the end of 2012, 20% of all companies will own no IT assets! The move to the cloud is underway.

2.What would full Cloud Computing look like in my office?


Imagine your server room or server area gone, no more major capital expenditures on equipment and facilities. Imagine desktops that don't crash and hard drives that don't fail, but with the same user experience. Imagine a secure safe environment for your systems and data taken care of by experts not on your direct payroll for a flat monthly fee that covers everything at a lower cost than you currently pay. This is what Cloud Computing can look like NOW.

3.Why isn't everybody doing it?


Big companies have commonly been using Cloud Computing technology for a while now. Now smaller companies are increasingly changing to this way of running IT. Specialized managed IT companies are helping these smaller companies move their IT to the cloud and then run their IT efficiently - and this is accelerating the trend.

4.With Cloud Computing do you have to buy servers?


No. There is no cost burden of server ownership and therefore no expensive capital expenditure. You buy "server use" from a virtual server created for you in an external data center and pay for it by means of a simple monthly fee.

5.Company specific software


In a Cloud Computing setup, a company's current servers, with their existing enterprise software, is transitioned over to newly created virtual servers which are theirs only. The company accesses everything as before as normal, with the exception that it is now communicated over the internet not the company's local area network.

6.How Cloud Computing can get rid of PCs


With a full Cloud Computing implementation there are no servers or PCs at the business locations. Data is securely protected and continuously monitored on servers in a safe local physical environment and backed up behind a firewall. All PCs are changed to "Virtualized Desktops". Employees will have a Thin Client, mouse, keyboard and screen but nothing will change in their computing experience. They will be looking at their screens with all their familiar programs such as Office, Outlook, etc.. They will be able to save to "My Docs" and other drives as normal.

The cloud management company will take care of equipment, Microsoft software licensing, antivirus, Spam Filtering, Security, secure backup, server and virtual desktop monitoring, and all the other IT headaches that you would rather not worry about. It's easy to add desktops as you grow, or take them away just as easily if you need to downsize, paying for what you need.

7.Cloud Computing and the IT person /department


The typical IT person working in or for a company is spending up to 80% of their time keeping stuff up-and-running - PCs, hard drives, updates to office software, virus spam protection issues. It's "busy work" which does nothing to improve the company's performance. With a Cloud Computing solution a company does not have to spend time on these activities. More time can be spent on activities that support the business; or, if appropriate, staff can be cut or redeployed.

8.Can Cloud Computing save money?


It is easy to forget how much Information Technology is costing. As well as the "Hard Costs" like cost of hardware, infrastructure, software licenses, there are the more intangible "Soft Costs" such as IT staffing, troubleshooting, energy costs to run the servers and desktops and cool the server room and building. Typically you should be looking for fully costed savings in the area of 30-50% a year. With these levels of savings a business owner should, at the very least, be looking at Cloud Computing in their organization.

9.IT people often say Cloud Computing is less secure than in-house infrastructure. Is this true?


Typically because of the physical security and data security used, cloud security protection is almost always much better than most local company networks. Security over the internet is extremely high with firewalls that form barriers and which are monitored continually. Advanced backup and data recovery mean even a catastrophe can be quickly recovered from. And because all the company data is held on the company's remote servers and is not being held all over the place (such as on local hard drives, thumb drives etc.) the likelihood of software and data contamination and theft is reduced.

10. What happens if a cloud server goes down or there is a catastrophic loss of data?


This is a very important topic. Companies frequently think that their own server rooms are somehow immune from catastrophe and they are also very often woefully under-prepared for a disaster. Simply doing tape backups, putting tapes in fireproof boxes and other methods can give a false sense of security. The reality is if disaster strikes, you need the very latest backup data recovery technology so that you can be up and running in minutes or hours not days or weeks or never! Cloud computing solutions typically take incremental snapshots backed up to multiple locations physically elsewhere to ensure you will be up and running again very quickly.

11.Moving Offices if you are using Cloud Computing


Moving offices or facilities is trivial when a company has a Cloud Computing setup. Because the infrastructure is in place (separate from the old and new company facilities) data can be accessed from anywhere. In theory once the internet connection to the new location is up and running the whole company can be up and running and back to normal as fast as thin clients can be hooked up to the internet!

12.Mobile Computing


With Cloud Computing, your Virtual Desktop can be accessed anywhere and anytime. Other solutions require your office PC to be turned on, and your office Internet connection to be live. Most Internet connected devices, such as laptops, tablets, smart-phones, can be used to connect to your desktop. Imagine being able to run Excel, PowerPoint or any of your business specific software from an iPad or a smart-phone! And security remains at a high level for remote access since only keystroke and screen refresh is sent between the data center and your smart device, but no actual data.

In summary, the benefits of moving to the cloud are great. Cloud computing already is increasingly the way IT is being handled, and owners would therefore be wise to take a look at and embrace the technology now.

Nick Graham is VP at Consilien LLC, a company that has been delivering Information Technology Services since 2001, in the LA, Riverside and Orange County area.
Having run a number of small and medium businesses his mission now is to expose as many business owners as possible to the huge benefits of installing 21st century cloud computing into their companies.
Nick invites you to take a closer look at how to do this easily by going to:- http://www.consilien.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Graham
http://EzineArticles.com/?What-Is-Cloud-Computing?---12-Facts-Every-Small-to-Medium-Sized-Business-Owner-Should-Know&id=6657234

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Amazon Cloud Drive

Amazon Cloud Drive Review



By Travis Van Slooten


The world apparently needs another online backup storage solution and Amazon is the latest one to throw its hat into the fray. Named as the Amazon Cloud Drive, this no-frills online backup and storage service offers a simple way to store your important files and get access to them when needed.

But other than having the inimitable Amazon brand behind it, what else does Cloud Drive really bring to the table? For one, it's being marketed as a music locker more than anything else. With the convenience of being able to download purchased mp3 albums and tracks to almost any device these days, not many people can boast of having their music files organized in just one location.

With the Cloud Drive, users can easily upload their files to the cloud and stream the music online whenever they feel like it. The process is simplified further and made more convenient with the introduction of the Amazon Cloud Player, a music player app that does the streaming of MP3 or video files from the Cloud Drive straight to your web-enabled computer or Android device.

The first 5GB of storage is free and the paid plans - 20GB, 50GB, 100GB, 200GB, 500GB, 1000GB - cost about $1 per GB per year. If you purchase an MP3 album from Amazon, you get an upgrade to 20GB free for the first year. To make the deal even more enticing, any albums bought from Amazon (after you subscribe to Cloud Drive) will be stored in your account but will not be counted towards your paid storage quota.

But while the Amazon Cloud Drive may sound like the best thing that's ever happened to music storage, not all users - yes, even music fans - are that enthusiastic about it. First is the issue of bandwidth. To be able to play music continuously, you would have to be always connected and have a decent web connection at that. Not all enjoy that luxury. It would probably be a more practical idea to download some files while you have internet access and then play the music offline.

Second is the cost. With Amazon's current storage prices, there are many more online backup services that are cheaper. Plus, in its Terms of Use, Amazon states that they do not guarantee security or privacy while data is stored in their servers. This is contrary to what other backup service providers offer who swear by their security features.

At the end of the day, users will go for the backup solution that offers the features they can make most use of, and the service that will give them the best bang for their buck. Amazon Cloud Drive is indeed a novel service that attempts to target a specific group of backup users - the music lovers. The question now is whether these individuals will be able to justify the cost of subscribing for a separate music storage that lacks standard backup features, just to be able to organize their music collection efficiently.

If you're not convinced that this solution is the right one for you, then be sure to read the detailed Amazon Cloud Drive review here. You can also find online backup reviews of other popular services to help you choose the one that best fits your needs and budget.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Travis_Van_Slooten
http://EzineArticles.com/?Amazon-Cloud-Drive-Review&id=6181471

Thursday, November 10, 2011

What is Windows Azure?

What is Windows Azure?


Author:dwspriya


Windows Azure is a Microsoft cloud service operating system involved in service hosting, service management, and development for the platform of Windows Azure. It enables clients to develop, manage, and host web applications online with the help of Microsoft\'s data centers.

Windows Azure is able to support several languages and can integrate with the environment of your existing premises. At present, it is sold commercially in 41 countries including United States, Canada, UK, and Australia.

There are three main components in Windows Azure. These are compute, storage, and fabric. Compute provides an environment for computation while storage deals mainly on providing storage for large-scale data. Fabric refers to the physical make up of the platform as it is composed of a network of servers and switches. A content delivery (CDN) service is also offered along with Windows Azure to allow content delivery from Azure storage to end users.

With the use of Windows Azure, developers can run applications and even store data on servers that are owned and operated by Microsoft. Such cloud applications can be valuable for both consumers and businesses.

There are several benefits associated with the use of Windows Azure. For one thing, it helps improve efficiency. It does not only improve productivity of a business but it can also reduce up-front costs. In fact, Windows Azure can help reduce the total cost of operations by as much as 40within a period of three years.

Since Windows Azure supports common languages, protocols, and standards, it is easy to operate and you can still make use of you skills in .NET, PHP, and Java in creating and managing applications on the web.

Another advantage of using Windows Azure is that you can get to focus more on giving quality services to your clients instead of worrying about technological and operational obstacles. You can also make the most out of the development tools provided as well as the automated service management to meet the needs of your customers at a faster rate. Of course, Windows has always provided reliable services and you can be sure of first rate experience by using Windows Azure.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/web-hosting-articles/what-is-windows-azure-4208092.html

About the Author

In order to find out more on bluehost hosting and similar website and webmaster related guides, check out hosting reviews

Friday, October 21, 2011

Cloud Computing Australia : Optimum Services from Cloud Computing

Achieving Optimum Services from Cloud Computing


by Scott, Walter


The new era comes with different versions of doing business. More and more practices are followed to save energy, which, in turn saves our natural environment. Emphasis is given on actions that will promote environment-friendly products and services. This is primarily what compels governments and business organizations to push for a total ban in plastic cellophane. Loud voices for paperless transactions are heard. This leads to cutting less trees and reinforcing the need for reforestation. This is related with how online business runs. Instead of employing a large of pool of employees, be stressed with face-to-face marketing programs and other disadvantages, bringing your business over the Internet saves a lot of resources. When it comes to web hosting service, there is also a lightweight type and that is the cloud computing service.




[caption id="attachment_394" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cloud Computing Australia : Optimum Services from Cloud Computing"]Cloud Computing Australia : Optimum Services from Cloud Computing[/caption]

Truly, the concept of cloud computing is quite complex and difficult to decipher. For the purpose of gaining knowledge and to clear some issues, it is better for you to get acquainted with it. You have to do it by extracting the general concept of cloud computing. The most basic explanation about it is this, the “cloud” refers to the aggregate of software, infrastructure, storage and applications put into one over the Internet. I know that you have, for a long time now, been using this service in the form of email services, like those supplied by Hotmail and Gmail, and social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace.

By nature, cloud computing allows you to get the resources you highly need in the Internet. With this, it is correct to say that it is an on-demand service. For as long as there is electricity and Internet connection, there is nothing that can stop you from what you want to do. Also, it is closely associated with grid computing. This is so because cloud computing can harness large collections of resources, both software and hardware, to perform multiple and large tasks. These qualities that cloud computing can offer is what makes it the most exciting thing in the IT development. It is clearly creating a loud impact in the business community.

There are three most common services provided through the use of cloud computing services. These are the SaaS (Software as a Service), IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) and PaaS (Platform as a Service). Well, their names speak of their functions. In the case of SaaS, it receives international fame because software applications are delivered over the World Wide Web. As for the IaaS, servers and storage capacity are remotely accessible. The PaaS, on the other hand, is a computer and software platform which permits developers to create and deploy Web applications.

Now, let us talk about the gains you can receive by signing up for this kind of service in Australia. One thing is for sure, you are relieved of purchasing large and costly hardware and software for your needs. Since all are housed in the Internet, the burden of repairs and maintenance is eliminated. Furthermore, you can expand your resources if the need arises and it only consumes minutes to finish this task. Another good thing is the remote accessibility. You can actually access your resources anywhere you so desire. As opposed to claims that security is one of the weaknesses of cloud computing, it is not actually true. In fact, hacks and data loss rarely happens. Lastly, this Internet hosting service is proven to be environment-friendly. Since computers and other components are absent, electricity is saved.

So, if you like to apply for a cloud computing service, be sure that you have gingerly assessed your chosen hosting provider, and never settle for less than the best. In your evaluation, give emphasis on the price tag, performance, security and assurance, service level agreement and customer support. Among the group of service providers, web hosts in Australia are one of the finest. They are known to be providers of relentless customer service support, good performance and maximum security for the best available price.

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

Article Source: Achieving Optimum Services from Cloud Computing

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Tips for Best Cloud Computing Services

Tips to Avail the Best Cloud Computing Services


by SaumyaAggarwal


With cloud computing becoming a buzzword tossing around, IT providers are looking forward to modify the way their infrastructure should be deployed. According to the concept, your computing resources will be located somewhere out and you will be connected to them and utilize them as required.




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Outlined below are some tips that businesses can follow to avail the best cloud computing services:

• Set Your Priorities – Before jumping to cloud computing wagon, make a list of your business requirements and take decisions accordingly. Do you need agile, faster and secure application? If yes, at what cost? Focus on how many applications can be adapted to cloud-based environment and keep a note of the factors like deployment time, cost, value and performance. A sound homework would save you from any future hassles.

• Select a Trusted Service Provider – Having a trusted cloud computing partner by side can resolve all the cloud related concerns. Select a company that has widespread expertise in running a standard, global enterprise infrastructure and can meet your enterprise-wide hosting and application management needs. Most importantly, the offered infrastructure should be reliable and ready to grow with your ever demanding business needs. Overall, an ideal cloud computing provider is the one who can handle all facets of your cloud environment. Also, try to obtain the complete information about your service provider prior to signing any agreement.

• Access to Enterprise Features – Ensure that the cloud computing services you are paying for include exclusive enterprises features. This would ensure the availability of numerous standard components like static IP, persistent storage, free bandwidth etc.

• Build a Cloud Prototype – Don’t rush to transform the entire IT set up. Begin with a small prototype – a cloud of, say around, less than 50 machines. Choose to avail hosting services for the applications which are supposed to get most benefits from the cloud computing environment. Compare the applications’ past performance, cost, value etc. to the cloud-based results. And then move forward accordingly.

• Evaluate Control Level – Evaluate how much control you have on your applications as cloud is famous for providing you greater choices of how you want to run your applications and what you can apply from a service-level agreement standpoint to those applications. Go for the comprehensive documentation and evaluation of internal control that will be needed to support management's assessment.

• Commit to a short-term service contract – Initially avoid making a long-term contract. A short-term contract of six months or so will give your company more leverage over service quality and related things. This will help you judge the service provider in proper measures.

It is interesting to note that tough economic conditions are forcing companies to look into hosted private cloud services. With greater emphasis on cost savings and increasing business efficiency, the future of cloud is certainly bright.

Now, if you are thinking to leverage cloud computing platform for your business, think NaviSite. NaviSite’s inexpensive cloud computing infrastructure has helped established enterprises manage their IT infrastructure. The result is a highly scalable platform for delivering cost efficient, on demand, usage based infrastructure and application services.

To explore more about how NaviSite could help you with cloud computing, please visit NaviSite

Article Source: Tips to Avail the Best Cloud Computing Services

Big Cloud Computing Article

Business Week’s Big Cloud Computing Article


by Grant Deken


The June 15th, 2009 issue of Business Week published a rather robust article on the emergence of cloud computing and what it means for the future of business and the IT industry. This article, written by Steve Hamm, does an exceptional job highlighting the application of cloud platform technology in the marketplace as seen in the examples listed below:




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1. Avon - Will equip 150,000 sales leaders with cloud-based computing systems accessible via smartphone and PC. Platform will keep sales leaders informed on performance of sales representatives, order quantities and overdue payments. “The idea is to increase the sales and efficiency of Avon’s distribution system.”

2. Virtual Personal Assistants - Siri, a Silicon Valley based start up is using cloud technology and artificial intelligence to create applications that help people with travel arrangements and entertainment. The company plans to soon move into developing applications that are tailored for business solutions. The article gives the following as an example: A sales person asks the application to put together the best sales pitch she can make for a prospective client. The Virtual assistant then draws on information from a variety of sources to formulate the pitch.

3. OptumHealth - Utilizing eSync, the company’s cloud driven system, can improve service quality and reduce costs by identifying gaps in care and helping people to respond to minor issues before they become emergency problems.

Luring the unsuspecting in with a sleek name and big promises, cloud computing seems to be the answer to all of our problems. But is it without its own challenges and risks? Gartner’s article, titled “Seven Cloud Security Risks” helps to bring everyone back down from the cloud and see the big picture: that cloud-based computing is by no means free of its own challenges. Here are a few examples they list:

1. Data segregation. Data in the cloud is typically in a shared environment alongside data from other customers. Encryption is effective but isn’t a cure-all. “Find out what is done to segregate data at rest,” Gartner advises. The cloud provider should provide evidence that encryption schemes were designed and tested by experienced specialists. “Encryption accidents can make data totally unusable, and even normal encryption can complicate availability,” Gartner says.

2. Recovery. Even if you don’t know where your data is, a cloud provider should tell you what will happen to your data and service in case of a disaster. “Any offering that does not replicate the data and application infrastructure across multiple sites is vulnerable to a total failure,” Gartner says. Ask your provider if it has “the ability to do a complete restoration, and how long it will take.”

3. Long-term viability. Ideally, your cloud computing provider will never go broke or get acquired and swallowed up by a larger company. But you must be sure your data will remain available even after such an event. “Ask potential providers how you would get your data back and if it would be in a format that you could import into a replacement application,” Gartner says.

While these challenges are very real, industry experts are working very hard to tackle these issues and provide platforms that are low risk for users. As an emerging technology cloud computing must be tested, praised, patronized, tested, and praised some more.

Here is what Industry research leader Gartner has to say about cloud computing and the IT industry:

1. The IT industry is expected to shrink 3.8% in 2009, but forecasters have high hopes for portables, wireless networks and cloud computing over the next few years.

2. Gartner predicts the market for cloud products and services to increase from $46.4 billion to $150.1 billion in 2013.

Some Notable Quotes on Cloud Computing:

“We’re shifting to more of a people-and information-centric world.”

-Paul maritz, CEO VMware

“The big vision: We’re finally getting there. Today, wherever you are, you can connect to all the information you need.”

- Donagh Herlihy, CIO, Avon

“Our goal is simple and practical: To help people perform tasks in their lives faster, easier, and in a more personalized way.”

-Adam Cheyer, VP Engineering, Siri

Hamm, Steve. “Cloud Computing’s Big Bang for Business.” Business Week 15 June 2009: 42-46. Print.

Brodkin, Jon. “Gartner: Seven cloud-computing security risks.” InfoWorld. IDG Network, 2 July 2008. Web. 8 June 2009..

Trackback: http://www.grantdeken.com/?p=48

Article Source: Business Week’s Big Cloud Computing Article

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Benefits of Private Cloud Computing For Businesses

What Are the Benefits of Private Cloud Computing For Businesses?



By Mike T Klein


A Private Cloud computing platform is a stack of network, server and storage hardware dedicated to you for the purpose of cloud computing. When a managed cloud computing service is utilized, the stack of hardware becomes a customizable cloud of computing and storage resources that can be configured and re-configured when and as you wish. Why is this ability to configure and re-configure your server resources with a Private Cloud computing platform so valuable? Here's why.

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With a typical dedicated server stack, which is either managed by you or outsourced, you select your server, storage and networking needs, purchase them, and then live with that configuration for 3 to 5 years. During the course of those years, you might add memory, which isn't too difficult. You might need to upgrade disk drives, which proves a bit more difficult. Over time, you might need to upgrade CPU's, which is very difficult and expensive because this essentially requires changing the entire server.

When speaking to finance professionals, the following analogy can be used to describe the benefit of Private Cloud computing:

Imagine you were responsible for bus transportation in a metropolitan area. You are getting ready to order new busses that your community would need to live with for the next 7 years. Busses are available in 20, 30, or 50 seat configurations. You need 1,000-1,100 total seats to accommodate your population and the routes you've designed to service their needs. Each line is designed to maximize the use of a 20 or 50 seat bus. So, you guess and buy twenty, 20-seat buses, and twelve, 50 seat busses, and then hope it's efficient for the next 7 years.

Interesting puzzle huh? Even if done really well, at the end of the day, there's still tons of room for inefficiencies and wasted resources.

Instead of being forced to live with the same resource configuration for several years, imagine you could purchase a "cloud with 1,000 bus seats" and re-configure those seats at will into whatever size busses you want, at any point in time. Busses could be as small as a single seat or you could have one bus with 1,000 seats. Got a convention? Make 4 x 200 seat busses between hotels and the conference center. Having this flexibility is really powerful and valuable. Why? Because with the increased flexibility you can have more seats being used at any one time, thus requiring significantly fewer seats while providing a better experience.

That could be called "cloud transportation", and it would be every Transportation Officials dream. Now think of each bus as a server and you have "private cloud computing" - every IT-finance manager's dream come true.

An Important New Requirement

We just saw the power of the flexibility provided by Private Cloud computing. Unfortunately, it introduces a level of complexity that wasn't present before. There are a few unique abilities that must exist in order to really gain the benefit of a Private Cloud.

Continuing with the transportation analogy... you now have this new on-demand flexibility for your busses. All you need now is a staff of people monitoring the traffic flow and re-designing the busses with more or less seats based on demand and utilization. They would work feverishly to reduce the wait and route times for anyone wanting a seat on any bus. The flexibility is powerful but to get the most out of it you need fairly sophisticated and complex (i.e. expensive) abilities to dynamically change your configurations and obtain the full benefit of the flexibility.

In the computing world, what you need to do is watch the server, storage and network resources. When one appears to be causing a bottleneck, provide it more resources. You also have to remember to reduce the number of resources allocated to a server that doesn't need it. If you don't, it sits idle and unavailable for another server that might demand it. This resource allocation process is powerful, but not inexpensive.

That's where you need to pay attention when designing your Private Cloud. You need it to automatically change the cloud configuration in real-time so resources are where they need to be when they need to be there! In the blink of an eye and automatically, it needs to turn cloud servers off that aren't being used and turn them back on when they are needed. This means that a small, extremely smart piece of software will have to constantly monitor your server, storage, memory and network resources and compare that to work-loads. It will then estimate and forecast which servers need more resources. After estimating, it then needs to automatically, in real-time, re-allocate resources so that you are always using your cloud computing resources in the most efficient manner. How cool is that? The dream continues...

Cost

The beautiful ending to this story is that the ultimate savings of idle capacity can be passed on to you. The cost for a well designed Private Cloud computing platform is less than a dedicated server on a per server basis! So, not only is it more flexible and can deliver a lower total cost of ownership, a managed Private Cloud can be outright cheaper. That's the benefit of Private Cloud computing.

About Online Tech
Online Tech owns and manages SAS-70 secure and reliable multi-tenant data centers across the Midwest. Their private cloud computing services combine the benefits of cloud computing - flexibility and cost-effectiveness - with the security, data integrity, and service level agreements (SLAs) of Online Tech's SAS 70-certified, dedicated environment. Visit http://www.onlinetech.com for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_T_Klein
http://EzineArticles.com/?What-Are-the-Benefits-of-Private-Cloud-Computing-For-Businesses?&id=4682082

 

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.