What’s going on at this year’s Ingram Micro Cloud Summit (2012)?

Today (June 5th) marked the 2nd day of activities at Ingram Micro’s annual cloud summit. The focus of the summit continues to be expansion, growth and opportunity in cloud computing. Along with the expected discussions about the future of cloud and IT, there were also loads of great service offerings and products unveiled. So, without further ado, let’s recap some of the more interesting developments and discoveries from this year’s summit.

Arguably, the biggest news of the IM cloud summit this year was the addition of 56 new services/products. Moreover, all of these new additions will be added to the current list which brings the total number of services / solutions / marketplace items which Ingram Micro is able to distribute to just over 100. These 100+ offerings are constituted by 40 North American suppliers or vendors. Over the course of the next month or so, these 56 new offerings will be made available to Ingram Micro’s channel partners; here are a few notable additions to their marketplace:

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Collected and reposted here from this official Ingram Micro press release* for your convenience.  

Amazon Web Services provides Ingram Micro channel partners Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), a reliable, scalable, fast, and inexpensive storage offering for businesses interested in storing and retrieving any amount of data, at any time, from anywhere on the Web, as well as AWS Storage Gateway, a service that provides seamless and secure integration between an organization’s on-premises IT environment and Amazon Web Services storage infrastructure.

Awareness Technologies complete Insider Threat Protection on demand is easily available and affordable for businesses of any size, especially SMBs. Deployed at the endpoint and managed through the cloud, solution providers can access four technologies (data loss prevention, Web filtering, employee monitoring and laptop recovery) through one agent download and one unified control console.

CA AppLogic® turnkey cloud platform provides a catalog of virtual appliances that enables customers to create cloud services from commodity hardware, with the means to visually assemble and deploy composite services quickly and easily. It is a key component of the CA Technologies approach to helping customers transition from simply maintaining IT systems to delivering innovative services that help meet changing business demands.

ConnectWise is a cloud-based and on-premise solution for IT solution providers that manages customers and contacts, scheduling, ticketing, time, invoicing, projects, agreements, quoting, sales, marketing, finance, procurement and inventory, reporting and more. The ConnectWise platform offers a 360-degree view of the IT provider’s organization and its customer, helping to streamline business operations and achieve greater efficiency and profitability.

dinCloud provides cloud hosted virtual desktops (HVDs), enabling a user to transport their Windows workspace to any device. The dinCloud subscription service includes a private virtual data center with servers, storage, networking and security.

DocVerify enables secure and simple electronic signature exchange over the Web, via mobile devices, and through salesforce.com, which allows solutions providers to simplify secure document exchange for customers of all sizes

Intel AppUp (SM) Small Business Service provides IT service providers with a turnkey HaaS (hardware-as-a-service) and SaaS (software-as-a-service) solution for SMBs that is ideal for managed services bundling. It includes an on-premises server for each business and popular business software that can be installed instantly from the cloud — all available on a subscription basis. It runs on the Intel Hybrid Cloud Platform, which features remote management capabilities and proprietary encryption technologies.

LabTech Software is a remote monitoring and management (RMM) platform created for system administrators by system administrators. The powerful scripting engine and highly automated monitoring gives service providers complete insight into customer environments, allowing the ability to identify and resolve issues more efficiently.

Live VHD offers scalable and affordable service desk support to assist partners with monitoring and troubleshooting desktops, laptops, Macs, servers, handheld and other network devices.

Quosal has the ability to produce everything from the simplest quote to the most advanced proposal. The original online delivery platform, Order Porter, revolutionizes quote delivery and acceptance with online personal web pages and electronic ordering. Quosal integrates with CRM and PSA platforms, product distributors, and accounting software to streamline the sales quote process.

Salesforce.com‘s Force.com is a social enterprise cloud platform for building custom business apps quickly and easily. Channel partners can build custom social, mobile and real-time apps without having to invest in complex software or hardware infrastructure. Force.com offers both a declarative programming model for business users and a programmatic interface for developers to write custom business logic in the cloud.

Veeam Cloud Provider Program offers access to virtual data protection and management solutions via licensing and deployment options custom built for cloud services providers.

VMware Horizon Application Manager provides the capability to control, manage and deliver policy-driven application access to end-users across multiple devices and give end-users an easy, secure way to access both SaaS and Web applications.

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All of these emerging products and services (not to mention those which are being extended) do highlight the need for businesses to evaluate or reevaluate their cloud computing “situation”. The question is, how prepared is your company and IT department for the addition of cloud computing services or a complete transition? The truth is, even if you are far behind in your schedule to adopt cloud computing there is one simple step you can take to greatly speed things along; two words, “cloud certification”. Right now is the best time to begin examining your options with regards to upgrading your IT department’s knowledge base (so to speak). Visit theartofservice.com for more information about how you can prepare your IT personnel for a cloud transition.

Ingram Micro is helping to disseminate many important and very useful cloud-based technologies. In its recent moves, Ingram Micro is making big strides toward establishing a vast structure of commerce for cloud computing and its many vendors. In addition to boosting sales and awareness for the newly included vendors and their products, this move will also help to spread these technologies globally.

For more information about Ingram Micro, click here.
For more information about Cloud Certification for IT, click here.

What is Cloud Computing, really?

A closer look at some of the basic elements of this new technology that’s sweeping across the globe

When you think of the term “cloud computing”, elastic clusters of information and resources should immediately spring to mind. That’s really what cloud computing is; a big pool of resources which scales to the needs of the individual user or group. Many of the process (either hardware or software-based) are often virtualized too. In other words, that cloud service you have might using software to simulate hardware processing for you. In truth, there’s no limit to what can be accomplished with cloud computing, and we’ve probably only scratched the surface concerning its (true) capabilities.

What makes cloud computing such an interesting approach is the fact that it is really a merging of computing and networking technologies and resources. Right now, we’re all using mostly self-contained systems and devices. Meaning; each of our devices or systems has its own built in storage, processing, etc… With cloud computing, individual nodes, terminals, or users are essentially accessing the “guts” of their “computer” or system through a remote connection. In other words, their entire computer is being accessed remotely, as opposed to being locally controlled.

Aside from this novel fusion (between networking and computing), cloud computing offers yet another interesting benefit to users (subscribers, clients, etc…), which is increased functionality with less responsibilities. It wouldn’t be wrong to call cloud computing a “plug and play” type of computing / infrastructure solution. This is due to the fact that it (cloud computing) is entirely managed by the service provider.  In other words, a cloud service provider takes care of everything for their client; the broker is there to support the aims of the buyer and client with their service(s).

We are going through a crucial point in the ongoing development of technologies. Many of these emerging technologies, like cloud computing, are in the process of being adopted by the larger corporations. This is yet another reason why businesses that are reliant on IT and other communications-driven technologies need to consider getting into cloud computing ASAP. One of the easiest and simplest ways to put your organization on the right pat is to push to have your entire IT department certified in any one of a number of cloud computing-related disciplines. The programs are great, the group rate discounts, terrific. Additionally many of these courses are deployed via the internet, so interferences with work schedules and such is a non-issue.  

Characterizing the Cloud
There are a number of elements which, when bonded together, present the image of what we identify as cloud computing.

They are (in no particular order):

• Technology is accessed and presented as user needs arise; in other words, the technology molds to the requirements of users, rather than the users trying to cobble together a solution from what’s available.    
• The interface is set up to facilitate the user and their data. Also, users have a great deal of control over their data.
• Vast resources including hardware are available; and used to create virtualized components.
• Complex infrastructure management system for analyzing and managing large volumes of data and ensuring that it is secure.
• The internet is the primary mode of ingress or access.
• From the user’s point-of-view, there appears to be no visible infrastructure present that’s driving everything.
• Presence of multiple large organizations; either as clients or service providers.

Basically, cloud computing is an attempt to reconcile the best aspects of networking with that of super computer-enabled virtualized computing. In the same way that you can create virtual “boxes” (with your OS) to house programs, applications, or even other Operating System’s; so can a cloud computer, but on a massive scale. Moreover, aside from the scale of the computing that’s taking place inside of a cloud computing, you have multitudes of individual “strings” or streams running simultaneously. It is only through the creation and deployment of an enormous central computing strategy that such a monumental workload can be easily processed (and handled).

Arguably, the most interesting question to ask is, what will people (and businesses) do with this “cloud” technology? Right now, cloud computing is being utilized to both aid in business processes as well as provide entertainment-based solutions. So, in other words, cloud computing is reaching out to disparate areas of both the private industry and general public. The truth is, however, we don’t really know how people are going to adapt the technologies of cloud computing. If you look to the past, you’ll see that the emergence of social media outlets has very quickly enabled sweeping changes to take place across society at large. With social media, we’re just talking about internet-based technologies that enable widespread sharing, for example. Given the fact that cloud computing is essentially a more evolved approach to internet-based deployment of technology, it is entirely foreseeable that (once cloud computing goes mainstream) it will once again, change the way we look at the world (and information / content / technology). What is cloud computing

Get your IT department “cloud-certified”, visit theartofservice.com for more information.   

What do IT professionals need to know about cloud computing?

A great deal of effort has been put forth in recent months and years toward educating businesses about cloud computing and familiarizing with them with the benefits it can offer them. Certainly no one would argue that businesses should be turning their attention and focus toward cloud computing, but what most people seem to forget about is IT. Specifically, the various IT departments which are attached to these businesses and organizations seeking to adopt cloud computing infrastructure and/or technologies. The question is, what do these IT professionals (who are employed by the businesses which are adopting cloud computing) need to know in order to remain relevant or valuable?

Cloud Computing is the future
There’s simply no question about it, cloud computing is going to be a major facet of all IT in the coming years.  This is evidenced by the overwhelming numbers of governments, universities, corporations, small businesses and individuals that have either fully or partially adopted cloud-based infrastructure or technologies.  A short while ago it seemed to many that cloud computing would merely be a competitor to traditional IT models, but now it’s clearly apparent that its poised to replace the current standard type of infrastructure entirely.  In fact, one of the big concerns for this year (2012) is that we might actually see cloud adoption rise above the 50% mark.  In other words, very soon we might see more people utilizing cloud infrastructure than not.

Why are businesses, organizations and individuals so eager to adopt cloud computing?
In terms of tangible benefits, cloud computing can offer reduced energy consumption costs, targeted processing power delivery, secure backups through colocation of data, and the ability to quickly package and deploy multiple apps and processes (among other things). Simply put, cloud computing is a platform whereby more secure, stable and creative solutions for problems and specific needs can be addressed.

The truth is, virtually any kind of app, program or software can be repackaged in the cloud (used as part of a “silo”-based process comprising other apps and programs). These “services” or “packages” in turn, can be rapidly copied and used by additional users across the cloud. In other words, there’s no need for tedious upgrading procedures to be performed on hundreds of individual systems; through virtualization, IT can create copies of or grant access to useful processes and simply apply them to the accounts of individual users.

Security in the cloud has also been directly addressed in recent times and it’s clear that cloud computing is definitely moving toward becoming the most secure form of infrastructure available. While it’s true that some organizations might be engaging cloud computing in order to stay up-to-date with their competitors, it’s highly unlikely that this is the only reason for the dramatic rise in adoption rates. Arguably, the main reason that most businesses are jumping at the chance to adopt cloud computing is that it offers a great deal of value in terms of a cost to profit ratio.   

So, what’s the next logical step for the IT professionals who are interested in familiarizing themselves with the intricacies of cloud computing?  
Given that traditional IT is starting to look a little bit like a sinking ship, it’s only sensible that IT professionals who are concerned with their careers need to begin seeking out additional professional development in the area of cloud computing. This can be achieved in a number of different ways, but perhaps the best approach is that of e-learning (through the internet). A dedicated provider of cloud computing training and certification materials will be able to (not only provide you with adequate training for cert tests, but also) prepare you for a transitioning IT career field.

E-learning is the preferred method of study in any number of cloud computing disciplines because it:

• Is much more affordable than courses offered at universities
• Provides the same benefits of certification as any other training / educational method in the end
• Allows you to study on your own time, in your own way, and wherever is most convenient for you
• Won’t interfere with a busy work schedule
• Is extremely comprehensive and will cover many areas of interest
• Features courses and materials designed by reputable cloud computing gurus

Also, many businesses and IT managers regularly call upon organizations providing cloud computing training and certification via e-learning simply because they offer group rate discounts.

It’s really about long-term career security and increasing potential opportunities
As previously mentioned, it is very likely that cloud computing is going to usurp traditional IT at some point in the very near future, if you are employed primarily as a specialist in this area, you absolutely must have a personal “upgrade” plan in place. After the cloud adoption rate eclipses the 50% mark it is entirely foreseeable that it will speed up until virtually everyone is using and reliant on cloud computing. For those that prepare themselves for this transition, the mass cloud adoption will be a great opportunity to showcase your talents and even land a higher paying career. Those that procrastinate or try to rail against this movement however are going to be met with extreme disappointment. The bottom line is that all IT professionals need to strongly consider the various short and long-term benefits of attaining their cloud computing certification, ASAP.

Click here to begin your journey toward a brighter and more secure future.

Microsoft + Cloud Computing = Opportunities + Innovation

When it comes to “Big Time” implementation of cloud computing, it doesn’t get any bigger than Microsoft. Likewise, Microsoft the megalith is expanding its influence over (and research into) cloud computing all the time. We’re not just talking about a simple multi-tier approach either; Microsoft is expanding the use of cloud computing in multiple directions across numerous areas of interest. What’s this all leading up to, you ask? Well, to say that MS is one of the world’s foremost trendsetters is a massive understatement, right?  Through the cloud implementations which Microsoft is fostering, we’re going to see both an increase in terms of technological innovation as well as opportunities in cloud computing across the board. Many of MS’s ongoing cloud-related projects, concepts and products are poised to change and / or further establish cloud-based technologies throughout the world in the very near future.

The private cloud venture
People are calling the latest private cloud solution offered by MS, “a game changer”. While that might seem like the standard kind of hype that you hear from most large corporations concerning their upcoming projects, it actually rings true in this instance. Basically, many of Microsoft’s system center 2012 customers are using this platform to create or establish their own private cloud computing infrastructures. While this is great news in and of itself, it has become a very strong point of interest for MS. This is clearly evidenced with the upcoming release of Windows Server 2012.

What makes this new OS so special, you ask? The excitement surrounding Windows Server 2012 has to do with the fact that it is one of the first truly cloud-optimized OS’s out there (for use in running a private system). One of the main concepts behind this new product is providing a platform for businesses to both incorporate emerging cloud technologies while at the same time, providing them with a means to upgrade and of course, compete in the marketplace.

Additionally, while it is (apparently) Microsoft’s desire to help make the private clouds more common, they are heavily promoting the concept of IT – cloud integration. So, instead of simply pushing the idea of establishing providers or brokers which would service hundreds of businesses, Microsoft has opted to encourage the notion of increasing training for IT professionals in cloud computing. In other words, Microsoft may have just initiated a trend with this latest endeavor which might create and save IT-related jobs over the next couple of decades.  

This latest move to bring private cloud computing to more and more businesses is actually very altruistic. It would have been much easier and perhaps more profitable for a company like Microsoft to keep cloud computing (in all its power and glory) out of the hands of smaller businesses. For example, if the technology to drive private cloud computing was suppressed, businesses would be forced to seek out their cloud services through providers (which in turn could charge customers whatever they want for cloud service). Given that many large corporations like Microsoft are among some of the only institutions capable of acting as cloud computing providers, it would have been easy for them to capture market. But such a more to create a monopoly would have also stifled growth and innovation in cloud computing; so it’s to Microsoft’s credit that they have decided to create a simpler and more affordable method for establishing a private cloud.  

However, any shift toward cloud computing by businesses or private industries is going to require qualified and certified IT personnel to manage and maintain it. This is of course why cloud computing certification and foundation training are so important. Today’s IT professionals need to become more familiar with and well-versed in servicing and utilizing cloud computing infrastructure(s) and technologies.

Future employment might be in the Clouds
Along with this push to create infrastructure-related software and operating systems for private clouds, Microsoft is also seeing extreme value in cloud computing (from an economic standpoint).  According to a recently released statement, “A New IDC study shows IT innovation produced by the cloud could create US$1.1 trillion a year in new business revenues” *

Considering the fact that unemployment problems are becoming a major concern for most countries, this news is most welcome. Furthermore, if cloud computing is able to bring or add any additional value to IT, that should definitely be viewed as a good thing. Similarly, if cloud computing creates more jobs and opportunities in the IT sector, job security and long-term career viability are also likely to increase as well.

With every step that Microsoft takes toward further disseminating cloud computing, the more innovation we’ll see; and with each advancement comes a slew of opportunities and prospects. The bottom line is, whether you’re a business owner, IT manager, IT professional, Investor, or just an average person with an interest in technology, keeping an eye on what Microsoft is doing in relation to cloud computing is a very good idea. Chances are very good that Microsoft will be right at the center of any future shift(s) toward more widespread implementation of cloud computing.

*original statement can be found here: www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/features/2012/mar12/03-05CloudComputingJobs.aspx

IBM’s cloud computing venture is designed for businesses

If you’re currently evaluating potential cloud service providers you have no doubt already encountered what IBM has to offer. After all, IBM is currently one of the world’s foremost cloud vendors (they’ve pretty much been there from the start). SmartCloud, which purports to be both a part of IBM’s vision for cloud computing as well as a tree of service options, is currently making big waves in the business world.

What is it that SmartCloud is bringing to the table exactly, you may ask? Most of the core principles of the basic 3 types of cloud service offerings are covered under SmartCloud, those of course being: SaaS, PaaS, and SaaS. However, what makes SmartCloud different is its focus on specific elements or components of each service offering and how they assist, reinforce or promote the aims and objectives of their user(s). As you would expect, SmartCloud is more or less a living embodiment of the basic cloud infrastructure model: i.e. – a metered service based on usage and demand. What makes IBM’s service different from those of others is its size, scope and let’s say financial support structure. The simple fact of the matter is that running a cloud vendor service is both extremely costly as well as laborious, vast resources in a number of areas are required in order to assure stability, security and ongoing implementations of emerging technology. In other words, it is IBM’s overall stature, strength and reserves that make it one of the most obvious leading candidates for consideration as a first-call cloud vendor.   cloud computing designed for businesses

SmartCloud can be broken down into 3 main categories:

1. Architecture for private and hybrid cloud
2. Cloud computing as a service for IT
3. SaaS business solutions

The first offering category, Architecture for private and hybrid clouds is principally geared toward those organizations that are just entering the cloud marketplace. By allowing businesses to access cloud infrastructure as well as various other application tools and hybridization, they might be able to more effectively build their own highly unique and functional cloud systems at their own pace.

Our second branch of cloud service offerings, Cloud computing as a service for IT, may come in the form of either PaaS or SaaS and is designed to appeal directly to a company’s IT division. Through cloud computing as a service for IT a business’ IT element can utilize IBM’s offerings as they choose. Designing, deploying, and managing cloud-based applications is much easier when your IT department has access to the offerings available under this service category. However, in order to capitalize on the perks of this particular branch (of cloud service offerings) one must also have an IT team in place with some form of cloud computing training / certification. If you’re looking for a thorough and affordable cloud computing group certification solution, this site has many attractive options available for you.    

Lastly, we have the third SmartCloud service branch, SaaS business solutions. As far as most businesses are / should be concerned, ‘SaaS business solutions’ is where the real action is. Under this branch of offerings businesses are invited to choose from a bevy of additional cloud-intensive services ranging from collaboration and management to analytics and marketing. Perhaps the easier way of describing what ‘SaaS business solutions’ has to offer would be to say that it enables organizations to utilize specific cloud technologies to further its agenda. For example, the various social-oriented technologies can be bundled together in order to increase an organization’s inter-office functionality (think: meetings, file sharing, email, etc…). This same socially oriented cloud technology can also be used to provide potential customers and guests with a better experience as well.

IBM’s digital marketing suite, Coremetrics, is also a potential service addition under the ‘SaaS business solutions’ heading. Adding Coremetrics allows organizations to both gather pertinent analytical data directly from customers as well as implement creative and custom solutions with regards to marketing. Likewise, with this marketing system in place a business can benefit from an extended strategy which combines many separate approaches (like data syndication, more refined product/content recommendations, highly-targeted email campaigns, and self-organizing marketing data / strategies).

Also included (as another potential component of ‘SaaS business solutions’) is BlueworksLive, which purports to be a better method for both organizing technologies as well as enacting company-wide change. One of the basic ideas behind this offering is the creation of a singular storage area in which all ongoing progress, processes, rules and work can be accessed. The idea here is that a great deal of time is routinely lost due to lack of documentation and/or availability of information. In other words, BlueworksLive is an offering designed to improve personnel efficiency by creating an improved system for organizing all manner of media, information and content.

Whichever of the three cloud service branches offered by IBM your organization chooses will be entirely dependent on its specific needs and available (supplementary) assets. However, this underscores the overall significance of IBM’s SmartCloud service, which is that it can more or less cover any business in any type of situation. In terms of dependability, security, implemented features, and ease of use, IBM’s SmartCloud is really one of the best cloud vendors out there. So what’s the bottom line? Whether your business organization is large or small, familiar or unfamiliar with cloud computing, IBM’s SmartCloud should be among your top choices if you’re seeking a cloud provider.