Alex Stamos of iSEC Partners recently posted a presentation that he made titled Cloud Computing Security. In the presentation, while focusing on cloud computing security, he provides a good base definition of what cloud computing is, and what it isn’t.
I recommend watching the embedded slide deck at the end of this post, however, for brevity, here are some paraphrased key points, with my additional comments in italics:
Cloud computing defined
What it is not
Virtualization (although it often comprises as a part of the underlying infrastructure, whether logical or physical)
Remote backup
What it is
Central management
Distributed data storage
Ability to move applications from system to system
(On slide 7) Marketers and sales pitch products/services by leveraging Cloud Computing term. (While I agree, the term “cloud” has become a user friendly term for defining an otherwise abstract idea. I can see the potential danger of overuse, but also can see the benefit of a key phrase/word for familiarity)
Microsoft has made some changes to its enterprise software licensing agreements, which may affect the way you purchase and license your servers and their application software.
The modifications to their Enterprise Agreement (EA) stem from challenges faced by IT due to the state of the economy, as well as Microsoft’s response to industry interest sustained growth with cloud computing and virtualization, and to “strike a balance between providing traditional licensing solutions and expanding into new ways to purchase and use software like subscription and online purchasing”. (Quoted from recent Q&A with Joe Matz)
Customers can get this offer through the EA enrollment, and in signing up for Microsoft Enrollment for Application Platform, and choosing between two different licensing models. It is proposed that this can help lower costs, with up to 40 percent price savings.
Keenpath’s Insight:
Systems and models like cloud computing continue to innovate and challenge the typical mindset of application and server deployment. Many organizations are realizing large cost savings and reduced management requirements by leveraging virtualization and cloud computing in their environments, whether on a full scale, or pilot deployments.
Microsoft realizes the business model and justifications for leveraging cloud computing technology, whether internal or external federated clouds, has caused them to clearly evaluate their software licensing, and development. They recently released online services, Business Productivity Online Standard Suite, in competition with Google Apps suite.
Companies can continue to leverage their existing infrastructure, while evaluating, becoming comfortable with, and eventually transition to a cloud based business infrastructure where fit, using these and other services and products. With this, organizations such as the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) are tasked with developing industry best practice and guidance to increased awareness and effectiveness of security with the cloud model.
I have joined the Cloud Security Alliance group, as an individual member, and look forward to participating in the development and discussions of best practices for security in the cloud.
The Cloud Security Alliance a non-profit organization formed to promote the use of best practices for providing security assurance within Cloud Computing, and provide education on the uses of Cloud Computing to help secure all other forms of computing.
If you are interested, click here for information on how you can join and participate in the group.
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Click here for an article, published on Keenpath.com, I wrote as a Brief Introduction to Cloud Computing
rPath put together a brief, informative and entertaining overview of cloud computing in the video “Cloud Computing in Plain English”. Take five, and watch the video below.
Traditionally when an IT department evaluates storage needs for a public facing web site or application, whether an e-commerce heavy site or not, will typically turn to adding more resources to their in house storage infrastructure. Will this continue to be the canonical method to increase storage capacity or have the innovations in cloud computing and storage changed the landscape enough to where businesses will consider offloading portions of their storage and computing needs to utility centric solutions read more
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