Although cloud technology has just recently emerged on the commercial scene, it has been in development for several years and is already dominating the data services market. As new devices hit the market every day, companies are scrambling to produce services that give consumers the capability to use wireless data sync and storage for personal use.

Three of the names on the forefront cloud computing are Google, Apple, and Amazon. These big timers are rapidly revolutionizing the way the cloud works and what services are offered to consumers, with many new devices shipping pre-connected to some sort of wireless sync service. For example, Apple’s “iCloud” is optimized for instantly syncing data between all Apple products, encouraging brand-loyal consumers to own multiple gadgets. But as the cloud continues to expand, the competition for offering unique services grows larger. Google is now touting their brand of cloud called “Google Play,” a new service that is integrated with their former “Android Market” that offers a wide range of media. Amazon’s “Cloud Storage” gives a user the ability to listen to their friend’s music. Most of these services are only offered in part to consumers; Amazon offers a small amount of free storage to its users, about 5GB, but gives them the option of upgrading for a small subscription fee. Apple’s iCloud is free so as long as users have the most up-to-date firmware on their products.

Why is cloud computing so important? The Consumer Electronics Association estimates that the average household has around 24 electronic devices, including “basic” commodities such as cameras and remote controls. About half of those devices are able to connect to wireless Internet in some way. This means that as technology becomes more advanced, the more families will rely on multiple devices to handle their day-to-day activities, send important information, and save precious memories.

Cloud computing is undeniably the future of data storage, allowing consumers to use their multiple devices to their utmost potential. In the digital age, being able to access your personal information from wherever you are is not just a convenience, it’s a must.

A few obscure Web-based email services are offering a neat feature. They allow you to set a time
limit that the email will remain on the computer of the email's recipient. After that time limit, the
email literally disintegrates and can no longer be accessed. Some, such as bigstring.com, allow you
to also "delete" the email whenever you send the command. This works exactly as it sounds: I send
you an e-mail that you can read. But when I give the command, you'll no longer be able to read the
message. You'll click the link in your mailbox and it will open to a blank page. This works because the
e-mail actually sits on the provider's servers.

On a similar note, because Germany has become so concerned that mega-websites such as Facebook
are invading users' privacy, one German professor developed software called X-Pire. X-Pire causes
documents such as pictures to be encrypted before being uploaded. Since a special plugin is needed to
view the image, the user of X-Pire also has the power to cause the photo to "expire" at any time.

These erasing and expiring services sound great--and they certainly do offer some limited protection
for data that you want some control over. In both cases, you're willingly allowing others to see your
documents or photos. But you can remove those documents at any time, preventing anyone else from
accessing them, and taking away the intended audience's power to do anything further with them.There
are obvious problems with these systems, however.

The most glaring problem is that they give only limited security. Erasable email is fine--as long as the
receiving party never realizes that this is the system you're using. If they ever do realize it, it's quite
easy for them to save an image of the email before you delete it from your end. The same holds true for
photos. Even if the software disables the copy or save feature, it's simple enough to use a screen-saving
utility to take a picture of either the email or the photo. Another problem, at least with the X-Pire
utility, is that it requires the use of a plug-in, which creates hurdles even for your intended audience.

Certainly the best way of guarding your important data is by never emailing it in the first place;
you certainly never want to post it to social media sites. Instead, use one of the many cloud-based
collaboration sites to store documents. By giving only authorized personnel the password, you'll keep
a tighter rein on who can and cannot view your important data. Those with only the most basic security
needs might find their needs filled by something such as Google Docs or Zoho.com. Those with
important confidential records, though, or records that are criticial to the very survival of your business

will want to invest in a dedicated data center such as RACK59.

Bogged down by routine business tasks? Ever wished you had more time to concentrate on important
business projects and the bigger things in life? If you’ve ever wished you had an assistant but didn’t think
you had the money or the space for staff, think again. Cloud computing has created an entirely new career
field--one which might benefit you. We're talking about the virtual assistant (or V.A.). And don't worry:
A virtual assistant could be more economical and convenient than you might suspect.

The term ‘Virtual Assistant ‘was first coined in 1996 by Thomas Leonard, according to Stacy Brice,
founder of the U.S.A. based Virtual Assistant Association. Brice was the first person to start the trend of a
home based contractor of administrative services for an international client base. Some Virtual Assistant
Services will also take care of personal business and errands, like a concierge service.

The only thing a V.A. can’t do for you is anything that must be done in person. But you may be surprised
at what can be accomplished without physically being in the same office or country as you are, such as:

• Make phone calls and schedule meetings
• Conduct market research
• Follow up on errands and appointments
• Create and edit documents and legal documents
• Update websites and add search engine optimization
• Conduct real estate transactions
• Answer your email
• Update databases
• Update invoices and receive payments
• Manage recruiting processes

So how does cloud computing make the idea of the virtual assistant conceivable? Through the miracle of
the Cloud, phone calls to your business could instead be forwarded to your V.A. (through cloud telephone
services such as Vonage or Skype). You can meet and brainstorm with your V.A., even if she is across
the company, through cloud-based collaboration tools such as Google docs or online whiteboards. The
same kind of online collaboration allows you and your virtual assistant to work together to build and
update your website.

Some of the cloud-based services that will help you and your virtual assistant work together include the
following:

Google Docs: http://docs.google.com

Zoho Desktop: http://www.zoho.com

Vonage: http://www.vonage.com

Skype: http://www.skype.com

Gmail at htp://www.gmail is arguably the best cloud-based email, since it not only allows standard
emailing features, but integrates seamlessly with GTalk (chat feature) as well as with the aforementioned
Google Docs.

Dabbleboard: http://www.dabbleboard.com

One other  favorite is O-Desk, at http://www.odesk.com. This cloud-based service allows you to
hire someone to do work for your company and to monitor the person in real time. The O-Desk software
is set on the V.A.'s side when she starts working, and then throughout the day, sends you auto-updates on
the worker's progress.

There are a host of others available. The point is that your business associates need no longer be tied to
your physical office. The Cloud makes it possible for your virtual office to extend nationwide and even
world-wide.

Entrepreneurs, successful ones at least, are always at the cutting edge of their field. To remain there,
there needs to be a constant flow of fresh ideas and innovations. Brainstorming remains a time tested
strategy that can engage partners, employees, experts and customers as well as produce the dynamic
creative energy needed to keep the business moving and growing. However, done poorly, and it can be
a draining process.

So what is brainstorming? It is a way of releasing the creativity in any like-minded group. This is done
by assembling the group and putting the problem or challenge before them. You then invite the group
members to think of any conceivable way of addressing that problem. Every suggestion, whether
realistic, is acceptable. As an example, perhaps the problem is how to draw a larger breakfast crowd at
your restaurant. In your brainstorming session, lowering the prices is an acceptable contribution--but so
too is taking a rope and lassoing passersby and pulling them into the restaurant.

Brainstorming in the Internet Age has taken on a new dimension. Today, there are numerous "Cloud
Based" services that can help with your session. Here are a few of the best:

VOIP Telephone Services. These are telephone services that operate through the Internet
rather than over telephone wires. One of the best examples is SKYPE, which makes it possible for
several people to participate at the same time in a single conference call.

Online Office Suites. Services such as Google Docs (http://docs.google.com) and Zoho (http://
business.zoho.com) don’t merely offer you tools such as word processors and spreadsheets. They also
offer the ability for many people to collaborate on the same project with one another. This means you
could create a brainstorming document and invite all of your staff to add to the document.

Online White Boards. As the name suggests, this is the Internet’s version of the white board
that you would typically use for your brainstorming session. These are quite handy. To see how
they work, go to http://www.scriblink.com. A good online white board allows you to send the log-in
information to your employees or contractors and then you can write information and each participant
in the session will see what you’re writing in real-time. Likewise, they’ll see every change you make.
And so that the others in the meeting can take part in the brainstorm session, there is usually a chat
feature. This is as close as you can get to having an old-fashioned brainstorming session in the Cloud.
Other popular white boards are http://www.scrible.com and http://www.dabbleboard.com.

Data centers use technical terms to describe the various routes of data and storage. Each storage solution has different benefits and tradeoffs to fit different storage needs. When considering which route is best for your storage needs, there are several questions to consider.

How much storage capacity will you need? Will you be able to add additional storage on-demand? How much data availability are you going to need?

Direct Attached Storage (One-to-One): DAS is adding an external storage device to an existing server or PC to extend storage capacity. DAS is suited for newer small businesses with limited storage needs. Examples of this type of storage are portable USBs, thumb drives, zip drives and the PC external hard drive.

Network Attached Storage (One-to-Many): NAS makes stored data and files available to multiple users in multiple locations, using different operating systems. NAS servers utilize file level transfers, while DAS and SAN block level transfers. Example of this type of storage are file servers, email archiving and storing media files for web apps.

Storage Area Networks (Any-to-Any): SAN makes all storage devices available to any server on the network. Most businesses use SAN for over half of their storage needs. SANs are more complex to manage, but the ability to share the storage on multiple servers allows you to configure storage capacity as needed. Examples of this type of storage are entry-level virtualization, supporting interrelated resources, databases and centralizing enterprise storage.

Cloud (Masses-to-Masses): Cloud is pooled server resources that house massive data stores in remote data centers able to scale on-demand. Examples of this type of storage are serving rich media files, content delivery networks and web hosting. The major differences between all four of the storage solutions are cost, whether storage is shared or dedicated and whether additional storage can be added on-demand.

Sometimes it’s hard to conceptualize the vastness of disk storage. It’s easier to look at a bookcase full of rare first editions and understand the amount and value of information. Here’s a break down on the size of different forms of data as defined by the IBM Dictionary:   

Bit: A Bit is the smallest unit of data that a computer uses. It can be used to represent two states of information, such as Yes or No.

Byte: A Byte can represent 256 states of information, for example, numbers or a combination of numbers and letters. One Byte could be equal to one character. Ten Bytes could be equal to a word. 100 Bytes would equal an average sentence.

Kilobyte: One Kilobyte would be equal to this paragraph you are reading, whereas 100 Kilobytes would equal an entire page.

Megabyte: Fifteen years ago, a Megabyte was considered a large amount of data. Today a 500 Gigabyte computer hard drive is common. An old 3-1/2 inch floppy disks can hold 1.44 Megabytes or the equivalent of a small book. 100 Megabytes might hold a couple volumes of Encyclopedias. 600 Megabytes is about the amount of data that will fit on a CD-ROM disk.

Gigabyte: One Gigabyte could hold the contents of about 10 yards of books on a shelf. 100 Gigabytes could hold the entire library floor of academic journals.

Terabyte: One Terabyte could hold about 3.6 million 300 Kilobyte images or about 300 hours of good quality video. A Terabyte could hold 1,000 copies of the Encyclopedia Britannica. Ten Terabytes could hold the printed collection of the Library of Congress. That's a lot of data.

Petabyte: One Petabyte could hold approximately 20 million 4-door filing cabinets full of text. It could hold 500 billion pages of standard printed text. It would take about 500 million floppy disks to store the same amount of data.

According to the MGI Big Data Report, the United States Library of Congress is storing around 235 Terabytes of data and 88% of industries have more data than that. Enterprises are in someway liable for nearly 80% of the digital universe. Businesses have steady daily file creation and the amount of information stored within the company will quickly amass. Precious items should be kept in a safe place and your data is no different.

• What do you need to know about RACK59?
  Security
  Biometric access to facility entrance
  3-tier security within the facility via proximity reader
  Security cameras
  Customer racks have locking front and rear doors
  Rated to withstand an F3 Tornado
  
  Power
  138 kV dual-fed on-site substation
  25MVA redundant utility transformers, expandable to 45MVA
  Separate underground A&B feeds to multiple parallel load centers
  800 kVa Kohler backup generator with 12,000 galloons of diesel belly tank
  
  Fiber
  Two fiber entries into the building
  Multiple providers including AT&T, Sprint, Cox
  100 gig point to point wireless failover
  

1. The website - colocationprovider.org - recently came up with a list of the top reasons to use a colocation company. Sites like RACK59 are leaders in providing data center services in the Oklahoma City area. For the next two days, we will take a look at the websites top reasons. Check with RACK59 about how these questions can be fulfilled for your company data needs.
2. 
   Choose a Top Quality Internet Network – A worldwide Tier 1 International fully redundant OC192 backbone with additional 10 GigE network connections to hundreds of other Internet networks is the best service a business can acquire.  Ask thecolocation provider(s) that you are considering about their Internet network connection size and network details.

2. Choose a State-of –the-Art Class A Colocation Facility – A facility that hashighly scalable and super fast connections to the top Internet backbones, redundant UPS and Prime Source type of generator backed electrical power, redundant A/C systems, 24/7 on-site technical support and physical security.

3. Does the Colocation Provider Include Remote Hands for Free or for a Fee? - Ideally, you want to find a provider that does not charge for remote hands service because it can be very costly. There is no need to pay a fee when there are state-of-the-art providers that offer it for free.  These colocation providers who include remote hands service for free often have faster, more responsive and experienced technical service personnel who will be there around the clock, when you need them most.

4. Does the Colocation Provider Have Technical Staff On-Site Around the Clock 24/7? - To ensure technical reliability and security for your colocation service, it is highly recommended to choose a provider that has 24/7 on-site technical support 365 days a year for all of your technical needs.  Ask the colocation service providers that you are considering if they have technical support staff on-site around the clock - even at night.  

5. How Long Has the Colocation Service Provider Been in Business? – Longevity translates to experience and stability in any industry.  It is wise to find a colocation service provider that has proven itself over time, having survived the dot.com bust, moreover sustained business and growth repeatedly for numerous years.  Look for a colocation service provider which has been in business for over 10 years. (See also theHistory of Colocation).

6. Is the Colocation Service Provider Financially Profitable & Stable? – Profitability means satisfied customers!  A financially sound company allows for better pricing and overall technical security because there are no hidden/excess charges attributed to alleviating company financial burdens.  A provider that is profitable will not cause you the frustration of a forced move due to bankruptcy.  Make sure that you research to find a provider that has never claimed bankruptcy or had any major layoffs in its history.  Choose a provider that has been consistently profitable for many years.

7. Does the Colocation Provider Charge An Extra Monthly Fee for Cross Connects? – Look for a provider that does not charge for up to 10 – cat 5 cross connects per customer cabinet.  This service should be included with the set-up.  Many colocation service providers will charge as much as $100 - $350/month for each cross connect to your cabinets.  Find a colocation provider that will give you a fair rate on all the services and that does not rely on unnecessary costs. 

8. Does the Colocation Service Provider Charge An Extra Monthly Fee for ip Addresses? –  ip addresses are given out by ARIN for free, as long as they are justified by the company that will be using them. Equally, a colocation provider can offer them for free with their service.  Steer clear from companies that try to charge you; it is a telltale sign that they are reaching for ways to make money off of you since they are financially struggling.

9. Does the Colocation Service Provider Charge An Extra Monthly Fee for Power? – Power for your collocated servers and equipment can often be included with your colocation space without any hidden costs.  Consider the total cost of each colocation service providers' package including the bandwidth, cabinet/rack space, ip addresses, cross connects, etc.  Make sure to compare the total package, not just space and power. 

10. Network Redundancy: How Many Other Networks Does the Colocation Provider Connect to? – For a colocation provider to be considered a Tier 1 international Internet backbone with the fastest connections possible, it must have the largest backbone available on the market (OC192) and additionally have up to 10 GigE connections directly connected to hundreds of other national and international Internet networks for its network to truly be redundant.
    
    

 

By Chad Henderson

I have always wanted to attend the massive Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that happens ever year in Las Vegas around this time. I imagined it as this sprawling, hypnotic disneyland of amazing technology and spectacle. A place to see the all your dreams of the future laid out around you like a feast. Where else are you going to learn about the new toys and gadgets that you will be drooling over in the stores next year? Companies like Sony and Microsoft spend all year planning how they will get the most attention at shows like CES. They spend huge amounts of money on booth decorations and lighting. They hire actors and stuntmen to make flashy dramatic entrances. They plant beautiful, evocatively dressed young ladies around their products, hoping to attract more eyes than the next company.    

But as I sat watching Leo Leporte walk through the convention center yesterday, all streaming to me live thanks to the magic of the modern internet, it occurred to me that these huge trade shows may be entering their twilight years. Watching Twit Live allowed me to be there without having to be there, and more importantly, without having to purchase a ticket to attend. I am sure that I missed out on some of the pure amazement and spectacle that you experience by being there in person. I am sure that things like the large beautiful 3D tvs do not seem very impressive when seen through a normal video stream, and standing next to a lovely young women in a tight Sony T-shirt is much more compelling that seeing her on a laptop screen, but otherwise, I felt like I was there. 

I was finally getting to attend CES, all without having to deal with the hassle of travel, and the crush of thousands of other technology geeks. I was getting to see all of the new toys and gadgets, and thanks to the power of an internet celebrity like Leporte, I was actually getting to see more than I would have as a normal visitor. I was getting to see interviews with, and hands on demonstrations by, the people behind the tech.

Wow, why bother going now?

But as powerful as that question is, it really doesn't seem as important as it once would have been. Now that sites likeCNet, Engadget, and Gizmodo are covering not only events like CES thoroughly, but also offering a year round spotlight on everything tech and gadget related, companies are starting to realize that they do not need to spend a ton of time and money to have a presence at huge events like CES. As a matter of fact, this will be the final year that Microsoft will be doing the keynote at CES. That fact alone tells you that interest in the trade show is waning. Apple has already pulled out of Macworld in a huge way and instead started doing their own events anytime they want to make an announcement to the world and it is working.

Even if companies wanted to wait for events like CES to make their big announcements, frequent leaks and rampant internet speculation often steal the thunder from what they waited to unveil. If news sites are discussing photos and specs in detail weeks before your big unveiling, why bother with it. Controlling the flow of information becomes harder the longer you wait and CES only happens once a year. For this reason, many products are now being announced long before the big events, even if the product is not actually ready.

Based on these changes in the mind set of companies and visitors, I expect that these large shows will start to fade into the background and eventually disappear altogether as the expense and effort eclipse the return. So if you want to attend an event like CES in person, you better do it soon. It may not be here in a few years.

Or just watch twit.tv, like I do. 

Datacenterknowledge.com is rolling out a review of the best writing about cloud computing in 2011. 

One of the best columns was writing in October by Michael Jackson , co-founder of Adaptive Computing. Jackson wrote about the increasing importance of cloud computing to business enterprise needs. Below is an excerpt: 

Increasingly, cloud computing has become an IT priority for virtually every organization in business today. According to a June 2010 Pew Research Center survey, a decisive majority of technology professionals predict that, by 2020, most people will access software applications online and work through remotely-accessed server networks. SaaS (Software as a Service) cloud applications such as Salesforce.com and NetSuite are standard, acceptable alternatives to traditional client server enterprise applications. A new competitor to Amazon’s EC2 service surfaces almost every day, and virtually every technology company is incorporating the word “cloud” somewhere in their description.

Given these rapid developments in cloud technologies and services, what are some of the key components to watch for as your enterprise moves into this new IT architecture?

Decision Engine

The technological foundation of a cloud computing environment lies within the decision engine. A unique multi-dimensional and predictive decision engine is one that dynamically manages workloads and resources so cloud environments self-optimize to produce more results, with greater speed and efficiency. Having a limited static cloud, with no decision engine adversely impacts the scalability/elasticity of your cloud environment, the largest benefit to deploy solutions in the cloud. If your workload peaks during an off-hour, is your cloud able to anticipate the need to provision more services? Or will it collapse under the weight of higher than anticipated demand?

Having a multi-dimensional decision engine, with the ability to dynamically provision for an unexpected spike in demand, not only affects your cloud’s uptime under Service Level Agreements (SLAs), but also the speed with which your cloud can make crucial decisions.

Read the rest here:  http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2011/10/06/how-enterprises-can-maximize-the-cloud/