Published in BC9 on 28/09/2012

Cloud Computing has brought about nothing short of a revolution in the SME marketplace. Gone are the days of large providers monopolising tenders and consequently leaving SMEs in the dark. Thanks to the Cloud, the smallest of enterprises is now able to not only hold their own, but compete and win tenders for the biggest contracts safe in the knowledge they are backed by the highest industry accreditations offered by Cloud partners. It is therefore no surprise that the Cloud should inevitably be the trump card that SMEs use when playing with the big boys.

Published in BC9 on 16/08/2012

Whilst the concept of 100% Cloud Computing is an alienating thought to even the most IT savvy MD, the reality is that the number of companies opting for a fully outsourced approach is on the rise. Despite the age old server room providing a comfort to those reluctant to move with technological developments, practically speaking it is a ticking time bomb, draining both funds and IT resources.

Published in BC9 on 16/07/2012

There is much contention surrounding the issue of size in relation to the Cloud, resulting in confusion about whether size does matter and if so, what size Cloud Computing provider really is the best.

Consequently, many companies make uninformed decisions which may ultimately leave them tied into a contract which doesn’t best serve their needs, or in some cases is completely unsuitable for the purposes for which it is required.

Published in BC9 on 25/06/2012

Cloud contracts have become notorious for their unfair and non-negotiable terms which often leave companies tied into deals that don’t fully meet their business needs.

The latest research from the Queen Mary University of London has revealed that a high proportion of Cloud Computing contracts contain clauses that could leave customers liable for failures by their provider.

Published on Cloud Tech News on 13/06/2012

Before signing any cloud computing contract, or indeed, renewing his on-premise IT agreement, the CIO should sit down with his CFO to clearly identify and understand the total cost of the IT department to the business, and compare his current solution to a cloud-based alternative. And to complete this cost justification process, the CIO must look at each of the following areas:

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Published in BC9 on 18/05/2012

It is a common misconception that by moving to the Cloud , businesses are relinquishing all control of their data. Generally speaking, many companies fail to take the time to fully understand Cloud computing and in this vein, feel reluctant to outsource business-critical data to the Cloud .

Published in ComputerWorldUK on 21/05/2012

Low-cost cloud computing and storage can be a boon for IT managers with tight budgets looking to get as much computing power for their money as they possibly can.

One of the major ways this is achieved is through multi-tenancy. Multi-tenancy allows a single physical instance of a resource to be shared among multiple consumers, which allows for consolidation of and more effective usage of those resources. This lies at the heart of cloud computing, taking some models from the mainframe era and porting them to today’s modern hardware. But while multi-tenancy in public and private clouds offers economies of scale, it can also create potential problems for enterprise users.

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Published in BC9 on 03/04/2012

We have to face facts: cloud uptake is on the rise – indeed, deployments are set to double by 2015 , and up to 200,000 UK jobs will be created by cloud computing technologies between 2011 and 2015. CIOs therefore have to accept that cloud is here, and here to stay. So what considerations must a CIO make when moving to the cloud, even if he entirely unwilling to do so?! Below, I have outlined some tips for any CIO who is either looking to move to the cloud, or indeed, is being pushed into making the move by his CFO or CEO...

Published in BC9 on 27/02/2012

Despite the continually increasing uptake in Cloud computing technologies, there are still cynics that are keen to dismiss it as "just another fad" – a fad that will produce copy-cat service providers, who, eager to believe the "hype" and jump on the bandwagon, are likely to trip up time and time again. So how likely are we to see an increasing number of screw-ups in the Cloud as more and more businesses choose to adopt Cloud-based solutions?