Here are five ways that you can accelerate your cloud computing strategy at Cloud Connect Chicago:

1. Attend 30+ sessions across 8 conference tracks including big data, cloud infrastructure, application design and architecture.
2. Hear from keynotes and top industry leaders as they discuss hot topics including private and hybrid clouds, mobile clouds, and cloud performance.
3. See all the latest cloud solutions from 50+leading companies.
4. Enjoy vendor-hosted beverages while you check out the latest products and network during the Cocktail Reception on the Expo floor.
5. Hear about new cloud solutions hosted in the new Cloud Solutions Theater.

Cloud Connect Chicago will provide four days of inspiring cloud dialogue and get you up to speed on how to leverage new cloud technology solutions to increase efficiency and improve your business agility. Register by August 10 with priority code RFPQCH04 to save $400 on Platinum or Conference passes. Don’t forget to tell your friends as well!

Feel free to follow me on Twitter for inside Cloud Connect updates.

Cheers,

Jason

Tags: adoption applications Architecture Chicago CIO cloud cloud adoption cloud computing cloud connect Cloud Connect 2012 infrastructure networking PaaS Performance and Availability private clouds ROI SaaS WAN

This week Cloud Connect and Everest Group are launching an important survey on the adoption of cloud computing technologies across key vertical industries. There’s a real need for first-hand data on how businesses currently use cloud computing and their plans for future adoption, especially as it pertains to specific industry use cases.  How is adoption trending across the major service platforms; Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-Service and Software-as-a-Service? What are the adoption patterns across public, private and hybrid cloud hosting options? To what extent do industry specific solutions come into play and what are the industry specific obstacles that need to be addressed?

We are at a pivotal time in cloud computing as we finally move past the era of defining the cloud and focus instead on how it impacts business, offers new efficiencies and agility and an unprecedented opportunity for innovation. That’s exciting news for anyone involved with cloud computing, but also requires a deeper understanding of the nuances of how cloud maps to specific opportunities and challenges in one’s own industry. Cloud computing provides a unique competitive advantage to technology leaders who understand and seize the opportunity. Are you a cloud leader in your industry, just keeping pace or perhaps falling behind your competitors? That’s the focus of our research and I can’t wait to see and share the results.

We will repeat this research on a yearly basis to identify important trending across key industries and technology platforms. Results from this first survey will be announced at Cloud Connect Chicago taking place September 10-13, 2012. The survey is short and to the point and should only take a few minutes to complete. In addition to gaining access to the survey results, participants will be entered for a chance to win complimentary access to Cloud Connect Chicago.

We’re pleased conduct this research with Everest Group, the highly respected research and consulting firm. Everest Group Partner Scott Bils also chairs the Organizational Readiness Track at Cloud Connect, which provides us with an excellent opportunity to put the findings from this research into practice in the development of our program content.

If you are interested in taking the survey, click here. Thank you for your participation and we hope to see you in Chicago!

With all of the activity around compute and storage in cloud it might be easy to take for granted the interconnection needs of all that capacity.  The network just runs, right?  The reality is that interconnection capabilities determine application architectures, performance, and resiliency.  At this year’s Cloud Connect, we’ll be looking at current choices and future options for managing information flow and networking services. Networking’s automation challenges have caused many providers to make compromises to achieve scale.  Those automation barriers are starting to fall and better interconnect options are coming on line that will impact how cloud networking gets done. Continue Reading »

Tags: cloud computing WAN

Cloud computing has indeed changed the landscape of IT, but there are consequences that CIO’s absolutely must take into consideration. Cloud Connect Santa Clara 2012’s conference chair, Alistair Croll, founder of Bitcurrent, shares his take on cloud computing and the unintended consequences that CIO’s face in his Information Week post.

These are the 3 unintended consequences that CIO’s should consider according to Alistair: Continue Reading »

Tags: cloud computing cloud connect