Cloud computing has changed the IT landscape over the past decade. This new technology came onto the technology scene at such a fast and furious pace that is seemed like it appeared out of….well from the clouds. However, behind the clouds, there are innovative people that made cloud computing happen.  Charles Babcock, Editor At Large, for InformationWeek, looked at the short history of cloud computing and identified 10 cloud computing pioneers that have paved the way for cloud knowledge and adoption. Continue Reading »

Tags: adoption amazon web services big data Cisco cloud cloud adoption cloud computing InformationWeek ROI Silicon Valley TCO utility computing

A blog entry by Private & Hybrid Clouds Track Chair Barb Goldworm.

A lot of feedback from previous sessions at Cloud Connect, Enterprise Cloud Summit and Interop has been around the need for practical steps to take today. There are lots of discussions on cloud “vision”, and there has been lots of education and experiences with virtualization, but many are hungry to bridge the gap from where you are with your virtual infrastructure today, to truly running a private cloud. The conversation is no longer about “if” but is now about “how”.

In response to this feedback, we are focusing both our Private and Hybrid Cloud track, and our Private Cloud workshop on the “how”. My previous blog highlighted key speakers and sessions in the track, so what about the workshop? The Building Private Clouds: From “If” to “How” workshop offers a vendor-neutral perspective to help you understand the key components of a private cloud, the relationship between virtualization and cloud, what it means to have a well-managed virtual infrastructure, and what it takes to leverage that infrastructure and deliver a true private cloud.

We’ll start by mapping out the road to private cloud, the steps involved, the roadblocks along the way, and how to overcome them. We’ll discuss how automation, orchestration and self-service fit in. We’ll help you sift through today’s vast virtualization and cloud ecosystem to identify which functions are critical for you, and which solutions best match which requirements. We’ll look at how different vendors address virtualization and private cloud and how new cloud management tools integrate with and/or /utilize what organizations already have.

So join us on Monday afternoon for the workshop to start the practical journey on the road to cloud, and then continue on with the Private and Hybrid Cloud track on Tuesday for vendor visions, perspectives and additional comparisons and conversations. Go beyond the vision to get more practical, and map out your next steps on the road to cloud.

Tags: Chicago CIO cloud hybrid private clouds

A blog entry by Private & Hybrid Clouds Track Chair Barb Goldworm.

Hybrid clouds are getting a lot of attention these days and rightly so. Many believe that given time, everything will ultimately be a hybrid cloud of some type.  The question is not if, but rather what, where, when, who, and how.

• What type of cloud(s) should you be implementing– private, public, community…?
• Where should different workloads run (cloud or not and which type of cloud)?
• When should different workloads migrate?
• Who are the leaders, both as private cloud component players and as service providers?
• And of course, how do you get there, securely and efficiently?

These are the questions we will be focusing on at Cloud Connect in our Private and Hybrid Cloud track, and our Private Cloud workshop. We have a great line up of topics and speakers to help you navigate the road to cloud.  With leaders from OpenStack, Eucalytpus, CloudStack/Citrix, VMware, Cisco, BlueLock  and more we will be drilling down into how to go about building a private/hybrid cloud with today’s tools and services, what’s coming down the road, and how to start now, with an eye towards the future.

In the Building VMware-based Private Clouds session , Neela Jacques (one of our top rated VMware speakers) , will share VMware’s experiences to-date in building clouds, as well as how VMware’s new vision of software defined datacenters can fit into and shape your future plans.

Based on rave reviews from past sessions, we are doing an encore of a rapid fire comparison session, Comparing Cloud Orchestration Stacks, with leading cloud orchestration stack vendors answering ten key questions on their stacks, and then inviting you to dig deeper with them.

On the public vs. private debate/discussion, we have a panel of experts including a cloud stack vendor and service providers, looking at  Hybrid Clouds – Can you Get the Best of Both Cloud Worlds (Public and Private).

And continuing the discussion around orchestration and management, Scott Hammond, VP of strategy, Cloud & Systems Management  from Cisco will leverage his background in service management and discuss  Enabling IT as a Service – Cloud Management and Orchestration.

So join our conversation on what, where, when, who and how, and take home some practical answers on the next stops on your road to cloud.

Tags: Chicago Cisco cloud cloud adoption cloud connect Cloud Connect 2012 private clouds utility computing virtualization VMware

Here are a few reasons why to register before you get on site at Cloud Connect Chicago:

• Prices are set to increase onsite in Chicago. By registering today, you will receive a $200 discount on conference passes or get a free expo pass by clicking on this link!
• Registering allows you access to the Cloud Connect Mobile App. Get event information at your fingertips including exhibitors, sessions, events, news, exhibition floor plan, new products and show specials. Plus, receive suggestions based on your interests, create short lists, plan your agenda, take notes, get directions, and more!
• Once you arrive at Cloud Connect, you can quickly print your badge off of one of the computers provided and get
  right on the show floor! Otherwise you will need to spend time registering yourself and your team onsite.
• Tell all of your friends and colleagues that you are attending Cloud Connect conference and workshop sessions. It will ensure your organization is equipped to leverage new cloud and big data technology solutions in order to increase efficiency and improve your business agility. They will be super jealous!

Looking forward to seeing you in Chicago!

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

Cheers,

Jason

Tags: adoption Architecture Chicago CIO cloud cloud adoption cloud computing cloud connect Cloud Connect 2012 PaaS private clouds SaaS social media

A blog entry from Big Data Track Chair Jeremy Edberg.

We’re introducinga new program at the upcoming Cloud Connect Chicago on ”BIG DATA: FUNDAMENTALS TO BEST PRACTICES“. BUT what is Big Data? I get asked that question often. Just the other day, I did a search on Google News for [Big Data]. What I found was a long list of blogs and news stories, many of which were trying to define Big Data.

I’ll make the answer easy — we don’t have a definition because it means too many things to too many people. To some it means using the latest NoSql technology; to others Big Data is just a repackaging of data mining and business intelligence. Continue Reading »

Tags: amazon web services big data Chicago cloud cloud computing Cloud Connect 2012

Why the rise of cloud computing is fundamentally changing collaboration.

Few technology shifts have taken off as quickly as cloud computing. The cloud is so pervasive today that many of us use it every day without thinking about it: downloading music, accessing e-mail on the go, logging into work environments from our mobile devices. Cloud is also becoming a tool for transformation in the business world as IT leaders look to cloud-based applications as an enabler of better workplace collaboration and productivity. Experts from IBM and IDC will discuss how businesses are using the cloud to:

• Become a catalyst for unlocking value.
• Speeding time to revenue and helping to eliminate organizational silos — leading to valuable business benefits.
• Access clients can reach across geographies, where they may not have an IT footprint.
• Connect people more seamlessly, eliminating barriers to collaboration.
• Free up IT to focus on other critical priorities, paving the way for better business outcomes.

Why Should You Attend?

• Gain insight into how companies are approaching social business.
• Learn how embracing the spirit of collaboration and community — internally and externally — can deliver unprecedented return for the time invested.
• Develop a roadmap for increasing collaboration in your organization.
• Submit questions directly to our panelists for a live Q&A session during the hour

Date: Thursday, August 16, 2012 Time: 11:00 am PT/2:00 pm ET Duration: 60 minutes Sponsored by IBM, presented by Cloud Connect

Panel Moderator: Ted Brufke, US SaaS Leader, IBM Collaboration Solutions

Ted Brufke is the NA SmartCloud Sales Leader for the ICS portfolio and has been leading this effort since the products we introduced in the market place in early 2009. Ted came to IBM in 2005 as part of the PureEdge Software acquisition where his responsibilities included the solution rollout in North and South America. He was also a key part of the launch of IBM Connections in 2007 and served as the IBM Collaboration leader for the Eastern US in 2008. Prior to joining IBM he worked at EDS, Software AG, Tandem Computers and Exodus Communications.

Ted is a graduate of Villanova University and the University of Pennsylvania.

Robert Mahowald, Research Vice President, IDC

Robert Mahowald is a Research Vice President at IDC and leads the SaaS & Cloud Services practice as well as co-leads IDC’s Cloud Services: Global Overview program. Mr. Mahowald is well-known as a subject matter expert in the areas of SaaS, IT Cloud services and collaboration, and his research and commentary has appeared in trade journals and publications including The Wall Street Journal, USAToday, The New York Times, and Investor’s Business Daily.

A 12-year industry veteran, Mr. Mahowald previously led research for IDC’s Collaborative Computing practice, in areas such as Unified Communications, Web conferencing and team collaboration. Before joining IDC, Mr. Mahowald was an officer in the US Army, earning the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in his 26 year career of active and reserve service. Mr. Mahowald earned his B.A. from the University of Iowa, in Iowa City, IA., and his M.A. from Wesleyan University, in Middletown, CT.

Matt Engstrom, Sales Leader – SmartCloud for Social Business, Messaging & Collaboration Software, IBM

Matt has been working with Lotus Software since 1997. He worked as a billable consultant in the IBM Business Partner community, doing Domino infrastructure and architecture work, and mail migrations. He moved to IBM/Lotus in 1999 and work in technical sales in the midwest region through 2011. In 2012, Matt moved to Sales Leadership role, and now covers SmartCloud for Social Business sales in the western USA and Canada.
Bryan Hendricks, Director – Enterprise Architecture, VWR International

Host:

Steve Wylie, General Manager, Cloud Connect

Conference industry veteran Steve Wylie has been involved with some of the World’s leading business technology conferences for the past 15 years. As the General Manager for UBM TechWeb’s Cloud Connect brand, Steve is the driving force behind the defining cloud event for IT professionals, developers, and leading cloud providers. Steve is a regular columnist on InformationWeek.com and serves on the Social Networking advisory board at HR.com. Steve formerly chaired the Enterprise 2.0 Conferences and co-chaired the annual Interop conferences in Las Vegas and New York. Prior to running conferences, Steve managed Interop’s renowned InteropNet, including a multi-vendor test lab geared to evaluate, improve and showcase early implementations of open-standard IT infrastructure technologies. Steve can be found on twitter @swylie650

Tags: cloud cloud computing collaboration IBM

A blog entry from Scott Bils, the Organizational Readiness & Business Cases Track Chair.

GE’s Jack Welch once stated, “Change before you have to.” While it’s certainly sage advice, with virtually everything in the cloud computing world evolving so rapidly – the offerings, the providers, the implementation strategies, and the buyers, who these days are most typically business users rather than IT – it’s dauntingly difficult to decide what, how, when and with whom to change.

Yet, following in the footsteps of the highly successful, inaugural Organizational Readiness track at the Cloud Connect conference in February 2012, the sessions at the September 11-12 event in Chicago are all designed to cut through the clutter, and provide deep insights on the organizational issues that are threatening to thwart cloud-oriented next generation IT success.

In “New World Order: Your Dev Team Just Became the CIO” session, industry analyst Vanessa Alvarez and Cisco’s Laura Cooney will discuss the emergence of developers as decision makers, what organizations are doing to adjust to this revolution, the technologies to look at, and pitfalls to avoid.

With budgets increasingly migrating to “shadow” IT driven by business users, it is more critical than ever for CIOs to understand how to serve and enable this new buyer group in a next generation IT environment. During the “Tough Questions You Need to Ask” session, business users who have driven major cloud initiatives will provide answers to questions CIOs may be afraid to ask.

The panel session “Hard Choices in Enterprise Cloud Adoption” will feature three 15-minute drill-down presentations that provide insight into the major choices and decisions organizations face around:

• Open versus Closed Cloud Infrastructures, and the pros and cons of each
• Forklift versus Greenfield, and how to determine if you should first focus on moving existing applications to a virtualized environment, or deploy a new infrastructure for greenfield applications
• Now versus Later, to help CIOs evaluate whether they should accelerate or put a hold on their
  enterprises’ move to the cloud

“Current Thinking in Addressing Persistent Cloud Challenges” will examine Security and Compliance, Performance, Vendor Management and Lock-In issues, and provide practical, real-world examples of how panelists’ and other organizations are creatively addressing them.

If you haven’t yet registered for Cloud Connect, I hope you’ll visit the conference registration page and sign up today. Use code TFPQCH02 to receive 25% off conference passes or claim a free expo pass. You’ll unquestionably gain strategic, tactical and actionable insights on how to shine much needed light into all things cloud. As Chair of the Organizational Readiness track, I look forward to seeing you in Chicago in September!

Tags: adoption Chicago CIO Cisco cloud cloud adoption cloud computing cloud connect Cloud Connect 2012 design PaaS

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

A blog entry from ROI, TCO, and Cloud Economics Track Chair Joe Weinman.

IT, in terms of both applications and the infrastructure to run them, is becoming increasingly pervasive in our society, with the cloud playing a larger and larger role.  CIOs and business executives understandably need to consider how best to leverage this technology.  Is IT just plumbing, as relevant to the strategic needs of the business as, say, parking lot design or lighting fixture selection?  Or is it a strategic weapon that when wielded properly can win battles, or even wars, in today’s hyper-competitive global marketplace? Continue Reading »

Tags: Chicago CIO cloud cloud adoption cloud computing cloud connect Cloud Connect 2012 Economics Google PaaS ROI TCO

I recently had the opportunity to speak to Jocelyn DeGance Graham, founder of CloudNOW, a nonprofit executive consortium of the leading women in cloud computing. CloudNOW is hosting their “Legacy Award” program at Cloud Connect Chicago and hosted their first annual “Top 10 Women in Cloud” awards program at Cloud Connect Santa Clara.  Below is a recap of our conversation.

Cloud Connect: When was CloudNow founded?

Jocelyn: We founded CloudNow almost a year ago – August 15 of last year. Continue Reading »

Tags: Architecture Chicago CIO Cisco cloud cloud adoption cloud computing cloud connect Cloud Connect Santa Clara 2012 CloudNow diversity F5 Forrester Research HP IBM Silicon Valley Terremark