Given the soaring growth of cloud computing it is no wonder that businesses of all sizes hope to seize the opportunities afforded by cloud services—whether public, private or hybrid. Despite the opportunities, enterprises still face considerable barriers to adoption. IT and network leaders struggle with how best to leverage the power of the cloud amidst the challenges of security, the need to optimize network resources, and new network technologies such as Software Defined Networks (SDNs). The integration of private data networking technologies with cloud computing platforms can overcome these hurdles to adoption, if enterprises know the critical steps for a successful implementation.

A webcast, co-sponsored by XO Communications and 451 Research, will provide a roadmap and best practices for integrating private data networking technologies with cloud computing resources. Plus, submit your own questions when you register and we will address the top ten questions during the event.

Register now for this free webcast to learn how to maximize the benefits of cloud computing for your enterprise and for your bottom line.

Date: Tuesday, May 14, 2013  |  Time: 10:00 am PT/1:00 pm ET  |  Duration: 60 minutes

———————-

Presenters:

Eric Hanselman – Chief Analyst, 451 Research

Tom Schlatter – Executive Director of Network Engineering, XO Communications

Moderator:

Steve Wylie – General Manager, Cloud Connect

Tags: 451 Research adoption cloud cloud adoption cloud computing cloud connect cloud services hybrid clouds IT private clouds SDN XO Communications

SF Giants fans, outdoor activists, and runners… these are just a few interests shared by some of our recently added  Cloud Connect speakers.  The Cloud Connect 2013 speaker lineup includes top Tech VPs, analysts, PaaS experts, and cloud evangelists who are all leaders in their respective fields. Here are 9 must see speakers we have added to our conference agenda:

Ashesh Badani @asheshbadani

General Manager, Cloud BU and OpenShift, Red

Ben Kepes @benkepes

Blogger, Diversity Limited

Andre Kindness @AndreKindness

Principal Analyst, Forrester Research

Lisa Larson @rackerLLarson

VP of Enterprise Cloud Solutions, Rackspace

Avery Lyford @averylyford

Managing Director, Propell Solutions

John O’Farrell @johnofa

General Partner, Andreessen Horowitz

Neal Sample @nsample

Senior Vice President of Technology, American Express

Mark Settle @BMCSoftware

Chief Information Officer, BMC

Ann L. Winblad @Humwin

Co-Founder and Managing Director, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners

Check out the full speaker list for Cloud Connect here. Attendee favorites Barb Goldworm, Alistair Croll, and Jeremy Edberg will be returning and addressing new insights on the state of cloud computing, hybrid cloud environments and big data.

There is still time to reserve your Conference Pass to Cloud Connect Silicon Valley, taking place April 2-5 at the Santa Clara Convention Center. Register with priority code SMCCBlog and save up to $300* on your Cloud Connect All Access or Conference Pass.

Our speakers look forward to seeing you in a few weeks!

*Discount calculated based on the on-site price and not combinable with other offers. Offer good on new registrations only. Prices after discount applied: All Access: $2,099.00 Conference: $1,699.00, Workshop: 799.00, Expo Plus: $150.00,
Expo Only: Free

Tags: American Express Andreessen Horowitz cloud cloud computing cloud connect Forrester Research OpenShift private clouds Rackspace

A blog post by Infrastructure Track Chair, Bernard Golden, Vice President, Enterprise Solutions, enStratus Networks.

The concept of cloud computing is simple: computing resources offered across the network via self-service, providing elastic capacity from a resource pool carrying no long-term commitment and paid for on a per-use basis.

As the old saying goes: simple, but not easy. Providing cloud computing services requires a transformation in both infrastructure and operations processes, and this transformation is affecting all parts of the traditional computing infrastructure. Continue Reading »

Tags: Architecture cloud cloud adoption cloud computing cloud connect infrastructure networking Performance and Availability private clouds

Jared Wray is founder and CTO of Tier 3. Jared founded Tier 3 in 2006 and today is the visionary architect of the company’s enterprise-class cloud management platform. To enable customers moving to IT as a Service, Jared has architected Tier 3’s cloud with advanced automation, orchestration, and fabric services. As the originator of the Iron Foundry open source PaaS project, Wray is a thought leader in the evolution of enterprise cloud services. A serial entrepreneur, Wray previously founded Dual, an interactive development firm with clients such as Microsoft and Nintendo.

Here is an inside peek at his sessions at Cloud Connect:

• New Tools and Techniques for Managing Hybrid Cloud Environments
  • Adopting public and private cloud resources is becoming imperative for enterprises across nearly every industry in order to keep pace with escalating customer and end-user demands and intensifying competition. However, adding these Cloud resources to existing systems and software compounds the challenge of managing these complex operations and optimizing their performance while controlling their costs. This session will examine these challenges and discuss exciting new technologies and management best practices that can help IT professionals overcome these challenges.
• Hybrid Cloud – Can You Get the Best of Both Cloud Worlds
  • There are strong pros and cons to both Public and Private Clouds. Many enterprises like the idea of either one or both, but the realities have not lived up to the ideal. This session will explore the pros and cons of private and public clouds, including the best use cases and scenarios for private, public and hybrid cloud initiatives, the financial implications, and whether/how hybrid clouds might give the best of both clouds.

Register with priority code SMCCBlog and save up to $300* on your Cloud Connect All Access or Conference Pass.

*Discount calculated based on the on-site price and not combinable with other offers. Offer good on new registrations only. Prices after discount applied: All Access: $2,099.00 Conference: $1,699.00, Workshop: 799.00, Expo Plus: $150.00,
Expo Only: Free

Tags: cloud cloud adoption cloud computing cloud connect CTO hybrid clouds private clouds Tier 3

IT professionals today are dealing with a lot of challenges to make sure that their department is running in an efficient and productive manner. Staying up with the latest releases of products, putting out small fires within their organization, keeping their data centers cool and of course the cloud, which is constantly hanging overhead. LOB executives want to make sure their organization is prepared for the future in terms of IT productivity and the words they keep hearing are: The Cloud! I’m pretty sure Sys Admins cringe every time those words are mentioned, but they do know it is an important aspect to their IT framework.  However there are so many types of cloud computing deployment models to consider, that it can make your head feel like a cloud. Here are a few examples of cloud computing deployment models that are out there right now: Continue Reading »

Tags: adoption Architecture cloud cloud adoption cloud computing cloud connect IaaS PaaS private clouds utility computing

Troy Angrignon is a sales and marketing executive with sixteen years experience in the IT arena, spanning network consulting services, enterprise software, software as a service, web 2.0 software, and cloud computing. As VP Sales & Marketing, Troy is responsible for working with the team to ensure that Cloudscaling is building market focused solutions that serve our client’s business needs.
Continue Reading »

Tags: CIO cloud cloud computing cloud connect hybrid clouds private clouds

What do names like VMware, Oracle, Cisco, and IBM all have in common? They are participating in Cloud Connect Silicon Valley 2013. The Conference and Expo program is filling up with leading industry players making Cloud Connect Silicon Valley the must attend cloud event for 2013!

Industry heavy hitters SoftLayer, Red Hat, VMware, Oracle, Rackspace and Citrix will be taking center stage at this year’s Conference and Expo. With all the news recently surrounding these key players the Expo will be nothing short of exciting. Issues including hybrid cloud management, security, and open cloud will be pushed front and center.

The Cloud Connect Conference also boasts some notable sessions including speakers from Netflix, Amazon Web Services, and Citrix to name a few. Here’s our list of the top 5 must attend sessions:

1. Netflix and Amazon Web Services Case Study: Strategy and Economics of the Cloud

• Jinesh Varia, Technology Evangelist, Amazon Web Services
• Adrian Cockcroft, Director, Architecture, Netflix

2. Delivering Enterprise Applications and User Access in the Cloud

• Lori MacVittie, Senior Technical Marketing Manager, F5 Networks

3. Managing Data in the Mobile Cloud

• Jesse Lipson, VP of Data Sharing, Citix

4. Juicing the Cloud: Getting the Most Out of Your Application

• Wayne Walls, Developer Advocate, Rackspace

5. Softening the Network: Virtualization, the Final Frontier

• Steve Riley, Technical Leader, Riverbed Technology

That is just a snapshot of the topics and speakers that will be covered. Preview the full Conference lineup here. Early Bird registration ends in two weeks, register now and save yourself $500 on Conference Passes.

We look forward to seeing you in April!

Tags: amazon web services Citrix cloud cloud computing cloud connect F5 mobile Netflix private clouds Rackspace

Cloud Connect was recently named one of the Top Cloud Computing Events of 2013 by Enterprise CIO Forum. We are proud to have topped the list and be named the Conference and Expo where IT professionals come for the latest cloud computing training and information. Here are 10 reasons why you should register and join us April 2-5 in Silicon Valley:

10) SEE NEW PRODUCTS. Find new solutions to your cloud, security, infrastructure and projects.

9) ENGAGE WITH MULTIPLE COMPANIES AT ONE TIME. Meet with 100+ industry leaders including VMware, Citrix, Cisco, Softlayer, Rackspace, IBM, Oracle and more!

8 ) SEE SPECIFIC COMPANIES OR PRODUCTS. Ready to renegotiate service agreements and/or upgrade to the next version? Make the most of your time by scheduling meetings at Cloud Connect.

7) CREATE AND STRENGTHEN PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS. Grab breakfast, lunch or a beer and make connections that will help you throughout the year.

6) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. Learn from peers, analysts and other end users in the Cloud Connect Conference sessions including cloud & big data, virtualization, security, and how to build private and public clouds.

5) KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON INDUSTRY TRENDS AND ISSUES. Hear industry experts and end users discuss use cases and best practices surrounding their cloud migration. Check out the 2013 Keynote Speakers.

4) SEE EXISTING SUPPLIERS. Gain insight into competition and find what others are delivering or how they are providing service.

3) NETWORK WITH COLLEAGUES. With so many like-minded professionals under one roof, learn how others are tackling similar problems in your industry.

2) SEE PRODUCTS “IN-PERSON” FIRST REVIEWED ONLINE. Touch, test and question all the new technologies you’ve read about.

1) DEEP DIVE WORKSHOPS. Gain new skills and help advance your career by attending one of Cloud Connects Workshops including Big Data, Cloud Crash Course, Advanced Cloud Courses, and Navigating PaaS.

BONUS REASON) An incredible value! Register now and pay just $1,899 for all 4 days of actionable content, invaluable connections and essential training.

Register today and experience why Cloud Connect topped the list!
PS: Want to send the team? You can save 30% for your group, just email one of our registration experts to learn more.

Tags: amazon web services Architecture CIO Cisco cloud cloud adoption cloud computing cloud connect Performance and Availability private clouds ROI TCO

It’s a big day for the Silicon Valley event…Cloud Connect just announced their keynote speaker lineup.  Presenting a high caliber of thought leaders in the cloud space is of the utmost priority and it’s exciting to see who will be hitting the mainstage in April.  To date, looks like the stellar lineup of speakers includes:

• Alistair Croll, Vice President, CloudOps Research
• Lew Tucker, VP & CTO Cloud Computing, Cisco
• William Ruh, VP & Global Technology Director, General Electric
• Michael Barrett, Chief Information Security Officer, PayPal, Inc.
• Joe Weinman, Author of Cloudonomics & SVP, Cloud Services & Strategy, Telx
• Duke Skarda, Chief Technology Officer, SoftLayer
• Dave McCrory, SVP of DSP Engineering, Warner Music Group

It’s fundamental that the keynote speakers be able to present Cloud Connect attendees with relevant, vendor neutral information and education that can help them shape their business strategy.  As such, it appears to be a good blend of visionaries and practitioners who can wrangle and speak to the latest insights in cloud technologies and use-cases.  Looking forward to seeing what meaningful ways Cisco, GE, PayPal, SoftLayer and more pair down and explore the wide range of innovation in the cloud.

If you’d like more insight on these folks, check out their bios on the Cloud Connect keynote page.

———————————-
Joylyn Tanner
PR Manager
UBM Tech

Tags: CIO Cisco cloud cloud adoption cloud computing cloud connect CTO General Electric PaaS Pay Pal private clouds SaaS SoftLayer Telx Warner Music Group

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