What cloud computing really means

Cloud computing is all the rage. "It's become the phrase du jour," says Gartner senior analyst Ben Pring, echoing many of his peers. The problem is that (as with Web 2.0) everyone seems to have a different definition.

As a metaphor for the Internet, "the cloud" is a familiar cliché, but when combined with "computing," the meaning gets bigger and fuzzier. Some analysts and vendors define cloud computing narrowly as an updated version of utility computing: basically virtual servers available over the Internet. Others go very broad, arguing anything you consume outside the firewall is "in the cloud," including conventional outsourcing. [ Stay on top of the state of the cloud with InfoWorld's "Cloud Computing Deep Dive" special report. Download it today! | Also check out our "Private Cloud Deep Dive," our "Cloud Security Deep Dive," our "Cloud Storage Deep Dive," and our "Cloud Services Deep Dive." ]

  

Cloud computing comes into focus only when you think about what IT always needs: a way to increase capacity or add capabilities on the fly without investing in new infrastructure, training new personnel, or licensing new software. Read more.

Global Cloud Computing Market In Healthcare Industry Report 2013 - 2018

This market is analyzed by using concepts such as market dynamics including drivers, restraints and opportunities along with their impact analysis and market attractiveness analysis.

The market is segmented on the basis of cloud types into: Public, private and hybrid cloud. A detailed trend analysis of all the segments with market evaluation in terms of revenue generated with respect to the applications and geography is available in this report.

The market is also segmented on the basis of geography into: North America, Europe, Asia and rest of the world (RoW) regions. Geography wise, market evaluation is available in terms of revenue from 2012 to 2018. Read more.

SDN Market To Surge As Cloud Computing Grows, Research Firm Says

The software-defined networking (SDN) market will grow sixfold during the next five years, fueled by cloud computing, according to the Dell’Oro Group.

According to the firm's Data Center Disruptors Advanced Research Report, the majority of this market will be composed of Ethernet switches and network security appliances, which are projected to represent 75% of total sales revenue in 2013.

"The data center portion of the Ethernet Switch market that sells into enterprises is plateauing," Alan Weckel, vice president at Dell’Oro Group, said in an email interview. "But the surge [in] cloud deployments is causing the overall data center portion of the Ethernet switch market to grow. It is likely that SDNs biggest impact over the next several years will occur in the cloud -- both public and private -- and not in traditional enterprise data centers." Read more.

 

Cloud-Based Networks at Cloud Computing Expo 2013

Cloud computing has changed the world. First, applications and data moved in the cloud, leveraging anytime, anywhere access. Second, infrastructure moved into the cloud, which has yielded lower overall costs, less IT admin management and infinite scalability. Then why has it taken networks so long to utilize cloud computing? 

In a world where companies are constantly striving to be faster, smarter and more efficient, it's clear that cloud-based networks are the next frontier. Read more.

Swisscom builds 'Swiss Cloud' as spying storm rages

Swisscom is building a "Swiss Cloud" that could loosen the grip of U.S. technology giants and attract foreign companies looking for a way to shield sensitive data from the prying eyes of foreign intelligence services.

Companies are increasingly turning to cloud computing - an umbrella term for technology services such as email and business software offered remotely via the Internet instead of on-site - to cut costs and add flexibility to their IT departments.

But revelations that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) secretly gathered user data from nine big U.S. tech companies including Google, Apple and Facebook has demonstrated that privacy for users of cloud services can be compromised, and some suggest customers could seek out alternatives to the dominant U.S. providers to try and protect sensitive information. Read more.