Deadline: 5 March 2009
Publication date: Articles will run through the
month of April 2009
Editorial contact:features@computerweekly.com
Overview
This article will cover the evolution of cloud computing from
the bureau services of the 1960s to Amazon EC2 and beyond. It will
also cover how the services companies are extending outsourcing to
encompass cloud computing services.
IT security in the cloud
How safe is the cloud? How do you know your data will not be
stolen? How do you ensure classified data stays classified in the
cloud? These are the questions IT directors and CIOs are now asking
before they embark on serious cloud computing strategies.
The SME opportunity
Cloud computing allows SMEs businesses to compete better with
larger firms. In theory, the cloud allows you to by processing
power and storage at very low cost. Moreover, data is backed up
easily and can quickly be shared across regions – even globally –
without the need for expensive networking. Each division simply
connects into the internet cloud with a single link using a hub and
spoke model. This means that smaller businesses can radically slash
IT operations costs. The article will feature examples of SME
businesses adopting cloud computing.
Cloud and the IT supplier community
The article will cover how the main IT suppliers are working
with cloud computing. The article will focus on R+D, covering the
limitations of cloud and how the industry is addressing these
issues.
Hardware in the cloud
This article is about hardware as a service. Long before Amazon
EC2, companies were offering bureau service for IT systems. The
article will trace the history of paying for Mips, storage and MBps
on a per use basis. How is this usage pricing evolving in the era
of cloud computing. We will look at the strategy of suppliers like
IBM, HP, EMC, Hitachi, BT, C&W, Colt etc.
Killer cloud applications
Cloud Computing can be used to help businesses solve complex
data sharing that would be near impossible or too expensive using
any other means. It can be used in a complex supply chains to share
information very easily.
It’s almost impossible to link up all ERP and supply chain
systems from different companies in a supply chain. So how do
businesses keep track of an order – which is important for auditing
– like traceability? One option is to have each partner business in
the supply chain to upload reports into the cloud. Everyone in the
chain can then see all the relevant information. This is far easier
to do than point-to-point integration between enterprise
systems.