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Small Business Empowerment Through Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is said to be the SMBs’ “secret weapon” for success.

An article in Microsoft Dynamics blog entitled, “The Small Business Revolution” does not only emphasize the abundance of benefits that cloud computing offers, which ultimately gives SMB’s:

• An advantage to outpace competitors and streamline operations
• The ability to eliminate capital expenditures
• A more secure and reliable delivery of computing capability

The emphasis of this article is on the transformation from a traditional to a leaner model where computing power is delivered as a service. That now, small businesses having access to Fortune 500 network infrastructure and enterprise-class application and software becomes possible.

In what other aspects does cloud computing empower small businesses? Visit Microsoft Dynamics blog and read the rest of the article to find out how this new technology improves business processes and at the same time, drives them towards efficiency.

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Friday Cloud News Roundup

Cloud Storage for MLB 12 The Show

PS3 players for MLB The Show Game can now save their games to the cloud, as written in an article in Slashgear. This new option makes the system more versatile as the player can easily access a recently played game. This also gives a reliable backup in case of errors.

Read the full article and find out the other new features including the ability to access the game and user data via Playstation Vita at Slashgear.

VMWare’s Cloud Solutions Marketplace

SMB’s to enterprise customers now have a new venue to find business solutions. According to an article in echannelline, the VMWare Solution Exchange was launched recently – this is an online virtualization and cloud solutions marketplace.

As a one-stop place for selling and buying solutions, customers can expect to see:

• More than 2,000 technology partners
• More than 3,500 applications
• 6,000 infrastructure products

… all of which, of course, are compatible with VMWare products.

The goal here is to empower customers to easily find and purchase what they need and help technology partners allowing them to deliver their products in a centralized location.

Highlights of this new technology also involves social media and five-star rating components. Visit echannelline to discover and further read about these new features.

Digital Menu Boards are Now Cloud-Based

The cloud has reached the digital signage market. An article in PR.com talks about the launch of digital menu boards by Digital Menu Me – a leading provider or digital menu boards – in collaboration with Revel Systems iPad POS system.

These are the advantages of the new system:

• Prevents delayed orders
• Eliminates hassle of reprogramming menu boards
• Easily update on product inventory
• Ability to dispatch installers anywhere in the country

This time-saving, innovative and cost-effective solution can be installed using a 40-inch Samsung internet-enabled television.

Read the full article on this new cloud-based technology on digital menu boards at PR.com now.

Research Grants Received by Doctoral Students for Cloud Computing Research

Cloud computing is also becoming a hot topic in the academe. One indicator is the offering of cloud computing degrees to satisfy the demand for cloud computing experts in the IT industry.

Persistent Systems, a global company specializing in cloud computing research, analytics and business intelligence solutions has given a $100,000 grant to be equally divided to two doctoral students of Indiana University.

One student will concentrate on the development of applications to support scientific research through cloud computing, while the other one will focud on developing methods to improve software systems of disease prognosis.

By these initiatives, Persistent Systems hopes to develop new ideas and encourage student innovation using technology especially cloud computing.

Read the full article on this story, visit ZDNet.

The Army Turns to Cloud Computing to Meet Consolidation Target

The Army recently granted its first five-year, $250M cloud computing contract to several contractors to help create its own private cloud. These contractors include:

• Microtech
• Lockheed and Martin Corp.
• IBM

The project dubbed Army Private Cloud or APC2 consists of two suites namely the fixed hosted virtual operating environments and mobile data centers. Among many functions, this solution is expected be capable of deploying any scenarios within the United States as well as anywhere in the world. In compliance with the NIST, Microtech will also provide SaaS, PaaS and IaaS.

Aside from cost efficiency, this system has much more attractive advantages. Visit Greenbiz to read the complete article on APC2 and find out the full features of this private cloud.

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Environmental Solutions Go to the Cloud

Advanced positioning solutions provider, Trimble, recently came out with Connected Community Environmental – a cloud-based gas monitoring solution.

According to an article in Waste Management World, this innovative solution provides real-time management and deployment of siteFID landfill gas surface monitoring data. The way it works is that it allows field monitoring data to be uploaded to the cloud and become accessible real time to other team members via the internet.

Here are some characteristics and advantages from Connected Community Environmental:

• Files are version-controlled and updates to field data can be verified and tracked
• Helps workers streamline workflow and aid accuracy and compliance while on site
• Increased speed and efficiency for gathering review and visualization of monitoring data

According to Trimble’s portfolio manager, Ken Fossey, this solution provides a more secure, defendable and accessible environmental data management.

Read more about Trimble’s Connected Community Environmental and find out the latest technology in environmental efforts, visit Waste Management World.

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PaaS Leads Innovation of Business Use of Cloud Computing

Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) products are likely to evolve into a major component of the overall cloud computing market. This is according to Yefim Natis, Vice President and analyst at Gartner, as written in an article in echannelline.

According to him, at the rate of growth of PaaS offerings, the market will produce new programming models, new standards, new software and new market leaders by 2016.

The challenge ahead is how the market and major players would handle the tension between the short-term and long-term strategic imperative of PaaS as it will define the key developments in the market in the next few years.

Because of this, users and vendors that are not yet engaged with PaaS are encouraged to start getting into the technology if they want to be able to keep up with future challenges and fast-paced changes.

Read more about the article and see why PaaS is seen to be a t the apex of its strategic growth. Visit echannelline now.

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The Age of Cloud Brokers

An article in Data Center Dynamics talks about how cloud brokers are predicted to come into their own this 2012.

The idea of having a cloud broker for companies is starting to be accepted. Their roles are now being given value as they remove the complex decision-making from a cloud migration. Furthermore, it is also how they package the products and combine it with additional services that gives leverage to what they do.

According to Cordy’s product director Matt Davies, to provide cloud brokering services, the company needs to sit at an intersection of three points:

• Infrastructure
• Software
• Consulting

A couple of consulting firms have already begun providing these services, and it is expected that new players will enter the scene pretty soon.

Read more about cloud brokers and get more updates at datacenterdynamics.com

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Our articles are written to provide you with tools and information to meet your IT and cloud solution needs. Join us on Facebook and Twitter.