Can data transparency be the future of outsourcing?

The benefits of storing data in the cloud are clear. However, as businesses are beginning to closely examine what having data in the cloud entails, they’re discovering that their relationships with cloud vendors are sometimes, well, cloudy.

In a 2015 Forrester Consulting survey, more than 60% of businesses said issues with transparency were stalling further expansion into the cloud. These organisations are justified in being wary, because knowing where data is going and how it is being treated is paramount.

I’ll explain why the next wave of successful cloud providers will compete on these issues rather than price, product or market.

The cloud computing effect: Better security for all

IT's paranoia about the cloud forced better security approaches to become the norm and helped on-premises deployments

Cloud computing offers lots of benefits, but improved security is not one that makes many IT lists. In fact, many -- perhaps even most -- IT pros still believe that cloud computing means a huge step backward in terms of security risk.

That doesn't seem to be the case. About 10 percent of our workloads now run on public clouds, and so far, so good.

Why? Ironically, partly because IT has been so paranoid about public clouds that it spent time and money to implement advanced security approaches such as identity and access management and to be more proactive about security measures.

Moreover, public cloud providers themselves understand the importance of security. If they get one cross-tenant hack, they are done for. Thus, providers consistently and proactively update security systems. Most enterprises would like to do the same, but they don't have the time or the budget, which leaves them comparatively more vulnerable.

Read More@ http://www.infoworld.com/article/3104547/cloud-security/the-cloud-computing-effect-better-security-for-all.html

Hybrid cloud security: What it is and best practices

A virtualized hybrid cloud infrastructure comes with the assurance of better business outcomes but the rapid transformation that accompanies cloud also leaves the infrastructure vulnerable to cyber attacks. This makes risk management critical for every enterprise. Since no two enterprises work exactly the same way, a standard risk tolerance profile cannot sustain the potential risks posed by technical hurdles.

How Cloud Technology Will Evolve In 2016

Cloud technology is huge. It's both the present and the future. Like anything with a future, it's continuing to evolve every single year. There are now more cloud contact centers than ever before. If you have anything to do with the cloud, you need to be aware of the changes that are hitting the industry.

In this guide, you are going to learn about some of the main trends that are forcing cloud technology to evolve over the coming year.

The Race is On for Data

This hybrid cloud world has sparked something of an arms race. Studies say that we tend to use more than one cloud at the same time. And that means that companies are going to be doing their best to get your data. Whether it's Amazon or Salesforce, the major cloud players are all competing to get your data.

Data is an asset to companies because they have all the information they need to sell their other services. In many ways, the grabbing of data for companies is like the grabbing of oil for countries. Every cloud service provider is going to aggressively grab your data.

In many ways, the cloud could evolve in a way that brings you closer to these big companies.

Software-Defined Networks Promise Innovation

SDNs complement software-defined servers and storage in agile, cost-effective data centers.

Among colleges and universities that have made the move to software-defined servers and to software-defined storage, many find that a third option — software-defined networking (SDN) — fits right in. The virtualization of these three pillars of the IT function into a software-defined data center (SDDC) offers high yield for less cost, making it a promising solution — think more agile, more efficient and cost-effective.

Indeed, as traditional networks have grown more complex, they risk becoming more hindrance than help. SDNs empower IT staff with the same agility they find in virtualization, offering big shortcuts in the amount of time it takes to deliver services. Software updates replace manual configuration of hardware components. Staff also benefit from the increased control of centralized network management. What’s more, SDNs provide these advantages at a lower cost than traditional networks, thanks to increased automation and reduced equipment costs.

Why Canadian businesses are turning to cloud-based data storage

Rogers Communcations SVP Charlie Wade talks about the climbing cost of storing your own data—and why borders still matter

Small to mid-sized businesses across Canada are faced with a problem—they’re collecting more data than ever before, and they need somewhere to store it. While many have their own in-house servers to do the job, these can require frequent maintenance, and, consequently, plenty of cash. To cut down on those costs, companies are increasingly turning to cloud-based data storage. Amazon Web Services was a pioneer in such low-cost data warehousing and remains one of the biggest providers, but for a variety of reasons—whether because companies want additional technical support or because regulations require them to store their data within Canada’s borders—many are looking around for other options. Rogers Communications (which owns Canadian Business) unveiled a new one today— the Rogers Public Cloud. We asked the company’s SVP of products and solutions, Charlie Wade, what Canadian companies are looking for from their cloud-computing providers now:

2016 set to be a defining year for the cloud

The results are in and it seems at its half way point, 2016 has been a defining year for cloud.

According to the 2016 Cloud Adoption Survey by Extreme Networks, private cloud is giving way to hybrid cloud - nearly half of large enterprises will go hybrid by the end of next year.