WOLF Weekly Cloud Sum-up, February 15, 2013

While software has been “eating the world” for years in the consumer world, now start-up software is infiltrating even the largest of enterprises at an ever increasing rate. Today’s enterprise-grade datacenter infrastructure makes it easier than ever for startups to rapidly build and deploy disruptive software. This is the basis for applications like Box.net, Marketo, and Nimble that quickly emerged as “must-have” software.

1. Quickly Start-up
2. Scale Simply and Easily
3. Efficient Cost Structure
4. More flexibility
5. Do what you do best

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New guidelines eliminate PCI as a barrier to cloud adoption

You know a trend is picking up steam when the security standards bodies start issuing guidelines. So it's good news that the Payment Card Industry trade group, whose PCI Security Standards Council's standards dictate how most electronic payment transactions are handled, has come out with its guidelines for cloud security (PDF). In even better news, they're worth reading, with solid lessons for IT.

Will cloud computing applications become the golden record for customer data?

It has long been thought that the place to find the most accurate information about customers is in a company's enterprise resource planning system. But some within the IT industry say cloud computing applications -- and specifically Software as a Service-based sales applications like Salesforce.com -- may eventually become the place to find the most up-to-date customer data. A subtle shift in power may be underway.

Get prepared for cloud-based computing

Businesses considering switching to cloud-based computing can now access free guidance on how to secure their privacy in the cloud. The Privacy Commissioner released a checklist today of potential questions small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) can use when working out whether a change to cloud computing may suit them. Cloud computing is the name commonly given to computer resources such as data storage being delivered as a service via the internet. Commissioner Marie Shroff said many SMEs were flying blind with the range of options, providers and risks involved in cloud computing including ensuring that their client and staff information remains safe.

Rackspace Down On Slowing Cloud Computing Growth

Rackspace Hosting (RAX) late Tuesday reported fourth-quarter sales below estimates, as cloud computing growth slowed, sending shares down in after-hours trading. Rackspace said Q4 revenue rose 24.5% to $352.9 million. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected sales of $355.4 million. Rackspace posted Q4 profit, minus items, of 21 cents a share, up 17% from a year earlier, in-line with estimates. Rackspace garnered 24.7% of Q4 sales from cloud computing products, up from 20.6% in the year-earlier period. Rackspace said cloud sales rose to $87.3 million in Q4, up 49% from the year-earlier quarter.

We hope these short sum-ups on Cloud Computing are helping you to take a knowledgeable approach towards moving to the cloud. Stay tuned for more sum-ups on in the forthcoming week.

Don’t forget to add your comments and suggestions. I will have more around the cloud a week later.

Santanu Das

Marketing Evangelist, WOLF Frameworks

NOTE: The views expressed above are purely personal and for informational purposes only. WOLF FRAMEWORKS INDIA PVT. LTD. MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.