Cloud Technology...Where's the Value?

     Whenever technology is under consideration the first question that is asked or should be asked is, where is the value for me? When looking at Cloud Solutions to assign a value it can be a bit of a challenge. There is no hardware to write off, the software that is utilized is the same software that is used on a physical device, and finally what about my data, or the security of my data? Looking at these three factors that can make up a network there is value or Cloud Value in all areas.
     First, when looking at the hardware aspect of cloud computing there is huge value. A start up company with limited capital can invest in Cloud Solutions to allow users to work remotely from their homes reducing rent or construction costs and thus allocate those funds to an area where revenues can be generated. If users are using their own computers to access the company Cloud structure then infrastructure costs are going to lower as providing everyone with a computer is not required immediately, further stretching those venture capital funds that were awarded. Hardware is starting to become full of Cloud Value. The value grows from there when you look at the costs associated with building an infrastructure to support the human capital and the software capital that most major tech firms require, the Cloud Value soars. Hiring staff is easier, Cloud Solutions allow a company to throttle the requirements to match the output. Need more memory, allocate it. Need more virtual desktops to match employees, allocate it. Need more processing capabilities, allocate it. With the flexibility that can be achieved with Cloud Solutions, finding Cloud Value is easy.
         If a Cloud Solution is utilizing the same software that I have on my physical machine why not just continue to do what we have always done? The easiest play in business is to become complacent, but it is not always the safest. Imagine if Columbus had agreed with everyone else that the world was flat and at some point you would sail over the edge, where would we be now? Or Edison not finding a filament that would burn long enough or bright enough to produce the light bulb? Took him 99 tries to find the right combination. Business is no different, if you do not evolve then you will be passed over. Taking this from the aspect of an IT admin. Deploying software updates or versions can take days if not weeks to get everyone on the same version and updated. Then comes the responsibility of bug fixes and pushing that those patches out, then the issues of capability, then the issues of a computer crashing, and from there the responsibilities snow ball until at your IT staff is completely consumed with maintaining the course rather then improving the infrastructure. Where's the value in that? The value is in the Cloud. Imagine pushing out a new software suite in hours rather than weeks, repairing a computer crash in seconds rather than order new hardware, test a new code patch in a virtual environment before pushing it to everyone in the company? Now we can see the value, or the Cloud Value.
     Where is the security? In today's environment it is difficult to let your data be out of sight. With a virtual environment this idea of security can be a huge issue for many companies. If my data is not on my network or my network is all virtual then how do I protect that data? Cloud environments that are built with security in mind. Encrypted lines, meeting both FDIC and HIPPA regulations are industry standard. So if your own network does not have this as a function of your company utilizing a Cloud network will provide your company the necessary support for your needs. Value added with heighten security adds value to your infrastructure. Going back to the first Cloud Value, if you have employees accessing your Cloud network how do you protect your data from falling into the wrong hands either by theft or by simply leaving your data in a bar down the street from your office? Since nothing is on the physical machine if a laptop or cell phone gets left behind there is no information stored on that device to lose. User access accounts can be created for every individual at every level. There is no need to have an open network, cloud infrastructures add value by allowing users to have access to only the items they need to have access to. Cloud Value at every level.
     So if you find yourself asking where the value is in Cloud Solutions and whether there is value for your company the answer is YES! Cloud technology is the evolution of technology and should be in every discussion your company has about your infrastructure, and as the movement grows there will be more advancements to the infrastructure made. Looking at  the Cloud Value for your company you may surprise yourself with how valuable the cloud can be.

How does your company utilize the cloud and where do you see Cloud Value? Continue the discussion below.

How The Cloud Can Change the K-12 Landscape

      A lot of attention has been paid to how the "Cloud", and Cloud Solutions are the saving grace of small businesses. Allowing companies to grow without the initial upfront investment of technology infrastructures, allows companies to allocate those funds to different departments for development. Solutions range from providing mobility to employees, to allowing IT staff to allocate resources and applications in reduced time frames. These are all great reasons to compel any company to consider taking their infrastructure to the Cloud, but what about school districts?

      The benefits that companies achieve by migrating to the cloud, streamlined support, reduced energy consumption, mobility, deploying applications quickly, the list goes on and on. School districts that have seen their budgets cut should be looking at ways of getting a higher return on their investment. Schools that purchase software utilized by students on a traditional network are taking advantage of their investment for only 8 hours a day, at most. By migrating to a cloud infrastructure those same students could have 24/7 access to the tools that the district invests large sums of money in.
      
       Dog ate my homework....

       Everyone has heard the excuses used by students for why they don't have their homework. What if you had the ability to control students, no not in a Jedi mind trick way, but in a real sense of controlling how students learn. Imagine, if a student is working from home and the computer they are using crashes, everything that student has done is gone, forever. Pictures created in kindergarten, book reports from 5th grade, research projects from high school, all gone. An entire road map of that students progress completely gone in an electronic blue smoke filled second. Now imagine the same scenario but, the student is accessing their Cloud, the same computer goes up in an electronic blue smoke filled second. The student gets up moves to another computer logs into their cloud and picks up where they left off with the same session running continuously in a high availability environment.
      IT staffing has always been an issue with school districts. In a past life I worked with school districts in another capacity and many times found myself speaking with English teachers, or Math teachers who had some computer experience. Due to the scale of a district and the logistics with supporting the various locations of data centers, districts would simply pass IT responsibilities to the most knowledgeable person at that location. Many times without the training necessary to support a district properly. With cloud solutions the complexity of monitoring many different workstations can be done from one central location. One individual could monitor an entire virtual network from one physical location lowering IT costs associated with downtime, help desk requests, and travel expenses.
    
       With school districts constantly looking for ways to increase access to curriculum and decreasing expenses, cloud technology can provide the solution to many of the issues school districts face.

Musings from a Cloud CMO

 

       Cloud solutions are not going anywhere. You have two choices, either get on board or get left behind. Many IT professionals are singing praises over how great and wonderful Cloud infrastructures are, but that is their job. They understand the back end technologies that go into producing Cloud infrastructures, and they are amazed at how incredibly intricate the design of the server casing is. They relish in the ability to play with configuration settings, and bandwidth tests, but the truth is that the end user who comes in to work every morning, turns on their computer to immediately read about press halting news from sources like Facebook and Twitter, well they just don't care what virtual farm they are accessing this information from, how much bandwidth they are utilizing, all they care about is that it works. That's where this blog comes in. I will be exploring how our company is deploying Cloud solutions for our clients, breaking, "The Cloud" down, and providing information on the changes that are on the horizon for Cloud Solutions.
       As Chief Marketing Officer for a technology consulting firm, we are knee deep in soft, fuzzy cloud technology and we are working to bring that technology to as many companies, government agencies, doctors offices, lawyers, and even school districts we can. But, the main issue we face as a consulting firm is helping people understand the catch phrase, Cloud Solutions, and what it means for them.
     Cloud technology is new, immature, and exciting, all of which bring to mind many different scenarios for many different people. If you're a first mover, this is a great opportunity for your company to have the latest technology first. If you're slower to market it could mean that you are reviewing all options before making a decision and when that time comes, which should be sooner rather then later, Cloud technology could be for you. If your a dinosaur and still do math with an abacus then by the time you read this we will be flying around in hover cars, but by then, even you will utilize Cloud technology in some way.