Greetings!
We have been getting quite a few questions lately regarding cloud computing. We address this topic with "the basics" in this issue, and will continue to do so over the next few months. We also found a few more articles that might interest you, purely from a factual basis. Thank you for your continued support and enjoy your upcoming Labor Day weekend! Regards, Boris Jordanov FrontGate Technology Solutions, LLC |
The Clouds Roll In
Baseline, Samuel Greengard 7/23/12 
Cloud computing is rapidly rolling into the mainstream of business and IT. The technology is revolutionizing the way organizations manage infrastructure and business processes. It's safe to say that cloud computing has emerged as a molten-hot topic. The ability to tap into infrastructure, services and applications on demand is both tempting and unsettling. Yet, somewhere between all the hype and paranoia lies a basic but important reality: "The cloud is a thoroughly disruptive technology that has a significant impact on companies, IT organizations and overall business strategies," states David Nichols, CIO Services Leader for consulting firm Ernst & Young.
Moreover, unlike most technologies that are "born, live and eventually die" within the IT organization, clouds transcend IT and the standard business model, Nichols notes. Clouds can impact an organization in a number of ways, including the ability to scale infrastructure, streamline applications and business processes, provide a higher level of connectedness and collaboration, and manage data more efficiently. In many cases, "It gives people the tools to do their jobs better," he adds. What also makes the cloud-based storage appliance so attractive is the install-and-forget aspect of the technology.
Clouds frequently drive new behaviors and workflows into a business. Organizations may initially adopt a cloud to reduce costs, standardize IT or provide dynamic scaling, but, along the way, they often discover that the cloud allows them to remap business processes. Employees are able to interact and collaborate in new and more powerful ways.
The rapid growth of clouds isn't likely to slow anytime soon. Tata Consultancy reports that customer-facing applications and business processes are currently the major drivers for cloud adoption, but the reasons for using clouds are growing. The company reports that 78 percent of U.S. organizations rely on clouds to standardize applications and business processes. Other drivers include reducing IT costs (71 percent), increasing application flexibility (71 percent), improving data and trend analysis (65 percent), making faster application enhancements (65 percent) and reducing application downtime (54 percent).
5 Keys to making your clouds fly:
1. Understand your business objectives and desired service levels.
2. Create a road map and clearly defined plan.
3. Address high-value tactical problems first.
4. Contract with a trusted provider and negotiate a sound SLA.
5. Focus on security. |
iPhone Addiction Reaches New Heights
Baseline, Dennis McCafferty 6/27/12
It is now capable of storing more than 500,000 Apple-approved apps. Its "latest/greatest" version sold 4 million units in its first weekend on the market. And customers speak of their devotion to this device in almost religious terms. In fact, the press has dubbed it "the Jesus phone." We're talking, of course, about the iPhone, which recently marked its five-year birthday. Apparently, our dependence on this multifaceted gadget is reaching uncharted territory as well, according to a recent survey from Gazelle, a consumer electronics trade-in site. Consumers are more than willing to make all kinds of sacrifices to stay connected to their iPhones. And because the iPhone's capabilities are so diverse, its owners are getting rid of a slew of personal gadgets once considered "must haves." (When was the last time you saw anyone using a camera?) More than 1,000 iPhone users took part in the research. Here are the results:
1. 65% of survey respondents say they can't live without their iPhone; only 1% say they can't live without Facebook.
2. 15% say they'd rather give up sex for a weekend than go without their iPhone for a weekend.
3. Nearly 70% say they've gotten rid of their iPods or MP3 players since buying an iPhone.
4. 55% of survey respondents have given up their cameras since getting an iPhone.
5. More than 40% have turned in their GPS units since getting an iPhone.
6. 58% "usually" or "occasionally" use their iPhone in social settings such as a meal or party.
7. 85% have used their iPhones in the bathroom.
8. 40% of consumers say they'd like to see a bigger screen in the next iPhone version. |
15 Fast Facts About Google
Baseline, Dennis McCafferty 8/12/12
It's been dubbed one of the most innovative companies in history and the best place to work on the planet, but it's also facing major controversies on issues of privacy and business practices. We're talking about Google, of course. Given that the company now employs more than 33,000 people worldwide and commands annual revenues of nearly $38 billion, it's difficult to believe that it's only 14 years old and started out as a doctoral research project conducted by founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin at Stanford University. No matter how you personally feel about Google, the company's constant expansion and inventiveness have made it one of the world's most dominant technology companies.
1. Google commands total equity of more than $58 billion.
2. Founders Larry Page and Sergy Brin own 16% of the company.
3. Google now processes more than 1 billion search requests a day, amounting to 24 petabytes of user-generated data.
4. The number of monthly unique visitors to Google surpassed 1 billion for the first time in May 2011.
5. Google+ was launched in June 2011 and now has 250 million registered users.
6. Google+ was originally launched as Google Circles.
7. Google's Android platform commands a 59% smartphone market share worldwide, with 1 million activations per day.
8. Android's updates are all named for deserts, which include "Cupcake," "Eclair," "Gingerbread," "Ice Cream Sandwich" and "Jelly Bean."
9. Google Chrome commands a nearly one-third share of all worldwide usage of Web browsers.
10. Chrome is available in 50 languages.
11. Google's subsidiaries include DoubleClick, Motorola Mobility, YouTube, Blogger, Orkut and Zagat.
12. Google Energy made its first energy investment in 2010, putting $38.8 million in two wind farms in North Dakota, which will generate enough power for 55,000 homes.
13. Google now has six data centers in the U.S., and one each in Finland and Belgium. It's also building three Expanding more in Asia.
14. This year, Fortune ranked Google #1 on its "100 Best Companies to
Work For" list.
15. As a joke in 2010, Google changed its name to Topeka and the mayor of Topeka, Kan., changed the city's name to Google. |
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Tips and Tricks for Your iPhone and iPad!
We will feature a different iPhone or
iPad tip or trick in each issue of our newsletter. (Not that we are assuming
you don't already
know it all!)
Tip # 3: Take a
photo with your headphone cord!
Now that you can use the volume up or down buttons to snap a photo, steady your hand while framing up the photo and when you're ready to take the picture, press the button on the cord so it won't shake the iPhone. Voila!
Do you have a unique iPhone or iPad tip to share? Email us at info@
frontgatetech.com with your idea!
You could win a $25 apple gift card if your tip or trick is shared in an upcoming FrontGate
newsletter!
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