Consumer Electronics Daily News

Cloud Computing is New Wall Street Boom

After years of rumors about cloud computing going mainstream around the world, the cloud computing boom is now finally here. The National Inflation Association believes that by the year 2013, cloud computing could become a bigger boom on Wall Street than the dot-com boom was in the year 2000. Cloud computing is currently a $74 billion industry that accounts for 3% of global IT spending, but in 2013 cloud computing is expected to become a $150 billion market.

2012 will be remembered as the year in which cloud computing started to become widely adopted worldwide. Cloud computing is expected to create 14 million new jobs globally by year 2015. In the consumer space, Gartner is predicting that cloud services will be on 90% of personal consumer devices by year 2015 so that consumers can store, connect, stream, and synchronize content across multiple platforms at different locations.

There have been three IPOs so far in 2012 of cloud computing stocks and all three of these IPOs have been major successes.

Demandware went public last week at $16 per share, which was above its projected $12.50 to $14.50 pricing range, and finished the week up 69% to $17.50. Guidewire Software went public in January at $13 per share, which was above its projected $10 to $12 pricing range, and has risen in 8 of the past 9 trading days to finish yesterday at $33.04 for a gain of 154% since its IPO. Brightcove Inc. went public in February at $11 per share and finished last week at $21.12 for a gain of 92%.

There are two cloud computing stocks that NIA believes stand out from the rest with the biggest upside potential for 2012 and beyond. The only industry that is as hot as cloud computing on Wall Street today is social networking. With Facebook set to have its IPO in May, social networking stocks could be ready for a major breakout.

Although consumer social networking stocks like Facebook have already experienced their biggest growth, NIA believes enterprise social networking is still in its infancy and will experience dramatic growth over the next 5 years. The enterprise social networking industry is projected to grow from being a $600 million market in 2011 to a $6.4 billion market in 2016. There are only two publicly traded enterprise social companies today and they are both also cloud computing plays.

Jive Software is an enterprise social networking company that went public in December at $12 per share, above its initial projected range of $8 to $10. Jive has reached new 52-week highs the past 6 trading days in a row and yesterday reached a high of $27.04 for a gain of 125% from its IPO price.

Jive currently has 61.31 million shares outstanding. This means at Jive's new 52-week high set yesterday, it reached a market cap of $1.658 billion. This is a huge premium for a company with only $77.29 million in trailing twelve month revenues, with a net loss of $50.8 million.

Jive gives businesses the ability to create their own internal social network over the cloud for employees, partners, and customers. Although Jive is a cloud play, it isn't a pure cloud play because approximately 40% of Jive's customers don't use the cloud and instead host Jive's software on their own. There is another enterprise social company that offers their enterprise social platform exclusively over the cloud. While Jive developed their platform before the cloud became a dominant trend, this company developed their social platform for businesses to specifically take full advantage of the power of cloud computing.

The company is BroadVision Inc. and it is currently trading for $46.33 with only 4.6 million shares outstanding and an extremely low market cap of $213.12 million. BroadVision has $54.4 million in cash and no debt. BroadVision also offers a variety of legacy products that NIA estimates are roughly worth $17 million. After subtracting BroadVision's cash and estimated legacy product value from its market cap, BroadVision's Clearvale enterprise social platform is currently receiving an insanely low valuation of only $141.72 million.

NIA believes that BroadVision's Clearvale is the best enterprise social platform available on the market today. If the company can capture just a 10% market share in 2016, their revenues in 2016 could potentially reach $640 million. With Facebook trading on the private marketplace for 27 times sales and the enterprise social space projected to grow in the upcoming years like Facebook has grown in previous years, if BroadVision generates $640 million in revenues in 2016, it could potentially trade for 27 times sales and become a $17.28 billion company. Even a more conservative 5% market share or $320 million in revenues and a price/sales ratio of 10 would value BroadVision in 2016 at $3.2 billion.

BroadVision was already once a $13 billion company during the year 2000 dot-com boom and BroadVision's CEO Dr. Pehong Chen has perfectly positioned the company to take advantage of the biggest two new technology booms, cloud computing and enterprise social networking. With Jive soaring to 52-week highs the past 6 trading days in a row, NIA believes BroadVision could soon surpass its 52-week high set on March 6th of $56.46.

NIA recently released a new report entitled '2012 Social Network Stocks 2.0 Report.' NIA's new report features many enterprise social networking companies both public and private including BroadVision Inc., Jive Software, Yammer, Telligent, Moxie Software, Lithium Technologies, and NewsGator. Enterprise social networking combines social networking with cloud computing and mobile technologies, the three hottest industries on Wall Street. NIA believes that enterprise social networking stocks could potentially be the biggest gainers on Wall Street for the rest of 2012 and 2013. To receive NIA's extremely valuable exclusive new report, go to: http://inflation.us/social2012.html

Sony Network Entertainment's Music Unlimited Service Live in Canada

Sony Entertainment Network today announced the debut of the Music Unlimited cloud-based digital music subscription service in Canada where users can access millions of songs on multiple devices like PlayStation®3, Android™ handsets, PCs, Sony BRAVIA® HDTVs and Blu-ray™ Disc players.

Originally launched in December 2010, the Music Unlimited service features an ever expanding global catalog of over 15 million licensed songs(1) including all major labels, leading independent labels, and major publishers worldwide. With the addition of Canada, and the recent launch in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden in January, the service is now available in a total of 14 countries also including Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, United Kingdom, and United States.  The Music Unlimited service is now available in more countries than any other service, offering users across the globe access to music where and when they want it. 

"Consumers around the world are craving a digital music service that provides access to their favorite music anytime, anywhere in the most simple and convenient way," said Tim Schaaff, President of Sony Network Entertainment. "Today, the Music Unlimited service reaches more countries than any other digital music subscription service, and we'll continue to roll-out the service in new territories and add new features and devices.

"Achieving this milestone of 14 countries reinforces our commitment to bringing the Music Unlimited service to a very wide audience who can enjoy an all-access pass to millions of songs in the home or on the go through the devices that are most convenient to them," Schaaff continued.

Through a single account, users can sign-in and access the Music Unlimited service on numerous connected devices including any PC, Android™ mobile devices including Sony Xperia™ handsets, as well as 2010, 2011, 2012, and future models of Sony BRAVIA® HDTVs, Blu-ray Disc™ players, Blu-ray Disc™  Home Theatre Systems, as well as PlayStation®3 (PS3™), and PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita).  The Music Unlimited service is also coming soon to other Canadian devices including PSP® (PlayStation®Portable), Sony Tablet, and Sony Walkman®.

Music Unlimited Features
With Premium and Basic monthly subscription plans(2), the Music Unlimited service offers a breadth of content and easy music discovery features.

The Premium plan ($9.99) is ideal for music lovers who want full control of the entire Music Unlimited catalog, including premium channels and on-demand access to millions of songs.  Both Premium and Basic ($3.99) subscribers enjoy ad-free radio channels, and the ability to add owned music to the cloud with the Music Sync(3) feature that matches songs and playlists from a PC to your personal cloud library and access across all enabled devices.

Among the latest features for both plans and available on the Music Unlimited PS3™, the PS Vita system, and PC applications, "My Channels," gives users ultimate control by building custom radio stations based on their favorite artists. Simply type in the name of the artist and a new station is populated with songs from that artist and others similar in style. 

By studying users' listening habits, incorporating their 'like/dislike' song ratings, analyzing their existing music collections and more, the Music Unlimited service adapts to users' music preferences and constantly tailors music channels to offer the most compatible and enjoyable list of songs. The more a user listens, the more uniquely personalized the music channels become. 

New subscribers are welcome to try 30 days free of the Premium plan and can visit www.MUnlimited.com for further details.

Additional information about Sony Entertainment Network can be found by visiting: blog.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com, www.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com, www.facebook.com/sonyentertainment, and www.twitter.com/sonyentnet.

(1) Number of tracks available from this catalog varies by country and may be less.
(2) Basic subscription is $3.99, 3.99 pounds Sterling, euro 3.99, AU$4.99, CAD$3.99, NZ$5.99, DK 49.00, FI 3.99, NO 49.00 and SE 49.00 per month; Premium subscription is $9.99, 9.99 pounds Sterling, euro 9.99, AU$12.99, CAD$9.99, NZ$13.99, DK 89.00, FI 9.99, NO 89.00 and SE 89.00 per month.
(3) Music Sync requires that music content exists in the catalog. Copy protected content is not supported.

Walmart to Unlock America’s Favorite Movies with Exclusive Disc-to-Digital Service

It’s time to unlock your DVDs America! The freedom to watch your movies any time, any place is here! Walmart is giving physical DVD/Blu-ray collections across the country a second life by turning them into digital movies. The nation’s largest home entertainment retailer is the first to announce an exclusive in-store disc-to-digital service which gives movie lovers the freedom to watch their DVD/Blu-ray collections from Internet-connected devices, including televisions, tablets, smartphones, gaming consoles and more. The service is powered by VUDU, the industry-leading video streaming service.

Walmart, in partnership with the major Hollywood studios: Paramount Home Media Distribution, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, is increasing the value of movie ownership for its customers. Starting April 16th, 2012 in more than 3,500 stores, Walmart customers will be able to bring their DVD and Blu-ray collections to Walmart and receive digital access to their favorite titles from the partnering studios. An equal conversion for standard DVDs and Blu-ray discs will be $2. Standard DVDs can be upgraded to High-Def (HD) for $5.

The appetite for enjoying movies is strong and growing. Walmart wants to help movie lovers download or stream their movies when they want and where they want. Walmart asked thousands of customers their thoughts regarding movie ownership. Customers want to own physical Blu-rays and DVDs and customers also want to have digital access to those same movies for convenience. Customers also cited accessibility, security, affordability, and simplicity as key decision factors for wanting a digital solution. Walmart listened and is delivering America’s first disc-to-digital service.

“Walmart is helping America get access to their DVD library,” said John Aden, executive vice president for general merchandising, Walmart U.S. “Walmart Entertainment’s new disc-to-digital service will allow our customers to reconnect with the movies they already own on a variety of new devices, while preserving the investments they’ve made in disc purchases over the years. We believe this revolutionary in-store service will unlock new value for already-owned DVDs, and will encourage consumers to continue building physical and digital movie libraries in the future.”

Walmart Entertainment’s Disc-to-Digital Service Powered by VUDU: How it Works
The process to convert previously-purchased DVD/Blu-ray movies to digital copies is quick and simple:

• Bring your movie collections from the participating studio partners – Paramount, Sony, Fox, Universal and Warner Bros. – to your local Walmart Photo Center.
• A Walmart associate will help you create a free VUDU account.
• Tell the associate how you’d like your movies converted:
  • Convert a standard DVD or Blu-ray movie for $2; or,
  • Upgrade a standard DVD to an HD digital copy for $5.
• Walmart will authorize the digital copies and place them in your VUDU account. No upload is necessary, and you get to keep your physical discs.
• Log onto VUDU.com from more than 300 Internet-connected devices to view movies any time, any place.

Walmart Entertainment supports UltraViolet, the movie industry’s initiative currently in its beta phase that allows consumers to put their purchased movies into a cloud-based digital library and keep track of them safely and securely.  Walmart is able to offer customers the ability to watch and purchase UltraViolet-enabled titles directly from VUDU. These enhancements to Walmart Entertainment’s services are the first of their kind from a major retailer and mark an important milestone in the expansion of digital home video ownership.

To learn more about Walmart Entertainment’s new services and to view an animated demonstration please visit: www.walmartstores.com/entertainment

 

New Private Cloud Printing Features Eliminate the Hassle of Installing Drivers and Let Users Print From Anywhere

Print Manager today announced the availability of Print Manager Plus® WebAdvantage Suite Option 2012 for organizations that need to control user printing and printing security, whether printing locally or remotely through the Internet.

This new version of the most simple and powerful internet-based Release Station on the market comes with Remote Printing features, which allows any organization to create its own Private Print Cloud.

Print Manager CEO, Mr. Bill Feeley states; "The new features in WebAdvantage Suite have been built for customers' existing Windows infrastructure, so ease of installation and setup is minimal. Creating a way for users to easily print directly into their organizations network remotely via the Internet is the future of cloud printing."

The WebAdvantage Suite is an Add-On Option to Print Manager Plus; it is composed of web-based tools that allow organizations to implement users' printing flow and accounting without the hassle of adding new hardware, cash machines, kiosks or card swipe systems.

Web Printing

WebAdvantage Suite can be placed anywhere there is a web or intranet connection. Users will be prompted for their existing login details; from there they can print via the web, view their print job's metrics, choose to print, delete, or even pay for their jobs from an existing balance with PayPal or Credit Card.

Private Print Cloud features include:

> Enables Driverless printing of many common document types. Solution allows users to upload a document, select a printer and submit without needing to install any driver.
> Supports Windows, Mac, Linux and virtually any other operating system running a Web Browser.
> Seamless Windows Printing features integration.
> Supports any printer type, make or model on your network.
> Supports printing the following Document Types:

* PDF Files .pdf
* Images .jpg, .gif, .png, .tif, .bmp, .wpf, .emf
* Documents .doc, .docx, .txt, .rtf, .wps
* Spreadsheets .xls, .xlsx, .csv
* Presentations .ppt, .pptx

> A new PrintLater™ feature allows print jobs to be stored and printed at a later time.

For more information on Print Manager Plus and WebAdvantage Suite or to download a fully functional evaluation follow the link below: http://www.printmanager.com

Listen to Millions of Songs Instantly on PlayStation Vita With Sony's Music Unlimited

Sony Entertainment Network today announced the debut of the Music Unlimited service on the PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) portable entertainment system.

With a global library of 15 million licensed songs(1) from all of the major labels, leading independent labels, and major publishers worldwide, the Music Unlimited service offers users convenient access to the entire music catalog and millions of other tracks on a wide range of mobile and in-home devices, anytime they want it.

New to the service and featured on the PS Vita system, users can cache playlists and channels letting them listen to music even when a 3G or Wi-Fi connection isn't available, or when they want to conserve battery life or curb data usage.  Additionally, the device's vibrant five-inch, high definition OLED touch screen makes it easy to navigate menus and search for music with the tap or swipe of a finger.

"PS Vita's incredible processing power and media capabilities enabled us to offer a powerful mobile listening entertainment experience to consumers, giving them access to the music they want wherever they are," said Tim Schaaff, President of Sony Network Entertainment. "Adding PS Vita to Sony Entertainment Network's ecosystem gives users another choice of where and how to access their games, music and video, offering a truly personalized entertainment experience."

Debuting originally in December 2010, the Music Unlimited service is available currently in 13 countries including Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, and United States.  Users can also access the service on millions of other connected devices including any PC, many Android mobile devices including Sony Tablet, and Sony Xperia handsets, as well as 2010, 2011, 2012, and future models of Sony BRAVIA® HDTVs, Blu-ray Disc™ players, Blu-ray Disc Home Theatre Systems, as well as PlayStation®3 (PS3™), PSP® (PlayStation®Portable), and Sony Walkman®.

Music Unlimited Features

With Basic and Premium monthly subscription plans(2), the Music Unlimited service offers a breadth of content and easy music discovery features.

The Music Unlimited Basic plan provides ultimate convenience to enjoy your owned music and ad-free radio Channels at a value price. Use Music Sync(3) to match songs and playlists from a PC to your personal cloud library and access across all enabled devices.  Channels are categorized by genre, era and mood.

The Music Unlimited Premium plan is ideal for music lovers who want full control of the entire Music Unlimited collection, including premium channels and on demand access to millions of songs in the catalog.  New subscribers are welcome to try 30 days free of the Premium plan and can visit www.MUnlimited.com for further details.

Among the latest features for both plans and available on the Music Unlimited PS3™, the PS Vita system, and PC applications, "My Channels," gives users ultimate control by building custom radio stations based on their favorite artists. Simply type in the name of the artist and a new station is populated with songs from that artist and others similar in style. 

By studying users' listening habits, incorporating their 'like/dislike' song ratings, analyzing their existing music collections and more, the Music Unlimited service adapts to users' music preferences and constantly tailors music channels to offer the most compatible and enjoyable list of songs. The more a user listens, the more uniquely personalized the music channels become. 

Android Mobile Phone Application Update

Also announced today, Sony Entertainment Network launched an update to its Android™ mobile phone application (version 1.3) that delivers offline access to playlists from the Music Unlimited service.(4)

Additional information about Sony Entertainment Network can be found by visiting: blog.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com, www.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com, www.facebook.com/sonyentertainment, and www.twitter.com/sonyentnet.

(1) Number of available songs varies by country.

(2) Basic subscription is $3.99, 3.99 pounds Sterling, euro 3.99, AU$4.99, CAD$3.99, NZ$5.99, DK 49.00, FI 3.99, NO 49.00 and SE 49.00 per month; Premium subscription is $9.99, 9.99 pounds, euro 9.99, AU$12.99, CAD$9.99, NZ$13.99, DK 89.00, FI 9.99, NO 89.00 and SE 89.00 per month

(3) Music Sync requires that music content exists in the catalog. Copy protected content is not supported.

(4) In regions where the service is available.

 

Data Security and Privacy Concerns Impacting What People Buy, Where They Do Business

In the wake of several high profile data breaches and privacy incidents, a new Edelman study, "Privacy & Security: The New Drivers of Brand, Reputation and Action Global Insights 2012," reveals that concerns about data security and privacy are impacting what people buy and which companies they do business with. Data security and privacy are also pressing matters of public policy, with leaders from around the world demanding enhanced protections. From the Obama Administration's call for a Privacy Bill of Rights to the European Commission's proposal of new comprehensive rules for the protection of personal data and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperative's development of a new privacy framework, businesses now face more scrutiny on these issues than ever before.

Concerns about data security and privacy are not merely theoretical. Around the world, people feel that their personal information is not adequately protected and that companies are unchecked, so it's no surprise that they are now taking data security and privacy considerations into account when they shop. The study reveals that 70% of people are more concerned about privacy than they were five years ago and 68% feel they have lost control over how their information is shared and used by businesses. These concerns are impacting their decisions at the checkout counter. Individuals are even weighing considerations about security and privacy as heavily as those relating to a product's design, style, and physical dimensions.

For instance, when shopping for smartphones, nearly one in two people (48%) report that data security is one of the top three factors in their purchasing decision, a consideration that proved important for more people than the style, design, warranty, and size of the product. Data security and privacy considerations are also impacting other purchasing decisions. One in two people buying a personal computer and 42% of those shopping for tablet computers say that data security is among their top three considerations – for the former, outweighing the physical dimensions, style, and design of the device and for the latter, factoring in almost equally.

"The message of this study is clear," said Pete Pedersen, chairman of Edelman's global Technology practice. "Business leaders must begin to think about managing data security and privacy as a core competency – one that has real potential to affect a company's bottom line."

The fallout for businesses is not limited to those in the technology sector. Edelman's industry study also indicates that people around the world are hesitant to do business with any company they perceive is incapable of protecting their data. Nearly half (46%) of those surveyed report leaving or avoiding companies that have suffered a security breach. In the wake of a data breach, individuals are even willing to abandon the companies they trust most. Globally, Americans are the most reluctant consumers to part ways with businesses to which they are loyal, yet one in two say they are likely to change brands after a data breach. The potential for customers to jump ship increases for companies that lack brand loyalty, with 70% saying they would switch providers after such an event.

Data security and privacy concerns are also impacting peoples' trust in business. Shopping and banking are the most popular online activities, and while data security in these industries is important to many consumers, far fewer say they actually trust banks and online retailers to protect their personal information. So, while 92% of people globally consider data security and privacy important in the financial industry, just 69% trust financial institutions to adequately protect their personal information: a 23 point gap. Online retailers fared even worse. While 84% indicate the security of their personal information is important to them when shopping online, just 33% say they trust online retailers to protect it: a whopping 51 point gap.

"This study is further evidence that security and privacy are now business imperatives that must be actively managed by companies and organizations," said J. Trevor Hughes, the president and CEO of the International Association of Privacy Professionals. "It shows that security and privacy are key drivers in customer loyalty and trust, that if ignored pose a significant risk."

Microsoft Outlines Evolved Security, Privacy and Reliability Strategies for Cloud and Big Data

Today at the RSA Conference 2012, Scott Charney, corporate vice president of Microsoft Trustworthy Computing, shared his vision for the road ahead as society and computing intersect in an increasingly interconnected world. In a new paper, "Trustworthy Computing (TwC) Next," Charney encouraged industry and governments to develop more effective privacy principles focused on use and accountability, improve end-to-end reliability of cloud services through increased fault modeling and standards efforts, and adopt more holistic security strategies including improved hygiene and greater attention to detection and containment.

Ten years ago, the computing ecosystem was at a crossroads when Bill Gates introduced TwC and called for industry collaboration. Today, technology and society are more interconnected than ever. Big data's strain on privacy protection, the shifting relationship between government and the Internet, and the evolving threat model all raise new challenges for industry and governments globally.

"We are at another inflection point, with expectations for better security, privacy and reliability growing at an exponential rate," Charney said. "Now is the time for industry and governments to develop and adopt strategies and policies that balance business and societal needs with individuals' choices."

The Cloud and Big Data

The proliferation of devices and cloud services has resulted in a massive aggregation of global data, also known as big data. While offering many potential societal benefits, this collection of data poses unique challenges. From a security perspective, big data represents a valuable target for attackers. As the cloud and devices become more integrated with society, people also become increasingly dependent on the reliability and availability of data and services to function. Finally, the massive increase in the amount and types of data available for collection, analysis and dissemination has strained traditional rules to protect privacy.

One solution for the privacy challenge is for government, industry, academia and consumer groups to collaborate in updating current privacy principles to address the world of big data. These revised principles should place a greater focus on appropriate uses of data. They should also include an "accountability" principle to help ensure organizations use and protect data in ways consistent with individual and societal expectations. Together, these principles can help reduce the burden on the consumer and shift greater responsibility to the data collector.

"Microsoft has long been a contributor to the global debate and discussion on the future of privacy," said Malcolm Crompton, managing director of Information Integrity Solutions Pty Ltd. "The global framework proposed by Scott Charney tackles head-on many of the difficult realities of today's environment. It's a great contribution to the dialogue."

The Role of Government

The advent of big data has also been challenging for governments. Any transformative technological change that recasts the way people live will engender deeper government engagement. This is because governments' relationship with the Internet is a complex one. In the TwC Next white paper, Charney said governments globally are simultaneously users of the Internet, protectors of individual users as well as the Internet itself, and exploiters that capitalize on the power of technology for a variety of purposes.

In times of need, governments may use online services to keep citizens informed, and first responders can react more effectively than those not using cloud-based services because they have GPS devices, mapping capabilities, street views, videoconferencing and other cloud-based services. Such benefits only materialize, however, if these systems meet reasonable expectations of overall service reliability.

Recognizing this fact, governments may play an increasingly active role in many aspects of the Internet. Some nations are looking at legislatively mandating the adoption of information risk-management plans for those managing information and computing systems.

The Evolving Threat Landscape

While the quality of code has improved and infection rates have declined for products developed under Microsoft's Security Development Lifecycle, the threat landscape continues to evolve. Opportunistic threats have been supplemented by attacks that are more persistent and, in many cases, far more worrisome. While some of these attacks have been called "Advanced Persistent Threats," that term is often a misnomer. Some are advanced, but many are not; attack vectors are often traditional and unsophisticated. What marks these attacks is that the adversary is willing to persist over time and is firmly resolved to penetrate a particular victim.

"The new security challenges today are to some extent the same as the old security challenges. They've just been magnified," said Alan Levine, chief information security officer at Alcoa Inc. "An organization may be targeted by a determined adversary who has the time, skills and tenacity to prevail."

Companies must improve their basic hygiene approach to counter the opportunistic threats and make even persistent and determined adversaries work harder. This can be accomplished by designing systems not just to prevent attacks and recover from them, but also to detect successful attackers quickly and contain them so that their unauthorized access or disruption is limited. This new paradigm of protect, detect, contain and recover can serve as a practical foundation for managing risk in the age of persistent and determined adversaries.

More information about Microsoft's vision for TwC Next is at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presskits/security.

IEEE Identifies Continued Obstacles Toward the Global Adoption of Cloud Computing

Members of IEEE – the world's largest technical professional association – are working around the globe to deliver on the promise of cloud computing by helping enterprises of all sizes address the barriers that can potentially reduce the adoption rates of this game-changing technology.

The prospective benefits of cloud-based systems are widely discussed and hard to ignore: significant cost reductions in the operations and maintenance of the IT infrastructure; extreme scalability and accessibility; fewer concerns about overloading servers or lack of storage space; and rapid deployment.  Conversely, challenges and perceived risks prevail, with lingering concerns about cloud security and privacy, performance unpredictability, and if the ultimate return on investment makes cloud adoption a fit for a given enterprise. 

Some believe that 2012 could be a tipping point year for cloud adoption, particularly if large enterprises can serve as trailblazers in cloud adoption.  According to IEEE CIO and Senior Member Dr. Alexander Pasik, once larger enterprises witness the success of their competitors and contemporaries, more companies will transition to the cloud.

"Cloud adoption can be perceived as a threat, and talk of change is often met with resistance," said Dr. Pasik.  "That is why it takes an informed IT team to communicate the significant impact that cloud computing can have on a business." 

"If you're a sizeable enterprise and you're not doing business in the cloud, you're making a mistake," he continued. "Businesses will soon realize that it's not a question of 'if' they should move cloud, it's a question of 'when.'"

In fact, Dr. Pasik predicts that in eight to ten years, a majority of the world's largest enterprises will be operating in the cloud.

Yet concern and increased pressure on CIOs to meet stricter compliance rules and regulations in a globalized business environment presents an evolving risk that must be mitigated. 

According to Dr. Siani Pearson, an IEEE Senior Member and Senior Researcher at the Cloud and Security Lab at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, as standardization becomes more solidified, compliance will become more complex.

"Providing cloud computing services means explaining the need to comply with local and global regulations and obtaining the necessary approvals when data is accessed from another jurisdiction. It is difficult to meet compliance requirements. Global legislation is complex and includes export restrictions, sector-specific restrictions and legislation at state and national levels. Legal advice is needed, and transborder data flow restrictions need to be taken into account. Collaboration is key in finding solutions to these complex issues. By working with internal counsel and customer-facing executives, as well as external academics and industrial partners, companies can find a broader range of interdisciplinary solutions to compliance problems."

Security remains a major adoption concern as many service providers put the burden of cloud security on the customer, leading some to explore costly ideas like third party insurance.

"It's a huge risk, as well as impractical, to insure billions of dollars of company data, especially if you're a market leader in the space. Potential losses from losing major trading applications or logistical applications are enormous." said Steve O'Donnell, IEEE Member and Chairman at Preventia Ltd., a security technology company in the UK. "Service providers should offer greater assurance to reduce the idea that insurance is even needed."

To address this, some companies are now partnering with legal and privacy specialists.  Dr. Pearson is examining regulatory frameworks and other technical solutions that could allow cloud subscribers to undergo a risk assessment prior to data migration, helping to make service providers accountable and provide transparency and assurance. 

"Different types of businesses have different types of requirements, and cloud computing fits these requirements better than a traditional infrastructure," said O'Donnell. "Cloud gives companies the flexibility to shape the story of their business, and the possibilities are endless."

"IEEE members around the world are paving the way to global cloud adoption," said Gordon Day, IEEE President and CEO. "Their work, both in the field and as part of IEEE, has made cloud computing more accessible to both large and small companies, creating beneficial outcomes for both customer and provider. Cloud is an industry game-changer, and the IEEE is leveraging its uniquely deep and broad technological resources and expertise accordingly through our Cloud Computing Initiative, the first broad-scope, forward-looking cloud computing initiative to be put forth by a global standards development organization."

Swedish Collective Aims to Clean Up the Cloud

A cold climate, clean energy and one of the most stable electricity grids in the world have made Sweden very hot property in the IT giants' quest for datacenter locations in Europe. In October, the social network Facebook announced that it is to build its new datacenter in Lulea, Sweden, on the edge of the Arctic Circle. Environmental organization Greenpeace pushed the Like-button for this, thanks to the clean energy supply from Swedish hydropower sources.

Now, ten Swedish regions unite in an effort to attract more datacenters. Their hunt for future data storage investments will start with a circuit of Silicon Valley to meet with major IT companies. The Swedish government is supporting the initiative viaits investment promotion agency, Invest Sweden.

"Other global companies examine the benefits of following in Facebook's path discovering the economic benefits of establishing in Sweden and the quality of our energy infrastructure," says Invest Sweden's Tomas Sokolnicki, Manager of the Swedish Datacenter Initiative.

According to Greenpeace Datacenters consume 1.5 to 2% of all global electricity. The numbers are growing at a rate of 12 % a year.

"Cleaning up the cloud is a big challenge for IT companies - one of the fastest growing groups of energy consumers in the world," continues Tomas Sokolnicki. "We have available and prepackaged sites."

Sweden has inherent qualities for larger server farms, such as low electricity prices, clean energy, resilient energy infrastructure, secure locations, a skilled workforce and developable land. The climate provides cool air all year round, crucial since cooling is a major issue for data centers.

Dark fiber access and low rates for high-speed connections are critical factors for IT companies. According to a recent study of 11 major business cities, Stockholm in Sweden offers the lowest rate for dark fiber($383 per month) and among the lowest corporate rates for internet. The dark fiber rate in New York is $5,439 per month.

Zenith Infotech Releases a Series of High-Performance, Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR) Appliances with Virtualization

Zenith Infotech, an international company that specializes in delivering innovative business continuity, cloud computing solutions and telepresence for IT service providers, unveiled the latest in their series of Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR) product line - the Zenith BDR-G12.

This high-performance backup disaster recovery appliance with virtualization has been designed to provide a reliable and flexible way to backup data onsite and virtualize a server in case of emergency – at price points affordable to any client.

The Zenith BDR-G12 enhancements include:

• Storage capacity starts at 750GB up to 9TB
• Replication ratio of up to 25:1 BDR-to-BDR
• Built-in StorageCraft's® ShadowProtect™ with "Headstart Restore" to perform a LIVE Bare Metal Restore
• Ability to have a centralized reporting console
• Event alerting feature that integrates with any remote monitoring and management (RMM) tool or general monitoring application.
• Offsite storage that can replicate to:
  • a BDR-G12 located in customer's own data center
  • a BDR-G12 located at Dacentec, Inc. Datacenter
  • a Virtual Private Vault at Dacentec, Inc. Datacenter
• Emergency remote and onsite virtualization

By enhancing what is already a very reliable solution, Zenith is proud to continue its commitment to provide leading-edge technology to the SMB market. "The BDR-G12 is the finest and most comprehensive BDR solution with unparalleled features, the industry's leading proven track record, and the most intense data integrity checks of any other backup solution," says Richard Reiffer, vice president of cloud practice at Zenith Infotech.

Zenith Infotech has worked closely with its partner base through pre-testing and collaborative design to significantly reduce costs and increase the benefits to their clients. "The new BDR-G12 units will allow us to provide additional control, growth and functionality for our current footprints and enable us to pursue larger new opportunities," says Mike Noordyke, president of systems division at Trivalent Group, a Zenith partner.

For more details on the benefits of the Zenith BDR-G12, please visit www.zenithinfotech.com/bdrg12