| The June 15th, 2009 issue of Business Week | | | | 1. Data segregation. Data in the cloud is typically in a |
| published a rather robust article on the emergence of | | | | shared environment alongside data from other |
| cloud computing and what it means for the future of | | | | customers. Encryption is effective but isn’t a |
| business and the IT industry. This article, written by | | | | cure-all. “Find out what is done to segregate data |
| Steve Hamm, does an exceptional job highlighting the | | | | at rest,” Gartner advises. The cloud provider |
| application of cloud platform technology in the | | | | should provide evidence that encryption schemes |
| marketplace as seen in the examples listed below: | | | | were designed and tested by experienced specialists. |
| 1. Avon - Will equip 150,000 sales leaders with | | | | “Encryption accidents can make data totally |
| cloud-based computing systems accessible via | | | | unusable, and even normal encryption can complicate |
| smartphone and PC. Platform will keep sales leaders | | | | availability,” Gartner says. |
| informed on performance of sales representatives, | | | | 2. Recovery. Even if you don’t know where your |
| order quantities and overdue payments. “The | | | | data is, a cloud provider should tell you what will |
| idea is to increase the sales and efficiency of | | | | happen to your data and service in case of a |
| Avon’s distribution system.” | | | | disaster. “Any offering that does not replicate |
| 2. Virtual Personal Assistants - Siri, a Silicon Valley | | | | the data and application infrastructure across multiple |
| based start up is using cloud technology and artificial | | | | sites is vulnerable to a total failure,” Gartner says. |
| intelligence to create applications that help people | | | | Ask your provider if it has “the ability to do a |
| with travel arrangements and entertainment. The | | | | complete restoration, and how long it will take.” |
| company plans to soon move into developing | | | | 3. Long-term viability. Ideally, your cloud computing |
| applications that are tailored for business solutions. | | | | provider will never go broke or get acquired and |
| The article gives the following as an example: A sales | | | | swallowed up by a larger company. But you must be |
| person asks the application to put together the best | | | | sure your data will remain available even after such |
| sales pitch she can make for a prospective client. | | | | an event. “Ask potential providers how you |
| The Virtual assistant then draws on information from | | | | would get your data back and if it would be in a |
| a variety of sources to formulate the pitch. | | | | format that you could import into a replacement |
| 3. OptumHealth - Utilizing eSync, the company’s | | | | application,” Gartner says. |
| cloud driven system, can improve service quality and | | | | While these challenges are very real, industry experts |
| reduce costs by identifying gaps in care and helping | | | | are working very hard to tackle these issues and |
| people to respond to minor issues before they | | | | provide platforms that are low risk for users. As an |
| become emergency problems. | | | | emerging technology cloud computing must be |
| Luring the unsuspecting in with a sleek name and big | | | | tested, praised, patronized, tested, and praised some |
| promises, cloud computing seems to be the answer | | | | more. |
| to all of our problems. But is it without its own | | | | Here is what Industry research leader Gartner has to |
| challenges and risks? Gartner’s article, titled | | | | say about cloud computing and the IT industry: |
| “Seven Cloud Security Risks” helps to bring | | | | 1. The IT industry is expected to shrink 3.8% in |
| everyone back down from the cloud and see the big | | | | 2009, but forecasters have high hopes for portables, |
| picture: that cloud-based computing is by no means | | | | wireless networks and cloud computing over the |
| free of its own challenges. Here are a few examples | | | | next few years. |
| they list: | | | | |