Tag Archives: Cloud Professionals

Dispelling Common Myths About Cloud Computing

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Cloud computing has truly grown into its skin in terms of its impact on the modern technological landscape. Most major industries now implement and rely on some form of cloud-based storage to improve their efficiency and niche-specific innovation. Still, even with the cloud’s growing maturity and agility, it still remains at the center of several myths stemming mainly from its security, financial constraints, and overall usability.

Here are logical responses to several cloud-based myths.

“The cloud is the end-all/be-all of success”

While cloud computing holds immense potential in terms of “speed-to-market” deliverables, it is not necessarily the only means of finding success in an increasingly data-driven business world. The best rule of thumb is to conduct an analysis of your company’s specific needs, goals, and weaknesses and determine if cloud-based software will stand as an asset to achieving and mending these matters. The reality is that there are several major breakthroughs going on in the business technology sector (virtualization, autonomy), and these innovations may simply serve your company in a more constructive manner.

In short, the cloud is great, but “cloud washing” is not.

“The cloud is unsafe”

A common concern surrounding the cloud stems from its security, and this notion is reasonable given the amount of precious data held within cloud communities. However, much of this skepticism is unfounded, as there have been very few public cloud security breaches since the concept took off as a technological norm.

The cloud is obviously not impenetrable, but its security is much stronger and more consistent than many commentators would lead you to believe.

“The cloud is typically not reflective of a company-wide decision”

Cloud computing is often given the false label of a “CEO-said-so” implementation — in other words it is perceived to be a change imposed on an entire company, regardless of majority interest. In reality, most companies make the switch to the cloud after a long planning and goal mapping process in which employees and executives alike weigh the pros and cons of such a move.

The cloud is almost never the result of a knee-jerk decision — its vast array of uses makes it almost impossible to be handled in such a way.

“Data shared in the cloud cannot be taken back”

Another reasonable, but mostly incorrect cloud-based fear comes from the stakes surrounding data storage. In many of these cases, the skeptic is under the impression that data stored in the cloud is essentially irrevocable. In the past, these beliefs were legitimate, but subsequent advances in data-based technology have given way to easier methods of data migration — both to and from the cloud.

Initial cloud-based data storage can be daunting, but rest assured that your data is far from “locked in.”

What You Need To Know About The Cloud in YOUR Workplace

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Here’s a question for anybody, regardless of industry: do you know if you use the cloud in your day to day activities? Even if you are not an IT specialist, it always pays to be cognizant of the technology at your disposal and the ways that you can use it to be more productive and improve the quality of your work.

Given the recent widespread adoption of cloud technology, it stands to reason that many businesses and industries already make use of the cloud in some capacity. I’d like to take a moment and talk about some of the industries that benefit the most from cloud adoption. If you belong to any of the below and are not aware of the ways in which the cloud can assist you, I encourage you to conduct your own research and push towards your company creating its own plan.

Banking

The banking industry needs the cloud to process massive amounts of data. Given the nature of the data, cloud security is paramount here. As security measures improve for this new technology, expect banks to use it more often. The cloud’s ability to make businesses more agile is ideal. This best serves banks that may have to handle acquisitions and improve outdated software over time.

Education

Education is always in demand. The need for student portals and administrative records is best served through cloud adoption. There are many time consuming processes in the education sector that can be improved or automated through cloud services, and platforms for email or other communications can be facilitated over the cloud. Furthermore, the mobile connectivity that the cloud can provide is necessary for the modern era of students and teachers.

Healthcare

I’ve spoken in the past about the value that the cloud brings healthcare, and would like to reiterate here. The massive quantity of patient records necessitates some level of streamlining and automation, especially when this data is traded across providers. The cloud can help make this process less of a hassle and ultimately provide further security and confidentiality for patients when their information is sent out to others.

Construction

The construction industry is based around logistics, something that cloud providers help improve. Often, with job sites and other projects, it can be difficult for administrators to track the information that they need. The cloud can provide remote and mobile access for these professionals, enabling them to get the information that they need at a moment’s notice. Plus, the financial concerns inherent in construction makes construction professionals a strong candidate for certain management platforms.

Startups

While less an industry and more a type of company, startup companies have the most to gain from adopting the cloud. Unlike established businesses, they don’t have to waste time and capital adapting their existing data infrastructure to the cloud; they can start right away and have the cloud make an impact on organizing their operations. Plus, the scalability of the cloud allows startup owners to adapt to the changing nature of their business.

Conclusion

Every company has something to gain from the cloud, even if only in the form of document sharing. Any savvy business professional should learn the benefits that this new technology can confer. They can stay competitive and evolve for the future.

If you have any questions about how your business can adopt the cloud, contact me through the form on the front page.

Master the Cloud With These 5 Books

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Are you the type of professional that is always learning and adapting? Then you have that in common with cloud computing, which is growing every year and becoming more relevant in every aspect of life. If you work with the cloud or are starting to learn, there are plenty of resources to help you out.

In this age of the Internet, there’s no reason not to choose a book that fits your time. Though many sources online are available to help you along, it can be difficult to sift through everything. Here are a few of the best books on cloud computing.

Cloud Computing: From Beginning to End by Ray Rafaels

They say that any expert should be able to write in a way that anyone can understand, and that’s what Rafaels has done in this book. From Beginning to End covers migrating to the cloud along with ways to leverage it in business. As Rafeaels is mercifully easy to understand, this book is suitable for all levels of experience with cloud technology.

Cloud Computing: Concepts, Technology & Architecture by Thomas Erl, Ricardo Puttini, and Zaigham Mahmood

While it can be a difficult book to read straight through, Concepts, Technology & Architecture is a great supplementary reference for anyone learning the cloud. If you want to understand the underlying concepts behind cloud computing, this is the book for you. Erl, Puttini, and Mahmood have taken the time to unpack real life examples for the benefit of the reader, giving practical insight into how to properly use the cloud in daily business practices.

Cloudonomics: The Business Value of Cloud Computing by Joe Weinman

While other works focus on the technical aspects of the cloud, Cloudonomics is a study in the ways that it has impacted business. This is good reading for company leaders that won’t be heavily invested in the cloud, but should have enough of an understanding of its capabilities to know the best ways to use it successfully. Using case studies and statistics about things such as ROI and costs, Weinman paints a picture of the state of adoption and posits how it might move forward.

Architecting the Cloud: Design Decisions for Cloud Computing Service Models by Michael Kavis

Practical and informative, Kavis lays out the myriad of cloud service offerings available in Architecting the Cloud. This is a great book for IT professionals with a smattering of knowledge that are now working on transitioning their infrastructure to the cloud. Even beyond the cloud, much of the advice offered in this book is applicable for IT best practices in general. It’s not overly technical, so you may need to look elsewhere for some of the minutiae, but there are plenty that will find the information here valuable.

Amazon Web Services For Dummies by Bernard Golden

AWS is one of the most popular cloud computing platforms on the market, so it’s no surprise that it’s worth investigating further. Golden does just this, providing advice for implementing AWS effectively. Go into the API that you’ll be using with AWS and learn the functions important to running your business. This book can be used in conjunction with some of the free information that Amazon publishes on AWS for further value and to learn more.

The Gap Between Cloud Demand and Delivery

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With IT infrastructure changing due to the rise of cloud services, many enterprises have tried their hardest to get on top of these trends. They’d certainly be well-advised to do so; cloud services are ultimately more cost-effective, scalable, and flexible than traditional server-based computing. However, this sudden influx of demand has left IT and cloud experts struggling to keep up.

Four out of five enterprises have experienced unplanned downtime in this transitionary period, with it becoming more of a problem within the last twelve months. Beyond this, other issues, including cyber attacks, natural disasters, and infrastructure problems have put the hurt on enterprises interested in transforming their IT services.

According to a recent poll from Veeam, a disaster recovery firm, around two-thirds of UK-based IT professionals reported that downtime has hurt critical efforts, limiting digital growth over time. Even beyond this, unplanned downtime can damage revenue or brand image and cause incidents when dealing with customers or clients.

The bottom line? IT services are hard-pressed to meet growing business demands, particularly when it comes to data backup and recovery. The interested observer may think of these as growing pains, but until they’re solved, further losses can be expected. For digital growth to continue unabated, better security and backup services are necessary for distributed computing. As a relatively new technology, there’s something of a dearth of experts, leaving many veterans of the industry scrambling to pick up the new skills necessary to work effectively with the cloud. It makes sense; leveraging the cloud effectively involves a new kind of thinking that has not been used by IT professionals.

For the errant wannabe cloud expert, there are a quite a few resources available to get yourself the knowledge necessary to help address the current need for cloud professionals. Of course, a simple Google search will fetch knowledge on any aspect of the subject, but online learning outlets have never been a better place to learn.

For instance, the National Institute of Standards and Technology publishes a great series of guides on the minutiae of cloud computing. For a more structured approach, codeacademy.com offers lessons on the subject as well. However, a lot of the information found online can be a bit overwhelming, so feel free to visit cloudpatterns.org for a better look at industry trends. Maintained by industry professionals, the site compiles patterns in skill and experience among individuals getting hired in cloud positions, and is a great way to stay informed on what’s relevant.

Cloud computing is going to continue to grow as an industry, to the point where cloud services are expected to comprise 46% of IT spending by 2019. In this time, private IT services will become increasingly popular as the presence of hybrid models eases businesses into this new model.

But for now, what the industry needs is highly motivated individuals willing to keep up with current trends and assure that this continued transitional period goes smoothly for all businesses involved.

Hiring a Cloud Professional: Skills to Look For

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I think it’s safe to say that I’ve written a few times about the value of the cloud in business. And, as it turns out, a lot of people agree with me. The cloud is growing incredibly quickly, with cloud services such as Amazon AWS and Microsoft reporting massive upsurges in revenue. For agile businesses such as startups, entrepreneurs have been able to easily adopt the cloud and gain a huge advantage over competitors.

With this increase in demand for cloud services, businesses are looking for cloud-savvy professionals in their IT departments. Perhaps your company is even one of those businesses. With that in mind, these are some of the skills you’ll want to look for when it comes to hiring a cloud professional, or perhaps even learn for yourself.

Data Systems and Databases

Data is the cornerstone of the cloud, and any professional working with it needs to be familiar with the workings of a database in order to qualify. Big Data is increasingly enabled by the cloud, with the sector growing at a similarly rapid rate. In fact, cloud experts are convinced that this trend will become even more pronounced in the future, with businesses storing and accessing their data through the cloud.

SQL and MySQL are standard languages for databases and crucial for any cloud professional to know. However, open source data platforms such as Hadoop and MongoDB. In fact, the former is well suited for processing large volumes of data, making it ideal to embrace the advent of big data.

Linux

While it’s not strictly necessary for working with the cloud, the majority of cloud software platforms are based in Linux. While Linux hasn’t made a huge impact when it comes to desktop computing, it has gained popularity in the cloud community for its rapid innovation and flexibility. Its primary rival is Microsoft Azure, which even includes an option to run Linux’s openSuse OS.

Dual booting your computer is a great first step to start if you’d like to learn the ins and outs of Linux. As an open source operating system, the community is robust and helpful resources are plentiful.

Cloud migration

It can be difficult to switch over to the cloud from typical IT infrastructure, especially as a large business. When it comes time to make the transition, businesses often have to rely on professional services for migration.

Professionals will want to obtain a certificate in migration for the cloud platform of their choice. Giving the complexity and security concerns associated with migration, finding a professional and plan that fits your needs is very necessary.

Quality assurance

QA is one of the most common skills requested in cloud computing job postings, and the cloud presents new challenges to QA developers. QA and QC engineers have always been in demand, and with the expansion of the cloud, ensuring the integrity of a piece of software is more important than ever.

Security

Cyber security for cloud applications is still developing, leaving many systems vulnerable to hackers. With over 90% of cloud applications not secure for enterprise use, the burden falls to developers to secure their systems and protect the organizations that they work for.

Due to mounting security concerns, data protection regulations are being implemented to ensure compliance amongst businesses and leverage fines if their systems are not secure enough. Like many of the other skills on this list, certifications exist for any professional wishing to bring cloud applications up to spec.