Although I haven't yet used it, the idea behind Microsoft's SkyDrive is pretty hard to complain about. Who could possibly take issue with a free tool that lets you share files and store data? Heck, my Carbonite account is over $50 a year.
SkyDrive is getting a major revamp, with the new version being largely driven by AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML). While the old Ajax detergent, the White Tornado, was stronger than dirt, the new AJAX is designed to offer Web browsers more features and interactivity, and speeds performance by pulling data down from a server without slowing down the client (that's the whole "asynch" part of AJAX).
Microsoft wants the upcoming SkyDrive to exploit caching as much as possible so performance is snappy. And the company wants to make sure all major browsers get high SkyDrive performance.
Have you used SkyDrive or other cloud file sharing and storage solutions? Share your experiences at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 07/19/2011 at 12:47 PM2 comments
Microsoft recently won a rather large cloud deal with the University of Nebraska, with Office 365 nudging out Google Apps. In sealing the deal Microsoft gave the University $250,000. Sound sleazy? Some would have us think so, but all this dough is supposed to go to consultants who will make sure Office 365 does the job.
Sounds to me like Microsoft is just looking for a happy customer, but beating out Google ain't so bad either.
Of course I don't know what Microsoft's true motives are -- maybe a reference account really is worth a quarter million.
Posted by Doug Barney on 07/14/2011 at 12:47 PM8 comments
Cloud management concern Ensim has a new tool that lets service providers set up, manage and activate cloud services (be they public, private or hybrid).
Even if you aren't a service provider, these high-end tools often migrate directly down to the enterprise. Or the features themselves are exposed through the service providers.
Here's what Cloud Manager, which works with Microsoft, VMware and Citrix, does:
- Handles privilege management
- Offers end-users self-service
- Manages desktops hosted in the cloud
- Lets service providers offer bundled packages of applications
Posted by Doug Barney on 07/14/2011 at 12:47 PM4 comments
Amazon Web Services is either feeling extra generous or is under intense competitive pressure, as it recently cut prices for both in-bound and out-bound traffic for its line of cloud services.
In fact, in-bound traffic is now free, while out-bound is far cheaper, sometimes as much as 68 percent.
My guess is the move is due to the competitive pressures of Microsoft eliminating Windows Azure in-bound pricing. Coincidence? Since the announcements were a week apart, and the price cuts took place the very same day, I think not.
Amazon definitely wants a big chunk of the cloud market -- it has slashed prices no less than 14 times in the past four years.
Posted by Doug Barney on 07/14/2011 at 12:47 PM1 comments
Symantec has some interesting findings about the cloud and virtualization. While pretty much bullish, the survey finds that cloud and virt projects tend to not meet expectations, especially when it comes to storage virtualization, which I daresay is more complicated than virtualizing servers, apps or desktops. I can't for the life of me understand why storage is so difficult, but it is.
Symantec also found that IT execs are more bullish on the cloud and virt technologies than mainline business execs, such as CEOs and CFOs. This may be a good thing. How many times has a CEO read an article in an airline magazine and comes back with a brand new IT directive? I'm sure you've been there.
Get all the deets here.
Posted by Doug Barney on 07/07/2011 at 12:47 PM7 comments
IBM this month will try to convince you to trust its new cloud backup and recovery service. More and more of these services are coming out all the time. The backup part is easy. Recovery... not so much. Just like on-premise recovery, which doesn't always work, cloud backup can take days to execute.
I guess it is all because the cloud system that stores the data doesn't always match the system needing the restore.
Have you run into this? Share your superior opinions (to mine, at least) by writing to [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 07/07/2011 at 12:47 PM6 comments
I feel like I've written this item before. The news is that Microsoft's online Exchange went down again late last month, leaving customers e-mail-free for hours. That's a blessing for some, a disaster for others.
Hmm. Didn't this also happen in May? It sure did.
The timing couldn't be worse. Last week was the big Office 365 unveiling, and customers will only buy in if the service is proven reliable. We'll see.
Posted by Doug Barney on 07/05/2011 at 12:47 PM5 comments
Satya Nadella may not be a household name, but he is one smart son of a gun. A while back, Satya ran Microsoft's Dynamics business and while it is no SAP or Oracle, this ERP lineup is doing pretty darn well. Now Nadella is trying to get Microsoft's cloud initiative off the ground. He's not a bad choice for a cloud exec.
Nadella sees the cloud as a transition. He believes the transition is inevitable, but vendors and customers must deal with security first and foremost, as well as compliance (for larger shops) and reliability. He suggests making sure any data going over the wire up to the cloud and back is properly encrypted.
Posted by Doug Barney on 07/05/2011 at 12:47 PM1 comments
The day before Microsoft's lavish Office 365 party in New York, Google released a somewhat wacky blog detailing 365 reasons to use Google Apps instead. The only problem: There were only four reasons! I guess we'll have to wait for the other 361.
Google argues that its apps are perfect for teams, offer more choice, are cheaper and easier to license, and more Web-friendly. Time will tell who has the best offering, but one thing is for sure: This competition makes both companies better.
One thing I do know: Redmond magazine interviewed about a dozen Office 365 beta testers and the results were pretty darn good. Check it out here.
Posted by Doug Barney on 07/05/2011 at 12:47 PM2 comments
Wyoming, a state that most high schoolers can't find on a map even when the word is printed in a 25-point font, is ditching a grab-bag of software and going all in with Google Apps.
Roughly 10,000 employees will be using the Google software over the Web, saving the state a cool million bucks a year. Google actually has a special version of its apps for the government market.
I happen to think this is great. Every company needs competition and Microsoft Office has gone far too long without a serious alternative.
Posted by Doug Barney on 06/28/2011 at 12:47 PM5 comments
Microsoft hid a major bit of news right in the middle of an obscure whitepaper. The paper describes how Office 365 security works...or perhaps I should say, how it doesn't work.
Here's the deal. Microsoft believes it has the right and duty to hand over your data when it suits Microsoft, the government's or another party's interests. It doesn't even have to ask.
Of course this is all in a "limited number of circumstances." Right, and aneurysms affect only a limited number of people. But when you get one, it still hurts like heck.
Posted by Doug Barney on 06/28/2011 at 12:47 PM8 comments
Today is a big day in the Big Apple, as Steve Ballmer is personally announcing the release of Office 365.
This ain't news to Redmond magazine, which recently interviewed about a dozen Office 365 beta testers who in large part said the experience was great. Folks in the SMB space were particularly impressed, whereas bigger enterprises were looking for a bit more oomph.
Analysts from Directions on Microsoft weighed in on a pre-launch conference call. There are many things for IT to consider, the analysts say. First, is a cloud solution as good or better than on-premises software? How fast is it, what is the uptime and how do you handle backup and recovery? Then, of course, come the economics, and here you have to compare the total cost of the cloud to the total cost of your in-house solution.
If you are still interested, you then need to choose a package that fits your bill. You can go small with either a range of server apps such as Exchange and SharePoint, stay small but opt for Office apps, or get the whole kit and caboodle, which includes nearly every major server and desktop app Redmond has in stock.
Here's what regular reader Ian has to say:
"I've just put my first customer on the cloud using Office 365. Their first comment was, why is it so slow? But for $6 per user per month (P1 plan) that's a bargain compared to BPOS.
"But, back to UC. The Lync on Office 365 is dumbed down, just like Exchange, and you can't use Office Communicator (MOC) AND Lync on the same computer. Lync isn't compatible with OCS 2007 R2 and MOC isn't compatible with Lync Server 2010. Now that's a problem. Let's hope Office 365 Service Pack 1 has some answers. Microsoft bought Skype, but what they need is Vonage. Wonder if they have enough cash left over to buy Vonage?
"I'm not sure the cloud will ever be as big as anyone hopes. Not a single customer wants to go slower. Ever. Go ask any computer user if slower is OK and see what they say. Opening a large PDF on the cloud can be agony."
Posted by Doug Barney on 06/28/2011 at 12:47 PM4 comments