News Articles | Cloud Computing Services

How cloud computing can save your company money

August 3, 2011 by David Eck Leave a Comment

By Linda Johnson | August 1, 2011

This post is by Linda Johnson, a partner with CCP Global, which advises Fortune 500 executives on spend management; offers advisory services on supply chain improvement; and helps clients with cost cutting, risk mitigation and compliance, among other services.

Managing all spend is critical to boosting the earnings per share of any company. With 13 years of experience working with companies to reduce spend — including 50 of the Fortune 500 — we know the CFO battles to engage the entire organization in managing spend and to identify financial trends in time to control the impact on the earnings per share.

The advent of cloud computing for business has given the C-suite the opportunity to put true control of company spend in the hands of everyone and to make critical financial decisions with up-to-the-minute data. A few “best in breed” technologies even guarantee financial results.

Read more [here].

6 Questions CFO’s Should Ask About Cloud Computing (bjconquest.com)
CFO vs. CIO: Endgame in the Cloud – Technology (bjconquest.com)
Crossing the Chasm | From Operator to Strategist | CFO Insights | Deloitte (bjconquest.com)
Are CFO’s running IT? (ericbrown.com)

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Business, CFO, Chief financial officer, cloudcomputing, Finance, Linda Johnson, Spend management, Supply chain

Nefarious: Merchant of Souls is finally here!

July 25, 2011 by David Eck Leave a Comment

The long awaited documentary, Nefarious: Merchant of Souls is finally here!

Friday through Sunday, August 12-14, 2011 the screenings will begin. The Kansas City showings will take place at the Palazzo Theatre, 8601 West 135th Street, Overland Park, KS. Showtimes are 4pm and 7pm.

Recently released is a new Nefarious trailer. To view, click here.

For information on screenings in your area or to host a screening, click here.

Please RSVP for tickets.

Matching Grant

Exodus Cry LightHouses are safe homes for victims of human trafficking, salvery, exploitation and at-risk orphans. These homes serve as a beachhead of operations which includes rescuing, restoring and reintegrating victims back into society.

Through the generosity of our financial supporters, Exodus Cry has been offered the opportunity to receive matching funding–up to $250,000–for our LightHouse projects. Through December 31, 2011, every dollar given toward this vital effort to redeem the lives of trafficking women will be doubled.

You can become part of this redemption story. To donate online and double the impact of your contribution, visit www.exoduscry.com/donate and designate your gift toward Exodus Cry LightHouses.

To donate by mail or find out more about how you can partner with Exodus Cry, contact Partner Development Director Morgan Goatley (816.759.0756 – morgangoatley@exoduscry.com).

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Anti Trafficking, Human trafficking, Kansas, Overland Park Kansas, People, United States, Women, Women's Rights

iPad moves ahead of Android at corporations

July 21, 2011 by David Eck Leave a Comment

Image by marcopako  via Flickr

Ryan Kim | Jul. 21, 2011 | gigaom.com

The iPad is on a tear in the enterprise, and is now being activated more often than Android smartphones, according to the latest data from Good Technology. The enterprise software maker said the iPad accounted for 27.2 percent of all activations of its software in the second quarter ahead of Android phones at 24.4, the first time Apple’s tablet has pushed past Android phones.

The iPad and the iPad 2 now account for 97 percent of all tablet activations. And iPad figures have helped boost Apple’s overall share of activations to just under 80 percent, compared to just under 70 percent in the first quarter. IPhone activations are up to 66 percent, compared to 62 percent in the previous quarter. Good said iPad adoption was driven by the financial services sectors, which accounted for 46 percent of all adoption, more than triple that of any other industry.

Read more [here].

Strategy Analytics: Android tablets finally giving iPad some proper competition (9to5google.com)
iPad stays top tablet: Faces growing Android challenge as Amazon circles (slashgear.com)
Android tablets now account for 30% of the market? (intomobile.com)
Apple’s iPad remains dominant as Windows tablets outsell the PlayBook (thenextweb.com)
Even Windows tablets are outselling RIM’s PlayBook (digitaltrends.com)

Filed Under: News Tagged With: android, apple, Good Technology, ipad, iphone, Research In Motion, Smartphone, Strategy Analytics

The complete guide to installing Mac OS X Lion

July 21, 2011 by David Eck Leave a Comment

Image via Wikipedia

Here’s how to make the upgrade to Apple’s latest OS as quick and painless as possible

July 20, 2011 | By Dan Frakes | Macworld

At long last, Lion (Mac OS X 10.7) is available, and unlike previous versions of the Mac OS, getting it doesn’t involve driving to the nearest Apple Store or retailer, or waiting for the FedEx truck to arrive — you just download it directly from the Mac App Store. The installation process itself is also easier and faster, requiring just a few clicks to install Lion over your existing copy of Snow Leopard. But just because Lion is the easiest-to-install version of Mac OS X yet doesn’t mean you should make the jump without any preparation, or that there are no important decisions to make along the way.

Read more [here].

Installing Lion: What you need to know (macworld.com)
Apple Officially Releases Mac OS X Lion, Available for Download (techie-buzz.com)
Which is faster? Mac OS X Lion or Mac OS X Snow Leopard? (cbsnews.com)
Poll: Did you download Mac OS X Lion (10.7)? (engadget.com)
How to Upgrade Your Mac to OS X Lion (thenextweb.com)

Filed Under: News Tagged With: apple, Apple Store, Mac App Store, Mac OS X, Mac OS X Lion, Mac OS X Snow Leopard, MacOs, Snow Leopard

Cloud Computing Chops Energy Costs, Carbon Emissions: Study

July 21, 2011 by David Eck Leave a Comment

Diagram showing three main types of cloud comp...

Image via Wikipedia

By Andrew R Hickey, CRN
July 20, 2011

Cloud computing has the potential to save large companies a total of $12.3 billion annually on energy costs and reduce annual carbon emissions by 85.7 metric tons come 2020, according to a recent study examining the environmental impact of cloud computing published by the Carbon Disclosure Project.

The study, “Cloud Computing: The IT Solution for the 21st Century,” revealed that those dramatic energy savings and carbon emission reductions come as the amount of cloud computing spending by large U.S. enterprises increased from 10 percent to 69 percent of IT budgets. The study was conducted by independent analyst research firm Verdantix and was sponsored by AT&T (NYSE:T). It found that companies plan to accelerate their adoption of cloud computing from 10 percent to 69 percent of their IT spending by 2020.

Read more [here].

Carbon Disclosure Project’s emissions reduction claims for cloud computing are flawed (greenmonk.net)
Cloud computing could lead to billions in energy savings (gigaom.com)
A New Study Takes The Wind Out Of Wind Energy (windconcernsontario.wordpress.com)
Cities May Soak Up 10x More Carbon Emissions Than Accounted For (treehugger.com)

Filed Under: News Tagged With: AT&T, Carbon Cycle, Carbon Disclosure Project, cloud computing, environment, Greenhouse gas, Tonne

Lenovo Wows with New Tablets

July 20, 2011 by David Eck Leave a Comment

Image via CrunchBase

July 20, 2011 | by jgaskin | channelprosmb.com

Focusing on business customers and consumers, the PC maker has introduced three models featuring Flash graphics and a Netflix streaming certification. Built-in software on the ThinkPad business model eases deployment and security woes for IT pros.
Drum roll, please: Lenovo, headquartered in Research Triangle Park, N.C., has announced a family of tablets for both business customers and consumers. The tablets not only support Flash graphics (something Apple refuses to support for the iPad), but also come with a Netflix streaming certification—the first Android-based tablets to receive this recognition.

Read more about the new IdeaPad K1 and P1 Tablets and the ThinkPad Tablet [here].

ThinkPad and IdeaPad K1 Android tablets, hands-on (reviews.cnet.com)
So soon? Lenovo announces ARM- and x86-based tablets. An early skirmish in the war for PC processor sockets? (eda360insider.wordpress.com)
Lenovo’s 3 New Tablets Pack Some Surprises (informationweek.com)
Lenovo Announces ThinkPad Tablet for Businesses (pcworld.com)

Filed Under: News Tagged With: apple, IdeaPad, ipad, Lenovo, netflix, Research Triangle Park, ThinkPad

Cloud Storage Gains Traction as Demand for Data Backup Increases: AMI Report

July 1, 2011 by David Eck Leave a Comment

Image via Wikipedia

June 30, 2011 | By Nathan Eddy | eWeek.com

Moving storage to the cloud gives companies greater storage capacity and flexibility at a lower cost, the report says.

The proliferation of hackers, natural disasters and unstable market conditions are all significant drivers for small and midsize businesses in the United States to seek backup and storage platforms for their company’s data and email in the cloud. Pressure to reduce costs, improve flexibility and maintain privacy of sensitive data also lures SMBs to invest in cloud storage. Furthermore, for mobile SMB employees, cloud storage is an attractive tool for backing-up and storing data while on the go. Nearly a third (31 percent) of the 1 million U.S. SMBs using hosted storage have mobile employees.

According to AMI-Partners’ recent report U.S. SMB Cloud Playbook, the market for hosted storage will increase by 11 percent yearly compound annual growth rate (CAGR) through 2015, to $270 million. “Many U.S. SMBs are moving to the cloud to enhance existing packaged applications, such as CRM databases. Cloud storage provides these companies with the latest storage technology realizing a significant reduction in IT overhead due to decreased investment in physical storage devices on their premises,” said Nichelle Grannum, survey research analyst at AMI.

Read more [here].

LaCie offers hybrid cloud storage service (macworld.com)
How To Manage Cloud Storage For Archiving (informationweek.com)
Slidecast: Cloud Storage – Look Before You Leap (insidehpc.com)
Moving cloud storage to primetime requires new tech (gigaom.com)

Filed Under: News Tagged With: cloud computing, Cloud storage, Data, Data storage device, Hardware, Kansas City, Storage, United States

Desktop PCs: Dead as a doornail, or maybe just a fax machine

June 27, 2011 by David Eck Leave a Comment

Image via Wikipedia

Mobile employees are leaving the traditional desktop in the dust
June 27, 2011 | By James E. Gaskin | Network World

The corporate desktop has looked the same for decades: computer, keyboard, mouse, desk phone, maybe a printer. But do these tools dominate because they’re the perfect combination of technology needed for work today, or is the enterprise workplace due for an extreme makeover?

According to industry analysts, hardware vendors, architects and futurists, the odds that major changes will revamp the standard corporate cubicle, technology tools and even buildings, rise every day.

Of course, fundamental changes like this don’t happen at all once. “When you’ve got hardware in place, it’s tough to yank it out,” cautions Rob Enderle, principal analyst for the Enderle Group. “Some corporate PBXs are still in use from the 1980s. Faxing was declared dead in 1995, but I have two in my office.”

Read more [here].

Lenovo Adds ThinkPad Laptop, Desktop PC (informationweek.com)
The ‘Post-PC’ Era Is Here — But Don’t Junk Your PC Just Yet (pcworld.com)

Filed Under: News Tagged With: cloud computing, Fax, Hardware, Internet fax, ipad, iphone, Kansas City, Personal computer, Service provider, tablet

iCloud Showdown: Apple iCloud Vs. Its Top 5 Competitors

June 27, 2011 by David Eck Leave a Comment

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JUNE 06: Apple CEO Steve ...

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Apple iCloud Makes A Splash

Apple’s iCloud, though it won’t hit the market officially until the fall, has already made a tremendous splash. As the lynchpin of Apple’s cloud strategy, iCloud promises to allow users to automatically save content like photos, music, documents and more into the cloud so it is accessible from up to 10 devices. During the Apple iCloud Launch, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said iCloud will work on iOS, PC and Mac devices. According to Apple, iCloud users get 5 GB of storage for free for mail, documents, photos, account information, setting and other app data. Purchased music, apps, books and Photo Stream do not count against the free storage limits.

Read more [here].