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Advertisement on the Cloud, who's cloud?

Today with all of the talk about cloud the next question should be Advertisment on the Cloud, and how companies and individuals are leveraging new technologies from the Cloud itself to help content producers, bloggers, artists and companies monetize the Cloud.

One such company is JETCO Research, founded by Doug Humphrey, Digix.com fame, and run by a great team that is "With this initial product, Jetco has developed a way through which micropayments are treated as “soft” payments and settlement does not have to occur immediately or at all, allowing the network to operate much more economically than a standard transaction processing system." Altavoz Pressrelease 

It is the advent of these new payment system, including #Bitcoin that are allowing new avenues of advertising that didn't exist even 5 years ago.  And with such rapid changes how are traditional advertising campaigns integrating Blogs, Social Media and Websites into their over aching placement plan. Because here's the deal the moment that these sites companies or individuals gets the crowd to fund them what's the point of using traditional media channels for companies toget their message out.

In part this blog post was inspired when I saw some local company to my home, DC, advertiments show up on Adsense Publisher properities MetropolitanCloud.com that is run by MetroCloud.co and found it interesting that they had turned down a chance to have their ads show up on the very same pages;  However as physial ads ie, graphics videos, etc and be considered community Underwriters.

And! just remind us to remind us Who's Cloud are you on? If you don't know ask +Hastatus. LLC

Now the Cloud is coming at you and companies embrace it.

For those of us watching the Cloud Computing model grow over the last few years one of the innovations that is starting to happen is online system extending themselves by opening up parts of themselves to integration with social media and allowing customers on the cloud to come to them.

Recently Altavoz Entmt embraced just that by incorporating all aspect of their site with the typical Social Media plugins that are pretty standard on websites. 

However what is under the code or in the code is an additional level of integration that now powers Altavoz to integrate things like #TwitterCards

Twitter Cards make it possible for you to attach media experiences to Tweets that link to your content. Simply add a few lines of HTML to your webpages, and users who Tweet links to your content will have a "card" added to the Tweet that’s visible to all of their followers.

This new cloud based service allows the marking of Altavoz's services to be part of a Twitter users experience and they didn't have to do anything outside of a typical Twitter experience. And, for Altavoz once a Twitter user clicks on this card it notifies Altavoz that someone is interested in a particular service and keeps the end user clicking along enjoying the Intertubes without having to register on Altavoz's servers.

So if you having started thinking about this I'd suggest it's time to embrace the cloud and allow it to extend your services or products to reach people where they want to be. Or as it was stated in a Recent Forbes article about 2014 Cloud Trends,

2. Innovation trumps total cost of ownership

A new company that offers an hybrid dashboard for all your cloud services -- DivvyCloud

In January while pitching a Cloud Entertainment Co I came across Brian Johnson the CEO of Divvy Cloud and was impressed with the pitch for this great new company.  This service essecenly allows you to monitor all of your cloud service under one dashboard.  This allows for more effective use of services and potentially a huge savings Cloud Computing costs.

Downloading the app is straightforward however there are a few things to consider before you go to Step 2 of the installation. You need to have MySQL 5.1+ or Redis in order to handle the welcome need for a secure key.

The essence of a key-value store is the ability to store some data, called a value, inside a key. This data can later be retrieved only if we know the exact key used to store it.

So once you have either one of these up and running move on to the install phase of the setup.

And, from there it is pretty straight forward in monitoring your cloud services under one dashboard. (For security reasons further setup is excluded) Please consult your technical depart and ISP FAQ for details.  The company has a responsive staff and some of the basic covered on their FAQ page. 

Is 2014 the year that the boss understands the Cloud?

So just for the sake of this blog let's say that most of the IT department is on the Cloud Band Wagon. All of social media is which means even grandparents know about the importance of it, This then begs the question is does the C-Suite know? 

Sure the CIO or CKO have some clue or should IMHO however does the CEO know? This is an important question and the entire organization needs to get a sign from the CEO has leader that they have some basic understanding of the power and impact that the Cloud is having on not just an individual company it is changing industries and everyone job in them. 

Take it from an former ISP owner change happens and the Cloud makes Moores law look like it describing slow motion;  So making it part of the conversation from the Board Room to the show room is the CEOs job and this is the year to get it done. 

So Cloud data centers need to have internal weather built into operational planning?

So it was only a couple of months ago that we first got a report of Facebook's Prineville, Oregon Data Center experienced rain clouds



And, now Venture Beat is reporting:

The NSA’s major Utah data center is suffering from a unique data center sickness, what one official calls “lightning inside a two-foot box.Read more at http://venturebeat.com/2013/10/08/nsa-utah-surges/#yRzjljQOlldKTqo1.99

It might be something to do with all the electric and how Data Centers are not to different from Coast lines who knows for sure right now; However as we have more Data Centers going online it seems to be an issue that will be import to the Business of Cloud Computing.

What does the Gov shut down mean for Cloud Computing.

The last time the Goverment shut down only a handful of people even had emails and today with the complex computing system in place let alone the Cloud we really stand to learn new benchmarks as to what it means to shut down the government.

At the Federal Emergency Management Agency, for instance, all but about 150 out of roughly 2,000 IT operations employees and engineers were told not to come to work if Congress fails to pass a funding resolution and the government shuts down Tuesday, according to a source familiar with FEMA's operations. Whether that skeletal crew is able to maintain all of FEMA's systems should the shutdown last more than a few days, especially in the event of a cyber breach, is a real concern, the source said.  Information Week

These next few days (please don't let it be longer) should prove interesting and the role of the cloud and governmental computing will be tested in a way I pretty sure few had predicted, i.e. the gov pulling it's own plug.   So we'll all have to wait and see what are the ramifications for the agencies and services that have ported over to being cloud based verses those that have much of their infrastructure  in-house or collocated --not on the cloud.

May you live in interesting times I believe is the expression.  And we have to say that we are....

NASA Falls Short On Data Security In The Cloud Adoption

So we've seem to hit a snag in the Federal Agency adoption of Cloud. NASA’s Office of the Inspector General states that there is a dire need to strengthen the practices observed for the security of its information technology.

NASA Falls Short On Data Security In The Cloud Adoption

From the looks of it, the onus on really on NASA since they didn't have a migration plan in place and the security surrounding their cloud deployments was well below standard OPs and there is really nothing new about this. Since Bad planning makes for bad deployment.   #Justsaying

Is the cloud starting to grow-up, this effort seems like an attempt to make it happen.

So there is lots of news about the cloud given the relations of the government role in collecting data and the recent announcement that Amazon is building a priviate Cloud for the GOV.   So while theses are important issue that we need to talk about. The real work of the cloud is getting standards and interoperability of service providers  a member of the Cloud Computing Facebook group. Posted a link to something that caught my attention. 

To increase the cost effectiveness of a process execution and to avoid vendor locking, the Business Process as a Service and Cloud BPM solutions are being adopted to create a network amongst employees, partners, distributors,suppliers and others in the business ecosphere to deliver high value process outcomes. While enterprises across the globe are looking forward to breed the business process services into their current work scenarios, BPaaS and Cloud BPM providers look forward to gain better competitive advantage in the emerging market by creating multi-process platform that provides a complete solution for all business processes.
http://www.reportsnreports.com/reports/253811-business-process-as-a-service-bpaas-market-cloud-bpm-market-by-process-outsourcing-sales-finance-and-accounting-human-resources-marketing-operations-global-advancements-opportunity-roadmaps-market-forecast-and-analysis-2013-2018-.html

The idea seem to be pretty simple which perhaps gives this a fighting chance as startands and protocols are still be developed in Cloud Computing world, this will be interesting to watch and participate in since lockouts don't just happen to Union Workers.  

Want to learn about SaaS concerns, issues and pratfalls. Ck this out.

Enterprise SaaS Strategies | Cloud Connect:

Track:	Enterprise SaaS Strategies
Date:	Thursday, April 4, 2013
Time:	9:00 AM - 9:45 AM

'via Blog this'

Is the US already behind in Cloud Computing

Like some many thing that reach a crital mass here in the States only to be dragged across a border and improved and then imported back into the States Cloud Computing or the disruptive business that come form adopting the Cloud may already be slipping across our boarders - that might be a good thing!

It seem's pretty clear we don't have an American Cloud Computing Strategy?  As we are already seeing the foundation business of Cloud being established and new platforms like Distribution as a Service #DaaS, Backup as a Service #BaaS ~who know's since we're just started.

What we do know is that if we don't carry these new business we'll never get anywhere let alone be competitive in a global market place. Why is this important you ask, well just take a look at Europe and what they as a State are doing to help themselves.

"As a next step, industry will come forward with a research agenda for Factories of the Future in Horizon 2020. An important first step has been made on the ICT side by project ActionPlanT. Under the ICT Theme’s work programme 2013, the European Commission will launch Cloud Computing experiments to support the take-up of cloud-based applications by the manufacturing industry, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises.
If you are interested to know more or to get involved more actively, you can take a look at the European Cloud Computing Strategy or visit our Factories of the Future’s webpage ."  BLOG

The game has changed and we don't have a development league let alone a strategy as banks don't lend and VC can't lead a Nation. The GOV is the only option and it's people aren't even sure if they can post on a Facebook wall let alone come up with a strategy for a factories of the future.  We are at a cross roads (like a town deciding that they don't want a telegraph line or rail line) and the US.GOV if it want's to be part of the future better step up, suit up and back up US Businesses we have left.

Now for that good thing~ it's kinda tongue and cheek-- the nature of the Cloud and the sophomoric love of free markets unhindered by said GOV, which is a view held by many,  might ensure that we can finally lay Lassie Affair economics to bed since every other Nation contributes to it's own~ save third world religious anti government regimes, which the US it not RIGHT?

What to do when Amazon’s spot prices spike — Tech News and Analysis

What to do when Amazon’s spot prices spike — Tech News and Analysis

This is a must read for anyone planning to move to the cloud and it's another reason why a prudent migration plan included a hybrid cloud strategy.

Been building a cloud music service DAAS

Cannot wait to share more about this and will be posting about the conferences and new offering that we have been working with to make this happen.  Experience is better then digital 

Oracle Public Cloud has been announced to what end?

Oracle Fusion Applications OFA is finally coming to the Public Cloud and it seems to be there answer to the moving the titanic just a schuch before raming into the iceberg that stand alone computing is amounting too. From the looks of what they have rolled out it is a modest approach, however, like many of the early cloud PaaS SaaP platform's it's still  a GATED CLOUD* and the customer is still locked into Oracle's overall paradigm and does not seem to have a pathway for Legacy software to be migrated into the OFA stack and I didn't see any mention of security.


 So dig a bit deeper. I do see that back on Sept 16 they released a patch for their Middleware well ahead of the Oct 18 update that was already scheduled and according to PCWORLD The U.S. Government's National Vulnerability Database has assigned a CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) rating of 7.8, "indicating a complete Operating System denial of service,"  So a bit more about how this new offering is different would have been helped to clear the air as Oracle, according to same article pushed back and said it was only a a CVSS Base Score of 5.0.


Some of the details about OFA that I did gleam!

• Built on —Oracle Fusion Middleware 
• Complete role-based experience
• Options including on-premise, hosted, private cloud, or public cloud (hybrid)

Here is a quote that caught my attention when I did some searching. 

 “Oracle Fusion Applications are architected so you don’t have to do rip and replace,” says Jim Hayes, managing director of the consulting firm Accenture. “That’s very important for creating a business case that will get through the steering committee and be approved by the board."  

http://www.oracle.com/us/products/applications/fusion/fusion-changing-the-game-185230.pdf

So part of the package seems to be to get you to integrate the rest of the Oracle cluster 

Oracle Fusion Customer Relationship Management

Oracle Fusion Financials

Oracle Fusion Governance, Risk, and Compliance

Oracle Fusion Human Capital Management

Oracle Fusion Procurement

Oracle Fusion Project Portfolio Management

http://www.oracle.com/us/products/applications/fusion/index.html

Hence the not ripping and replacing part, So my question is why would a company move to this cloud if they're not already existing Oracle customer.   And, is this really just a strategy to save off customers leaving for another Cloud Provider.  I'm interested in hearing what and DEVOP's folks have to say about this offering and what their experience has been moving to it as a new customer. 

CloudCamp Event in DC

CloudCamp is back in the DMV

If you been to a barcamp or crisiscamp you know how awesome these unconferences are for everyone that goes.

Well get ready to do it with chunks, open minds and man liked minded Cloud computers.





Attenion DMV this is a must attend event if you want to find out more about the cloud have an idea for a panel about the cloud or just want to share you love of cloud/camp.

Click here

Where's the Cloud now?

So lost in all the turmoil of late, see economy, is the fact that the use of Cloud Computing is being coming the norm and perhaps that's a good things.  Having done Advance for the White House I knew my roles was to stay in the background and make sure that everything is running smoothly and reacting to any changes which comes in treble at the WH level.  So like Advance Staff everywhere that is doing their job, the cloud is doing it's and you don't even notice.


Now if this story is correct

Everything Everywhere cloud computing project will have implications for an industry - Inside Outsourcing 

We'll see the future of this Cloud as a bench mark for firms that have not yet made the switch and when these legal shops, accounting firms and consultant based business make the move to the cloud.  That will be the real catapult point for the Cloud into every day computing.

Why?  The shear number of employees in these industries that use laptop, smartphone and home computers will wave that carries the Cloud to the massess since these are the masses with a higher credit rating then most and hence able and willing to pay the service fees for freeing them from the old ways of computering and pay they will.

Just saying and keep on eye on them clouds. It could mean change

ORG Zine | Meltwater and the newspaper publishers

ORG Zine | Meltwater and the newspaper publishers

This case is an interesting parallel to the cloud computing world in that the role of a copy is at play and we all know that cloud computing is all about copying something. This should send a warring shot to the owners of cloud entertainment streaming sites too.

10 Hidden Costs in the Public Cloud - Expert Voices

10 Hidden Costs in the Public Cloud - Expert Voices

There are some very good number in this article for those of you wanting to get a handle of the cost of cloud computing.

Cloud computing is key driver for new identity rules, says Jericho Forum - ComputerworldUK.com

Cloud computing is key driver for new identity rules, says Jericho Forum - ComputerworldUK.com: "The Jericho Forum has this week published a set of principles, the Identity, Entitlement and Access Management (IdEA) Commandments, to promote open and interoperable standards that can be used to help build identity management processes that can work on a global, de-perimeterised basis."

Big take away is ---

People being in control of their own identity is cheaper and more scalable for businesses

Amazon cloud server was used to attack Sony | VentureBeat

Amazon cloud server was used to attack Sony | VentureBeat

Amazon.com’s cloud servers were used byhackers to attack Sony’s PlayStation Networkonline gaming service, according to Bloomberg

Ahem, pay no attention this one folks