cloud computing

Cloud Storage by Mail

May 21, 2009

Because broadband is so slow in the states, Amazon has resorted to allowing companies to mail in their portable devices for data storage and upload. According to Cloudave, it could take "82 days (with 1.54 Mbps T1 connection) to migrate one terabyte of data with 80% network utilization." So "Amazon has resorted to old fashioned approach from the previous eras. Users can mail Amazon their data in one of the supported portable storage devices and Amazon will transfer it to users' AWS account from within Amazon's high speed internal network." Sad really.

Posted in apps, backup, bandwidth, cloud computing, data center, saas

Cool Ad Campaign

May 29, 2009

So you are a launching another cloud computing service? (Or any of ther other trends like UC, Hosted PBX, IVR overlay, Virtualization) What do you do to get a bang? Launch a gutsy campaign.

That's what Carpathia Hosting is doing with an online luanch of this website:
http://www.whatisinstanton.com/

Now I would have added a Facebook fan page, some crazy twitter stuff, and a direct marketing piece that looked the similar (using Enthusem). And followed all that up with It's Here! at launch.

Still cool. Good luck Carpathia.

Posted in cloud computing

A New Breed of VAR in the Cloud

July 9, 2009

On the LinkedIN Group for the Channel Partners Network, Heather Margolis wrote, "Cloud Computing has spurred the need for a new type of VAR and/or partnership elements. Read more here and tell me your thoughts." (That's one way to get traffic to your blog).

My thoughts:

It's not about saving a client money any more. It's about saving them time, making their employees more productive, and adding business efficiency - without the technology getting in the way (which isn't always easy).

Being the Trusted Advisor today means being able to add Business Intelligence to the solution. Systems Integrators were valuable because they could provision, implement and glue all the parts and pieces of hardware and software together.

Posted in agents, channel, cloud computing

Add Voice Apps in Minutes

July 22, 2009

Jaduka and StrikeIron announce partnership. Millions of NetBeans, IBM and SalesForce developers can now add voice to their apps in minutes. Here's Thomas Howe's announcement post. Here's StrikeIron's blog post. The press release is here.

Posted in Internet, apps, cloud computing, voip

The Stimulus Spend is Opportunity

July 23, 2009

I talk with many CLEC's and ISP's that are looking at the BTOP and BIP programs to see if there is opportunity for them. As I said in the podcast with Occam Networks, most of the funds are earmarked for companies already collecting USF funds. Why do I think that? Because it is a safe bet and politics is about safe bets.

I'm attending Tech Data's Technology Solutions Tour. This morning started with TD SVP Pete Peterson discussing how to translate the stimulus spending into technology opportunity.

Posted in VAR, agents, broadband, channel, cloud computing, economy, technology

PCI Compliance in the Cloud

August 14, 2009

On this blog, the author posts a reply from Amazon about the level of PCI Security of EC2 and Amazone Web Services.

As for PCI level 2 compliance, that requires external scanning via a 3rd party, PCI-approved vendor. It is possible for you to build a PCI level 2 compliant app in our AWS cloud using EC2 and S3, but you cannot achieve level 1 compliance. And you have to provide the appropriate encryption mechanisms and key management processes.

What strikes me as funny is that PCI Compliance is confusing enough without adding the cloud to it. Also, data security is almost a misnomer with the number of breaches that professional cyber-criminals perpetrate almost weekly.

Posted in cloud computing, security

Developing Profitable Web 2.0 Solutions

August 14, 2009

One of my sessions at ITEXPO in Los Angeles will be Developing Profitable Web 2.0 Solutions. The all-star panel consists of Ifbyphone, Voxeo, and Intelepeer, who will be talking about how to us an API to create a new app. Should be good content. Stop by at 9:30 AM on Thursday.

Posted in apps, cloud computing, conferences

Trends for 2010

August 24, 2009

In speaking with Microcorp today about their agent event in October in Atlanta, we were discussing a panel on Trends for 2010. It's not so much about the vendors, it's about the services that the vendors are offering that will become the next revenue stream for the channel.

This ties in with a TCA listserv discussion about Alternative Streams of Revenue for the Channel Agents. TCA will be hosting an agent call about Electricity with a couple of agents who have been selling electricity to businesses in unregulated states for a while. (Paetec offers this to agents as well). Other topics include Web Strategy (like Lead Generation through Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Social Media Marketing); SAAS; 4G; the Cloud; and Managed Services.

It won't be enough to just sell TDM in the future, you will need partners to offer Telecom Expense Management (TEM) and Auditing as well as all the new services coming down the pipe (electricity, SAAS, cloud, 4G, VOIP, SIP Trunking, etc.).

Maybe we are heading into Master Agency 2.0 - the dawn of an era when the master agent will have to be more than a collection of carrier contracts. What do you see that you might need from your Master Agency in the future?

Posted in TCA, TEM, channel, cloud computing, saas, sip trunking, telecommunications, wimax

Is the BSA Relevant?

August 26, 2009

I received yet another press release from the BSA (Business Software Alliance). It was about a funny video. Why the PR firm thought it was relevant to me is astounding.

It got me thinking. Is the BSA losing relevancy? Two things are shaping the commercial software world: SAAS and Open Source.

The BSA's job is to stop piracy - in the US mainly.

Posted in apps, cloud computing, saas

Top Trends for Agents

October 11, 2009

I'm in Atlanta speaking at the Microcorp One-on-One event about Trends in 2010. The three trends that I see for agents are the following: Applications, Quality of Service (QOS), and Mobile Broadband (MBB). But they are kind of inter-dependent. Ubiquious broadband leads to innovative uses and applications.

Posted in Internet, PBX, agents, apps, backup, bandwidth, broadband, cellular, channel, cloud computing, communications, data center, email, saas, voip, wireless

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Next

On Rad's Radar?

cloud computing