Managing Technology

The Wall Street Journal ran a special section in Monday's paper about cloud computing....

'Cloud Computing': What Exactly Is It, Anyway?
Everybody's talking about it. Here's what you need to know.

For a lot of small-business owners, "cloud computing" is the latest IT buzzword to leave them scratching their heads. To demystify things, here's a primer for companies looking to wade into cloud services for the first time.

The article includes some staggering stats:

• About 3.2% of U.S. small businesses, or about 230,000 businesses, use cloud services.
• Another 3.6%, or 260,000, plan to add cloud services in the next 12 months.
• Small-business spending on cloud services will increase by 36.2% in 2010 over a year ago, to $2.4 billion from $1.7 billion.

Cloud solutions can be extremely beneficial to small businesses and start-ups, since they do not have a large amount of capital invested in on-premise servers. They can migrate easily to an on-demand solution and quickly deploy cloud solutions much faster than larger corporations.

Caturano and Company offers cloud computing services and can help small businesses create a strategic roadmap - attend our upcoming event to learn more!

Why Actively Manage Your ITO Relationship?

One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a business leader is selecting an IT Outsourcing provider, signing a contract, and then never revisiting the terms of your agreement. It's easy to think of your ITO services as out of sight, out of mind, but the truth is that the managed services market is constantly changing as new advanced technologies become mainstream and it doesn't take long for your contract to become stale. You want to ensure you are getting the most out of your ITO provider and a good way to do that is to review your contract on an annual basis.

According to a recent ComputerWorld article by Stephanie Overby, "even a seemingly healthy IT outsourcing arrangement can benefit from an annual check-up to ensure that metrics are providing meaningful insight into performance, get an updated understanding of outsourced operations and how well they're running, and ensure that you're getting what you've paid for per the contract."

Many contracts contain technology-specific language that is foreign to a CFO or CEO -- in that case you should arrange a meeting with your provider and review the agreement together. You are paying for their services, and therefore they should be able to take the time to make sure you fully understand what those services are and how they are being actively managed.

"IT Outsourcing: Why It Pays to Appraise Your Contract" lists 18 recommendations to follow when you are reviewing your current contract. An annual review may uncover the need to compare your current vendor's services with additional competitors - or even the need to switch vendors altogether. Ultimately, the lesson learned is that your ITO contract should be actively managed in order to ensure your organization is receiving the best-in-class service and support.

Mostly Sunny with Clouds Rolling In

As a business leader, you want to find out exactly how cloud solutions can optimize and streamline your technologies and improve operational efficiencies.

Attend our event on March 24, 2010 to learn how to...
... Gain a better understanding of what cloud computing is
... Leverage on-demand and hybrid solutions to maximize the benefits and profitability of cloud computing
... Adopt strategic solutions that will increase organizational effectiveness and allow you to focus less time on running your IT operations and more time on what you do best - taking your business to the next level

Agenda:

3:30pm Registration
4:00pm Program
5:45pm Networking Reception / Cocktails / Hors d'oeuvres

REGISTER NOW

Going Global

Security is becoming a top concern for businesses and individuals who are using cloud-based solutions like SaaS and on-demand applications.

Check out today's article from PCWorld...

Microsoft's lawyers are urging the EU to tighten up their data protection and retention regulations in order to provide greater security to data being processed by cloud servers. Global corporations will have a hard time adopting on-demand technologies without first ensuring that the proper laws are in place to regulate the massive amounts of data being exchanged in the cloud.

Cloud computing won't go global until data protection does.

Technology Outlook

Mostly Sunny with Clouds Rolling In...

Find out more at www.caturano.com...

The Evolution of OnDemand

OnDemand applications are no longer just tactical technology solutions. Developing business and process focused synergies between the various cloud solutions has become a strategic initiative for industry-leading companies. Four key drivers that enabled OnDemand applications to evolve into cloud computing and gain widespread adoption are:

1. The reliability of the Internet has made it possible to access applications over any device from anywhere in the world. Increased broadband connectivity coupled with rich browsers has made it possible to achieve desktop software-like experiences using web technologies.
2. Cloud vendors like Salesforce.com, Amazon, and Google have enterprise level service offerings with large install bases and a proven track record of reliability and performance. Salesforce.com boasts over 70,000 business clients and has been in business for 10 years.
3. Cloud based integration tools and APIs make it possible to integrate OnPremise and OnDemand solutions to weave together best of breed solutions. Tools from companies like CastIron and Informatica make it possible to move from a client-server based office to a cloud based or hybrid solution without disrupting business processes.
4. Platform as a Service (PaaS) has been developed to extend the capabilities of SaaS and simplify aspects of custom software development. PaaS allows developers to build custom web applications without installing any tools on their computer's hard drive and then deploy those applications, without any specialized systems administration skills, across the organization.

And the "Best Mass Email" Award Goes To.....

Salesforce.com's AppExchange Best of '09 Awards honored Marketo as the "Best Mass Email" solution. The category recognizes solutions within Salesforce CRM that enable users to manage email lists, create and send email templates, and track open rates and click-through rates.

Just one week prior to the AppExchange Best of '09 Awards, Marketo announced that in the last quarter of 2009 it added 110 new customers to its client list. The marketing automation market is now dominated by Marketo and it's clear that this is the leading solution.

Using solutions like Marketo on AppExchange allows you to streamline your marketing and lead generation campaigns. The entire cloud computing community is at your fingertips on AppExchange, exposing you to 1000+ apps and services that extend your use of Salesforce CRM and the Force.com platform.

Caturano and Company can help you adopt, implement, and manage cloud-based applications and provide CIO-level guidance throughout the entire process. Email Diego if you want to know more about how solutions like Marketo can maximize your business development efforts...

IT Focus On: Cloud Computing

Everyone from Fortune 500 executives to Silicon Valley startups to local IT staffers are talking about it, but what does this ubiquitous buzzword really mean in terms of your organization’s technology strategy?

Caturano and Company is hosting an IT Focus On series event on March 24th - more details to follow. Register now if you are interested in this upcoming event, space is limited.

Broadband, and Clouds, for All?

The Federal Communications Commission will submit a plan for implementing a U.S. national broadband policy to Congress on March 17, after requesting an extension from the original February 17 deadline. The policy, which is part of the Economic Recovery Plan that was issued in 2009, could cost between $20 billion and $350 billion to execute. Americans who live in or near urban areas are already using broadband connections, but many rural parts of the country do not currently have access to these high-speed, high-capacity connections. Read more about the plan and the deadline extension in today's Reuters article.

The widespread adoption of cloud computing is enabled by affordable, high-capacity broadband networks in conjunction with the development of more powerful, low-cost computer processing chips.

The move to make broadband available to all American homes, businesses, libraries, and schools is just one example of how cloud computing stands to increase in popularity in the coming years. As the technology infrastructure of the U.S. expands, so will the availability of new cloud-based technologies like OnDemand applications for email, photo sharing, and online document collaboration. Cloud-based solutions will grow in popularity not just among businesses, but within American homes for personal use as well. Congress' call for such a plan is a step in the right direction for companies like Akamai, Google, Salesforce, VMware, and Amazon, who are all dominant players in cloud computing and web services.

If a National Broadband Plan is the first among other government-led initiatives to increase and expand the country's technology infrastructure, it's only a matter of time before all American businesses and homes are running on the cloud.

The Technologies of the Future

Yesterday's article in the New York Times, "Following Venture Capital for Signs of Tech to Come," suggests that "new ideas that are intriguing top venture capitalists offer an early look at which technologies may transform the way we live in coming years."

It offers an interesting perspective on how venture capitalists can predict the direction technology is taking based on the financial backing of start-ups. It also suggests that the mood in Silicon Valley is a lot more positive and optimistic for 2010 than it was in 2009 -- with the venture capital investment numbers to prove it!

Executive's Guide to IT Outsourcing

Managing your IT environment is becoming increasingly complex, and budget pressure is forcing companies to do more with less. Learn how you can utilize IT to maintain your competitive advantage without distracting you from the responsibilities of managing your organization's operations.

Whether you currently outsource or are considering it in the future, this webinar is for you. We will discuss the economics of IT outsourcing, what to look for in an IT outsourcing provider, key metrics and service level agreements, and trends in managed services.

Sign up for this complimentary webinar now!

Date: Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Time: 9:30am - 10:30am EST