Preparing for the Cloud Computing SLA Cold War
In a recent article, “Cloud Providers Ready to Strike With Nuclear Option“, Simon Phipps stated that issues related to cloud service level agreements (SLAs) are “under acknowledged and overdue for … Continue reading
Here’s to 2013, The Year of the Customer
Recently CA Technologies released our top IT predictions for 2013. There are, of course, many other interesting predictions from our customers, colleagues, and competitors alike. As I was about to close … Continue reading
Cloud Predictions for 2013: Cloud Computing’s Sophomore Year
While I am sure there will be many exciting cloud computing developments in the coming year, perhaps the most exciting one will be that cloud computing will no longer be … Continue reading
Measure the Cloud for Business Value
Despite decades of talk about how IT needs to align to the business, in many organizations, IT and the business are not speaking the same language — if they’re speaking … Continue reading
The Innovative CIO: How IT Leaders Can Drive Business Transformation
I am excited to announce the publication of a book I co-authored with Andi Mann and Peter Matthews. You can obtain this book from popular book sellers. I have included … Continue reading
A Simple and Effective Acid Test for Innovation
Many believe innovation rarely happens by accident. That the eureka moment enshrined in popular culture is mostly myth. Certainly there are times when momentous insights and ideas pop into our heads as bolts out … Continue reading
Innovation and the Art of Inefficiency
“Walk more often; take more showers.” This spring I joined some colleagues in the Global Corporate Challenge. Participants in this 16-week health improvement challenge accept a goal of taking 10,000 steps every day. Think … Continue reading
There’s No Free Lunch at the Cloud Buffet!
Consumption styles can dramatically impact cloud benefits What do cloud service consumption patterns have in common with the way people approach all-you-can-eat restaurant buffets? During a recent discussion of some … Continue reading
Is Consumerization Blowing You Off Course?
What do a late morning canoe trip and the current state of consumerization and BYOD have in common? More than you might imagine. This summer as my ten year old … Continue reading
The Great Cloud Debate Rages On
Cloud computing has been steadily, some might say “rapidly”, gaining traction as a strategic business weapon. Every day brings new articles about businesses that have discovered how to leverage cloud … Continue reading
How To Get Customers Thinking About Hybrid Cloud Services
Originally posted at CRN.com April 27, 2012. Join the conversation there. Hybrid cloud services provide an excellent point of entry for service provider customers For many companies planning to adopt or expand cloud services, … Continue reading
Cloud Computing: Have You Hugged a Rogue Today?
Embrace, Align, Assist, and Leverage Rogues… or Lose Them Forever Recently I participated as a panelist in a “#CloudViews” Twitter chat regarding Rogue IT. (A full transcript is available via … Continue reading
Why Some Clouds Fail to Deliver
Recently in ZDNet, Keith Allen of CA Technologies gave his perspective of how cloud computing can have a positive impact on customer satisfaction, and perhaps even reduce the likelihood of rogue IT. … Continue reading
Cloud Computing: “Working Together Is Success”
What capacity planning taught us about the value of alignment with Business There has been quite a lot written about the benefits of IT-Business alignment, and even more written about … Continue reading
Cloud Computing: “…and business always wants it in a week”
I agree, Chris O’Malley, business should align with IT Recently I read a post by Chris O’Malley, Nimsoft CEO wherein he makes the point that, while IT must align with their business consumers, … Continue reading
Social Media: The Coffee House of the New Millennium
Five characteristics of social media that drive innovation and business value Following a great Twitter chat recently (#CITEchat), I found myself again questioning whether social media can truly drive business … Continue reading
IT: Where Great Ideas Go to Die
“BYOD isn’t coming, it’s here“- @SimonBramfitt via @thelaurenfiles Recently I participated in a great Twitter conversation regarding how IT departments have gained a reputation as a place where good ideas go to die. Initially … Continue reading
Peeling the Cloud’s Green Onion
Does cloud computing really make things greener? The Green Onion’s Three Layers Recently my colleague Dhesi Ananchaperumal and I were invited to speak at several conferences on the topics of … Continue reading
Is Email Killing Innovation?
Or is it a harbinger of something worse? For quite some time now I have been asking whether email is still the productivity tool it once promised to be (and … Continue reading
The Coming Opportunity of BYOD
A few weeks ago, RWW Channels Editor David Strom posted Why BYOD Isn’t a Trend. He skewers the notion that BYOD is new, notes that IT leaders have dealt with user-purchased tech for … Continue reading
Cloud Computing: A look at yesterday paints a picture of tomorrow (Part 2)
What I learned at Cloud Exchange 2011 In Part 1 of this series I discussed the first three of the top five topics of discussion during this year’s Cloud Exchange events (security, … Continue reading
Cloud Computing: A look at yesterday paints a picture of tomorrow (Part 1)
What I learned at Cloud Exchange 2011 Having completed my last road trip of the year, I dusted off the notes I took during this year’s Cloud Exchange events (and … Continue reading
Emptor Scire (Buyer Aware)
What is different about today’s consumer-driven IT? As I prepared for an upcoming CA World panel discussion on consumer-driven IT, my thoughts took a 90 degree turn. While I had primarily … Continue reading
Is All This Hype Giving Cloud the Business?
Is cloud computing disruptive innovation or great marketing? For what feels like forever there have been debates regarding whether cloud computing is a game-changing approach or simply an unbelievably well … Continue reading
IT Self-Service Improves Customer Experience and IT Efficiency
Can we be of better service by providing less service? “There is unrest in the forest” During a recent Cloud Exchange event the discussion turned to business consumers bypassing their IT colleagues and … Continue reading
The End of the Vicarious Experience?
Does “hyper-personalization” sometimes (often?) deliver poorer service? Recently I was reviewing updates to a social media application and a childhood lesson in customer service came back from my subconscious. This … Continue reading
Cloud Computing: You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Give your customers what they need. It’s not always what they ask for. Soft skills a key ingredient to cloud computing success Last week I had the pleasure of joining … Continue reading
Cloudy Views Bring Sunny Outlook for Cloud Consumers
“#CloudViews” Cloud Outage Chat Participants Put Their Customers First Last Thursday I participated as a panelist in Cloud Commons‘ “#CloudViews” Twitter chat (partial session archive here or page through the full archive here). The following … Continue reading
Clouds Are Not Secure, Clouds Are Not Reliable
Dispelling two very common myths about clouds Late last week, I read a Bloomberg Businessweek article titled “Cloud Security Is Looking Overcast” discussing several of the reasons many businesses either … Continue reading
Cloud Computing: The LAN That Time Forgot
Four caveats for those evaluating the costs and benefits of cloud solutions Recent announcements ranging from mergers and acquisitions, to movement of key personnel, to changes in licensing models have … Continue reading
Cloud Computing: When Life Gives You Lemons… “Go Mobile, Go Social”
What IT can learn from a lemonade stand Recently I had a very interesting conversation with an aspiring entrepreneur. She told me about the demands a changing environment had been … Continue reading
Cloud Computing: Time to Rock the Boat
You can have everything you need to protect your business, and still fail. A River Runs Through It Last weekend while my son and I were enjoying Father’s Day in … Continue reading
Cloud Computing: “Keep Your Eyes on the Road, Your Hands Upon the Wheel”
When we engage cloud providers do we disengage our brains? Though coverage and public discussion of the implications of a recent cluster of cloud services outages appears to be waning … Continue reading
To Serve and Prevent: “Only those that can see the invisible can do the impossible”
Our greatest impediment to innovation often comes from within. A recent day of discussions with one of the U.S.A.’s largest corporations brought to mind some of the innovation related challenges … Continue reading
Private Clouds Deliver No Value (Part II)
People who live in glass houses should throw dashboards In Part I of this series I discussed some of the challenges and value (or lack thereof) perceptions facing private cloud … Continue reading
Private Clouds Deliver No Value (Part I)
“Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing” – Oscar Wilde As a private cloud provider I dealt with widespread perceptions that private clouds (and internal … Continue reading
When Techs Talk to Execs
Innovation is 1% inspiration, 99% communication I have witnessed too many cases where great ideas, poorly communicated to senior executives, come to an abrupt end sometimes taking a career or … Continue reading
If a Cloud Falls in the Forest…Nobody Should Hear It
Resiliency is not a byproduct of cloud computing About a week ago while thinking of cloud services I realized that I had been having a recurring thought for several weeks: … Continue reading
Cloud Computing: A Tale of Two Write-Downs
It was the best of times, it was a cell with a view Recently there has been a lot of discussion and debate regarding the capitalizing and amortizing of cloud-related … Continue reading
Cloud Computing: Keep your friends close, and the Finance Team closer
I agree, Dick Benton, a partnership with Finance is critical to private cloud success Dick Benton recently published a two-part article on “Calculating Cloud ROI” in which he states that … Continue reading
Cloud Computing: ‘Please check your egos at the door’
A pragmatic approach to cloud computing might eliminate the “Office of the C-I-No” I recently started reading David S. Linthicum’s book “Cloud Computing and SOA Convergence in Your Enterprise,” and … Continue reading
Is Business Ready for the Cloud? You Bet!
Three reasons cloud computing is more than hype, and how it is improving the delivery of business services Even with recent announcements and case studies documenting the value and potential … Continue reading
Innovation, Technology, and Life in the Cloud 