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By Andrea Knoblauch
Over the last few years we’ve seen just about every part of the data centre move towards virtualisation and software. First we virtualised desktops, then storage, then even our security tools. So when the idea of software defined networking (SDN) started being floated around, it wasn’t a big surprise. But what exactly is it?
SDN’s early roots can be likened...
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Cloud vendors claiming to be the “fastest” or “best performing” deserve a little scepticism. While speed and performance can appear impressive if conditions are aligned in a particular way, it doesn’t mean they will hold up in the long-term.
For companies searching for the right cloud provider, data on performance expectations is essential as it relates to picking the right host, managing scalability, and effectively spending on resources. Companies can use the...
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The launch of Amazon Web Services (AWS) in 2006 revolutionised the concept of technology infrastructure. AWS Marketplace is marching along the same path to transform the way software is sold and deployed.
As Amazon consistently pushes out innovative products on AWS, the enterprise software world sees the AWS Marketplace as a thriving environment for...
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Figures from the Cloud Industry Forum (CIF) reveal more than half (51%) of organisations polled with between 21 and 200 employees and almost three quarters (72%) of firms with more than 200 employees are still reliant on Windows Server 2003, despite the support from Microsoft having expired on July 14.
Naturally, this may not be the most surprising news you will read today. Back in April, this publication spoke with hybrid IT provider Zynstra and cloud storage provider CTERA Networks and concluded...
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Cloud usage is rocketing amongst UK business users – but the final decision making falls to the head of IT or the chief information officer in almost three in five (59%) cases, according to latest research.
The research, from cloud hosting provider Cobweb Solutions, shows more organisations are turning to cloud for all their business needs, with UK cloud penetration reaching a high of 84%.
78% of businesses are using more than one cloud-based service, figures which correlate
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In late 2014, Oxford Economics and SAP collaborated on a survey of 200 senior business and IT executives globally regarding the adoption and use of cloud technology:
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In 2014, Gartner introduced a new organisation model for enterprise IT called “bimodal IT.” In fact Gartner first started talking about this back in 2012 following the introduction of DevOps and agile development. Now Gartner posits that IT organisations of the future will have two separate flavours: mode 1 is traditional IT, focused on stability and efficiency, while mode 2 is an experimental, agile IT organisation focused on time-to-market, rapid application...
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Cloud usage has grown rapidly in the UK, with adoption rates shooting up over 60% in the last four years, according to the latest figures from Vanson Bourne. Yet there is an ongoing problem with a lack of clarity and understanding around cloud policies, and decision making within enterprises at all levels.
This confusion comes from the fact the IT department and the rest of the company have very differing conceptions about what cloud policy is and what it should be.
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Newly released figures from the Cloud Industry Forum (CIF) show that cloud computing adoption rate in the UK currently stands at 84%, with that number expecting to sizeably increase due to the shutdown of Windows Server (WS) 2003.
WS2003 will have its support stopped on July 14 and, as this publication has previously examined, many companies are leaving...
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Workers in small to medium businesses (SMBs) feel happier and more productive when using cloud apps in their day to day work, according to new research from Kronos.
The study, which focused on 1000 European knowledge workers in SMBs, notes how late many small businesses are in moving to the cloud, arguing SMB leaders are “yet to realise [its] strategic value”. Yet almost two thirds (63%) believe the majority of their...
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Updated Everyone occasionally likes a comfortable pair of shoes. Businesses, when forced to upgrade their legacy tech, are no different. UK-based cloud provider Exponential-e has sounded a dire warning to enterprises hoping to cling onto their Windows Server 2003 deployments as the 100 day countdown to support switch-off begins at Microsoft towers.
The arguments against keeping Windows Server 2003, which will have support stopped on July 14, are straightforward; it’ll be a hacker’s...
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Open container platform Docker has announced $95m (£64.3m) in series D funding, in a move to “address the needs of the millions of ecosystem users and thousands of enterprises that have standardised on Docker’s technology.”
The funding round was led by Insight Venture Partners, with eight other firms putting their change in the bowl, including new investors Coatue, Goldman Sachs and Northern Trust. Docker’s last funding round, in September 2014, was $40m...
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More than 15% of European organisations now use more than 1000 cloud apps with Google Drive, Facebook and Twitter the most popular, according to a report from Netskope.
The findings, which appear in the April 2015 Netskope Cloud Report, saw iCloud and Salesforce make the top five. Five cloud storage apps (Google Drive, iCloud, OneDrive for Business, OneDrive and Dropbox) made the top 12, alongside four social apps (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn).
Of the organisations analysed in...
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The agile enterprise; it becomes ever more elusive the larger a business grows. As systems are developed over time, they can often hamper progress as they become inflexible and more complicated in comparison to the consumerisation of modern business technologies which are increasingly intuitive and blur the lines between the technologies that people use at home and work.
For some enterprises the answer is a large wholesale change, taking a phased approach to its implementation whilst...
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With everything Microsoft releases, it’s a “mobile first, cloud first” mantra which accompanies it. This is no different; the tech giant has announced the launch of the Azure App Service, a cloud service which enables developers to built web and mobile apps for any platform and any device.
The service brings together the capabilities from Azure Websites, Azure Mobile Services and Azure BizTalk Services. Microsoft aims to provide an integrated solution that streamlines...
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The nature of work is evolving; employees are mobile and cloud-enabled, free to work anywhere from almost any device. In response to this shift, the BYOD trend has emerged stronger than ever. Coupled with this is the growth of employees desiring more accessible applications. However, these factors have undoubtedly contributed to the emergence of shadow IT, which is creating a problem for many IT departments.
Applications such as Dropbox are increasingly being used by employees for business...
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The majority of UK office workers are in the dark about their employer’s cloud computing policy, and even if they do know they’re likely to ignore it, according to research published by Trustmarque.
The report’s findings, of over 2000 employees, saw the growth of cloud applications used in the workplace, be it approved or through shadow IT, continue to grow, meaning security and compliance fears grow with it. It’s a similar finding to
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A report published by BCSG has revealed how awareness and uptake of cloud services in small to medium businesses (SMBs) is on the rise.
The survey, of 600 European participants across all stages of small business, from micro businesses to pre-startups, found 64% of SMBs are already using cloud-based software, while the average number of applications in use is three.
78% of respondents say they are considering purchasing new solutions in the next two to three years – potentially...