It's a bird, it's a plane.... no, it's a CLOUD

Will Cloud Computing save the day or rather the economy was the question that recently came up on the ebizQ Cloud Computing forum.

As I understand it the primary reasons behind our current economic conditions are:

1. The burst of the housing bubble.
2. Questionable ethical practices of lenders with rampant subprime loans coupled with Mortgage Backed Securities and Collateralized debt objects of such loans.
3. Fiscal irresponsibility of borrowers.

Can anyone say "Cloud Computing" to the above?

I certainly CAN NOT. :)

Well, Cloud Computing fans need not despair for even Superman is powerless in front of Kryptonite!

* Originally posted on the ebizQ Cloud Computing Forum in July 2010.

My Podcast - What the Government Has Learned From Cloud Computing: Talking with Tarak Modi

Listen to my latest podcast What the Government Has Learned From Cloud Computing: Talking with Tarak Modi.

Feel free to send comments. I look forward to your feedback and suggestions for future podcasts

Enterprise Architecture - What's in a name?

"What is the Key to Effective Enterprise Architecture?", asks Peter Schooff, an editor at ebizQ. His question comes in conjunction with an article on the CIO Dashboard titled "16 Enterprise Architecture Strategies Learned the Hard Way" as well as Adrian Grigoriu's entry in his blog "Enterprise Architecture Matters".

The question generated quite a bit of interest on the forum. Answers varied from the keys being executive sponsorship to defining what "enterprise" means to convincing the "non technical guys" the value of EA.

All valid points.

So, what's my take on this?

The key to success - Don't call it Enterprise Architecture!

Seriously, the term "Enterprise Architecture" has become so overloaded, over used, and convoluted that I have actually been in places where the term EA was banned from usage and using the term resulted in instant loss of credibility!

* Originally posted on the ebizQ SOA Forum on July 15, 2010

Selecting a Cloud - It's More than Just Technology

Check out my accompanying write-up to my recent article titled "Making Sure You Really Are Walking on Cloud Nine", which was published in the June 2010 issue of the ISACA Journal.

Selecting a Cloud - It's More than Just Technology

Is Cloud a Natural Fit For the Government?

Peter Schooff, ebizQ editor, raised this question on the ebizQ Cloud Computing forum today.

Obviously, given my recent area of research, I think this is an excellent question and to my delight it has been matched with an equally thought-provoking discussion on the forum thus far!

For those of you who have been following me, you'll agree that I've covered a great deal on this very topic in my first and third podcasts on Cloud Computing within the Federal Government (was this a shameless plug?)

I agree with Dr. Smith (on the forum) that the government is not a profit-driven business but cost is still an issue with balooning deficits, many competing initiatives and programs for tax dollars, and our energy independence at stake with close to a billion dollar energy bill each year just for operating the government run data centers! OMB mandates and the president's budget leave no doubt that each agency is being asked to become more efficient and lower costs.

Control (privacy, security of information assets, compliance with regulations, etc.) is also a valid concern, which, as Anthony (also on the forum) pointed out, could be addressed by so called "private" clouds. Such clouds already exist such as with the National Business Center's cloud, DISA's RACE, and NASA's Nebula.

So do I believe that there is a good fit between Government and Clouds?

Absolutely!

* Originally posted on the ebizQ Cloud Computing Forum on July 6, 2010.