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A provider's guide to building mobile cloud services
Behavior-based mobile cloud services are a $500 billion opportunity, but it requires strategic decisions about virtualization, network architecture and OSS/BSS platforms.
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Is there a one-size-fits-all MSP cloud certification?
Not all clouds are created equal, but there should be equality for a cloud certification among providers, says MSPAlliance CEO Charles Weaver in this guest column.
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Where mobility meets cloud: Behavior-based services
Cloud computing should be the processing engine -- not the service itself -- for highly personalized, dynamic applications based on mobile behavior.
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Managing cloud storage: It's not just capacity planning
Enterprises are eying cloud storage to support ongoing data growth. This presents a clear opportunity for providers, but only if they can master cloud storage management.
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Why more cloud providers, MSPs lease data center space
Rather than spend millions building out their own facilities, more cloud providers and MSPs are choosing to lease data center space. But how will that affect service delivery?
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5 ways MSPs and integrators can mitigate cloud lock-in
MSPs and integrators risk facing cloud lock-in when they partner with a larger provider for cloud services instead of building their own. Here are five ways to avoid it.
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Cloud billing can be differentiator
Cloud billing should not be underestimated as a differentiator. But before cloud providers can achieve that, they must understand competitors' capabilities and customer needs.
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Coaxing diehard 'server huggers' into cloud adoption
IT managers like control, and this proclivity is a barrier to cloud adoption. Overcome this barrier by showing customers how outsourcing servers can, in fact, be empowering.
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The IPv6 cloud: Two interdependent inflection points
An IPv6 cloud is the foundation for agile and scalable next-gen services, which means cloud providers and MSPs should develop their IPv6 and cloud strategies concurrently.
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How providers can overcome the lack of cloud standards
The lack of cloud standards for security makes it hard for cloud providers to illustrate how secure their data centers are, but some industry efforts offer a starting point.
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Myth vs. reality: Controlling VM sprawl in the cloud
Cloud providers are at high risk of becoming victims of VM sprawl. But when it comes to controlling VM sprawl in the cloud, can you separate fact from fiction?
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Cloud balancing across multiple data centers
Cost-effectively load balancing, or "cloud balancing," traffic among multiple data centers carries implications for cloud provider networks, storage and management.
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Can a switching fabric simplify the cloud data center?
A growing number of cloud providers and operators are asking if their data center networks need a cloud data center switching fabric to simplify design and ensure connectivity.
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Five key cloud computing trends for providers in 2012
Five key cloud computing trends will influence cloud provider strategies, and it's these trends that will shape the cloud market for the rest of this decade.
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Cloud security: Talk enterprises through their concerns
Cloud providers and managed service providers (MSPs) must continue to do a lot of handholding with customers to allay their concerns about cloud security issues.
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Cheat sheet: Talking to clients about cloud security
Customers are jumpy about cloud computing security risks, and cloud providers must be ready for their questions with bulletproof answers. Here are questions you can expect.
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Cloud security: What customers want from providers
Customers may be willing to compromise with a cloud provider on pricing or performance guarantees, but evidence of a secure cloud will always be non-negotiable.
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PaaS: Cloud computing providers' next big opportunity
As providers look up the cloud stack for their next play, Platform as a Service (PaaS) cloud computing services have caught their eye as the next opportunity.
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Five business challenges facing every cloud reseller
Becoming a cloud reseller requires many strategic changes for partners new to a services-oriented business model. Here are five challenges cloud resellers should prepare for.
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The case for cloud automation and orchestration
The need for cloud automation and orchestration in complex, on-demand environments is a critical issue that affects cloud providers of every size.
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Cloud APM services: Add monitoring to your portfolio
Acceleration is just one facet of cloud performance services. Application performance management (APM) services that focus on monitoring are another avenue for providers.
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A skeptical look at OpenStack architecture
The OpenStack architecture could alter the relationship between cloud computing and the network, but is it over-hyped? That is a critical question, but it's hard to answer.
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Partnership opportunities for cloud app acceleration
Cloud application response time is a sticking point for customers, but not all providers have the capital to build a CDN from scratch. Partnerships may be a sound alternative.
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Getting into Application Acceleration as a Service
Instead of seeing customers' cloud-computing-performance concerns as a barrier, providers should regard it as an opportunity to offer application acceleration services.