Cloud Data Links (Security Links)

 

 

http://www.cio.com/topic/3024/Cloud_Computing

http://talkincloud.com/

http://cloudcomputing.ieee.org/publications

http://cloud-computing.tmcnet.com/

http://searchcloudcomputing.techtarget.com/resources

http://cloudtimes.org/

http://cloud-computing.alltop.com/

http://www.cloudcomputing-news.net/resources/

http://www.emc.com/cloud-virtualization/index.htm

 

 

Cloud Service Providers - 2013 Top 100

100. BUMI (Backup My Info! Inc.), New York, NY, USA:This MSP specializes in online backup and data recovery. Recurring cloud revenue grew roughly 25 percent in 2012. More than 500 businesses and 40 channel partners work closely with the company. Top Exec:Jennifer Walzer, CEO & Founder


99. Intelligence Partner, Madrid, Spain: This cloud consulting company has deep expertise in business intelligence, Google Apps, CRM and business process management. Top Exec: Ignacio Bano, CEO


98. Cohesive Flexible Technologies Corp., Chicago, IL, USA: Cohesive has launched more than 300,000 virtual servers since 2006 and has more than 500 production deployments under its belt. Next up: Image management for OpenStack – the open source cloud platform – and a growing focus on software defined networking. Top Exec: Patrick Kerpan, CEO


97. Promevo, Erlanger, KY, USA: This Google Apps for Business partner also has a reseller network for gPanel – the company’s management and reporting solution for Google Apps. Top Exec: Aaron Gumz, Managing Partner


96. American Technology Services Inc., Fairfax, VA: Founded in 1994, ATSoffers network support, web design, hosting and cloud services to SMB customers. The cloud business grew a healthy 35 percent last year. Top Exec: Jeff Chandler, President


95. Unified Technologies, Portland, ME, USA: Perhaps better known as an MSP, Unified Technologies has also pushed into cloud services. The company was formed in September 2011 when TelLan Network Technologies (doing business as VoIPnet Technologies) merged with ITPartners LLC. The combined company claims to be the oldest Hosted VoIP provider in New England. Top Exec: Todd Wolf, COO


94. BioPharm Systems, San Mateo, CA, USA:Now here’s a true vertical market technology provider. BioPharm is an Oracle Gold Partner focused on Life Sciences – particularly clinical trial, data, drug safety management systems. Much of the company’s revenue comes from cloud-based services. Top Exec: Alex Sefanov, President and CEO


93. Green House Data, Cheyenne, WY, USA: A key VMware partner, Green House offers public,hybrid and private cloud services. The company’s recurring cloud revenues jumped roughly 150 percent last year. Top Exec: Shawn Mills, President


92. Netswitch Technology Management, South San Francisco, CA, USA: Netswitch essentially launched in 2000, with a small network engineering and IP telephony engineering practice. The company has expanded into Internet Security, cloud computing and managed services with offices in Thailand, Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Netswitch now offers ERP, Web development and systems integration services with the acquisition of the Blackhawk Systems Group in 2012. Top Exec: Stanley Li, CEO and President


91. IT Solutions Consulting Inc., Fort Washington, PA, USA: A top MSP that now has a branded cloud service dubbed NearCloud. The service links customers’ networks to a secure server facility. Another interesting nugget of information: IT Solutions Consulting is employee-owned, through an ESOP. Top Exec: Ted Swanson, CEO and CFO   

90. CentraStage, Amersham, Bucks, UK: This company is a fast-growing provider of cloud-based RMM (remote monitoring and management) software. CentraStage’s customer base is MSPs that are seeking to more effectively manage customer devices. After launching operations in Europe, CentraStage now has a growing footprint in the United States. Top Exec: Christian Nagele CEO


89. Cirrity LLC, Atlanta, GA, USA: Once part of an MSP, Cirrity works closely with VMware, NetApp, Cisco, Citrix and several other companies in the cloud services market. The company’s cloud touts HIPAA and PCI compliance. Cirrity also offers a cloud partner program to MSPs and ISVs seeking IaaS platforms. Top Exec: Dan Timko, President & CTO


88. Proxios, Richmond, VA, USA: An early move in the virtual desktop and remote desktop market, Proxios offers hosted virtual Windows PCs that can be “superimposed” on customers’ existing Windows computers and thin clients. Cloud revenues enjoyed triple-digit growth last year. Top Exec: Steve Fey, President


87. Sheepdog, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada:One of Canada’s top Google Apps for Business partners, Sheepdog launched in 2007 after the company’s founders visited Google’s Mountain View, Calif., campus. Sheepdog has since migrated more than 400 North America customers to cloud computing. Top Exec: Brandon Kolybaba, CEO


86. divestIT Pty Ltd., Brisbane, Australia: One of Australia’s fastest-growing cloud service providers, divestIT works closely with Microsoft, Google, VMware, Cisco and Veeam. Cloud revenues essentially tripled last year. Top Exec: Nigel Heyn, Managing Director


85. TekLinks Inc., Birmingham, AL, USA: TekLinks is the rare company that lands on the Talkin’ Cloud 100, MSPmentor 501 and Solution Provider 500 lists. Within the cloud and managed services market, VP David Powell is the executive to know. Strong cloud momentum has also pushed the company onto the annual Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing privately held businesses.  Top Exec: Jim Akerhielm, CEO


84. CyberlinkASP, Dallas, TX, USA: The Application Service Provider (ASP) wave rose and crashed more than a decade ago. But CyberlinkASP continues to grow while promoting virtual desktops, managed hosting and cloud services. Annual cloud revenues jumped 14 percent last year -- a big percentage gain considering the company already has a big revenue base from which to work.Top Exec: Chris M. Lantrip, CEO


83. Dome9 Security, Burlingame, CA, USA: Dome9 has created a security blanket that can cover multiple servers across multiple clouds. From policy enforcement to two-factor authentication and firewalls, Dome9 plays in multiple areas. The company can also manage policies for Amazon Web Services’ EC2 cloud. Top Exec: Zohar Alon, Co-Founder & CEO


82. Natterbox Ltd., London, UK: The company specializes in secure voice services – while also integrating voice with CRM. Key partners include Orange Business Services, Pure Cloud Solutions and Workbooks. Top Exec: Neil Hammerton, CEO


81. nGenx Corp., Overland Park, KS, USA:The fast-growth desktop as a service (DaaS) provider works closely with Microsoft, Citrix and Intuit. nGenX also has a deep DaaS relationship with Rackspace. Top Exec: Robert Bye, President & CEO

80. TestudoData, Seattle, WA, USA: The cloud distributor partners closely with Google, Microsoft, McAfee and Reflexion Networks. TestudoData distributes those cloud services out to its reseller network, which looks to be growing rapidly. Top Exec: Eric Blank, Executive Manager


79. WeCloud AB, Malmö, Sweden:WeCloud focuses on Internet security, anti-virus, and encryption. The company is one of the top providers of Zscaler, extending the solution to more than 1,500 partners and customers. Top Exec: Rikard Zetterberg, CEO


78. Ntiva McLean, VA, USA: Launched in 2004, the IT service provider offers a range of custom cloud services – including key brands from Microsoft, Google and Rackspace. Cloud revenues have enjoyed strong double-digit percentage growth in the past year. Top Exec: Steven Freidkin, President


77. Xtium, King of Prussia, PA, USA: The company launched its managed cloud hosting service in 2007, winning a $6.5 million, five-year agreement to support a NASDAQ-listed insurance company’s IT transformation, growth and acquisitions. Fast forward to the present, and the company has helped cores of mid-sized businesses virtual disaster recovery and cloud hosting for business applications.Top Exec: Tim Buckley, CEO


76. Capital Support, London, UK: Founded in 2002, Capital Support now provides IT, managed and cloud services to over 170 Alternative Investment Management firms across the globe.Top Exec: Nigel Brooks, Managing Partner


75. ProfitBricks USA Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA: The IaaS company offers referral and reseller partner programs to ISVs, MSPs and other market influencers. ProfitBricks received a $19.5 million investment from its founders and United Internet AG (UTDI.DE), a European Internet services provider.Top Exec: Robert Rizika, CEO     


74. Dito LLC, Manassas, VA, USA: A key Google Apps for Business reseller, Dito has helped customers from over 15 countries to “Go Google.” Top Exec: Dan McNelis, CEO


73. Azzurri Communications, Sydney, Australia: Better known for its managed services, Azzurri’s core focus includes data, voice and unified communications services. Key partners include Cisco, Palo Alto Networks and LifeSize. Top Exec: Jon Evans, Managing Director


72. Pay Per Cloud, Sacramento, CA, USA: The hosting provider has momentum offering Microsoft’s core business applications – Exchange, Lync and SharePoint. The company’s Web hosting part program expanded to include Windows-based solutions in January 2012. Top Exec: Miles Feinberg, President and CEO


71. BroadCloud, Carson City, NV, USA: The managed IT infrastructure provider has bet heavily on the storage market. Cloud revenues more than doubled last year. Top Exec: Bryan Turbow, Founder & CTO

70. Netstream AG, Duebendorf, Switzerland: Founded in 1998, Netstream has grown to 70 employees and built its first data center in 2011. Cloud revenues jumped about 60 percent last year. Top Exec: Alexis Caceda, CEO


69. Sonian, Dedham, MA, USA: The company focuses on cloud-powered archiving. More than 11,000 customers in 40 countries leverage Sonian’s solutions to meet regulatory compliance and eDiscovery mandates. Top Exec: Jeff Dickerson, President & CEO


68. Corporate IT Solutions, Norwood, MA, USA: The MSP has pushed aggressively into business continuity and disaster recovery solutions. Cloud-related revenues jumped more than 70 percent last year. Top Exec: Michael Cook, CEO


67. IT Authorities, Tampa, FL, USA: The well-known MSP now offers cloud desktop and hosted solutions – lifting cloud revenues roughly 60 percent last year. Top Exec: Jason Caras and Jason Pollner, Co-CEOs


66. Logicalis, Farmington Hills, MI, USA:Logicalis offers public and private cloud solutions – including disaster recovery as a service, software as a service and hosted Exchange. The company also is positioning itself as a Master MSP of sorts – offering managed services capabilities to regional and aspiring MSPs. Top Exec: Vince DeLuca, CEO


65. All Covered, Foster City, CA, USA: Owned by Konica Minolta, All Covered has acquired multiple MSPs, VARs and IT service providers over the past few years. Pushing beyond its U.S. footprint, All Covered is expanding globally. Cloud revenues jumped roughly 100 percent last year. Top Exec: Todd Croteau, President


64. Onix Networking Corp., Lakewood, OH, USA: Say hello to Google’s Global Partner of the Year for Enterprise Search. Onix also promotes Google Chromebooks and Google Apps for Business. Top Exec: Tim Needles, President & CEO         


63. GreenPages-LogicsOne, Kittery, MN, USA: The consulting, engineering and integration specialist also has a growing cloud management as a service business. GreenPages in mid-2013 acquired Qoncert, a unified communications and collaboration specialist in Tampa, Fla. Top Exec: Ron Dupler, CEO


62. Corporate Technologies LLC, Eden Prairie, MN, USA: Another rare company that has landed on the Talkin’ Cloud 100, MSPmentor 501 and Solution Provider 500 lists. On the cloud front, revenues grew roughly 17 percent last year. Top Exec: Jim Griffith, CEO


61. Safe Systems, Alpharetta, GA, USA:Focused on the financial services market, Safe Systems offers compliance-centric IT solutions to more than 600 financial institutions. Cloud services include hosted disaster recovery and eDiscovery solutions.Top Exec: Danny Johnston, CEO

60. MessageOps, Boca Raton, FL, USA: When it comes to Microsoft Office 365 migrations, this company has built a strong reputation for itself. MessageOps has also launched 365 Command – a cloud management tool that MSPs and VARs can leverage for their Office 365 deployments. Top Exec: Chris Pyle, President & CEO, USA


59. Datto Inc., Norwalk, CT, USA: Among the best-known companies offering backup and disaster recovery (BDR) to MSPs, Datto has been on the Inc. 5000 list as one of America’s fastest growing privately held companies. Top Exec: AustinMcChord, Founder & CEO


58. Netgain Technology Inc., St. Cloud, MN, USA: Focused on healthcare IT, the Netgain Partner Program promotes IT outsourcing solutions to ISVs, VARs and IT consultants. Cloud-related revenues jumped about 32 percent last year. Top Exec: Scott Warzecha, President & Founder


57. Long View Systems, Calgary, Canada:One of the world’s top MSPs, as ranked by the MSPmentor 501 report, Long View also has a fast-growing cloud services business. New CEO Gord Mawhinney – a four-year company veteran -- succeeded Don Bialik in July 2013. Bialik shifted to the chairman post. Top Exec: Gord Mawhinney, CEO


56. Artisan Infrastructure, Austin, TX, USA: The rare IaaS provider that’s a pure channel company, Artisan Infrastructure has relationships with VARs, MSPs and cloud-centric software companies like Asigra, Anchor, AppNeta and independenceIT. Cloud revenues essentially tripled last year. Top Exec: Brian Hierholzer, CEO


55. EarthLink Inc., Atlanta, GA, USA: The top ranked MSP on our sister MSPmentor 501 report, EarthLink also has a growing cloud services business. The company acquired CenterBeam – an MSP and hosted IT provider – in July 2013. Top Exec: Rolla P. Huff, Chairman, CEO & President


54. SADA Systems Inc., North Hollywood, CA, USA: Instead of choosing sides in the cloud wars, SADA Systems is thriving by supporting both Google Apps and Microsoft Office 365. Cloud-related revenues more than doubled last year. Top Exec: Tony Safoian, CEO, USA


53. Eze Castle Integration, Boston, MA, USAThe Eze Private Cloud focuses on hedge fund companies and financial services businesses. Already a mature MSP, cloud-related revenues jumped nearly 40 percent last year. Top Exec: John Cahaly, President & CEO


52. ATScloud, Dallas, TX, USA: The channel-only IaaS company helps MSPs, VARs and CSPs build their own cloud services business from the ground up. Top Exec: Steve Willard, EVP


51. Claris Networks, Knoxville, TN, USA: One of the strongest brands among U.S. IT service providers, Claris Networks has mastered cloud, managed and vertical market solutions. EMR (Eletronic Medical Record) solutions now include patient safety offerings.Top Exec: Larry Bodie, CEO

50. Cetrom Information Technology Inc., Vienna, VA, USA: A push into application hosting and virtual desktops is treating Cetrom well. Cloud-related revenues jumped more than 20 percent last year. Top Exec: Christopher Stark, President & CEO.


49. NeoNova Network Services, Morrisville, NC, USA: NeoNova is now a Google Apps Premier SMB Reseller. The company has also pushed into Google Apps ISV support – promoting Backupify as a way to protect and recover Gmail, Google Drive and other cloud applications. Top Exec: Ray Carey, CEO


48. Anittel, North Sydney, Australia: Better known as an MSP created through multiple acquisitions, Anittel also has a fast-growing cloud services business that deserves applause. The growing portfolio includes offsite backup, virtual servers and email security. Top Exec: Peter Kazacos, Managing Director & Executive Chairman


47. Cobweb Solutions Ltd., Fareham, UK:Cobweb is a gold partner within Microsoft’s hosting and messaging partner program. Predictably, Cobweb offers hosted Exchange and SharePoint, and the company has a growing web of resellers. Top Exec:Paul Hannam, CEO


46. Intronis Inc., Chelmsford, MA, USA: The cloud backup provider sells exclusively through IT service providers – mostly MSPs with a healthy dose of VARs mixed in. CEO Rick Faulk, a seasoned SaaS executive, joined the company in early 2013. Top Exec: Rick Faulk, CEO


45. Excel Micro Inc., Folsom, PA, USA: A next-generation cloud services distributor, Excel Micro partners closely with Google, McAfee, Symantec.cloud, Reflexion Networks and more. The company’s partner program fueled 30 percent cloud revenue growth last year. Top Exec: Joseph Vaccone, President & CEO


44. Logicworks, New York, NY, USA: The public, private and hybrid cloud provider offers managed services for Amazon Web Services. Logicworks also has a growing focus on corporate compliance regulations like HIPAA. Top Exec: Ken Ziegler, CEO


43. Avanxo, Bogota, Colombia:An early mover in the cloud computing market for Latin America, Avanxo promotes Google Apps for Business, Salesforce.com, SuccessFactors and other SaaS applications to its customer base. Top Exec: Diego Maldonado, CEO


42. VOIP.COM, Winnetka, CA, USA: As you might expect, VOIP.com has pushed into cloud PBX services for business customers. Cloud-related revenues jumped roughly 60 percent last year. Top Exec: Jim Murphy, President


41. Compushare, South Coast Metro, CA, USA: The IT service provider promotes cloud solutions to community banks, credit unions and other financial services organizations. Top Exec: Romir Bosu, CEO

40. Critigen LLC, Denver, CO, USA:Focused heavily on the government market, the MSP now offers IaaS, SaaS and a range of virtualized servers. Critigen also promotes its ability to host game servers, VoIP, streaming video and other latency-sensitive applications. Top Exec: Jim Eberle, CEO


39. Cloud Sherpas, Atlanta, GA, USA: Perhaps the best known Google Apps for Business channel partner, Cloud Sherpas now positions itself as a cloud services brokerage – helping customers to deploy and manage Google Apps, Salesforce.com and ServiceNow solutions. The company’s CSB business is on pace to grow more than 80 percent in 2013. Top Exec: David Northington, CEO


38. PeakColo, Denver, CO, USA: A key VMware service provider, PeakColo has bet heavily on IaaS while also building out a cloud partner program. Josh Mariea, VP of business development, is overseeing the major channel initiative. Top Exec: Luke Norris, Founder & CEO


37. TOA Technologies, Beachwood, OH, USA: The company’s field service management solution has a strong following across retail, utilities, healthcare and other vertical markets. Cloud-related revenues jumped roughly 93 percent last year. Top Exec: Yuval Brisker, co-founder, President and CEO        


36. Layered Technologies, Plano, TX, USA:The enterprise cloud and managed hosting provider touts its expertise with PCI-, HIPAA- and FISMA-ready hosting environments. Layered Technologies also is a close VMware partner. Top Exec: Jack Finlayson, Chairman & CEO


35. Quest Technology Management, Sacramento, CA, USA:The company’s four primary cloud solutions are (1) unified virtual data center, (2) disaster recovery and business continuity, (3) desktop virtualization and (4) virtual application development. Cloud-related revenues jumped roughly 33 percent last year. Top Exec: Tim Burke, President & CEO


34. AppDynamics, San Francisco, CA, USA:The application performance management software provider empowers CSPs and MSPs to monitor servers, applications, and plenty more. Top Exec: Jyoti Bansal, Founder & CEO

 


33. AppRiver, Gulf Breeze, FL, USA:The email encryption and web security company has a growing channel partner program. AppRiver’s solution protects 45,000 corporate customers and eight million email inboxes worldwide. Top Exec: Michael Murdoch, CEO


32. BlueLock, Indianapolis, IN, USA: BlueLock promotes virtual data centers and cloud management solutions that are available on-demand to customers. Cloud-related revenues roughly doubled last year. Top Exec: Christopher, Clapp, CEO


31. mindSHIFT Technologies Inc., Waltham, MA, USA:Owned by Best Buy, mindSHIFT continues to grow its managed and cloud services business practices. The cloudSHIFT brand now includes solutions for applications, virtual desktops and VMware servers. Top Exec: Paul Chisholm, CEO

30. iomart Group plc, Glasgow, UK: The company claims to be the United Kingdom’s leading cloud services provider. Iomart offers multi data center redundancy to protect partner and customer data across a virtual grid infrastructure. The company launched the channel brand iomartcloud last year. Top Exec: Angus MacSween, CEO


29. Apptix, Herndon, VA, USA: The CSPs’ four core cloud services involve communications, collaboration, compliance and security, and infrastructure. Cloud-related revenues grew about 6 percent last year – but the revenue base is quite large. Top Exec: David Ehrhardt, President & CEO


28. Broadview Networks Inc., Rye Brook, NY, USA: Focused on VoIP business solutions and virtual phone systems, Broadview’s OfficeSuite has more than 100,000 users. Top Exec: Michael Robinson, CEO & President


27. iland Internet Solutions, Houston, TX, USA: The cloud and hosting provider was VMware’s service provider partner of the year in 2012. iland’s cloud services stretch from North America to Europe. Top Exec: Scott Sparvero, CEO 


26. Asigra Inc., Toronto, Canada: Instead of launching its own cloud, Asigra promotes backup solutions to MSPs and cloud services providers. The result: Asigra Cloud Backup now powers more than 550,000 sites worldwide. Top Exec: David Farajun, CEO


25. Liaison Technologies, Alpharetta, GA, USA: The cloud integration and data management company helps customers to move, transform and manage business information across the cloud. Top Exec: Bob Renner, CEO


24. Virtacore, Sterling, VA, USA:Virtacore offers Cisco UCS FlexPod and VMware-based cloud solutions. The company also partners closely with Google Apps for Business. Among the business moves to watch next: Virtacore’s channel partner program. Top Exec: George Naspo, CEO


23. AirWatch, Atlanta, GA, USA:A top provider of cloud-based mobile device management (MDM), mobile applications management (MAM) and mobile content management solutions for enterprise customers. AirWatch recently acquired MotorolaSolutions for Mobility. AirWatch also has a fast-growing channel partner program for VARs and MSPs. Top Exec: John Marshall, CEO


22. Ingram Micro Cloud, Santa Ana, CA, USA: A first-mover in the cloud services aggregator market, Ingram Micro Cloud now has relationships with dozens of ISVs – across backup, storage, security, mobility and more. The Ingram Micro Cloud platform allows VARs and MSPs to source numerous applications for customers, while also managing pricing, billing and more. Top Exec: Renee Bergeron, VP of Managed Services and Cloud


21. Intermedia Inc., Mountain View, CA, USA: Known as the largest third-party provider of hosted Exchange, Intermedia also has a growing Office in the Cloud platform that supports voice, mobile and other services. The company’s partner program includes private label capabilities where VARs and MSPs can manage billing, pricing, margins and more. Top Exec: Michael Gold, President

20. Carbonite, Boston, MA, USA:The cloud backup provider has been pushing into database backup for Exchange, SQL Server and additional applications. A fast-growing channel partner program has attracted VARs and MSPs, and allowed Carbonite to expand its cloud business nearly 40 percent last year. Top Exec: David Friend, Chairman & CEO           


19. Dimension Data, Bryanston, Johannesburg, South Africa: Owned by NTT Group, Dimension Data has pushed beyond its IT solution provider to offer managed hosting services. The company’s CloudControl management system provides self-service provisioning, configuration and administration of cloud servers, storage and networking.Top Exec: Brett Dawson, CEO


18. Zoho, Pleasanton, CA, USA: Need an alternative to Google Apps, Microsoft Office 365, Salesforce.com and other popular SaaS applications? Zoho’s suite of cloud applications competes in those markets – and plenty more. Plus, Zoho cooperates with Google even while competing with the search giant. Zoho’s sister company, ManageEngine, provides tools and technologies to MSPs and corporate IT managers.Top Exec: Sridhar Vembu, CEO


17. LogMeIn, Boston, MA, USA: The remote management platform provider has been pushing into new markets – including Cubby (file sharing), join.me (screen sharing) and more. LogMeIn launched a formal channel partner program in mid-2013. Key hires have included Ted Roller and Shannon Kohn. Top Exec: Michael Simon, CEO & President      


16. Citrix Systems, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA:From cloud applications (GoToMeeting) to cloud infrastructure software (CloudPlatform, CloudPortal, XenServer), Citrix has a growing portfolio of solutions for partners and customers. Still, open source initiatives like CloudStack face stiff competition from Amazon Web Services and OpenStack. Top Exec: Mark Templeton, CEO & President


15. Navisite (Time Warner) New York, NY, USA: The cloud services provider is best known for managing enterprise applications from IBM, Microsoft and Oracle. An international push – including NaviSite Europe – has won IaaS business from key government agencies. Top Exec: R. Brooks Borcherding, Cloud Leader and Visionary

14. Joyent, San Francisco, CA, USA:The company’s core platforms include Joyent Compute Service (infrastructure), Joyent Manta Storage Service and Joyent Private Cloud (for server and network virtualization with customer self-service). Top Exec:Henry Wasik, CEO


13. Savvis (a CenturyLink Company), Town & Country, MO, USA: The IaaS provider is building strategic channel partnerships with companies like Avnet Technology Solutions. Savvis has also pushed into cloud databases (Oracle, SQL Server), storage and private cloud solutions. Top Exec: Jeff Von Deylen, President


12. Dropbox, San Francisco, CA, USA: The cloud-based file sharing specialist is making a major channel partner push. The effort involves Dropbox for business – which starts at $795 per year for five users. Adam Nelson is driving the channel partner push.Top Exec: Drew Houston, CEO


11. Workday, Pleasanton, CA: The provider of HR and financial cloud applications remains in rapid growth mode. The company’s revenues more than doubled to $274 million last year. Workday, launched by PeopleSoft founder Dave Duffield, seems to be on a collision course with Oracle Financials. Top Execs: Aneel Bhusri and Dave Duffield, co-CEOs.

10. NetSuite, San Mateo, CA, USA: The cloud-based ERP provider continues to enjoy rapid growth – and an expanding channel partner base. NetSuite’s business expanded about 31 percent to $308 million in 2012. Channel Sales VP Craig West has been recruiting Microsoft partners into the NetSuite program. Among West’s innovations: The NetSuite SP100 program – which offers partners 100 percent of first-year revenues for new customer engagements. NetSuite also runs one of the top cloud partner and user conferences each year – called SuiteWorld. The next conference is set for May 12-15, 2014 in San Jose. Top Exec: Zachary Nelson, CEO & President


9. Rackspace, San Antonio, TX, USA: No doubt, Rackspace has a strong cloud presence and the company continues to grow. But Rackspace also is a company in transition as Wall Street calls for even faster growth. Plus, channel executives like Christopher Rajiah have left the company. Despite those challenges, Rackspace’s top-line cloud revenues still pushed the company into the top 10 portion of our list. Plus, OpenStack – the open source cloud platform – could begin to generate revenues for Rackspace in the next 12 to 18 months or so. Top Exec: Lanham Napier, CEO


8. Terremark (a Verizon Company), Miami, FL, USA:Terremark is in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for managed hosting in both Europe and North America. The company in early 2013 ​expanded its enterprise cloud services on both continents. Among the key enhancements: Federal-grade security controls (previously available exclusively through the Enterprise Cloud Federal Edition) are now available to all commercial customers.Top Exec: Christopher Drumgoole, Senior VP, Global Operations


7. SoftLayer (IBM), Dallas, TX, USA:Acquired by IBM in mid-2013, SoftLayer had been the largest privately held cloud services provider (CSP) in the United States. Known mostly for its infrastructure, SoftLayer also has its own software platform to rapidly onboard customers and partners. Pundits think that’s the main reason IBM acquired the company. And in the long run, SoftLayer could provide a boost to Big Blue’s SmartCloud strategy – which hasn’t really competed effectively against Amazon.com, Windows Azure and other public cloud services. Top Exec: Lance Crosby, CEO


6. SAP, Walldorf, Germany: Best known for its on-premises enterprise software business, SAP has also pushed hard into cloud computing – and revenues there are growing fast. For its most recent fiscal year, cloud revenues grew nearly 90 percent to $668 million. The company’s SaaS platform -- Business ByDemand – is catching on with mid-market customers and channel partners in that industry segment. Still, SAP remains in cloud revenue catch-up mode vs. major rivals like Oracle. Top Exec: William McDermottt, CEO


5. Google, Mountain View, CA, USA:More than 6,000 channel partners now support Google Apps for Business. Many of them – including Cloud Sherpas and SADA Systems – are successful enough in their own right to land on this list. The Google Apps reseller program is both simple and powerful – offering only a few options and complete billing control for channel partners. Ironically, Google was far ahead of Microsoft with the cloud partner billing capabilities. Over the next year, Talkin’ Cloud expects Google App Engine – the Amazon Web Services and Windows Azure alternative – to also gain channel partner momentum. Watch for resellers to launch applications on App Engine, while also integrating the services with Google Apps like Gmail. Top Exec: Larry Page, CEO          


4. Oracle, Redwood City, CA, USA: Oracle is pushing a “run anywhere” strategy that allows customers to leverage the company’s software on-premises or in the exact same configuration in the Oracle Cloud. Though late to market compared to Amazon Web Services, Windows Azure and Office 365, CEO Larry Ellison seems to have Oracle on track for continued cloud growth. In fact, the company already generates more than $1 billion from recurring cloud services revenues. Also, an Oracle Cloud partner program allows resale partners to manage end-customer billing and pricing – a key feature that rival programs like Microsoft Office 365 have widely lacked until recently. Jeff Porter, Oracle’s director of worldwide alliances and channels, deserves much of the credit for the partner program. While Wall Street in mid-2013 was somewhat concerned about Oracle’s software licensing and hardware business, it sounds like Oracle Cloud is off to a fast start.Top Exec: Larry Ellison, CEO


3. Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA:Although Microsoft’s desktop and mobile businesses are struggling to grow, the company’s cloud business appears to be thriving. More than half of all Fortune 500 companies now leverage Windows Azure for some workloads. And Office 365’s annual revenue run rate pushed beyond $1.5 billion in mid-2013. Now, channel partners like 365 Command are building Office 365 add-on management tools for VARs and MSPs. Microsoft also is expanding the Office 365 Open partner program – which allows partners to manage end-customer billing and pricing. Still, there’s room for more improvement. Channel partners say Microsoft offers far too many cloud SKUs compared to rivals like Google Apps for Business. But don’t underestimate Microsoft. Office 365 is roughly two years old – and seemingly gains more momentum every month. Top Exec: Steve Ballmer, CEO


2. Amazon, Seattle, WA, USA:Amazon Web Services has delivered 37 price cuts since launching in 2006 – providing customers and channel partners with a scalable on-demand infrastructure that seems to gain more momentum each quarter. Along the way, channel-friendly companies like Kaseya and LabTech Software have shifted their management tools to Amazon’s cloud – giving MSPs and VARs on-demand access to the offerings. By mid-2013, Amazon actually beat out IBM for a major government cloud contract. So what’s next? Keep a close eye on AWS re:Invent – an annual partner and customer conference that highlights recent cloud deployments and milestones. Top Exec: Jeff Bezos, CEO and President


1. Salesforce.com, San Francisco, CA, USA:Top-line revenues grew 35 percent to $3 billion last year, making Salesforce.com the largest publically held CSP. But far more important for channel partners is the Force.com platform – which empowers next-generation ISVs for success. Plus, the Salesforce AppExchange now has 1,800 partner apps in place. More recently, cloud services brokerages like Cloud Sherpas have been betting heavily on Salesforce.com migrations and consulting, driving even more revenues toward CEO Marc Benioff’s company. Top Exec: Marc Benioff, CEO

Cloud Definitions

#1

Cloud computing is a type of computing that relies on sharing computing resources rather than having local servers or personaldevices to handle applications.

In cloud computing, the word cloud (also phrased as "the cloud") is used as a metaphor for "the Internet," so the phrase cloud computing means "a type of Internet-based computing," where different services -- such as servers, storage and applications -- are delivered to an organization's computers and devices through the Internet.

Cloud computing is comparable to grid computing, a type of computing where unused processing cycles of all computers in a network are harnesses to solve problems too intensive for any stand-alone machine.To do this, cloud computing uses networks of large groups of servers typically running low-cost consumer PC technology with specialized connections to spread data-processing chores across them. This shared ITinfrastructure contains large pools of systems that are linked together. Often, virtualization techniques are used to maximize the power of cloud computing.

Cloud Computing Standards

The standards for connecting the computer systems and the software needed to make cloud computing work are not fully defined at present time, leaving many companies to define their own cloud computing technologies.  Cloud computing systems offered by companies, like IBM's "Blue Cloud" technologies for example, are based on open standards and open source software which link together computers that are used to to deliver Web 2.0 capabilities like mash-ups or mobile commerce.

Cloud Computing in the Data Center and for Small Business

Cloud computing has started to obtain mass appeal in corporate data centers as it enables the data center to operate like the Internet through the process of  enabling computing resources to be accessed and shared as virtual resources in a secure and scalable manner.

For a small and medium size business (SMB), the benefits of cloud computing is currently driving adoption. In the SMB sector there is often a lack of time and financial resources to purchase, deploy and maintain an infrastructure (e.g. the software, server and storage).

In cloud computing, small businesses can access these resources and expand or shrink services as business needs change. The common pay-as-you-go subscription model is designed to let SMBs easily add or remove services and you typically will only pay for what you do use.

How Cloud Computing Works

The goal of cloud computing is to apply traditional supercomputing, or high-performance computing power, normally used by military and research facilities, to perform tens of trillions of computations per second, in consumer-oriented applications such as financial portfolios, to deliver personalized information, to provide data storage or to power large, immersive computer games.

 

#2

"What's the cloud?" "Where is the cloud?" "Are we in the cloud now?!" These are all questions you've probably heard (and not just from Amy Poehler in Best Buy's Super Bowl ad) or even asked yourself. The term "cloud computing" is everywhere, and PCMag is here to explain it.

In the simplest terms, cloud computing means storing and accessing data and programs over the Internet instead of your computer's hard drive. The cloud is just a metaphor for the Internet. It goes back to the days of flowcharts and presentations that would represent the gigantic server-farm infrastructure of the Internet as nothing but a puffy, white cumulonimbus cloud, accepting connections and doling out information as it floats.

What cloud computing is not about is your hard drive. When you store data on--or run programs from the hard drive, that's called local storage and computing. Everything you need is physically close to you, which means accessing your data is fast and easy (for that one computer, or others on the local network). Working off your hard drive is how the computer industry functioned for decades and some argue it's still superior to cloud computing, for reasons I'll explain shortly.

The cloud is also not about having a dedicated hardware server in residence. Storing data on a home or office network does not count as utilizing the cloud.

For it to be considered "cloud computing," you need to access your data or your programs over the Internet, or at the very least, have that data synchronized with other information over the Net. In a big business, you may know all there is to know about what's on the other side of the connection; as an individual user, you may never have any idea what kind of massive data-processing is happening on the other end. The end result is the same: with an online connection, cloud computing can be done anywhere, anytime.

Consumer vs. Business
Let's be clear here. We're talking about cloud computing as it impacts individual consumers—those of us who sit back at home or in small-to-medium offices and use the Internet on a regular basis.

There is an entirely different "cloud" when it comes to business. Some businesses choose to implement Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), where the business subscribes to an application it accesses over the Internet. (Think Salesforce.com.) There's also Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), where a business can create its own custom applications for use by all in the company. And don't fot it's surveyed are either looking at using cloud services—or already have. The market is on its way to generating $100 billion a year

 

 

Cloud Dictionary: 50 Cloud Computing Terms to Know

 

Airframe

An open source cloud computing platform targeted at organizations in the thinking stage of adopting a private cloud services model or evaluating options and alternatives for private cloud solutions.  (Learn More)

Amazon EC2

Short for Amazon Elastic Computer Cloud, Amazon EC2 is a commercial Web service that lets customers "rent" computing resources from the EC2 cloud. (Learn More)

Anything-as-a-Service

Anything-as-a-service, or XaaS, refers to the growing diversity of services available over the Internet via cloud computing as opposed to being provided locally, or on premises. (Learn More)

Apache CloudStack

An open source cloud computing and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) platform developed to help make creating, deploying and managing cloud services easier by providing a complete “stack” of features and components for cloud environments. (Learn More)


Cloud App (Cloud Application)

Short for cloud application, cloud app is the phrase used to describe a software application that is never installed on a local computer. Instead, it is accessed via the Internet. (Learn More)

Cloud Application Management for Platforms (CAMP)

CAMP, short for Cloud Application Management for Platforms, is a specification designed to ease management of applications -- including packaging and deployment -- across public and private cloud computing platforms. (Learn More)

Cloud Backup

Cloud backup, or cloud computer backup, refers to backing up data to a remote, cloud-based server. As a form of cloud storage, cloud backup data is stored in and accessible from multiple distributed and connected resources that comprise a cloud. (Learn More)

Cloud Backup Service Provider

A third-party entity that manages and distributes remote, cloud-based data backup services and solutions to customers from a central data center. (Learn More)

Recommended Reading: Cloud Backup Resources and Best Practice Advice.

Cloud Backup Solutions

Cloud backup solutions enable enterprises or individuals to store their data and computer files on the Internet using a storage service provider, rather than storing the data locally on a physical disk, such as a hard drive or tape backup. (Learn More)

Cloud Computing

A type of computing, comparable to grid computing that relies on sharing computing resources rather than having local servers or personal devices to handle applications. The goal of cloud computing is to apply traditional supercomputing, or high-performance computing power, normally used by military and research facilities, to perform tens of trillions of computations per second, in consumer-oriented applications such as financial portfolios or even to deliver personalized information, or power immersive computer games.  (Learn More)

Cloud Computing Accounting Software

Cloud computing accounting software is accounting software that is hosted on remote servers. It provides accounting capabilities to businesses in a fashion similar to the SaaS (Software as a Service) business model. Data is sent into "the cloud," where it is processed and returned to the user. All application functions are performed off-site, not on the user's desktop.  (Learn More)

Cloud Computing Reseller

A company that purchases hosting services from a cloud server hosting or cloud computing provider and then re-sells them to its own customers. (Learn More)

Cloud Database

A database accessible to clients from the cloud and delivered to users on demand via the Internet from a cloud database provider's servers. Also referred to as Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS), cloud databases can use cloud computing to achieve optimized scaling, high availability, multi-tenancy and effective resource allocation. (Learn More)

Cloud Enablement

The process of making available one or more of the following services and infrastructures to create a public cloud computing environment: cloud provider, client and application. (Learn More)

Cloud Management

Software and technologies designed for operating and monitoring the applications, data and services residing in the cloud.  Cloud management tools help ensure a company's cloud computing-based resources are working optimally and properly interacting with users and other services. (Learn More)

Cloud Migration

The process of transitioning all or part of a company's data, applications and services from on-site premises behind the firewall to the cloud, where the information can be provided over the Internet on an on-demand basis.  (Learn More)

Cloud OS

A phrase frequently used in place of Platform as a Service (PaaS) to denote an association to cloud computing.

Cloud Portability

In cloud (cloud computing) terminology, the phrase "cloud portability" means the ability to move applications and its associated data between one cloud provider and another -- or between public and private cloud environments. (Learn More)

Cloud Provider

A service provider who offers customers storage or software solutions available via a public network, usually the Internet. (Learn More)

Cloud Provisioning

The deployment of a company’s cloud computing strategy, which typically first involves selecting which applications and services will reside in the public cloud and which will remain on site behind the firewall or in the private cloud.  Cloud provisioning also entails developing the processes for interfacing with the cloud’s applications and services as well as auditing and monitoring who accesses and utilizes the resources. (Learn More)

Editor's Recommendation: Cloud Computing Security Challenges

Cloud Server Hosting

Cloud server hosting is a type of hosting in which hosting services are made available to customers on demand via the Internet.  Rather than being provided by a single server or virtual server, cloud server hosting services are provided by multiple connected servers that comprise a cloud. (Learn More)

Cloud Storage

Cloud storage means "the storage of data online in the cloud," wherein a company's data is stored in and accessible from multiple distributed and connected resources that comprise a cloud. (Learn More)

Cloud Testing

Load and performance testing conducted on the applications and services provided via cloud computing -- particularly the capability to access these services -- in order to ensure optimal performance and scalability under a wide variety of conditions.(Learn More)


Desktop-as-a-service

Desktop-as-a-service (DaaS) is a form of virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) in which the VDI is outsourced and handled by a third party. Also called hosted desktop services, desktop-as-a-service is frequently delivered as a cloud service along with the apps needed for use on the virtual desktop. (Learn More)


Enterprise Application

The term used to describe applications -- or software -- that a business would use to assist the organization in solving enterprise problems. When the word "enterprise" is combined with "application," it usually refers to a software platform that is too large and too complex for individual or small business use.  (Learn More)

Enterprise Cloud Backup

Enterprise-grade cloud backup solutions typically add essential features such as archiving and disaster recovery to cloud backup solutions. (Learn More)

Eucalyptus

An open source cloud computing and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) platform for enabling private clouds. (Learn More)


Hybrid Cloud Storage

A combination of public cloud storage and private cloud storage where some critical data resides in the enterprise's private cloud while other data is stored and accessible from a public cloud storage provider. (Learn More)


IBM Cloud

IBM Cloud refers to a collection of enterprise-class technologies and services developed to help customers assess their cloud readiness, develop adoption strategies and identify business entry points for a cloud environment. IBM's cloud computing strategy is based on a hybrid cloud model that focuses on integrating the private cloud services of a company with the public cloud. (Learn More)

IBM CloudBurst (CloudBurst)

CloudBurst is a “ready-to-go” solution from IBM that’s designed to provide resource monitoring, cost management and services availability in a cloud.  IBM CloudBurst is a key component in the company’s lineup of cloud computing solutions, which also includes IBM Smart Business Storage Cloud, IBM Smart Desktop Cloud and IBMSmartCloud Enterprise. (Learn More)

Infrastructure-as-a-Service

IaaS is defined as computer infrastructure, such as virtualization, being delivered as a service. IaaS is popular in the data center where software and servers are purchased as a fully outsourced service and usually billed on usage and how much of the resource is used - compared to the traditional method of buying software and servers outright. May also be called enterprise-level hosting platform. (Learn More)

Internal Cloud

Another name for a private cloud.


Mobile Cloud Storage

A form of cloud storage that applies to storing an individual's mobile device data in the cloud and providing the individual with access to the data from anywhere. (Learn More)

Multi-Tenant

In cloud computing, multi-tenant is the phrase used to describe multiple customers using the same public cloud.  (Learn More)


Online Backup

In storage technology, online backup means to back up data from your hard drive to a remote server or computer using a network connection. Online backup technology leverages the Internet and cloud computing to create an attractive off-site storage solution with little hardware requirements for any business of any size. (Learn More)

OpenStack Grizzly

The follow-up to the Folsom release of the OpenStack open source cloud computing platform, OpenStack Grizzly debuted in April 2013 as the seventh release of OpenStack. With OpenStack Grizzly, the OpenStack Foundation has focused on adding broader support for compute, storage and networking technologies as well as greater scalability and ease of operations. (Learn More)

Recommended Reading: Cloud Computing White Papers and Resources for Small Business


Personal Cloud Storage

A form of cloud storage that applies to storing an individual’s data in the cloud and providing the individual with access to the data from anywhere. Personal cloud storage also often enables syncing and sharing stored data across multiple devices such as mobile phones and tablet computers. (Learn More)


Private Cloud

The phrase used to describe a cloud computing platform that is implemented within the corporate firewall, under the control of the IT department. A private cloud is designed to offer the same features and benefits of cloud systems, but removes a number of objections to the cloud computing model including control over enterprise and customer data, worries about security, and issues connected to regulatory compliance.  (Learn More)

Private Cloud Project

Companies initiate private cloud projects to enable their IT infrastructure to become more capable of quickly adapting to continually evolving business needs and requirements. Private cloud projects can also be connected to public clouds to create hybrid clouds. (Learn More)

Private Cloud Security

A private cloud implementation aims to avoid many of the objections regarding cloud computing security. Because a private cloud setup is implemented safely within the corporate firewall, it remains under the control of the IT department. (Learn More)


Private Cloud Storage

A form of cloud storage where the enterprise data and cloud storage resources both reside within the enterprise's data center and behind the firewall. (Learn More)

Public Cloud Storage

A form of cloud storage where the enterprise and storage service provider are separate and the data is stored outside of the enterprise's data center. (Learn More)


Red Hat Cloud Computing

Red Hat Cloud Computing refers to solutions for private clouds, hybrid clouds, and public clouds offered by Red Hat. (Learn More)

Red Hat CloudForms

Red Hat CloudForms is an Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) offering that builds upon a collection of more than 60 open source projects. CloudForms include application lifecycle management capabilities as well as the capability to create hybrid public and private clouds from the broadest range of computing resources with unique portability across physical, virtual and cloud computing resources. (Learn More)

Red Hat OpenShift

OpenShift provides developers with a choice in languages, frameworks, and clouds to build, test, run, and manage Java, Ruby, PHP, Perl and Python applications. Developers can also choose the cloud provider the applications will run on. (Learn More)


Software as a Service

SaaS is a software delivery method that provides access to software and its functions remotely as a Web-based service. Software as a Service allows organizations to access business functionality at a cost typically less than paying for licensed applications since SaaS pricing is based on a monthly fee. (Learn More)

Software Plus Services

Software Plus Services (Software + Services) is Microsoft's philosophy for complementing the software company's on-premises software offerings with cloud-based remote computing software options. (Learn More)

Storage Cloud

Storage cloud refers to the collection of multiple distributed and connected resources responsible for storing and managing data online in the cloud. (Learn More)


Vertical Cloud Computing

A vertical cloud, or vertical cloud computing, is the phrase used to describe the optimization of cloud computing and cloud services for a particular vertical (e.g., a specific industry) or specific use application.  (Learn More)

VMware vCloud Connector

The VMware vCloud Connector is a tool that facilitates hybrid cloud computing for organizations. The vCloud Connector essentially helps to orchestrate and administer the migration of VMs across different data centers and clouds. (Learn More)

Virtualization vs. Cloud Computing: What's the Difference?

Is virtualization right for yourbusiness? How about cloud computing? Don't know the difference? That's OK — most non-IT folks don't either. The word "cloud" is often thrown around as an umbrella term, while "virtualization" is often confused with cloud computing. Although the two technologies are similar, they are not interchangeable, and the difference is significant enough to affectyour business decisions. Here is a guide to help demystify the tech behind the jargon.

What is virtualization?

In a nutshell, virtualization is software that separates physical infrastructures to create various dedicated resources. It is the fundamental technology that powers cloud computing. [Cloud Computing: A Small Business Guide]

"Virtualization software makes it possible to run multiple operating systems and multiple applications on the same server at the same time," said Mike Adams, director of product marketing at VMware, a pioneer in virtualization and cloud software and services. "It enablesbusinesses to reduce IT costs while increasing the efficiency, utilization and flexibility of their existing computer hardware."

The technology behind virtualization is known as a virtual machine monitor (VMM) or virtual manager, which separates compute environments from the actual physical infrastructure.

Virtualization makes servers, workstations, storage and other systems independent of the physical hardware layer, said John Livesay, vice president of InfraNet, a network infrastructure services provider. "This is done by installing a Hypervisor on top of the hardware layer, where the systems are then installed."

How is virtualization different from cloud computing?

Essentially, virtualization differs from cloud computing because virtualization is software that manipulates hardware, while cloud computing refers to a service that results from that manipulation.

"Virtualization is a foundational element of cloud computing and helps deliver on the value of cloud computing," Adams said. "Cloud computing is the delivery of shared computing resources, software or data — as a service and on-demand through the Internet."

Most of the confusion occurs because virtualization and cloud computing work together to provide different types of services, as is the case with private clouds.

The cloud can, and most often does, include virtualization products to deliver the compute service, said Rick Philips, vice president of compute solutions at IT firm Weidenhammer. "The difference is that a true cloud provides self-service capability, elasticity, automated management, scalability and pay-as you go service that is not inherent in virtualization."

What are the advantages of a virtualized environment over the cloud?

To best understand the advantages of virtualization, consider the difference between private and public clouds.

"Private cloud computing means the client owns or leases the hardware and software that provides the consumption model," Livesay said. With public cloud computing, users pay for resources based on usage. "You pay for resources as you go, as you consume them, from a [vendor] that is providing such resources to multiple clients, often in a co-tenant scenario."

A private cloud, in its own virtualized environment, gives users the best of both worlds. It can give users more control and the flexibility of managing their own systems, while providing the consumption benefits of cloud computing, Livesay said.

On the other hand, a public cloud is an environment open to many users, built to serve multi-tenanted requirements, Philips said. "There are some risks associated here," he said, such as having bad neighbors and potential latency in performance.  

In contrast, with virtualization, companies can maintain and secure their own "castle," Philips said. This "castle" provides the following benefits:

[8 Reasons to Fear Cloud Computing]

How do you know if your business needs a virtualization solution?

Determining whether or not virtualization is the best solution for a business requires an in-depth analysis of the organization's specific needs and requirements.

"Some of the items we discuss with customers when they are evaluating private cloud — virtualization — versus cloud computing include who is going to be providing the support and how challenging is integration with other systems," Livesay said.

You should also consider costs — total cost of expenditure (TCO), operational expenditures (OPEX) and capital expenditures (CAPEX) — how much management the business can and want to do, scalability requirements, security needs and how much feature development can be expected, Livesay said.

"Generally speaking, businesses who work more on an OPEX model that have less IT staff and fewer security concerns are more cloud oriented," Livesay said. "Businesses that need greater control for integration and security or who work more on a CAPEX model would lean towards virtualization."

How do businesses know if they should use a true cloud solution?

While virtualization is the best solution for some organizations, a cloud solution offers several benefits that are more suitable for other businesses.

Philips said cloud solutions are best for business with the following needs:

Keep in mind, however, that virtualization and cloud services are not end-all, be-all solutions. Like any other technology or service a business adopts, things can always change.

"While cloud computing and virtualization each have their own benefits, they are not competing approaches," Adams said. "We view cloud computing as an evolution of virtualization. Customers that virtualize their hardware servers may adopt cloud computing over time for increased self-service, scale, service delivery levels and agility."

What should businesses look for in a virtualization provider?

Businesses considering virtualization should think about the following questions, Adams said:

 

Processor or Virtual Storage

Disk Storage

· 1 Bit = Binary Digit
· 8 Bits = 1 Byte
· 1024 Bytes = 1 Kilobyte 
· 1024 Kilobytes = 1 Megabyte 
· 1024 Megabytes = 1 Gigabyte 
· 1024 Gigabytes = 1 Terabyte 
· 1024 Terabytes = 1 Petabyte 
· 1024 Petabytes = 1 Exabyte
· 1024 Exabytes = 1 Zettabyte 
· 1024 Zettabytes = 1 Yottabyte 
· 1024 Yottabytes = 1 Brontobyte
· 1024 Brontobytes = 1 Geopbyte
· 1024
Geopbyte = 1 Saganbyte
· 1024 Saganbyte = 1 Pijabyte
· 1024 Pijabyte = 1 Alphabyte
· 1024 Alphabyte = 1 Kryatbyte
· 1024 Kryatbyte = 1 Amosbyte
· 1024 Amosbyte = 1 Pectrolbyte
· 1024 Pectrolbyte = 1 Bolgerbyte
· 1024 Bolgerbyte = 1 Sambobyte

· 1 Bit = Binary Digit
· 8 Bits = 1 Byte
· 1000 Bytes = 1 Kilobyte 
· 1000 Kilobytes = 1 Megabyte 
· 1000 Megabytes = 1 Gigabyte 
· 1000 Gigabytes = 1 Terabyte 
· 1000 Terabytes = 1 Petabyte 
· 1000 Petabytes = 1 Exabyte
· 1000 Exabytes = 1 Zettabyte 
· 1000 Zettabytes = 1 Yottabyte 
· 1000 Yottabytes = 1 Brontobyte
· 1000 Brontobytes = 1 Geopbyte
· 1000 Geopbyte = 1 Saganbyte
· 1000 Saganbyte = 1 Pijabyte
· 1000 Pijabyte = 1 Alphabyte
· 1000 Alphabyte = 1 Kryatbyte
· 1000 Kryatbyte = 1 Amosbyte
· 1000 Amosbyte = 1 Pectrolbyte
· 1000 Pectrolbyte = 1 Bolgerbyte
· 1000 Bolgerbyte = 1 Sambobyte