Breakthrough in Data Storage Offers Promise of Substantial Energy Savings for Cloud Computing Hardware, Other Electronic Devices. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Cloud Computing data centers consume up to 100 billion kilowatts of power annually. This is a significant challenge for IT personnel, as well as those concerned with the carbon footprint created by the use of so …

I worked for years as a customer service representative, taking calls from hundreds of clients a day with a host of questions, complaints and concerns. Let me tell you, it’s not an easy job. But a great CSR can make it look that way. He or she can make each caller feel like they are the only person in the …

In many ways the Cloud is like an automobile. Most of the people who use it have no real idea of what makes it work. They simply put gas in the tank, get the oil changed, and keep going on their merry way. And most of the time that is fine. But having a basic understanding of how things work …

Nothing stays the same for long, especially in the world of IT. Fortune Magazine contributor Matthew Lodge recently wrote about some of the ways online storage will change in the coming years, as well as some ways that it will stay the same. Here’s a look at some of them: Contrary to expectations, the Private Cloud will keep on growing …

If you’re like me, you’ve got them, lots of them. They’re trapped. And they want to be free. But we ignore them, day after day, even though we created them in the first place. I’m talking about photographs taken with your mobile phone. For many of us it’s just too much strong>hassle to physically connect our phone to our PC …

Here are some more cloud terms you may want to know: Cloud App – Simply a short hand way of saying cloud application. Refers to software that is never installed on a local device (PC, tablet, phone). Rather it remains forever “in the cloud,” accessible only via the Internet. Cloud Provider – A company that offers cloud-based data storage and/or …

It doesn’t matter if you’re a corporate cubicle dweller, a solo entrepreneur, or part of a small business where everyone calls the owner by her first name. The way you work will soon go through radical changes, thanks to online-based services like shared applications and data storage. In this post we’ll look at what will emerge, what will fade away, …

The advent of the new year brings with it a number of new firms looking to gain a share of the Cloud Computing revolution. To accomplish this they are developing their own distinctive service packages aimed at needs unmet by existing providers. Here’s a look at four of the most promising newcomers. 1. Cloudability – Online Data Storage at the …

When you are dealing with cloud computing, there is always something new that will spring up from time to time as a lot of vendors try to place their products and services in the spotlight. When Amazon announced the DynamoDB which is a noSQL based Database as a Service offering, some thought it was a joke and others were intrigued. …

NextGen and Dell have announced a partnership to bring electronic medical records and cloud-based computing services to healthcare practices of all sizes. Dell views the healthcare industry as a large opportunity for expanding its cloud-based services, believing that medical practices of all sizes can benefit from reduced IT requirements and reduced technical costs. Instead of being forced to funnel cash …

Cloud e-mail services use virtualized computing resources to make sending and receiving e-mail more scalable, available and secure. Moving e-mail systems into the cloud offers a number of advantages over on-site systems. For one thing, cloud based e-mail networks can be accessed anytime and anywhere, making them ideal for global corporations and multi-site organizations. While in-house e-mail servers require a …

Cloud computing projects may have different end-goals when compared to locally-hosted solutions, but the implementation and planning paths are similar. A lot of focus has been placed on the up & coming success of Google Apps at large in light of the progression of the Los Angeles Police Department’s (ill-fated) transition to the suite. The project itself has been dragging …

Many of us already utilize Google Apps for things like email, calendar, contacts and website creation. One nifty feature that you may likely be overlooking is the fact that each and every Google Apps account (or free Gmail account, for that matter) comes with 1GB of free online storage. What’s the catch? There is none. If you have access to …

Amazon Web Services users get access to enterprise level system metrics and system health monitoring in the form of Amazon CloudWatch. This advanced suite includes overview capabilities across the full spectrum of system components. For example, CloudWatch can report on system latency, CPU processor load and resource request counts. CloudWatch makes it easy to keep tabs on your entire cloud …

In a nod to the rapidly expanding demand for premium cloud based services, networking giant Cisco has created a special cloud department tasked with achieving a share of the cloud computing market. Cisco’s Chief Information Officer, Rebecca Jacoby, was chosen to head the new division and will bring her experience managing Cisco’s internal IT operations to bear on expanding Cisco’s …

Determined to keep pace with an increasingly long list of major competitors like Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Cisco, Apple has been making its own push into the world of cloud-based services with the introduction of iCloud and iMatch. These services allow Apple users to sync multiple devices across a personal network, giving them anywhere-anytime access to their music files, media …

If you have a blog or website, chances are you’re a WordPress user. If not, then it’s time for you to come onboard. Launched in 2003 as a way to help bloggers organize their files, WordPress is now perhaps the most popular utility software in the world. It’s users include giant corporations, major universities and Hollywood celebrities, as well as …

One of the barriers preventing the widespread adoption of online-based data storage and applications has been the lack of a workable model that would appeal to most small and medium sized businesses (SMBs). That has begun to change, however, with the release of a hosting solution offered by Sunnyvale, CA based IT firm 8×8 (NASDAQ:EGHT). Its Windows Cloud Server package …

Despite strong evidence to the contrary, recent surveys show that many CEOs are still skeptical of the cloud’s potential to reduce their operating budgets, while simultaneously boosting their company’s ability to manage its data. However, recent studies completed by IT consulting firm Jexet Technologies (www.jexet.com) provide powerful proof that the advantages of moving to online data storage and applications are …

In about three years, the amount of annual traffic in cloud computing networks will equal 1.6 zettabytes. A single zettabyte is the same amount of data contained in a trillion gigabytes, or 22 trillion hours of streaming music. It’s more information than there is in 1.5 trillion hours of high-definition video watching. By 2015, cloud-based data transactions will equal 33% …

App creator Ashampoo has released a utility that allows users to create CDs directly from files stored online. Entitled Burning Studio 11, it provides simple, intuitive controls for sending files directly from your Facebook, Dropbox, Picasa and Flickr accounts to a disk. The service works through a custom dialog that gives you direct access to your cloud-based accounts, through a …