Console Wars

For decades video game consoles have captured the imagination of customers and sparked wide debate as to which features are most beneficial for end users. In the early 1980s, Atari’s main competitor was staving off a growing trend of computer programming and floppy disc games from systems such as the Apple IIe. This was due to the fact that the console had blown its console competition (Coleco and Mattel) out of the water. A few years later, the Atari quickly became obsolete once the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) came out, and that console reigned for a couple of years until the 16-bit Sega Genesis was launched. Sony’s PlayStation came along in the 1990s; offering disc-based games and a different control scheme, but it wasn’t until the turn of the century that today’s main rivalry between the XBOX and PlayStation took center stage.

Throughout the years, video game owners have retained the rights to their purchases. In the “old days,” once you bought a cartridge it was yours to keep, lend, redistribute, or sell. There were zero restrictions on taking your game and playing it on a friend’s system or even earning a few dollars by selling it to a video game rental service once you were finished with it. However, with the invention of cloud computing and its entrance into the mainstream, this reality has quickly changed to a circumstance in which those who purchase downloadable content must store that data non-locally.

Pre-Owned Restrictions

While this brings a number of benefits to the customer, it also means that the new XBOX One from Microsoft will restrict the use of used games as well as limit game sharing in general. This week’s E3 Expo has already had a polarizing moment when Microsoft announced that the starting price for the XBOX One will be $499 – a full $100 more than Sony PlayStation’s opening purchase price of $399 (both consoles are expected to be available to the public later this year).

On top of this, PlayStation announced earlier this week that single player video games will be able to be enjoyed offline amid thunderous applause from those in attendance. Although the “Always On” concept has gained in leaps and bounds among some gamers, the notion of being forced to have a console connected to the Internet at all times in order to be able to use it has turned off a lot of hardcore gamers.

The Cloud’s Future In Video Games

Regardless of whether actual video game content is eventually transferred completely out of the hands of the customer, it is highly likely that the trend towards Cloud Computing growth will continue for years to come. Although Sony has beaten its rival in the preliminary marketing stages of the upcoming console releases, both devices will rely heavily on non-local data storage as well as integrating other services that require an Internet connection in order to use.

Anticipated sales for both consoles are well into the millions of units, and it will be interesting to see how new cloud technology is combined into the hardware once it has been released.

This fact alone is a huge wake up call to many who have relied on cloud service providers to take overall responsibility for safeguarding information. While it is a comforting notion to assume this responsibility doesn’t lie with the end customer, as Hackenberger mentions, it is always the end customer – without exception – who suffers the consequences when security is breached and sensitive data is leaked.

One of the main concerns that revolve around storing sensitive data in the virtual cloud – whether it be corporate data or personal emails – is that unauthorized parties which include data thieves can circumvent security measures and gain access to the information without the owner even realizing it. Hackenberger explained earlier this week that while most assume data security is the ultimate responsibility of any given cloud service provider, this notion is misguided. “There is a common misperception about cloud computing,” the CEO pointed out. “It’s the belief that your information in the cloud is cared for by your cloud service provider, no worries. News flash – your data in the cloud is your responsibility, no matter what the cloud provider does or says. If a data breach occurs, you will bear all of the consequences, positive and negative. It’s not just hackers who are the problem. We’re human, and humans make mistakes. Amazon’s cloud storage customers recently learned this painful truth when a security testing firm discovered more than 126 billion data files had been exposed because users were unclear about privacy settings.”

Highly Virtualized Environments

Hackenberger also made note of how unprotected some data could be without the owner ever realizing it by saying, “Another challenge is that in order to provide fast service and scalability, cloud service providers typically run highly virtualized environments. This means that your data could be sitting on the same physical hardware as your neighbors’ – or your company’s competitors. If someone gets in, they could get everything. It’s also likely that there’s more than one copy, as providers replicate to ensure data availability. This begs the question of how do you get your data back (or at least delete it), should you want to leave your provider?”

Encryption services, such as those offered by HighCloud, could provide a much-needed barrier between your data and those who aim to steal it, according to Hackenberger. Through encryption, the data is re-written and made impossible to read or understand; meaning that even if a thief does gain access to what is stored, interpreting it will be unintelligible. It can only be deciphered by someone who has access to the encryption keys. Hackenberger reminds readers of the article that it is up to the company or individual in question to decide who owns the encryption keys, how and where they are stored, as well as how they are protected – as it is this security process that will ultimate decide who can truly make sense of encrypted data.

Demanding that your cloud provider hand over encryption keys is vital and Hackenberger recommends that having control over the keys will ensure only you have access. He ends the article by telling readers to find a different cloud service provider if you are not receiving answers to your data security needs.

Video Game History

When the video game concept was first introduced in the early 1970s (via the Magnavox Odyssey; which did not include sound and pre-dated Pong) it would have been nearly impossible for those consumers to have imagined a future or industry growth that would result in a mainstream business model that revolves around non-locally stored content. When actual “cartridges” were marketed to video game users in the 1980s via the Atari, Nintendo and Sega platforms, owners retained exclusive rights over the physical product and were able to resell the actual video game, lend it out and interchange it with similar consoles at will – without ever having to consult the original creator.

When the Internet evolved to include a wide array of community peer-to-peer file sharing, ROMs became a popular way for previous owners of physical games to enjoy everything from throw-back Atari 2600 favorites to arcade classics via the MAME emulator. However, it wasn’t until “Live” versions of the popular XBOX and PlayStation 2 consoles struck a positive chord with a large audience that actual cloud storage became a focus and potential business model for video game console makers.

XBOX One And The Cloud

Once the actual console is released later this year, customers can expect to shell out top dollar for single video game purchases which will need to be installed before they are capable of being played. XBOX 360 users are already accustomed to this technique through XBOX Live Marketplace downloads that require the end user to either have a hard drive and local memory storage to store save-states or pay for access to a full release through the cloud.

The XBOX One will go a step further in this process, and will even charge an activation fee for those who wish to use pre-owned video games (a first for XBOX). Of course, there are plenty of angry, loyal video gamers who do not take kindly to the new business model which requires them (in the case of the upcoming PlayStation 4) to always be connected; as it means there will no longer be a resale market for those who wish to unload used games. This fact could also quickly put brick and mortar video game sales outlets out of business due to the growing number of customers who will be shopping directly from the console’s marketplace while being connected to the Internet.

This doesn’t mean that the Cloud concept comes without advantages. For one, being able to “Plug And Play” from any XBOX One console provided you have your own log in information can be a huge advantage over the previous option of having to physically carry around a hard drive or memory stick to accomplish this feat. There are also a number of benefits granted to online users who remain connected while accessing games via the Cloud. For one, participants often receive various boosts that enhance video game play; not to mention the fact that “Live” game play has evolved in recent years to allow gamers worldwide to connect and compete in highly active game situations in real time.

The PlayStation 4 and XBOX One consoles won’t be available for at least a few months, but it is extremely interesting to see how the industry has been revolutionized by the cloud.

One of the main reasons that Forbes describes as having a major effect on how business is conducted are the employees themselves. In recent years, more focus has been placed on the distributed workforce and how it can reduce on-site company expenses while also giving workers the luxury of performing tasks from their own home office or mobile device. While the remotely stored data concept is certainly not new, it has forced somewhat of a novel solution between companies and their workforce talent who are unable to commute or unwilling to leave the comfort of their home on a full time basis.

Distributed Workforce

Despite the Yahoo! corporate policy mandated by Marissa Mayer that is officially doing away with the distributed workforce (which could have more to do with getting employees to quit instead of having to dole out severance packages), many companies are coming to realize that employees can be much more productive when working remotely if the circumstances are right. For one, cloud computing has made it possible for project collaborators to share ideas and even update documents in real time, virtually from anywhere on the planet with a reliable Internet connection.

The result has been the ability for everyone from corporate execs to individual freelancers to communicate overseas and even work together as if they were in the same physical location due to tools such as Google Docs, Skype, and other real time collaboration software. Local data storage hasn’t become an inconvenience so much as it has become irrelevant in a virtual world where practically anything of importance can be accessed, stored, revised, and edited non-locally via the cloud.

Forbes.com contributor Michael Goodenough wrote, “For employees that do decide to come into the office, many want to bring their own devices because they prefer or are more familiar with them. Cloud computing is also accelerating the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend, allowing employees to virtually ‘dial into’ their corporate systems with their own computers or tablets Cloud computing gives employees these freedoms without IT having to worry about these different machines or the remote access overloading and crashing their on-site infrastructure.”

Traditional IT Business Model

Goodenough went on to explain that “cloud computing has unburdened businesses from the traditional IT business model, giving them more options when it comes to their IT infrastructure. In the past, the business/IT model was very straightforward: Businesses hired IT professionals to run their computer hardware and software. The IT staff had to forecast business needs as far out as 5 or 10 years, and make purchases accordingly.

With cloud computing, you never have to worry about running out of storage or server capacity, resulting in major cost savings. While you still need to forecast the amount of storage or server capacity that you may need, you no longer have to be overly concerned about the capital expense of scaling up your needs if you do require more space or capacity. It’s far less expensive and less of a hassle to increase cloud storage and cloud server needs than on-site infrastructure. You still need IT for many functions, but cloud computing may actually result in less of a need for a full-blown IT staff. You’ll be outsourcing most of your activity to a cloud vendor.”

It is indeed true that cloud computing continues to revolutionize the way firms conduct business; even leading to virtual meetings at the top executive level in many cases in which corporate heads often use the technology to share data in the same way that lower level employees do.

The article, written by ZDNet contributor Liu Jiayi, stated that “Chinese cloud services provider 3Tcloud is implementing the country’s biggest education cloud project, enabling the local authority to optimize resource allocation and cut maintenance cost. According to a report last week on Chinese tech site CCIDNet.com, the city of Zhuji in Zhejiang–one of China’s most developed provinces – has installed over 6,000 3Tcloud computing terminal devices in 118 schools. The terminals are supported by 28 pieces of blade servers and a 60TB HDD storage installed in the city’s information center.” When fully implemented, the project would take the place of current hardware that is obsolete.

Cloud Computing In The Classroom

In the Western Hemisphere, computer labs throughout school districts are slowly but surely integrating into the cloud. This trend is also gathering an enormous amount of momentum thanks to the private networking capabilities of themes and other software that lets professors interact with students, faculty and parents like never before. Everything from homework assignments to grades can be carefully uploaded, secured and sent to the appropriate groups of authorized individuals plus there is the ability to communicate in real-time while amalgamating several processes that used to take days to perform.

However, some privacy issues remain as parents, children, and administrators struggle to find updated solutions to doing business in a virtual world that has quickly morphed into a technological free for all. Although it is highly convenient to create private social networks, project details, and bulletins within a real-time cloud, there is still a considerable amount of adaptation required on behalf of all involved in order to make the process smoother and more reliable.

Chen Xikun, Director of the Information Technology center at Zhuji’s education bureau was quoted in the ZDNet article as saying, “By using such a system, we could effectively push forward the development of the city’s teaching, resources, research, and evaluation – all of which is done on the cloud. Take teaching on the cloud, for example, students in different courses have full access to all resources available, and it helps the elementary and secondary education of Zhuji develop in a balanced way.”

Streamlining Resources

One of the main arguments for promoting cloud computing in the classroom is the fact that it is almost guaranteed to preserve resources in the long run. Units seldom consume as much energy as outdated hardware; not to mention the fact that pooled resources will ultimately lead to fewer individuals being able to produce more thanks to the amount of information that is accessible at one time from various locations.

Still, the move could potentially lead to a higher unemployment rate among currently qualified personnel that are no longer needed once cloud computing-savvy instructors are able to interact within the cloud. On-site teaching assistants could be replaced by computer interfaces that simply require a few clicks of a mouse to answer frequently asked questions on homework assignments or projects.

“Since the project’s commencement in April 2012, Shanghai-based 3Tcloud has been replacing PCs in the schools in Zhuji with X900 cloud computing terminals, a device that supports virtual machine under CHP protocol and is no bigger than a ADSL modem,” states the ZDNet article.

Here at OnlineStorage, we enjoy keeping our readers up to date on current events that involve data storage and cloud computing. Be sure to check back frequently for more blog entries and feel free to leave a comment if you would like to provide feedback on our articles.

It’s no secret that a growing number of businesses as well as government entities are seeking out ways to better safeguard, manage and access sensitive data. The threat of loss or damage due to hardware failure and lack of security in locally-stored data is very real, and has prompted a trend towards non-locally stored information that can be accessed anywhere in the world provided the user has legitimate login credentials along with an Internet connection.

Cloud Computing News

Technorati’s May 1st article opened by stating, “Cloud computing is getting another boost thanks to Arista Networks’ announcement of a new data switch. The New York Times reports on May 1 that the updated technology will allow for 10 gigabits of data to be moved per second. The switch could lead to better computing centers and is positive news considering the immense growth of cloud computing in recent years. It is being heralded as another step forward for the future of enterprise cloud services.”

The acceleration in the cloud computing industry has been noted in dozens of news stories over the past year, with some going as far as outlining the six-figure annual salary average that is being offered on many job listing websites for qualified management level personnel. Although the highest paying of these opportunities are generally located in the Silicon Valley region, there are also a large number of offers from Asia; which is seeing exponential growth in its remote data storage needs.

Of course, the cloud computing concept is not new by any stretch of the imagination. Although the most common form of remotely stored data a decade ago was third party email providers, Online Storage’s Chuck Romano published a story earlier this week related to Megaupload, and how it paved the way for remotely stored data by offering file sharing services in which users could download popular files such as music .mp3s and documents.

Lag In Cloud Education

Technocrati contributor Lana Bandoim pointed out this week that “more companies are beginning to recognize the benefits of the cloud, but there is still a lag in education. However, the growing interest in cloud computing and cloud ERP software is leading to more businesses offering courses for training. Acumatica, a provider of cloud ERP software, recently revealed it has started the Acumatica University learning system. The company offers courses, videos, exams and surveys that are accessible from any computer or mobile device. Acumatica University has 65 courses that provide training about cloud ERP products.”

Recently, we also brought our readers a story on how there is a noticeable lack of talented individuals available to head cloud computing divisions within companies; especially in Asia, where some firms are actually offering to finance training courses as well as guarantee jobs for those who pass and receive certification.

With billions of dollars at stake annually along with a high level of demand from every major continent on the planet, it looks like the trend toward the cloud will continue to accelerate; at least for the near future. Some firms have gone as far as planning for potential revenue all the way up to the end of this decade.

For the latest news stories related to the cloud computing industry, be sure to check back frequently here at OnlineStorage.com.

The man behind Megaupload has decided to rebrand himself and offer his disciples more ways to store their data. Is this going to be another file sharing service with illegal copyrighted materials? That is of course the desire of anyone who thinks “FREE” is the best invention in human history.

The new cloud storage service from Mega is not free. It is however cheap and you can expect to pay about $0.12 cents per GB per year.  On a monthly basis, you can expect 100GB for a little less than $10 per month. If you choose the yearly payment plan, you will actually be paying about $0.08 cents per GB. That is very affordable. That is also the reason why those who are not bothered by the reputation of the company will jump at the offer.

What is the service like?

If you are to go by history, there is the likelihood that  some people will be hoping that MegaCloud storage will be a repeat of the past. What you will be getting this time is just a place to store and share your files online. If the plan is to convert it to a social media, then, some people will find ways to share illegal contents.

How do you sign up?

The service is available to the official website. You sign up, pay and drag-n-drop your files. That is all there is to it. Mega Cloud is working with EuroDNS and DigiWeb. Mostly European hosting companies.

Will your data be safe?

Safety is rather relative on the internet. Anything that is out there is a candidate for snooping and theft. What you might need to be worried about is getting your data back if the site or service is axed.  The service will also offer encryption that will prevent others from accessing your data.  However, since Mega was released with its open source code available for all to analyze, there have been quite a bit of security holes uncovered. We can go into a multi-page article on the problems, which have already been plastered all over the internet.  The good news is that the issues can be fixed.  In the meantime, throw caution to the wind if you plan on using this service.

Will MegaCloud be another hit?

If MegaCloud wants to be just another DropBox or just another cloud storage, it will have a hard time convincing people. Giving away free 8GB of storage and backup will not be enough for some users switch.  If the idea is to be able to share data irrespective of copyright laws, that will likely attract potential clients.  It will be difficult to replicate the past. Trying to build a legitimate business based on past illegal setup will be a challenge.  Add in the fact that there are several security flaws in the initial code, only time will tell if this new adventure will succeed.

Before getting into the added value you might get from moving to the cloud, it is important to understand what legacy application means. Without getting into complicated explanation. When you hear about legacy applications, you are talking about older applications you have running in your enterprise. Often these will include databases and other desktop based application you might have developed in-house.

Should you move your applications to the cloud?

That is a question that is not that easy to answer. It will mainly depend on the way you do business and how you use information technology. For small companies who already have part of their IT maintenance done by an external party, it will likely not make much sense to move to the cloud if money hasn’t been an issue in the past. You probably also don’t have a lot of servers to maintain. The IT maintenance company logs in remotely to perform regular updates and maybe comes onsite for a few hours a week. In that case, you already have a fixed budget and you don’t have to worry about fluctuating IT cost. This scenario is most similar to private-cloud.

On the other hand, if you have a company where the IT manager is also the receptionist or the secretary, moving some of your applications to the cloud might be cost effective (removes hassle of constant downtime). You don’t have to worry about database and server upgrades. That will often be included in the cloud package you choose. For example, if you have a legacy Oracle server, you could decide to move that database to the cloud using a P2V tool like the Oracle’s Virtual Box. Once, you are in the cloud, creating a new instance of the server for test purposes or redundancy is easier  as you can easily clone the previous database server.

The same type of physical to virtual tools are available to other Microsoft or Linux based systems.

How much will your business save by moving legacy application to the cloud?

You need to understand that being in the cloud is not free. Often, your business needs will decide the value of the move. If moving to the cloud means, your employees can now access their data anywhere, that will likely increase the need for a faster and more expensive cloud solution. You might also decide to let some partners access these applications as well. As you can see, the ease of access could change the business dynamics. On the other hands, more productivity could also lead to more income.

The value of migrating legacy applications to the cloud will depend on doing a good analysis of your current situation and what you plan to achieve. Moving to the cloud doesn’t mean you will no longer need an IT team. You might decide to reduce the amount of IT staff needed to maintain, your Windows/Linux servers and legacy application. Moving to the cloud could also simplify backup and restore. Employees could also be given the needed permissions to restore their files.

The simple rule is, only move legacy applications, if you are currently having a hard time with constant update and maintenance. Don’t fix what isn’t broken.

In a recent blog post published by Robert Scoble, the tech specialist wrote, “Google Glass is going to need a new kind of cloud computing and Google won’t be able to satisfy all the demand,” Scoble wrote in a widely-linked Google+ post. ”If Google Glass is as big a deal as I think it will be, humans will generate much more data than they do today. Either because of sensor tracking to do things like play location-based games, or do health tracking, or more. Think about Waze, a traffic app, on Google Glass. The new developers will need new cloud computing. Plus, I see Glass as part of a contextual system, one that uses an Internet of Things, but also brings data from your own businesses in along with big data computation that will find new patterns to display on our glass.”

Google Glass

Google Glass may revolutionize the way people worldwide upload and store information; not to mention the slew of similar devices that could come onto the market in short order. According to Wikipedia, “Google Glass is a wearable computer with a head-mounted display (HMD) that is being developed by Google in the Project Glass research and development project, with the mission of producing a mass-market ubiquitous computer. Google Glass displays information in a smartphone-like hands-free format,that can interact with the Internet via natural language voice commands. While the frames do not currently have lenses fitted to them, Google is considering partnering with sunglass retailers such as Ray-Ban or Warby Parker, and may also open retail stores to allow customers to try on the device. The Explorer Edition cannot be used by people who wear prescription glasses, but Google has confirmed that Glass will eventually work with frames and lenses that match the wearer’s prescription; the glasses will be modular and therefore possibly attachable to normal prescription glasses.”

By using voice commands, the traditional mouse clicking or tapping methods of giving commands through a desktop or mobile device interface could eventually go by the wayside; allowing users to create data at a much faster rate than ever before.

Cloud Computing

Since the beginning of our blog here at OnlineStorage, we’ve brought our readers a large number of articles that revolve around the growing demand for cloud computing as the amount of information increases exponentially along with the need to save it remotely. The concept is definitely not new (users of third party mail services such as Yahoo! and Google have been remotely storing their data for years), but exactly how the information will be used and accessed has definitely caught on in recent years as service providers target a growing market of governments and corporations who have a seemingly insatiable need to warehouse everything from hospital records to photos and video content.

Cloud computing training is currently being provided by many firms as they look to hire qualified personnel to help them maintain and attract customers, while IaaS continues to spread globally. Whether Google Glass will become an intricate part of cloud storage remains to be seen, but the technology itself unquestionably could alter the way companies market the cloud.

SAP, based in Germany, reported Fourth Quarter profits of €520 million (approximately $680 million US Dollars) as total revenue jumped to €3.6 billion throughout the company. SAP’s earnings report stated that “the Americas region delivered a strong first quarter, with non-IFRS software and cloud subscription revenue growing by 49% (51% at constant currencies), driven by excellent software revenue performance in Latin America and strong cloud subscription and support revenue growth in North America. The EMEA region saw solid growth of 13% (15% at constant currencies) in non-IFRS software and cloud subscription revenue, which is impressive in light of continued market uncertainty. Strong year-on-year software revenue growth rates in many markets including Russia, Switzerland, and the UK contributed to this performance. Non-IFRS software and cloud subscription revenue in the Asia Pacific Japan (APJ) region declined, as several markets in APJ started more slowly in 2013 after a record fourth quarter in 2012 and new leadership in some markets. The company expects the APJ region to be back on track in the second quarter.”

Cloud Computing Outlook

The outlook for cloud computing firms worldwide is extremely optimistic currently, with a growing number of corporations seeking out qualified individuals to pave the way to the future within the cloud that could continue to thrive through 2020 and beyond. As large firms, corporations and governments look for a safe and secure method for storing, maintaining and accessing sensitive data, cloud subscription services similar to those offered by SAP are expected to increase in demand; up to a point where revenue generated from these services could account for more than half of the entire corporation’s income.

“Our industry is at a fundamental transformation point, driven by the convergence of mobile, cloud and big data. SAP’s 25% growth shows that we are not only leading this change but also gaining significant worldwide market share,” said SAP Co-CEOs Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe Friday. “Customers continue to choose our innovations to help them run better, and SAP HANA is the next-generation platform for all companies to innovate their business, drive speed across the entire enterprise and reduce costs. SAP’s pipeline is strong, and we are confident that we will achieve our full-year outlook.”

The report coincides with other financial statements released by cloud computing firms which show an increasing percentage of revenue being received from subscription services in which businesses are aiming to secure sensitive data and access expanded server space.

Long Term Profitability

SAP CFO Werner Brandt added, “Non-IFRS software and cloud subscription revenue exceeded €800 million for the first time in a first quarter. We saw very strong revenue contribution from SAP HANA and continued growth in the cloud. The solid top line performance and continued cost discipline resulted in double-digit growth in Non-IFRS operating profit at constant currencies. We are on track to deliver on our 2015 goals and our overall financial objective of profitable growth over the long term.”

Just how far the cloud computing boom will take certain companies remains to be seen, but it is clear that the industry’s momentum is building and demand is far from waning. For future reports on cloud computing and data storage, be sure to check back frequently here at OnlineStorage.com.