Comments on: Azaleos: Keeping the Cloud In Perspective http://www.mspmentor.net/2009/12/11/azaleos-keeping-the-cloud-in-perspective/ Managed Services & Cloud Services Blog for VARs & MSPs Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:47:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Gerson http://www.mspmentor.net/2009/12/11/azaleos-keeping-the-cloud-in-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-51457 Gerson Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:22:58 +0000 http://www.mspmentor.net/?p=5187#comment-51457 I don't think Azaleos is complacent at all they're clearly building on a growing service that customers want. I still have yet to see cloud proponents offer real client success stories of how SMBs are benefitting from a cloud based solution vs. Traditonal on premise - until then we're betting on on-premise ourselves with only cloud based backup and perimeter security solutions being the exceptions. Joe thanks for continuing to evolve the discussion around this topic - I'm sure we'll still be discussing it well into 2010 Best. I don’t think Azaleos is complacent at all they’re clearly building on a growing service that customers want.

I still have yet to see cloud proponents offer real client success stories of how SMBs are benefitting from a cloud based solution vs. Traditonal on premise – until then we’re betting on on-premise ourselves with only cloud based backup and perimeter security solutions being the exceptions.

Joe thanks for continuing to evolve the discussion around this topic – I’m sure we’ll still be discussing it well into 2010

Best.

]]> By: Niv Dolgin http://www.mspmentor.net/2009/12/11/azaleos-keeping-the-cloud-in-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-51415 Niv Dolgin Fri, 18 Dec 2009 05:14:30 +0000 http://www.mspmentor.net/?p=5187#comment-51415 Great thoughts contributed here! From where, seems that while Azalia's niche doesn't appear to have a near-term threat, there are undercurrents of complacency or denial creeping into their strategic decisions. They’d be better served to take Joe’s advice to do, not think, more. I'd also offer that the perceptions above of the Cloud being home to systems described here as 'less important' may be off-base. We're seeing solutions/services ready for primetime in the cloud qualify as unarguably mission critical but HEAVILY commoditized (email, for example). System that are essential to operations, but in and of themselves, contribute no strategic or competitive advantage to most organizations (unless you are a hosting provider. :) ). Messaging and Collaboration systems are simply the 'lowest hanging fruit' in the Cloud space, and Integrators and Hosting companies will find ever increasingly more difficult sale prospects on the idea that they can do "it" better than players like Microsoft, Google, IBM and Novell. While smaller niche hosting companies may offer their own unique value propositions, the market needs confidence that they've chosen the right partner to house their mission critical systems, and big payers instill just that, right out of the starting gate. Niv Dolgin Director, ITS www.sadasystems.com Great thoughts contributed here! From where, seems that while Azalia’s niche doesn’t appear to have a near-term threat, there are undercurrents of complacency or denial creeping into their strategic decisions. They’d be better served to take Joe’s advice to do, not think, more.

I’d also offer that the perceptions above of the Cloud being home to systems described here as ‘less important’ may be off-base. We’re seeing solutions/services ready for primetime in the cloud qualify as unarguably mission critical but HEAVILY commoditized (email, for example). System that are essential to operations, but in and of themselves, contribute no strategic or competitive advantage to most organizations (unless you are a hosting provider. :) ).

Messaging and Collaboration systems are simply the ‘lowest hanging fruit’ in the Cloud space, and Integrators and Hosting companies will find ever increasingly more difficult sale prospects on the idea that they can do “it” better than players like Microsoft, Google, IBM and Novell. While smaller niche hosting companies may offer their own unique value propositions, the market needs confidence that they’ve chosen the right partner to house their mission critical systems, and big payers instill just that, right out of the starting gate.

Niv Dolgin
Director, ITS
http://www.sadasystems.com

]]> By: Joe Panettieri http://www.mspmentor.net/2009/12/11/azaleos-keeping-the-cloud-in-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-51366 Joe Panettieri Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:00:18 +0000 http://www.mspmentor.net/?p=5187#comment-51366 Ken: You said it all in your first line: MSPs need to at least "start" a cloud experience. I hear from a lot of readers who are busy "researching" what to do. I recommend putting multiple toes in the water.... 1. Have a portion of your staff live in Google Docs, Zoho or Microsoft Office Web (when it arrives in 2010). 2. Sign up for a SaaS storage or SaaS security reseller program and use the service within your own company for six months. How did it work? 3. Test a range of dashboards to see who really gives you a single view of on-premise and cloud-based services. 4. Set up briefings with emerging cloud-centric companies (The Planet, RightScale, Eucalyptus, etc.). 5. Make a move. Don't just read. Do. -jp Ken: You said it all in your first line: MSPs need to at least “start” a cloud experience. I hear from a lot of readers who are busy “researching” what to do. I recommend putting multiple toes in the water….

1. Have a portion of your staff live in Google Docs, Zoho or Microsoft Office Web (when it arrives in 2010).
2. Sign up for a SaaS storage or SaaS security reseller program and use the service within your own company for six months. How did it work?
3. Test a range of dashboards to see who really gives you a single view of on-premise and cloud-based services.
4. Set up briefings with emerging cloud-centric companies (The Planet, RightScale, Eucalyptus, etc.).
5. Make a move. Don’t just read. Do.

-jp

]]> By: Ken Vanderweel http://www.mspmentor.net/2009/12/11/azaleos-keeping-the-cloud-in-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-51354 Ken Vanderweel Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:40:27 +0000 http://www.mspmentor.net/?p=5187#comment-51354 I also agree with Rich that it’s good to start a cloud experience with less important applications since it manages risk to an organization. Eventually any application or service will be game in moving to the cloud. Regarding security and data control, there are a number of private cloud options that address this concern, some external and others internal, for example Amazon offers a virtual private cloud (http://aws.amazon.com/vpc/) that has isolated compute resources and connects via VPN to the end-user’s enterprise datacenter. Co-lo facilities also serve well to securely house private cloud infrastructures. It’s also becoming very popular to implement internal on-premise private cloud solutions. Whatever cloud infrastructure a business opts to employ, public or private, internal or external, or any combination, it will require end-to-end availability and performance monitoring, Nimsoft can outfit MSPs to offer this high value managed service. Ken Vanderweel Marketing Director - Service Providers Nimsoft, Inc. I also agree with Rich that it’s good to start a cloud experience with less important applications since it manages risk to an organization. Eventually any application or service will be game in moving to the cloud. Regarding security and data control, there are a number of private cloud options that address this concern, some external and others internal, for example Amazon offers a virtual private cloud (http://aws.amazon.com/vpc/) that has isolated compute resources and connects via VPN to the end-user’s enterprise datacenter. Co-lo facilities also serve well to securely house private cloud infrastructures. It’s also becoming very popular to implement internal on-premise private cloud solutions.

Whatever cloud infrastructure a business opts to employ, public or private, internal or external, or any combination, it will require end-to-end availability and performance monitoring, Nimsoft can outfit MSPs to offer this high value managed service.

Ken Vanderweel
Marketing Director – Service Providers
Nimsoft, Inc.

]]> By: Erik Walczak http://www.mspmentor.net/2009/12/11/azaleos-keeping-the-cloud-in-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-51331 Erik Walczak Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:45:56 +0000 http://www.mspmentor.net/?p=5187#comment-51331 Stu, When viewing options for storage and archiving in the cloud, can you lend your opinion on how much SAS 70 Type II and other compliance certifications weigh in to your decision making on whether or not to partner with such a company? Stu,
When viewing options for storage and archiving in the cloud, can you lend your opinion on how much SAS 70 Type II and other compliance certifications weigh in to your decision making on whether or not to partner with such a company?

]]> By: StuFinancesTech http://www.mspmentor.net/2009/12/11/azaleos-keeping-the-cloud-in-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-51310 StuFinancesTech Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:59:21 +0000 http://www.mspmentor.net/?p=5187#comment-51310 I agree with Rich, as I believe in many companies there is information they just wont relinquish to the cloud. Even as more information becomes digitized and greater restrictions and regulations come to industries like finance and health care, some will be archived and offsite and/or in the cloud and some will be left on premise. As a commercial finance firm, I wouldn't feel comfortable about all my client info and other proprietary info out there in the cloud, at least not yet. Stu I agree with Rich, as I believe in many companies there is information they just wont relinquish to the cloud. Even as more information becomes digitized and greater restrictions and regulations come to industries like finance and health care, some will be archived and offsite and/or in the cloud and some will be left on premise. As a commercial finance firm, I wouldn’t feel comfortable about all my client info and other proprietary info out there in the cloud, at least not yet.

Stu

]]> By: Erik Walczak http://www.mspmentor.net/2009/12/11/azaleos-keeping-the-cloud-in-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-51309 Erik Walczak Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:56:12 +0000 http://www.mspmentor.net/?p=5187#comment-51309 Rich, That is some interesting insight. Would you be able to lend any expertise in regards to what challenges you are seeing when engaging end clients on Cloud computing? Thank, Erik Rich,
That is some interesting insight.

Would you be able to lend any expertise in regards to what challenges you are seeing when engaging end clients on Cloud computing?

Thank,
Erik

]]> By: Joe Panettieri http://www.mspmentor.net/2009/12/11/azaleos-keeping-the-cloud-in-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-51264 Joe Panettieri Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:53:52 +0000 http://www.mspmentor.net/?p=5187#comment-51264 Rich: Thanks for your links and thoughts. Mind if I ask whom you represent? -jp Rich: Thanks for your links and thoughts. Mind if I ask whom you represent?
-jp

]]> By: Rich Alessandro http://www.mspmentor.net/2009/12/11/azaleos-keeping-the-cloud-in-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-51260 Rich Alessandro Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:39:40 +0000 http://www.mspmentor.net/?p=5187#comment-51260 Hybrid Cloud Computing models are becoming more acceptable to IT departments. Moving less important applications to cloud services frees up computing resources for peak loads and poses less of a security risk than moving the entire infrastructure outside a company’s walls. A public private cloud mix of sorts is becoming the model of choice at least for some IT organizations. In retail and service sectors that have seasonally variable work loads it makes sense to move some applications to the cloud. http://www.cloud.in/hybrid-clouds-help-move-in-the-cloud/ Hybrid Cloud Computing models are becoming more acceptable to IT departments. Moving less important applications to cloud services frees up computing resources for peak loads and poses less of a security risk than moving the entire infrastructure outside a company’s walls. A public private cloud mix of sorts is becoming the model of choice at least for some IT organizations. In retail and service sectors that have seasonally variable work loads it makes sense to move some applications to the cloud.

http://www.cloud.in/hybrid-clouds-help-move-in-the-cloud/

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