Is Cloud computing real? Is it actually being used in business? Can I do that with System z? Could I develop SOA on Cloud? Is it a form of virtualization? Can it be used for on-demand resource requirements? The answer to all those questions is, “Yes!”
However, there is another set of questions that have a “yes” answer, but may not be what you want to hear. These questions tend to focus on whether there are security, performance and service issues, as well as the intellectual property and privacy concerns associated with using Cloud computing. While there are some opportunities associated with Cloud computing, as with every opportunity, there are also issues and concerns that must be addressed.
This summer, SHARE in Denver, August 23-28, 2009, will be a great place to learn more about Cloud computing. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. SHARE has always been the place to be if you have issues to resolve about your enterprise computing environment. We will be presenting more than a dozen great sessions about Cloud computing at the Denver conference, including:
- How SOA, Cloud, and Smart Planet Work Together
- Private Clouds for the Enterprise
- IBM Requirements for Search, CCMDB and Cloud Computing Products
- Securing a Cloud Computing Environment
- The SaaS-y Mainframe! - Cloud Computing with System z
- Linux on System z Security for Cloud Computing and Virtual Systems
- Sun's Perspective of Computing in the Cloud
- Turning Test Environments into a Cloud
- Service Performance Challenges in Cloud Computing
- Using REST and WS-* in the Cloud
- Business Decisions for Cloud Computing
- Assembling and Using Cloud Services with Service Component Architecture
- Virtualization and Cloud Computing with vSphere
These sessions, along with the virtualization keynote session, Is Your Next Data Center in the Cloud?, by James Staten, Forrester Principal Analyst and Cloud computing expert, will address all the questions posed in the first paragraph.
Cloud is one of the new transforming technologies, but it is not the only one. If you want to know more, we can help. Our conference kickoff keynote presentation will be Technotrends®: The Big Ideas That Are Changing Everything. In this presentation, Daniel Burrus, Technology Forecaster and Business Strategist, Burrus Research, will share valuable insights into the technology opportunities yet to come.
As always, we have much more to offer on topics ranging from System z to extensive coverage of virtualization topics in our Total Enterprise Virtualization theme. The Service Orientation – The Foundation for IT Modernization theme will not only address the “how to” but also the “why” of developing applications in a service oriented environment.
Of course, there is always much more to SHARE than presentations. I always learn just as much (and sometimes more) by talking to my peers at SHARE. If you have been wondering about this Cloud computing thing, you need to be at SHARE in Denver.
So why, you may ask, am I emphasizing this nebulous Cloud computing topic when we have all these other great offerings? When I first looked at Cloud computing, I thought we could have a track of sessions about the topic – maybe do a Cloud computing day. What I found is that Cloud computing cuts across all of our other theme topics as well. It is showing up and being used in ways that we did not expect. That makes it quite interesting and nearly impossible to offer as a totally separate focus area.
I can’t tell you all that we will offer in Denver in one short note, but this will serve as a short teaser. There is much more to come, so please watch your e-mail and visit denver.share.org/community often for the most up-to-date information.
By the way, when you come to SHARE in Denver, be sure to ask me what we are doing with Cloud computing at Penn State.