Cloud

Much of the discussion on the economic impact of cloud computing has focused on the cost savings and increased value for businesses, but the cloud is also impacting the IT industry, as new job roles are being created and the demand for other roles is decreasing. Many IT professionals may soon find themselves needing to transfer their skills and acquire new ones in order to be valuable in a cloud environment. Here’s a look at the impact the cloud is having on the job market and the skills IT professionals will need to develop.

As many of you know, I recently sold my shares in Agility – the web CMS company that I co-founded. Over the last three months, I have been experimenting with new technologies as I formulate the next step in my career.

As a first project, I decided to build a new website for a product that my wife’s company developed – the ClearBlue Ionizer. ClearBlue is a new technology for purifying water in pools and spas that drastically reduces the amount of chemicals required.

One of the most common concerns businesses have when they consider adopting a cloud computing solution is that they will have less control over their IT system. Thus, they worry that their data will not be secure enough, and their concern is understandable. Data breaches are expensive, both financial-wise and reputation-wise, and with attacks becoming more and more sophisticated, security has become a top priority. Luckily, adopting cloud computing does not mean that you have to give up security, but you will want to do your research when comparing options.

Cloud computing is rapidly evolving. From its original offerings of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Software as a Service(SaaS) have emerged a series of data management solutions, such as Database as a Service (DaaS). With so many offerings available, it doesn’t seem like another edition should warrant a lot of attention, but Big Data as a Service (BDaaS) such as provided by Qubole should have the attention of business leaders. BDaaS revolutionizes the big data services industry by making it more affordable, easier to use and more accessible than it was before.

We have all read the articles touting the benefits of cloud computing and have also read the warnings about downtime and security. After doing your own research and evaluating your current business situation, we have decided that moving to the cloud is a good idea. Now what? As any IT professional can attest, implementing a new application or process is complicated enough, let alone moving an entire or maybe part of an infrastructure from one medium to another. How should businesses prepare for this move? What steps should they take and what issues should they watch out for?

Should small business owners be jumping into the realm of cloud computing? More than likely your small business can benefit from one or more of the cloud services. Cloud computing provides the resources and flexibility small business owners need to build a business and compete in a highly competitive market. Still, jumping in without thinking strategically about the steps your business will take could lead to wasted resources, so read on for the basics you need to know.

Those who dismissed cloud computing a couple years ago as a passing fad are quickly learning that the cloud is here to stay. Just like Twitter and Facebook evolved from a college student “fad” to key marketing tools, cloud computing is a viable business solution. CIOs and CTOs who embrace the cloud and create a plan for their company’s transition to the cloud will provide a valuable asset to their company. Those who don't will soon fall behind and find themselves replaced by someone who knows how to incorporate the cloud.

In a recent survey, 69 percent of North American IT professionals expressed a belief that the risks of using a cloud based service currently outweighed the benefits. The main reason cited was a concern over data security. This concern has made many business leaders hesitant to switch over to the cloud, but the reality is the cloud is growing and is not going away, especially with the possibility of big data cloud computing.