Cloud Computing Will Take Center Stage in 2011

Metafile Predicts Cloud Computing Will Take Center Stage
— Cloud computing, managing evolving 1099 regulations and retail accounting automation will be pervasive accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR) document management trends in 2011, according to Metafile Information Systems.
Metafile is a paperless accounts payable (AP), accounts receivable (AR) and human resources (HR) document management and workflow solution provider, and a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. Its flagship product, MetaViewer, is used by more than 15,000 financial professionals to process more than 15 million paperless transactions per week.

Why SMB's will rule the world

I think SMB'ers need to jump on the social media bandwagon now! It makes way too much sense, it fits the mold...

...its intimate, personal, engaging which is exactly what SMB'ers claim is the advantage of doing business with them in the first place.

Social media stands for the same principles small businesses are built. Partnerships that work together to solve business issues instead of holding each other hostage with contracts and price wars.

The social media boom points to the need for human connection on a level that is different from previous generations. The SMB'ers have always had the advantage of personal service, access to personal cell phones and the ability to collaborate without calling it "consulting". Social media is another dynamic for the SMB's to build trust and cultivate relationships.

The mighty Fortune 100 can no longer confiscate the brightest and best talent for their own gains, the talent is everywhere. There is expertise in any field you choose to follow. Trying doing a twitter search on your industry or hop on Linked In and source a group.

Already nimble and quick, the SMB's can now extend personal service across regions, states and countries. Combine that with having access to the same talent and information as the big boys and the world might start to look differently.

Yes, the deep pockets of the Enterprise will always drive economies of scale, but now more than ever, social media is rich with information and talented people who want to cultivate a relationship.

Upcoming Cloud Conferences

Upcoming Cloud Conferences Worth Checking Out
— Here at VM we’re planning our spring 2011 conference tour and we’re happy to say there’s a lot going on in the world of presentations and meetings about cloud-computing. Deadlines are fast-approaching though, so check out the list we’ve put together below and see if there’s something happening near you… hope to see you there!

Note: this list is incomplete and bound to change. Descriptions were taken off the sponsoring organizations’ websites and so may not reflect content and/or quality. Don’t hold us accountable if a conference sucks.

Today's 3 Best Cloud Computing Articles

Cloud Computing to Grow to "Billions and Billions"
— "IDC forecasts a 2009-2013 CAGR of 26% for the worldwide cloud services market, which includes software-as-a-service offerings," explains Mary Johnston Turner, research director for enterprise system management software at IDC. "As more and more organizations implement public cloud and SaaS solutions they will need access to monitoring capabilities that provide end-to-end visibility across internally run applications and public services and can be deployed just as quickly as the services they are monitoring."

Sorting Through the Cloud Jargon
— Over the last two weeks, I have fully immersed myself in the world of cloud. Thanks to conference keynotes, breakout sessions, customer briefings, and ad hoc discussions, I have not had much time to not think or talk about cloud. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, I do have to admit, something has been gnawing at me over these past two weeks: There is too much overloaded, confusing, or misunderstood cloud jargon.

Cloud Facilitators: A New Route to Market for Cloud Vendors
— As Cloud Computing moves into the large enterprise and becomes an embedded part of IT and the business, customers are turning to a new wave of Cloud Facilitator to help guide them through Cloud-based consulting, implementation and management challenges.
Cloud Facilitators like Acumen, Appirio, Astadia, Bluewolf, Cloud Sherpas, CoreMatrix, Global One, Model Metrics and Revevol (among others) provide a range of services that help clients move to the Cloud. These include business and IT consulting related to Cloud strategy, implementation and integration, custom development, and Cloudsourcing. Cloudsourcing is the key business innovation of new wave Facilitators, weaving together and innovating on partner Cloud solutions, platforms and infrastructure and charging for these services on both a project and subscription basis.

Private V Public the cloud debate continues.

Tim Negris, Cloud Computing Journal, writes, "the private cloud enables elastic computing but the public cloud enables the elastic enterprise, a new business model where IT is resource that is shared with partners and customers. It can create new business processes that have greater richness, flexibility, and efficiency than those used in the locked tower of the vertically integrated corporations of the past hundred years. As with any new paradigm, nobody should plunge into it this new world without caution or knowledge. But, plunge they should. Private computing is soon to go the way of on site power generators and telephone PBXs."

For the full article:  Public Cloud Computing: Enabling the Elastic Enterprise

Thank you Tim for letting me share!

3 Steps to move DR into the cloud.

Its time to start planning to expand DR beyond "tape in a briefcase". This is no easy decision; there isn’t reference material with a formula that defines when or what to invest in for an appropriate DR solution. Everyones situation is different, but with public cloud models generating more support, it seems like now is a good time to revisit DR planning.

Step1: Answer the right questions.

How long can I be without my applications and data?
How much am I willing to invest in my plan?

What is the risk of a disaster impacting my business?

As is everything else in life, time and money are critical factors.

To start with I can't confuse the terms Disaster Prevention with Disaster Recovery. I may have redundancy built into my servers and infrastructure with RAID, UPS Systems, Multiple Power Circuits and even a Generator, but this only helps prevent. I need to expect the best, while planning for the worst.

The reality is the "tape in a briefcase" solution is not a bad one. Let's face it, the majority of businesses don't need nor can they afford standing up duplicate infrastructures in multiple regions all synchronizing data across multiple networks. Even if I could afford the infrastructure I'm only dealing with 25% of the equation. When I add in the necessary expertise I need from my ERP consultant, CRM specialist and database architects, working together rebuilding my system...now we're talking a price tag! This reason alone is why most companies are satisfied with "tape in a briefcase" strategies.

So what are my REAL options if a Fire, Tornado, Hurricane, Power Outage or a simple Thunderstorm damages my server infrastructure. What good is my tape without infrastructure to restore too? As I think this through and accept the fact that I'm at a minimum of week to replace hardware, load OS, reinstall network connectivity and install applications before you are ready to restore. The reality is a week is making good time! This can get costly, but all in all a manageable solution for some companies as long as day to day order fulfillment, customer service and billing can continue manually.

Caution: A week can easily turn into two weeks, without having had the ability to fully test a Disaster Recovery Plan and according to Disaster Recovery Planning.Org companies without access to mission critical data for more than 48 hours, will more than likely be out of business in less than a year. 

Step 2: Understand what a public cloud can do.

I must decide what applications and data are critical to the survival of my business. Once established the cloud presents an alternative to DR planning that is worth real consideration. Without a high dollar investment in redundant infrastructure, I only pay for what I need when I need it.  Appica is in its full scale launch mode and is stacked with features.

Within seconds I can login and create a virtual instance, choosing from a variety of Operating Systems and configurations.  I select storage quantities and in less than 3 minutes I have a server at my disposal.  What I was not expecting was the ability to use images, ISO’s and templates that mirror my existing servers!  Not only can I select a generic install of a Windows or Linux Operating systems, but I can get my exact configuration, patch level and applications by taking a snapshot and creating a custom template.

Additionally I can scale on demand by simply shutting down an instance and changing my service to add more power.

If a disaster strikes the Appica cloud gives me the flexibility to take snapshots of my data, create templates, add volumes, create load balancing and manage my firewall from a user friendly console.

Step 3: Choose a vendor

Appica is one of a handful of Infrastructure As A Service public cloud offerings, I would look at your current trusted relationships and see who might be offering a public cloud.  Will they allow you to test the environment? What is their track record for releasing new products or services?  

When it comes to public cloud service offerings understanding the billing is key.  Do they have add on charges for load balancing, fire-walling and IP addresses?  Do they have limitations on storages, snapshots and templates?  How is the storage provisioned and what is the architecture? Ideally you want multiple storage SAN's available to provide the ultimate protection for your data.

As the cloud becomes more readily adopted, functionality will continue to improve.  I am seeing more and more companies investigating cloud services as a feature of their overall DR strategy.  It seems everyone has an opinion and definition of what the cloud looks like, I suggest using the cloud for your next project and let the products speak for itself.

4 reasons the cloud's a win for SMB's.

Lately you can find a post about the "cloud" anywhere, and I continually read about SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, lack of compliance, unproven security and a host of other thoughts from IT professionals in the Enterprise world. But, you can also find blogs and information on why the cloud will change computing forever (which is my position!), and why I believe small business owners need to adopt the cloud sooner rather than later.

It is not often the small guy gets a chance to maneuver a competitive advantage  and leap ahead of the corporate giants of the world.  This is an opportunity for SMB's to check their rearview mirrors and watch big companies battle over compliance issues, shadow IT, private versus public clouds and security.  All the while my entrepeneur and small business friends can continue to forge ahead and focus on their business, leverage new technology and utilize trusted partners.

4 Reasons the cloud fits SMB's:

1.  Financial makes all the noise, but don't believe ALL the hype about how "cheap" the cloud is.  What it does: provides the flexibility to pay for only what you use; the elasticity allows you to expand on the fly; it removes the cost and time factor of utilizing traditional procurement methods; and essentially you can have a server in minutes versus days.  With solid measurements of ROI, trading capex for opex dollars in today's small business climate is a definite advantage.

2. Focusing on core business initiatives.  I see small business owners spending more time with technology issues rather than marketing and selling their own products and services.  Utilizing a cloud computing environment allows you to challenge your IT staff. Instead of traditional patching, updating, configuring and networking tasks, ask your IT professionals to develop new applications.  I see the "new IT pro" as one that focuses on developing methods to deliver products in a more timely manner and enhancing service offerings.  The new IT professional will need the expertise and understanding of computing infrastucture, but they will also require a keen understanding of business processes and application development.  We better start thinking about investing in our best assetts too...

3. Security is my favorite point for a small business owner. A cloud provider can often help you meet the needs of compliance agengies like PCI, HIPAA or ISO.  I often ask these questions: "What is your security practice now?" and "How is cloud security any different than Internet Security?". I also point out the benefit of 5 layers and 3 form factors of security to physically access your gear, alerts sent via mobile phones to your team when cabinets are opened, network configurations with best practice routing methods like internap flow control.  Most reputable cloud providers are data centers with A and B power distribution, cooling redundancy, generators and onsite fuel. How many small businesses can boast that kind of redundancy and security?  The big company competitors surely do!

4. Accountability.  The contract and SLA's a business owner will have with a cloud provider is the most compelling reason to consider moving to the cloud.  The small business owner now has the ability to hold someone accountable for delivering their IT resources.  Compare that with the other option...fire the guy who knows every intimate detail about your information systems...I don't think so. 

For small companies, transitioning to the cloud is not a simple flipping of the switch.  It takes time and planning; talk with professionals in the industry, attend local cloud events and most importantly, visit a local provider!

The 4 x 4 selling principle - what's your goal?

During my career as a sales professional, I always find myself looking for ways to stay active and focused on my goal.  I've made the mistake of looking ahead and counting on "potential" sales...ouch, so a few years ago I established some core principles to keep me focused.


This requires giving some attention to the age old question, "What is my goal"...aside from getting lost in the meaning of life I narrowed the focus and kept it simple.  Keeping things simple is important in managing your goals, plus, I'm a pretty simple guy so double bonus points awarded.


Cynthia asks herself the right question everyday, "is what I'm doing right now helping me reach my goal?"  This is a great question we should all be asking ourselves.

Greg is a connection of mine and he posted one of the more meaningful quotes I have witnessed in the last few months:  "If it takes less than two minutes, do it now!" Great rule of thumb and talk about a simple way to keep you focused on your goal.


My goal....

and to get this I must become a trusted advisor!

I don't allocate my time to specific hunter or farmer activities.  I have been a sales rep long enough to know I am a farmer, so I have put myself in a position that will take advantage of my qualities.  I continue to network, speak, teach, share and talk with anyone who wants to know more about cloud computing.  Great farmers are experts in their field, I will continue to put the majority of my time and efforts towards my goal.


I shape my week to reflect my 4 X 4 principles;  these are the top 4 things I Must Do 4 of, in order to reach my goal.


1.  4 coffee meetings.  A coffee meeting is with someone I've never had face to face interaction with, it can be personal or business.  I may initiate the meeting to talk parenting, sales or technology.  
2.  4 Sales appointments. (My bread and butter)  Prospecting meetings, proposal presentations or a tour of our facility.
3.  4 Hours of prospecting.  Must Must Must always be looking for prospects.
4.  4 Events per month.  Attend local IT events, and take it a step further, find organizations that have a mission you support and get involved.

Proposal writing, internal meetings, committee meetings and social networking are additional areas that command my attention too.  But, if you are interested in becoming a "trusted advisor" set your goal on a 4 x 4.

Cloud Security - Put your fears to rest.

I want to know as much about new things as I possibly can, and this cloud stuff is no different.  Trying to understand how and when it will impact businesses is like wishing for snow days.  Its going to happen, I just don't know when.

I've been asking a lot of questions about the cloud, and with studies like "Risk outweighing the benefits" of cloud computing, it appears the technology professionals are not yet ready to  fully embrace the cloud.  Why?

The two issues I am finding at the top of many IT professionals lists are  Security and Job Extinction.  
Let's be clear about this, the cloud will create more jobs than it will eliminate.  Mostly through reallocating skills, entrepreneur ventures and large cloud providers gobbling up talent…hmmm, does the boom of the internet in 1995 ring a bell.


If a company decides to roll their infrastructure into the cloud, on the surface it appears they won't need internal IT resources.  Not true, remember going forward it's all about the application.  IT professional's will need to re-tool skills, but at the end of the day, IT jobs will migrate into supporting applications instead of servers. Most Infrastructure IT professionals will find themselves in high demand from cloud computing service providers, which is a good position to be in.

I am not a security professional and definitely not an expert in fire-walls or complex routing.  So when I investigate security one of the first thing I ask is how sensitive is your data?  And make sure you ask the right people too, the sales/marketing department will give you a much different perspective than IT or research and development.  Set your sites on getting the perspective of the executive committee.  Have you really ever ask to present your solution to an executive committee?...sorry,topic for another day.


The reality is, how many end-users have been through a security audit?  How many have completed a process similar to SAS-70?  Security with a cloud provider, more than likely, is far superior than your existing environment. Most providers will have mulit-layers of storage to protect you data.  And a few, like profitability.net's public cloud, will offer 3 Layers with vulnerability scanning built into their compliance portal.  Combine that with multi-layered physical security, bio-metrics, electronic locking cabinets and the redundant infrastructure of a data center, and you have a solution that removes the fear of security!


The cloud is ready, its time to put your trust in a proven provider!

Where are the sales reps? 5 Great reasons to be one!

Lets face it, I sell at home, at work and to my kids everyday. Whether its my wife about upcoming vacation plans, where I want to take the kids to eat or a marketing idea to my boss, I am selling.  Lately, I have become more and more thankful that I have a gift of asking good questions, building relationships, selling, and delivering what I promised.  This is certainly not rocket science, and there used to be sales reps everywhere...I just don't understand where they've gone.


I consider myself a pretty good networker, I am an active member of several professional groups, AFCOM, itSMF, Technology First just to name a few.  I am the type of sales person that is comfortable walking up to a group of strangers to introduce myself.  What I am seeing more of lately are shocked looks on peoples faces when I say I am a sales rep.  Did I miss something?


I get the fact there are plenty of negative mantras out there surrounding being in sales.  The pushy in home water purification sales rep, the helicopter flying mall kiosk sales dude and of course the used car salesmen.  These types of sales people have been around for 50 years.  Since when did we need a title to try and distinguish ourselves?


I like being a sales rep and I can give you two dozen reasons why, but here are my top 5:


1.  Income, the ability to make a great living.
2.  Freedom, given the right situation, you are essentially your own boss.
3.  Time, its the only thing on a level playing ground with your competition, I choose how I spend it wisely.
4.  I get to meet interesting people and see how other companies operate.
5.  The pride I feel when a client attributes success to my solution.


Titles are great for stroking your ego, but it if you want to make it in sales, embrace your roll, and heck...try putting it on your business card.

Mail in the cloud...Are you asking the right questions?

Over the last year, I have seen many blogs and articles about E-mail as the best application to live in the cloud.  That is a fair statement, but sometimes the options on email can become cloudy and require in depth investigation.  In fact, just recently, even Hotmail has made the news.  In navigating the clouds, do not lose sight of the core functionality of email and the ingrained culture of your organization.

As we sift through all the noise and hype about "cloud computing", I think it is important to revisit some basic fundamentals regarding moving email to the cloud.  There are several articles that compare and contrast Hosted Exchange, Gmail...and yes... even Hotmail.  I find these comparisons to be short-sighted.  My problem is not that I do not understand the importance of features and cost, but why are we not placing more value on those that rely on email to do their jobs?  I think it is fair to say that most implementations are only successful when a company includes the end user in the decision making process.

I have been using Microsoft Outlook in the workplace for years, and in the mid 90's I was even guilty of believing Outlook was synonymous with email.  Over time I have come to rely on Outlook's power and capabilities.  I believe Microsoft Outlook is in a class by itself: the way it integrates word processing, mail merges and forms.  It has become second nature for me to drop an email messages into appointments, tasks, or public folders.  Viewing calendars is great -- as it allows me to drop others' calendars on top of mine for an instant view of availability! This is a great time saver when bringing several people together for a meeting.  I think about the pain I go through when learning a new application!  I will never let the cost in retraining, productivity loss, and user frustration go unnoticed again.

I am not suggesting that other applications don't have similar features, but what I am suggesting is, there is great comfort in knowing Microsoft Outlook has a proven track record.

Asking thought provoking questions about migration, performance, reliability, data recovery, cost and back-up are relevant.  And when considering moving email to the cloud they are important questions to ask as part of the decision making process.

In my experience don't under estimate the value of your email culture. If you want a successful migration into the cloud, do yourself a favor, ask the right questions and include your users.  Their response can easily make or break a project.

Asking good questions is only half the battle.

LinkedIn is such a fantastic tool for so many reasons; prospecting, networking, professional development and sharing meaningful content.  I am learning everyday from creative status updates, thought provoking discussions, and even great humor.


Yesterday was no different as I've been blogging lately about asking good questions.  What great responses from other sales professionals who are posting in my discussion group.  As I find myself constantly looking to perfect the art of selling, which lately has been all about questions...I get a great reminder from one of my connections Fred Yee.


You have to understand Fred, not that I know him personally, but when Fred decides to post or share something it is worth reading!  Even when it is not original content, which is why social media works, because without it, I wouldn't have found this article...its all about sharing.


So as I find myself in the middle of honing my questioning skills, in pops an update from Fred..Customer Centric: Laser Focused Listening.  Of course I have to read it.


Not only does Fred's update visit an important topic for me, but did you ever think to ask yourself questions that will make you be a better listener?  This is an absolute must read post.  It also sends me a reminder to keep my sales calls conversational.  As important as it is to ask great questions, the real solution creating can only begin after you listen!  


  

What question are you asking about the cloud?

I took a cold call today from someone who dropped a name on me.  I immediately new the name and said, "Yes, Mark's a friend of mine, what can I help you with".  Seems relatively harmless on the surface, but truth be told...I have never met or spoken to Mark!  My only interaction with Mark is via group discussions on linkedin.  A common occurrence these days for connecting and building relationships

Discussion groups are interesting, 1000's of question posed in 1000's of groups.  Some are rather simple, "Why do you like sales?", "What is cloud computing" and even "Does anyone know someone who will clean my gutters?"  These are great for generating discussion and connection with like-thinkers, but where are the good questions?

Youth learn is a website that is designed to support our youth and assist them as they move into adulthood.  In this article they give a great tutorial on how to ask questions, "How does light help people?"  I love this question because you immediately have to think.

My friend Penelope has a blog with more than 40,000 followers (I know not REALLY a friend, but if you have read her enough you would call her one too) and she too is a huge fan of asking questions, but they must be good questions.   She has great advice, "if you want to ask good questions, practice by answering other peoples questions."  

As sales professionals we sometimes get consumed with preaching, talking, and selling, and we forget about asking good questions.  Our questions are more generic, "So Mr. Customer, Tell me about your business" or "Mr. Customer, if you could solve one issue today, what would it be?"...but...What if you ask, "Mr. Customer, what is the primary benefit your company provides to your clients" or "Mr. Customer, when your not in meetings what are you thinking about?"

I hope to find a group that is willing to share from there own arsenal of question asking.  

I am not claiming to be an expert cross-examiner, but I do understand that we are embarking on another great technological transformation.  Virtualization and cloud computing will change the way businesses will deliver information technology.  Who are you connecting with...and what questions are you asking?