Is your organization ready for the Digital World driven by Social Media?

In the old days the only professionals who suffered from Ulcer were those who worked in the fast paced real time market of Trading stocks, currency, commodities and more. They had to think on their feet and made or lost millions based on their ability to respond to information and act on it immediately.
With the advent of Digital World driven by Social Media in Real time organizations need to get Digital Traders onto the floor who can respond in real time to delight customers and protect your organization from Demise.
Can organizations be shaken  from their slumber to respond in real time to social media and infuse the speed required to be on top of your customers needs and suggestions?  The way forward is not throwing in more people with attributes of Traders (and candidates for Ulcer)  but to use technology driven real time analytic solutions to keep listen and respond on the Digital Highway.

 Organizations need business value from traffic in the Digital World!

This means if your organization having a presence in the Digital World driven by Social Media  is not enough! the organization  needs to invest on real time analytic tools which can help them to respond and sieve the good grains from the chaff in the real time traffic of social media.
Organizations who get this strategy right and make investments in the right people and analytic tools have a clear advantage of surviving, while those who don't will go extinct like the dinosaurs.
Are your ready to take on the  Digital World driven by Social Media?

Will 2014 be the year of Community Clouds ?

As the year of SMAC the outlier which changed  the fortunes of business across the world in 2013.
Looking into the crystal glass, we see that next year 2014 will the year of Community Clouds which will change the fortunes of companies which specialize in data center solutions.
We will see community clouds being build by the Fortune 500 companies in a collaborative manner, business across Europe will drive the adoption of Community Clouds in Europe to adhere to the ENISA guidelines.
Cloud Computing now moves beyond cost it is about reliability, economics of scale, security and mutli device support and global standards.
Community clouds will be adopted by the banks of Europe, the pharmaceutical companies of Europe, the European Union and more.
Developing regions in the globe too will adopt cloud computing, Africa will lead the charge with large nations like Brazil, Latin American countries and across the APAC region.

A Bus in Mumbai, A community initiative !

Everyone is worried about privacy in the cloud and the community cloud will allow them to build the trust and reliability and economy of scale they are seeking.
In a world that cannot retreat from Digital footprint, the community cloud will be the way forward and 2014 will be the year of Community clouds.
Companies like HP, IBM , DELL will benefit from this thrust as their hybrid cloud adopters will migrate to community clouds from public clouds.
Public clouds will continue to be fueled for the PUBLIC by social media applications, but enterprises will take refuge in Community clouds.
Are you ready with your road-map for the Community Cloud Explosion in 2014?

IBM should ignore AWS !

Recent advertisements have shown IBM  comparing itself against AWS in the cloud.
Here is the ZDNet article http://www.zdnet.com/ibm-takes-aim-at-amazon-web-services-via-marketing-campaign-7000022805/.
It seems to be a let down for Big Blue who has forgotten its blue blood and is stooping to compare itself to a company which is about a decade old.
If you missed my blog on the Big 5 it is worth a read again, since most of the analogies seems to have panned out, here is the link
http://cloudbus.blogspot.in/2011/04/big-5-in-cloud-computing.html?q=the+big+five

Photo Credit : Sudesh

IBM seems to have forgotten that the Elephant can Dance and only  needs to learn new steps in the world of SMAC and Internet of Things.IBM should not discount its loyal customer base who are there to cheer and support IBM through thick and thin; some customers could also teach IBM to dance to their tunes.

IBM has all the arsenal required, but is reluctant to open its chest and take off to the cloud, IBM's survival is not about beating AWS, it needs to do more to make Wall Street smile.
For one it needs to provide all its software applications on a SAAS model ASAP so that it can change the world of computing.
There is no business application that IBM does not have in its arsenal, but it is internally so divided that it has forgotten that the "Sum of parts is greater than Whole".
It needs to bandy all its application under one SAAS roof and make them available to the world.
Here is what IBM has as per its  own web page.
http://www-304.ibm.com/partnerworld/wps/servlet/ContentHandler/pw_com_swg_application-specific-licensing-solution-areas

The only element that IBM is missing the inertia to put together a Winning GO TO Market strategy.

Here are some pointers which can put IBM on top of the heap in the cloud war.
a. Selling cloud to the Government is not where the action is , the action is in delivering cloud services to the retail computing user. The Government and large business is a saturated market for IBM, and it needs to focus on the smaller user for future growth. Though winning big deals is always a joy, but the such deals are few. The retail is money on the table, more like the dollar bill on the table before the drink in an US bar, this is real money and now.
b. The Planet story is old, IBM needs to move into the clouds and acquire the speed of Mercury to compete in the world of SMAC which is always turbulent. IBM has to learn new steps, and needs to be quick to respond in  the consumer driven marketplace. They need a ship commander like Captain Spock!
c. IBM has to realize that the action is with the end user and not the CIO; the power user has shifted  and IBM has address this segment.
d. IBM will come on top if it can change direction, it has shown the world before it can do this, it is time for the Titanic to change course, if it does not then 2014 may be the Titanic year for IBM.
e. Shooting at AWS is not doing any good for IBM, it is not an IBM way of doing business. Remember AWS has the first mover advantage, IBM is entering the party late, no use shooting the leader of the pack.
If AWS goes there is a good chance that Cloud Computing may also crumble; a 10 year old will die without being given a chance to be a teenager.
This will not help IBM if it is betting big on cloud computing since it will not have any competition unless it believes Google is competition.
If AWS goes down so would Twitter and Facebook and many more social media sites which we take for granted in our daily lives.
IBM should not behave like the fox n the story "Grapes as Sour",
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fox_and_the_Grapes
IBM needs to take the mantle of the wizened elder and understand there is space for all including AWS and IBM in the cloud and  realize that good  wine is not sour grapes.

Do share your thoughts. I am an old IBM fan and wish Big Blue all Success.

SMAC and the Transformation of Customer Service & Dialogue

"SMAC" is the a acronym for Social, mobile, analytics & cloud the four pillars of the fifth wave of technology as defined by  Cognizant Technology the  Teaneck, New Jersey headquartered ITES company (NASDAQ Symbol : CTSH).
SMAC will change the customer dialogue by leveraging on the collective strength of the Social Media Network, Mobile devices, Analytics driven by Big Data solutions and Cloud Computing as the underlying backbone of affordable and reliable engine for computation. 

Let us look at each of these components and their impact on our lives today:

1. Social Media - The Social Media has seen breakneck growth and significant valuation with the winners, we have the four undisputed leaders in this segment Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest  & LinkedIn with competition from Yahoo, Google and Microsoft and another hundred more social media sites of different hues and aspirations.  

2. Mobility - The way we handle and process information anytime anywhere  is significantly driven by Mobile Devices. Whether it is a mobile phone with two undisputed leaders Samsung and Apple, with two leading operating systems Google's Android and Apples iOS and two fundamental devices a phone or tablet or an hybrid Phablet.  The mobile is the most used device today to access, converse and interact in the internet. 

3. Analytics - Big Data and the ability to bring affordable analytics by use of cloud computing has transformed the way we dice and slice our data and we can do much more in nano seconds with our Terabytes of data to get a better understanding which influences our strategy and decision making. Analytics has invaded every aspect of business, financial markets, banking, healthcare, manufacturing, the potential is endless on how it can add value to bring insight into the way we do business. 

4. Cloud Computing - In a brief period of ten years the cloud computing has taken the world by storm and has been the catalyst for the growth of social media companies like Facebook, Youtube, LinkedIn, Twitter and more.  The pioneer and leader in the cloud computing space continues to be AWS with others playing catch up, the software giant's Microsoft, Oracle, the hardware giant's Dell, IBM, CISCO and HP.  Cloud Computing is today mainstream computing as more government and business adopt Cloud to bring about reliability, efficiency and cost saving. 

SMAC is the future of our digital lives and these four pillars in conjunction will define the way we deal with our customers.

Companies who have the right SMAC strategy will profit and grow in a flat world. 

Banks who shunned the cloud have taken to Facebook for Banking.

Newsprint companies have be on Twitter today if it wants to reach its audience and garner revenue.
If you want a job today the best place to begin is LinkedIn and if you have a pretty picture to share and profit look no further than Pinterest.

Retailers are discovering the joys of growing their business with a SMAC strategy, understanding their customers needs and serving them in more innovative ways. 

With SMAC we need business leaders who understand their customers lifestyle, use digital technology and the live in a world of social media.

A significant number of the customer base with spending power are GEN Y  today and without a SMAC strategy we may not be able to connect with the GEN Y customer.

The customer dialogue is real time and companies need to respond to this changing scenario.  

We will have companies giving away mobile devices free to their customers as a glue to customer dialogue and interface. 

Imagine a scenario of a bank, it is connected to its customer in a mobile world and the customer lives and thrives on Facebook, the Bank today builds its  banking services around the customer in the world of Facebook. A New Zealand Bank (ASB Bank) has been the pioneer in using Facebook in serving its customers and is laughing all the way to the Bank, other banks are playing catch up. 

Twitter announced its public issue in a Tweet and in day one of its public issue Twitter's offering price was $26 but by the end of the day the stock had risen dramatically and closed at $44.90. On day one of its public issue Twitter's market cap was USD 24.4 Billion ; opening value in the morning was USD 18 Billion; a cool appreciation of USD 6.4 Billion. You need look no further to understand the business dynamics of social media. 

Companies need to address SMAC as the most significant business strategy for their very survival in next few quarters, is your company ready to use SMAC to transform the customer service and  dialogue?

Cloud Computing in the world of VUCA !

Cloud computing will provide the comfort and stability in the world of VUCA ( volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity).
Wiki source for VUCA : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatility,_uncertainty,_complexity_and_ambiguity
Cloud computing is the right solution to help business in its technology investments and answers its concerns on the following issues confronted in the world of VUCA :

1. Anticipate the Issues that Shape Conditions
2. Understand the Consequences of Issues and Actions
3. Appreciate the Interdependence of Variables
4. Prepare for Alternative Realities and Challenges
5. Interpret and Address Relevant Opportunities

Cloud computing also helps the organization to be prepared with technology enabled tools in the VUCA world : 

1. Knowledge Management on Sense-Making 
2. Planning and Readiness Considerations 
3. Process Management and Resource Systems 
4. Functional Responsiveness and Impact Models 
5. Recovery Systems and Forward Practices

Cloud Computing will be the antidote for business to operate in a VUCA world, a world where leaders may lose in the mystical business climate and where money is scarce and risk aversion is the norm.

Business who adopt cloud computing as the engine for technology and business process empowerment will drive through the VUCA business era successfully, those who stick to brick and mortar technology will be vanquished. 

Are you ready to ride the Cloud to conquer the VUCA syndrome which is affecting the global business climate ? 

Why the cloud can come down to earth in India

This is the reproduction of an article published in Information Week today .

http://www.informationweek.in/cloud_computing/13-07-02/why_the_cloud_can_come_down_to_earth_in_india.aspx
The author illustrates how the network and infrastructure can be the differentiator between success and failure in deployment of real time technology solutions like exchanges and cloud computing applications

In 1991, I was a key member of the team to build the first automated stock exchange in India known as the OTC Exchange of India on dial up telephone lines and subsequently an overlay network network on an Government built X.25 backbone with an X.28 dial up connectivity. The internet was unheard of those days, though a few Software Technology Parks (STPI) did have this connectivity and I remember the slow browser which connected me to the Harvard facility from the STPI in Hyderabad.

We had limitations because we could operate only in 26 cities in India with dialup connections, because the rest of the cities were challenged to carry data on a dial up network.

The second exchange set up by the same promoters used VSAT connectivity to connect brokers across India and became a success, this exchange was the National Stock Exchange.
Picture Left to Right : Sudesh Puthran, the author, Late R. Ravimohan, Sandeep Bagalkar & Karthik Shah 

The OTCEI had a VSAT network to deploy the stock prices through the teletext offered by Doordarshan and National Informatics centre. But unfortunately there was  only one government vendor of the teletext boxes could not supply enough decoders to service the 1000 brokers of the exchange. And the teletext died a natural death and it was back to Press Trust of India and Reuters.

This illustration is to show how the network and infrastructure can be the differentiator between success and failure in deployment of real time technology solutions like exchanges and cloud computing applications.

I was recently in Bangalore conducting a course on Cloud Computing Business and I heard the same sentiments echoed after two decades that poor data connectivity thorough the internet beyond 50 miles outside of Bangalore city was pathetic and hampers cloud computing deployment. This was in the IT capital of India, what a shame.

Without assured broadband connectivity which is reliable and effective roll out of cloud computing pan India is doomed. Though DOT may have laid the cables up to every district headquarters in India and will subsequently cover it to the taluk level with an investment of about Rs. 2000 crores, the issue of access to the internet in the last mile continues to be a challenge as it was in 1991.

I remember in 1991 we had 500 dial up lines with MTNL Delhi, and about 250 dial up lines in Chennai, Bangalore , Ahmedabad and other cities just to make sure that our brokers could route through the overlay X.25 network, but the design and execution could not deliver the desired connectivity and the exchange buckled under poor network infrastructure.

I see the same writing on the wall for cloud computing in India, without a robust internet connectivity there cannot be deployment of cloud computing in India. RIP advantage cloud India.

It is time to focus on cloud computing delivery and back end support to countries which have a robust internet backbone connecting most of the population, one of the countries  that meets this criteria is the USA and it is no surprise that cloud adoption and growth is exponential in that country.
LS Subramanian is a cloud evangelist who believes "The Future of Computing is the Cloud", he is the founder president of NISE. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author

Cloud Computing for Business

Today's program on cloud computing for Business at Bangalore was well received and was attended by Senior Business Leaders.
Some of the keen observations was the lack of adoption of cloud computing by business in India because of poor internet connectivity in smaller cities and rural areas. There were live examples of challenges in getting reliable internet access and bandwidth and more needs to be done to fix this problem to make cloud computing adoption a reality.

The second takeaway was the large  technology  cost to support transactions in Banking sector, almost about Rs. 50 a transaction was the estimated cost. Cloud could substantially lower this technology cost by banks adopting cloud computing.
Some banks are there in a nascent stage and some Banks offer their application as a SAAS based core banking solutions in a virtualized environment which is marketed as a cloud. More needs to be done in this area and one solution was to build a dedicated and secure cloud environment to support the Indian Banking Sector.
The take away was that Indian Business Leaders are open to adopting cloud, understand and recognize the benefits but will wait for the Network Infrastructure (Internet) quality to be upgraded in India.
I would like all the people who attended this event and also the friends and acquaintances who helped to make the program  Cloud Computing for Business a reality.

Cloud Computing could be Superman for Business in an Economically Distressed World

There are strikes in Brazil, the Indian Rupee is shedding value faster than my weight gain, the world globally is grappling on how to keep recession at bay.
The business climate is tough and Cloud Computing could be Superman for Business.
When business want to cut costs they need tools to identify what they are doing, they need tighter monitoring and controls, they can find solutions for this in the various SAAS solutions available in the cloud. They just pay for what they use and get their business ship shape.
Energy prices and managing data centers is expensive, cloud could offer a better and more cost effective solution.

Reach for the Clouds when the Going it Tough

Marketing budgets are tight, but without marketing how do you reach your customer, use the cloud computing social media tools to reach your customers.
Sales people costs are high and customer support  is essential for survival use cloud hosted  sales and customer management tools.
Logistics, distribution and tracking are good areas to tighten in times of recession, solutions combining cloud and mobility are at your service.
Controlling projects and close monitoring are essential use project management solutions in the cloud.
Agility and team work  are essential  in these difficult times, use cloud computing solutions for real time communication and collaboration.
Want to bust the recession, turn to Cloud Computing it may be the Superman which can save your business.
Want to know more and willing to make the trip to Bangalore attend my workshop on cloud computing for business leaders on June 27th , 2013 at Bangalore, your ROI is assured, http://lssubramanian.com/program.

Business Can Benefit with Cloud Computing

There are many great stories of Information Technology Business on the cloud who have made millions of dollars with a great idea, these are companies who have built solutions on the cloud and benefited by a low cost  launch of their business and almost no entry barrier to succeed in their vision for changing the world with cloud computing.

This article is for another type of Business, those  who can use computing as a business enabler and benefit with automation from conceptualization to execution to sustenance of their start-up business whatever it may be.

Let us consider start-up business in the non technology traditional economy, simple businesses like engineering fabrication, distribution, cash collection, retailing, food and beverages, and any other start-up whose leadership has an idea and the entrepreneurial zeal.

What cloud computing solutions can Business use for their business efficiency? today many Business start their computing journey on the internet with a static website and some great graphics and jazz.

Cloud Computing is like a TAXI, you get in when you want and get out when you are done and only pay for use of the taxi and not for the cost of the taxi or even the salary of the driver !

Here is how they could do it  in a better way with almost zero cost, a Facebook page, a Twitter handle, a LinkedIn company page, an office productivity suite from Google or Zoho or similar, and the start-up is ready for its journey in the cloud.

If the start-up is creative they can also create a blog about what is happening in their company.  Most of these services are free for a small user base with enough functionality and computing power for the business needs.

Subscribe to a project management tool, an accounting/costing package or even specialized packages for the business like CAD/CAM software  and the start up is as well equipped with computing solutions which normally is only available to  Fortune 500 companies. The business could even use a CRM if they wish, though it may not need email campaigns, and they can actually put together a simple CRM with Google or Zoho again for almost nothing and on their own and use the plain out telephone for customer campaigns.

Imagine a specialized take-away  dishing out food based on dietary and religious restrictions, The business  can use a free CRM in the cloud which can track customers and their days of fasting and festive days and dietary preferences and even foods that they are allergic to.

The Facebook page posting with its LIKE button can spread the good word around about their wonderful add on services and the quality of their food.

Imagine putting together a simple supply chain management solution to optimize purchasing from a free solution in the cloud.  Throw in a tracking solution of the food delivery by use of mobile phones and you have an optimized routing.  Hey can the paper man improve his paper delivery in  your area, can the milkman too do that.. maybe.... There is always an opportunity for new people with better delivery and quality to move into traditional businesses. One step further use a mobile phone credit card payment or mobile money solutions and you are all set to optimize your cash collection without the headache of handling paper money.

So if you are in a business get started on using application in the cloud to improve your business productivity and efficiency and eager to enjoy the profits start using the solutions offered in the cloud.  The future of computing is the cloud and every Business can be a winner by use of cloud computing solutions.

Will the CIO invite the Cloud Computing Evangelist to the Leadership Team or continue be the Nowhere Man !

The CIO on his own cannot introduce cloud computing in the Enterprise, even if the CIO is a believer in cloud computing his business leadership may not accept cloud computing adoption;  they have bigger risks to handle with higher rewards which takes priority over technology and as a business priority they still believe in the old saying " If it ain't broke don't fix it " when it come to corporate computing.

The CIO needs the Cloud Evangelist to Navigate the Cloud !

Business Leadership look at CIO's as people with high IQ who are a necessary evil in the business ecosystem and are best left to do what they need in their own Ivory Tower.
A smart CIO can use some help from a Cloud Computing Evangelist to convince the business leaders in  on the benefits of Cloud Adoption.
The Cloud Computing Evangelist can work with the CIO to pitch the cloud as a strategic business enabler and as an utility to steer the the Business leadership's understanding and adoption of cloud computing.
The Cloud Evangelist will educate the business leadership on the economic benefits  of the cloud  and more.
The Cloud Evangelist can help the CIO to step out of the Ivory tower and become a true and valued member of the Business Leadership.

Will the CIO invite the Cloud Computing Evangelist to the Leadership Teamor continue be the Nowhere Man !



The Beatles song "Nowhere Man".
( courtesy : http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Nowhere-Man-lyrics-The-Beatles/A47D370E54FB65B348256BC200138D54 )

He's a real nowhere man,

Sitting in his Nowhere Land,

Making all his nowhere plans

for nobody.

Doesn't have a point of view,

Knows not where he's going to,

Isn't he a bit like you and me?

Nowhere Man please listen,

You don't know what you're missing,

Nowhere Man,the world is at your command!

He's as blind as he can be,

Just sees what he wants to see,

Nowhere Man can you see me at all?

Nowhere Man, don't worry,

Take your time, don't hurry,

Leave it all till somebody else

lends you a hand!

Doesn't have a point of view,

Knows not where he's going to,

Isn't he a bit like you and me?

Nowhere Man please listen,

you don't know what you're missing

Nowhere Man, the world is at your command!

He's a real Nowhere Man,

Sitting in his Nowhere Land,

Making all his nowhere plans

for nobody.

Making all his nowhere plans

for nobody.

Making all his nowhere plans

for nobody!

Personalized Cloud Appreciation Courses

I had a wonderful buffet a few week ago and was amazed at the aggressive pricing of the food on offer, a little more thought and it was back to Cloud Computing.  I figured the pricing was based on the philosophy that the customer will pick and choose what they need but overall the price will average out and so will the margins, since no two people have the same appetite or intensity to eat.

More experienced buffet eaters know what to choose and eat and I call them value pickers, if they pay Rs. 300 they will make sure they eat that value of food irrespective of its consequences to their health. The second are the health conscious eaters who will pick healthy food which is valuable in nutrition and good for their health. The last is the one who will eat what they need and leave the rest on the buffet table.  To adopt any one of these strategies one needs to have experience with buffets, I still remember one of my classmates who used to visit a Chinese Buffet on Sundays, on the third Sunday he was declined entry, he was a value and quantity eater whom the eating establishment had identified after two visits :-) and hence was kept out.

You need a teacher to help you choose the right cloud to ride !

I do not want to sound like a Warren Buffet class on investing  on food or a Sanjeev Kapoor's  food article, but the analogy is that  the cloud is similar to the buffet and also warrants an investment strategy. The primary requirement for investing is understanding the underlying asset, in our case the cloud computing utility.

So how does one understand cloud computing, my lament to my friend who shared the buffet with me was I have been evangelizing the cloud for years, I have spoken in conferences, conducted cloud technology training, shared the cloud computing learning  material and spoken at business schools to evangelize cloud and entrepreneurship. Not to mention my regular posts in my blog cloudbus.blogpspot.com. which is well received as per the statistics provided by Google but I cannot gauge its outcome and usefulness to the reader. Having  spent more than two years on Bharat Badal the India Cloud, the Cloud for the SME in India, The cloud for business and more, but I still see dismal adaption rates.

My friend across the table came up with a wonderful insight, something I had missed, he told me what I need to focus on was on was personalized cloud computing education.  People cannot appreciate something they have not understood, it is like looking at flawless Chola bronze without understanding how it was made the intricacies used in creating this piece of art and its value in the art market.  The wise go to an art appreciation course before being  pieces of Art to make sure that their  investments in art appreciate and also add joy to their existence.

The same is with cloud computing, users use Facebook, LinkedIn, Google  Twitter, Pinterest and more without understanding what lies behind it, no wonder business is reluctant to adopt social media.  They are users who are clueless about how to leverage on social media in the cloud for their business.

Just like an art appreciation course there is a need to conduct Cloud Appreciation Courses and based on the feedback to this article I will be launching this program as my next stage of cloud computing  education.

Like the buffet the Cloud Computing Program  will be segmented based on the audience, and can be tailored for the audience, it will be delivered in person or through the cloud :-) with a suitable SAAS solution :

      Cloud Computing for the  Board of Directors

·       Cloud Computing for the Regulator - For the Regulators of sectors like Banking, Financial Services, Insurance, Financial Markets

·     Cloud Computing for the Corporate - For  the CMO, Chief of HR, CIO, CTO, CXO & SBU heads

·      Cloud Computing for Start-ups - This is for entrepreneurs and start-ups who can benefit from the cloud.

·      Cloud Computing and Golf - A blending of Cloud Computing  with the game of golf, in collaboration with a recognized golf trainer.

      Cloud Computing for the Doctors - The people who heal us . 

To sign off the lunch buffet was wonderful, my friend and I agreed we had a value meal for the money paid, I benefited from the sagacious advise from my friend and I hope you like this post   which was an outcome of the post lunch well-being.

Are your ready for the Cloud Computing Appreciation Program, if you are send me an email at lssubramanian@niseindia.com .

EDP CFO & Cloud Computing

EDP was the origin of computing in business, it was the acronym for "Electronic Data Processing",
The  EDP department was a busy factory during salary computation, closing of the financial books and also month end sales and inventory management and finally MIS (Management Information System) .
There were no Microsoft workstation in those days, no lotus 123 just reams of printout in high speed printers which were transferred neatly into transparencies with marker pens !
The EDP was always under the control of the CFO - the chief financial office and EDP manager was a powerful person who had to be reliable and accomplished in technology.
EDP began with punched cards, then tapes and so on ; today they are relics, but the EDP department was the temple of information, it was the knowledge bank of the business and access to it was restricted.
The CFO was the lord and master of the EDP department because the first baby steps of data processing was accounting, later on it moved into costing, inventory management and subsequently into sales and marketing analysis.

CFO will lead Cloud Computing Adoption 

The EDP department was a centralized data processing center and the staff were some of the best paid for their knowledge of computing skills, even if it meant punching cards :-).
The Cloud Computing solutions today will need to be driven by the CFO and the CIO's role may diminish to that of the EDP manager if the CIO is not innovative and willing to adopt cloud computing in the organization.
The CFO community can beecome cloud evangelist, with a little education and they are the future  champions of cloud computing adoption, CFO's understand the value of utilities, operating expenses (opex), risk and finally economic value and often hav a seat in the Board or at least the attention of the Board.
Cultivate and educate the CFO  and the  Board of Directors if you want cloud computing adoption.
Welcome the new avatar of the EDP Manager, the Cloud Computing Director (CCD) also known as the CFO.
Fresh coffee and action is brewing for the new avatar of the CFO - CCD !
Welcome aboard to Cloud Computing CFO's of the World !
Your coffee mug embossed with the message "Future of computing is the Cloud" awaits you.

P.S. I offer training for CFO's and Board members on  cloud computing adoption if interested contact me at subramanianls@gmail.com

Cloud Computing A Business enabler

The dilemma faced by today’s business leader is “Do we need Cloud Computing?” 

Business needs reliability, accessibility, confidentiality, integrity, availability, security & Benefit.

The cloud scores well on all these requirements, though the complexity of cloud deployment and governance increases from a Public cloud to a Private Cloud and to a Hybrid cloud and the skills required increase from SAAS to PAAS and to IAAS.

Cloud is costly, cloud is not secure, cloud is marketing, virtualization is cloud  is echoed by many technology professionals , though none of these may be totally valid.

Cloud Computing decisions will move to the corner office and the Board Room and will be a Strategic Business Enabler rather then a CIO/IT Leadership's prerogative. 

The Road Less Travelled is Fraught with Danger!

Photo Credit – Amitav Thamba

Cloud - A Business Perspective

The business today needs Reliability, the cloud is as reliable as an  in-house data center if architected correctly, yes there may be occasional disruptions in cloud services which are amplified by the cloud slayers. Seasoned technology professionals know there are bad days in in-house data center’s which are not shared with the outside world.

The business needs Accessibility, the cloud offers awesome accessibility from any network which can connect on the internet, it also offers accessibility from multiple devices including the desktop, notebook, laptop, mobile, tablet and net book and a multitude of other devices.

Accessibility on the cloud is anytime, anywhere in a public cloud, though in private/hybrid cloud accessibility can be defined by the Business.

The business needs Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability & security, the cloud offers incremental services based on the needs of your business. It is important to budget all cost at the time architecting a suitable cloud solution for the business.

The business needs Cost Benefit to deliver customer delight and shareholder value, the Public  Clouds Opex model is unbeatable for certain businesses whose need for computing is based on business needs; for private hybrid cloud too the cost savings are sustainable in terms of energy, space and management cost savings.

My business cannot use the cloud, is heard often. Any business can use cloud computing whatever its nature of business even if it is government, education, SME, ITES, startups, social organizations and Rural Empowerment. You will need to map your computing needs and then map it to the cloud deployment you want to adopt for your business.

Government can use a National Cloud like Bharat Badal (a proposed nationwide cloud deployment for India), other state governments and specific departments can build their own private/hybrid clouds based on their computing needs or use Bharat Badal. National cloud adoption by government will significantly bring down the computing costs and improve the e-governance service costs to citizens.

Education is the biggest beneficiary of cloud computing, we can reach to the remotest hamlet and give access to world class education wherever there is broadband. Many schools and colleges drive learning collaboration on tools from Facebook or Google.  there are customized solutions too available for the education sector. The Khan Academy’s innovation in using YouTube has revolutionized learning by the use of cloud computing.

SME can leapfrog into world class computing for their manufacturing, distribution, marketing and even B-B connects, this is one sector who is going to be the biggest gainer using the cloud.

ITES has a great new opportunity to provide services on the cloud and also use it for delivery of its services and solutions globally. The cloud is the next big opportunity for the Indian ITES industries and the adopters will benefit significantly  by providing cloud  computing services.

Startups can use the cloud to launch their business at a fraction of the cost, entrepreneurs using the cloud are many and they have all benefited by leveraging on the opex payment and low cost solutions offered on the cloud. An animation services startup can deliver services using cloud computing and save on significant capex costs in a business which has a short life cycle because of the large investments needed in technology.

Social Organizations use the cloud for collaboration, communication and anything else they may need to maximize the benefits of computing to achieve their desired social agenda. 

Rural empowerment will divide the great divide between urban and rural populations in developing countries like India and others. The cloud can be used to educate, inform, collaborate and merge the rural population into the national urban mainstream and provide the same services that urban dwellers can benefit from. One of the significant developments in the rural India has been telemedicine solutions which provide remote diagnosis and remote advise for the best treatment.

IT Governance Risk and Compliance is a challenge in the cloud hence we cannot adopt is for business is no longer true. There is significant work done in cloud security by NIST, Cloud Security Alliance supported by the cloud industry, ISACA and ENISA which will allow business to have same level or better IT GRC for their organization in the cloud coupled with business agility and significant cost benefits and savings.

Business need to assess their security posture, business needs, and the challenges of cloud adoption and put in place cloud architecture for their business before plunging into the cloud. Business has to include their cloud strategy in the annual corporate plans as a strategic business enabler and not as a line item in the IT plan, this alone will bring the benefits to business.

If your business cannot use the cloud today, wait for a few quarters and review again because the cloud is maturing daily and the commoditization of computing with the cloud is a reality and growing exponentially.

Business can benefit from the Cloud if it identified Cloud Computing as a Strategic Business enabler and accelerates cloud deployment and adoption for the Business.

If you are the Business Leader then start working toward cloud adoption, if you are the IT leader is time you get your skills updated for cloud computing. 

Cloud Forecast 2012

Cloud forecast for 2012 

Cloud Computing will spread like this Banyan Tree Nourishing Computing Globally. 

1. Amazon and Microsoft will lead, and Cisco, HP, IBM and others will have a tough fight for the third place in the Cloud Computing Business. 

2. Thousands of SAAS Mobile Applications will be launched using the cloud in 2012, you could even have applications for monitoring your dogs health and diet, including posting photos and similar applications.
3. There will be a number of outages among smaller cloud service providers and this will lead to tighter regulation of cloud computing and also trigger a wave of Mergers with stronger cloud service providers.
4. Cyber Attacks will increase many fold using the cloud as the base for launching these attacks, Security professionals will need to gear for many sleepless nights in 2012 to stay ahead of the cyber criminals.
5. Business Leaders will aggressively bring cloud adoption mainstream and it will be a great year for businesses to save costs and cloud service providers will make windfall profits.
6. A number of cloud computing companies will go public by mid 2012 creating wealth for these pioneers in cloud computing services.
Seasons Greetings and  Good Luck in 2012.

Business will Lead Cloud Computing Adoption in 2012

The Business will lead cloud computing adoption in 2012 and beyond.

Just like ERP adoption was led by business and not the EDP manager , cloud computing adoption will be led by the Business and not the CIO/CTO.

If you do not learn how to ride the cloud computing horse, then you are doomed to be trampled under their hooves, learn to adapt to business.

Unless Technology leaders learn to change their stripes quickly and improve their trust and knowledge on cloud computing they stand to be drowned in the cloud computing deluge which is waiting to be unleashed in the coming years.

CIO/CTO/ Die Hard Technology non believers, convert and repent and adopt cloud computing else you will be swept away into insignificance like the old EDP Manager .

Welcome 2012 with the belief and conviction that Cloud Computing and Business will tango together just like the two horses in the picture.

Add Cloud Computing Adoption as the No 1 item in your TO DO list for 2012!

Blackberry Outage strengthens the Bond between RIM and Business

Blackberry has become the standard for business mobility today be it a SOHO, SMB or Enterprise.There are many outstanding features that make Blackberry Business's favorite mobile device a few key features are:
a. Innovation
b. Reliability
c. Security
d. Business Applications
e. Ease of Use.
BB eats breathes and lives Business in its phones and also provides awesome compliance which has resulted in Bond based on TRUST between RIM & Business.
This weeks BB outage would not have affected Business that had reliable Business Continuity Plans; rather  the BB disruption has been a good test of their business continuity planning and technology resilience in adversity.
BB has gone beyond messaging, the BB devices today support some of the most intuitive business applications for quick deployment and acclimatization.
Business leaders will return to their Blackberry Phones with a vengeance this weekend and those that deserted Blackberry in this crisis should review their Business Continuity Plans and get back to their BB devices.
The Blackberry Outage has strengthened the bond between RIM and Business. 

US Market Meltdown and Technology Business

The US Market Meltdown and the imminent austerity measure will mean a more prudent USA and a weaker US Dollar making imports and outsourcing dearer.

A New Era for Technology Business after the Market Meltdown

Some changes in The  Technology Business will be:

 Technology Manufacturing will move back to USA – In a phased manner technology manufacturing will move to back to USA as global manufacturing will not  provide significant cost savings.

Software/BPO/KPO Outsourcing will move back to companies in the USA, this will affect the fortunes of companies in the rest of the world.

 Renewed Infrastructure creation will call for newer and innovative technology solutions in traditional areas like construction and road building for efficiency and control.

Cloud Computing  will exponentially grow in the next two quarters and will be the catalyst for technology cost reduction and business agility.

 VC and Angels will tighten their belts, there will be many start ups closing as  money becomes scare and  VC and Angels abandon support. In some cases there will be forced merger of businesses for efficiency in operations and revenue realization.

In conclusion the US Market will emerge stronger and confident and Americans will get back their jobs and dignity.

Cloud Computing is the Silver Lining as Dark Clouds surround Global Markets !.

Global Markets are crashing like Nine Pins, the future looks bleak, the US is predicted to be heading to a double dip recession and the world towards economic doom.
The global markets are covered with Dark Clouds of the impending financial tsunami.

Business will recover in this tough situation only cost reduction and migrating to the Cloud offers an opportunity to save on Technology Costs.
When you have no money to spend the resistance to adoption of the Cloud will diminish and the Business will innovate and use the Cloud.
The Cloud is an opportunity which Business needs to clasp with both hands like an answer to a drowning persons prayer.
The cloud is not a dying man's straw to clutch, it is resilient, mature and is working for a number of enterprises and entrepreneurs across the world. The Cloud today is strong like a 100 year old Oak Tree.
The cloud will be the Silver Lining for Business to come out valiant from these hard times and provides an opportunity to  clean their technology systems in their organizations. With scarce money the OPEX model of Cloud computing will be be an ideal solution for cash starved businesses.
We will also see consolidation of Cloud Service providers as VC's pull out their funding and force mergers into more manageable entities  for economy of scale. This will be a great boon for consolidation in the Cloud Computing Service Providers.
This is a great time for Cloud Computing and it is time the Board and Business Leaders consider the Cloud for reducing business costs and improving agility.
Cloud Computing is the Silver Lining as Dark Clouds surround Global Markets !.

Cloud Strategy begins with IT GRC

Cloud Strategy should start with identifying whether the Cloud meets the IT GRC (Governance Risk and Compliance) requirements of your Business.
Issues on Security of the Cloud are emerging from Business which have a complex IT GRC requirement like Healthcare and BFSI verticals who have been cautious in adopting the Cloud.

The Bridge to the Cloud is your Business's IT GRC posture.

The first step is to figure out the maturity of IT GRC in your Business and close the Gaps.
The next step is to apply your IT GRC requirement to a generic cloud architecture and see if it meets the IT GRC needs of your Business, there will be some areas which will need attention.
The final step is to identify a cloud service provider who meets your IT GRC requirements of your Business and if there are any Gaps work with the vendor in plugging them.
If at any step you find that the IT GRC does not meet your Business requirement you are better off not migrating to the cloud and it may be prudent for the Business to wait for more maturity in the Cloud Services.
This process of mapping your Business IT GRC to your Cloud Architecture  must be done as part of the the cloud strategy for the Business.
The Cloud Strategy is not about Agility and Economics it is about whether the Cloud meets your IT GRC requirements !

Sony Attack maybe Corporate Warfare in the guise of a Cyber Attack

Sony has been in the news this quarter for compromise in its online security and customer data.
Is Sony a Japanese company and a true Samurai Warrior under attack and is cybersecurity its Achilles Heel.
Sony has build such a formidable brand globally that it is associated with the best experience in multimedia.
Yes Apple is the leader today, but Sony has a large global presence . Of course Samsung is another strong contender.
This is the season to plan the product launches for the thanksgiving weekend in the North American Market which is followed by Christmas shopping.
Sony seems to be focusing more time on damage control then its new game launches for the 2011 last quarter which is its biggest revenue spinner.

Sony Attack maybe  Corporate warfare by its global business rivals, Japan as a country is weakened after the devastating earthquake and nuclear disaster and also a weak Government. Japanese business has always worked with the benign guidance of the government. The current situation for Japanese business is gloomy based on all its economic indicators and it is an opportune time to take down one of its largest corporates Sony.
Will Sony recover like a Samurai Warrior to fight the battle and regain its supremacy or will it be brought down to its knees with the new and disruptive changes in technology delivery using the cloud.
Its biggest competitor Apple launched the icloud this week, which changes the very way we get entertained digitally. Sony is a signatory with Apple for media content but it could also become a take over target if it does not recover in the ensuing quarters.

This are the first rumbling of corporate warfare in the cyber world and we will see more of them in the ensuing years. It is time for the Boards to critically view their cyber readiness lest their business is crippled and brought down by cyber warlords rather then by market warfare.