What Indian Start-ups in the Cloud may be Missing!

Indian start-ups are high on SMAC and are brimming with ideas and many are working hard on their ideas in a garage somewhere in Bangalore or yonder;  working day and night to bring out the next big winner in the cloud, but can they hit pay dirt like Hewlett & Packard?

Many of these start-ups will be driving SAAS solutions on the cloud and Nasscom has added  momentum by leading the charge with a target of 10,000 start-ups a very modest number, India can  do with a million start-ups'  to service the world  and create economic value for India.

The first aspect the start-up needs to get right is the domain name, is it "startup.in" or is it startup.com, starup.biz, starup.net, it is nice to be nationalistic but in the cloud SAAS you are building could be used by anyone in the world and will  need a global address.; also is the start-ups  twitter handles and other social media address available in the proposed name of the start-up?

The website is the start-up's sales brochure in the cloud,  have the founders spent enough time on the start-up's website and do they have a social media footprint and presence. Awesome technology alone will not bring in the revenue, you need marketing muscle and agile selling online, plus you need audience. There have been great technology companies, names we cannot even remember now in the cloud rush that vanished before they were even born. Get the Branding and Positioning Right of the start-up right, if it does not work change the name of the start-up, not driven by an astrologer or numerologist but by the attributes of the product offering.

The first is S in SMAC has to be done right; either your start-up is in social media or you are not there. Word of Mouth is good to take your start-up places and bring in the eyeballs, but you need to get it right. Has the website been launched in more than one language, the world's most spoken language is Spanish followed by Mandarin, do you provide support in these languages other than English for your global customers? If you do not have Spanish you will miss most countries in Latin America and without Portuguese you will miss Brazil which is a mature Digital Market.

The next is M -  Mobile support, does your website and application work in the mobile, has the start-up tested their presence in various mobiles and tablets.

Then there  is  A - Analytics, is the start-up measuring its engagement in the digital world,  if you do not know how to do it, subscribe to a SAAS solution in the cloud which can do it for you.

The last is C - Cloud; has the start-up chosen the right cloud partner for its solution.

The Start-up has to get its SMAC right and to get high in the cloud.

Some more some more pointers which need to be addressed by the start-up up in its

digital avatar starts with the description of its offering. Does the start-up's  web page and

 social media campaigns get prospective customers excited about their product, is it

supplemented by video advertising on Television and You tube and other social media

sites?

Is the start- up  able to sustain its  digital footfall and get visitors  excited and subscribe to  its offering? Remember  layman's  language works best since most SAAS users do not understand Geek language.  Tell your prospects  why they should try your offering, and highlight the features and benefits of your solution,  be transparent on the pricing and let there be no surprises. Make sure you offer a self service trial of your offerings from your website, which can be  used with no fuss and can be concluded with two mouse clicks. If the trail user's like the start-ups solution they will continue using it irrespective of the pricing, so getting them to use it is the first step.

The start-up needs to explain the security around the offering, cloud is all about trust, the more you share the better is the TRUST.  A full  page on security is warranted, including standards, backups and what not to convince your customer they are in safe hands.

The start-up should share its coverage in the media and also customer  success stories and testimonials, this gives confidence to a prospective customer.

Start-up needs to talk about the Help & Support available, it needs to provide a chat room for immediate support on inquiries  to close sales and offer solution support.  The start-up needs to share its  marketing presentations and videos to  be easily viewed by the prospective customer, remember you will need to close the sale most times without ever meeting your customer in person. Many Indian start-ups still believe they need to meet the customer and close the SAAS sale, this shows their reluctance and lack of understanding of Digital Branding and Marketing. The most classic lament is we do not have a Beta as yet, how can a start-up get a Beta without a self-service delivery of its SAAS solution on its website. Who has the patience to write to the start-up for a Beta site, when I stumble on the start-up's site I am looking for instant Nirvana  not Penance.

The start-up needs to share on the website details about its partners, affiliates and Careers, also needs to Provide  Contact through, an online form, email, chat, social media, phone and any other innovative ideas of communication. The start-up should encourage prospect to remain connected through Social Media, email and newsletters.

If Indian start-up companies with great technology skills and brilliant SAAS solutions incorporate some of these points which they may have missed, then India can serve the world and multiply into a million start-ups in the cloud.

Everybody is a Winner Baby that is the Truth !

Everybody is a Winner Baby was a popular song many decades ago and  is true for Cloud Computing.

Everybody wins in the Cloud, the service provider, the application developer, the network provider, the end point device maker and all the innovators who come up with a new idea everyday in the cloud.

Cloud is about Innovation and Excellence with a small investment to get started and if your idea is big enough you are all set to be a Winner.

When you compare the capital invested to the rewards by companies like Twitter and FB the  poster boys of today your realize that no other investment has provided humongous valuation for such a small investment, The valuation hinges on the innovative ideas and excellence of delivery and savvy marketing to the end consumer.

Everyone is a Winner in Cloud Computing ! 

In cloud computing  you signed for Salesforce or Google or Zoho  for free and got hooked and   realized you could be technology illiterate and still  add more value to your business and yourself. 

The winner is the end user of computing who uses cloud for their music, exercise, health monitoring, sharing, pictures, videos , and crowd sourcing, suddenly collaboration is a breeze.

No rigorous training needed for the cloud and bulky manual as passe; the cloud applications are  intuitive & they delight the end user and also allow them to customize the application based on their moods and fancy.

Cloud Computing has made access to the Global Digital Highway easy with almost no barriers, causing a headache for Governments to regulate their citizens.  But the growth of social media goes on unabated and  it is the medium of communication in many countries where other forms of media are controlled. 

The advent of Mobility too has changed the way we live and work and interact as global citizens and it may be difficult to stop this growth.

Cloud has transformed into the new avatar of SMAC - Social Mobile Analytics and Cloud bringing in more power to the digital user.{Read http://cloudbus.blogspot.in/2013/11/smac-and-transformation-of-customer.html}

Every person who is part of the cloud eco-system has benefited, whether it is connecting with old school mates, changing the way government thinks and acts, sharing with family or even inviting your friends for a party and sharing the photos. There is no part of our social fabric which is not touched by cloud including virtual engagements, marriages and separations.

Cloud company valuations are astronomical and we await with bated breath for the next big game changer, and these are not people in pin striped suits but rather school kids, college dropouts and any citizen of the world.

No wonder "Everybody is a Winner Baby that is the Truth" in the world of Cloud Computing !

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.

Disruptive Technologies and their Adoption

Over the Centuries any Disruptive Technology has always been welcomed with skepticism and resistance to adoption, sometime the creators of these disruption have been executed, imprisoned or forced to publicly take back their technology insights and apologize for their oversight.
In the last fifty years disruptive technologies have transformed the way we live, eat and procreate and also pair, whether it is DNA sequencing, bio-technology;genetic modification, health and medical delivery, intrusion into our privacy and the way we conduct our lives and business.
These disruptive technologies have compressed time and have been deployed  quickly that we sometimes forget that there was an era without these tools.
Let us take the instance of this blog, in the old days I would have to get this written in a typewriter, have it proof read and hope to disseminate it through print media, indeed a herculean task for a layman to get their ideas to the  world.

Disruptive Technologies Adoption needs Acceptance of Change 

Today withing minutes and a press of a button people right across the world have access to my thoughts expressed in this blog irrespective of their location, the disruptive technologies that make this possible are the blogging site, the cloud computing, the internet, the mouse, the laptop on which I write this blog, the spell checker in the world processor, the ease of transferring my pictures from my digital camera into this blog and finally the social media through which this blog will be advertised and distributed.
Many of these technologies are less then a decade old and for sure none of them are more then 50 years old; but we have learnt to adopt these technologies and harness this for the benefit of mankind and sharing  our thoughts and insights.
Disruptive technology have repeatedly  shown  that they have an adoption cycle, they are first denounced, then accepted and then embraced. The same is true of Cloud Computing which has been one of the game changers in the way we compute, communicate and share information and collaborate.
Accepting Disruptive Technology Adoption with open Arms is the right way forward rather then trying to resist change in a world where technology innovation is in months rather then decades, get real and get used to the ever changing and disruptive world of innovations if you want to excel in your pursuits.
Your thoughts on how disruptive technologies and their adoption has changed your life will be appreciated as an addendum to this blog post.

Emergence of National Clouds and National Intranets

With a porous digital world many nations will build National clouds and National intranets to protect their citizens, government and country from intrusion.
A national cloud will go against the very tenets of the internet as a growth engine for collaboration and dissemination of information in a free world.

Countries will erect fences to keep out the freedom offered by the cloud, internet and social media. 

As national clouds and intranets get build countries will shut access to the internet and will also encourage us of social media and other collaboration tools within the country.


This will impact the globalization of digital data and also the sharing of information and use of the social media and the internet for dissent and discussion.
We are charting into dangerous waters as a few countries have already demonstrated the ability to contain the internet access and also have deployed national clouds.
All this does not augur well for the growth of computing and the future of the internet; but with countries and governments getting defensive and protective a better moral policing of information on the internet will be called for to ensure the continuation on the cloud and internet as we know it today.
More importantly the fallout of this will be the death knell to democracy and freedom of expression which is valued by many citizens of the world.

Secure Data in the Cloud and Internet are Misplaced Concerns

There has been widespread attack on security of data and there has been a clamor to bring back data into the data centers and set the clock back on cloud computing and the internet.
This has been driven by panic and a lack of understanding by many on the risks associated with data in motion, any data in motion is vulnerable to attack and capture whether encrypted or otherwise.
Data in motion can be in device and more importantly a network whether private or internet, the risks are compounded based on the medium in which data is in motion.
Any  government requesting data and data encryption security features like keys and algorithms do so to secure and protect the country. The governments primary business is to protect its citizens in a complex world run on digital technology and it is every citizens duty to cooperate with the government .

Do not allow your cloud computing plans to wilt, there is a bouquet of security strategies to protect your data.

There are  fears that government's access to Business Data will blunt the competitive advantage of the business and put it at a disadvantage. This is far from the truth, why would any government want to hurt business which is its main source of taxes and generator of employment and commerce.
Rather businesses that are open to unethical business practices and more importantly insider trading are those who may be most worried about sharing their data with the Government agencies.
The laws of most countries give legal access to Government agencies to business information and this is not snooping, rather the havoc created by cyber-criminals on business data is much more then what the government would ever achieve with your business data.
Another aspect is any data on a network is vulnerable including your data centers which connect to the internet and other networks, the features provided by cloud computing vendors for security when used prudently can give you a better security posture at a lower price point then what you can implement in your  business data center and networks.
This is a wake up call for companies to look at cloud computing with IT GRC as the first point of  evaluation; if you are already in the cloud then revisit your IT GRC posture.
A cost benefit approach to data security and the cloud/internet will help in overcoming the misplaced concerns on data security.
Finally if you do not understand the Information Life-cycle Management and data protection risks and the available solutions to mitigate them, hire an expert to help you with your IT GRC strategy to protect your business data and also overcome your fears; you will also need legal counsel to understand and interpret your countries posture on data collection. Freedom of Speech and right to privacy can only exist in countries where the government is vigilant.
This is an opportunity for information security professionals &solutions companies to work with business and help them secure their data and assist them in overcoming their misplaced apprehensions.
It is also an opportunity for legal experts who specialize in data privacy, information security and compliance to assist companies in getting their act together by educating them on the various aspect of the law in their countries.
We have nothing to Fear other then Fear itself,so get the right arsenal and take your business to the cloud confidently and securely.

Goodbye Cloud, Welcome Services.

It it time to bid goodbye to cloud computing, the time has come to evangelise the three services offered by the cloud
IAAS - Infrastructure as a service
PAAS - Platform as a service
SAAS - Software as a service.

Are you ready to embrace cloud services

Cloud has been established as an utility - secure reliable resilient and trustworthy.
So the future is in evangelizing, marketing, branding and deploying the services that ride on the cloud.

The opportunity in SAAS has seen exponential growth making cloud ubiquitous for computing.

The next challenge is in increasing PAAS and SAAS adoption, this means shaking up the enterprise computing space, changing the mindsets of the CTO/CIO and the CISO  and the Cloud Strategist.

Are we ready for this, the next year will see the intense adoption of PAAS and SAAS as more companies shut down their data centers and move to cloud computing.

Are you prepared to ride the next tsunami in the cloud computing saga, are you prepared to deploy and support PAAS and IAAS operations.

The time is now to build the expertise and skills in managing these services in the cloud.

By the end of the year we will bid  goodbye to the cloud  and embrace  the services PAAS/IAAS?
Are you ready for the next wave in the cloud computing disruption ?

How cloud computing can revolutionize manufacturing

Manufacturing in an earlier era led to management thinking and also automation of processes, courtesy the efforts of great management gurus like Alfred Sloan, Frederick Winslow Taylor, Michael Porter, Tom Peters, and Michael Hammer and C.K. Prahalad. 

Manufacturing can benefit from Cloud Computing !

For the preceding decades, the financial markets sucked the best and the brightest minds to drive greed and make profits in investment banking and financial markets. This era fortunately is slowing down and the regulators and economists of the world have realized the futility of driving financial markets without underlying security provided by manufacturing.

Engineers who were trained and equipped for manufacturing, migrated to a coveted MBA degree lured by the offer of huge starting salaries coupled with even bigger annual bonus. They drove an invisible economy driven by paper bonds and other instruments and created more complex instruments all based on an economy, which was created by hedging financial bets on a weak underlying asset value.

Manufacturing did not grow or innovate because the best were not available, manufacturing was considered a poor paymaster and the brightest who wanted to make money and fame stayed away.

As the world spins into recession every country realizes that it needs to get back its manufacturing back in action, every government is struggling to get the right resources to put back the derailed manufacturing sector back on track.

It was manufacturing which created the big middle class in most developed countries in the world, those who spent their money on weekends, paid mortgages on their cars, houses and holidays and kept the wheels of the service economy ticking. 

Cloud computing could help manufacturing firms adopt the latest technology innovations to improve their processes, supply chain management, CAD/CAM/PLM solutions,  research & development, collaboration, plant operations, diagnostics, back office functions like ERP and front office CRM.

Cloud computing can offer the latest technology, with deep functionality and flexibility at lower capital and operating cost than the traditional invest, build, operate computing route adopted in manufacturing. It offers the manufacturing sector scalability, reliability, a secure environment, an on-demand computing power, faster upgrades and the latest technology. 

Cloud computing enables manufacturing collaboration among mobile and remote workers, vendors and other constituents in their supply chain solutions through fast, easy and secure access to data when needed to optimize operations and make data-driven decisions. 

In the next decade, we will see new material, new designs and new cross-country collaboration in cutting-edge manufacturing technology all created by cloud computing as a vehicle for computing and synergy.  We will see the best minds in the various universities of our world use the cloud for collaboration and co-option to create a healthier and stronger world for our future global citizens.

Use of cloud will help us leapfrog into the future with the best of computing technology, unbridled solutions to innovate and collaborate. So, is the manufacturing sector ready to ride the cloud? 

This article was carried in Information Week India Today 

http://www.informationweek.in/manufacturing/13-07-15/how_cloud_computing_can_revolutionize_manufacturing.aspx

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

Microsoft Rides the Cloud Again

When the going gets tough, the tough get going is the old adage.
Microsoft has shown how it can fight back as it gains market share in the cloud.
It has a new set of salesmen who can answer your doubts about cloud and Microsoft is best at what it does that is Marketing and Building TRUST.
Microsoft Windows 365 has been a great success with the Microsoft Juggernaut of marketing sales and partners clawing back their rightful market share.

  

Microsoft's launch of PAAS services opens the floodgate for deployment of reliable and secure  Hybrid Clouds.
Microsoft is working on its consumer solution with the launch of the new X-BOX gaming device, this truly converges home entertainment and will be a big winner for Azure. Microsoft may integrate the X-BOX games in its mobile strategy.
Microsoft should launch its own Mobile devices for Christmas this year, we would see outstanding tablets coming out of Microsoft stables which will seamlessly integrate with Azure.
It is my belief that the new Microsoft mobile device will be the Avatar for consumer computing !
Microsoft needs to be congratulated for clawing back from the pits, many felt that it was going the way of Nortel and Blackberry being situated close to the Canadian border.
Microsoft has again demonstrated that it is an all American company and has bounced back !
2013 could be the year of Azure for Microsoft  and Steve Ballmer may have the last laugh !

Indian SAAS solutions can recreate the Indian IT Story ! BUT.

This week has been busy as I had to review a number of cloud based solutions SAAS and cloud hosted for a contest among Indian Software companies. Some of the solutions were outstanding in compliance, workflow,agriculture,  abstract word search engines, patient management, rewritten ERP solutions, content management, specific business vertical solutions   optimization solutions all were world class solutions and can be used anywhere in the world.

It is a wide open marketplace, can Indian Companies tap the opportunity ?
Photo Credit : Amitav Thamba 

BUT here is what these companies need to do to compete in the world market place
1. Declare the name of cloud vendor they are using, it is difficult to ascertain whether they are in the cloud or a traditional hosting environment.
2. Provide a free trial of your solution, with ability to regularize it after the trial period. Most companies wanted a big form to be filled before the trial, you have a few seconds before the mouse clicks away from your site. Grab the customer with a simple email id and a password like Google does.
3. Provide a payment gateway to sign up to your solution immediately anywhere from the world, customers that need a cloud solution want to start using it from the word GO.
4.The designs are good, but give some features to customize it for the customer without your help, ability to add  the customers company logo and template could be a beginning.
5. English is not the only language in the cloud, you could also provide your solutions in Spanish, German, French, Russian and Mandarin and Swahili and more languages to capture the world.
6. Your solutions must be for the world and not for India and India's problems, many countries who have no software solutions will be the fastest adopters of cloud computing solutions, target these countries.
7. You do not have an online chat to answer queries, customers need solutions NOW in the cloud and support has to be proactive through chat and voice.
8. Some of the sites were simple and effective, many still lean on Indian verbose, the English have long left this country, stick to the point so that the eyeballs of your customers freeze at your site and they empty their wallets.
9. Lastly keep up the good work, go social, you need a  social media presence to be discovered in the crowded digital marketplace. Get your blog, twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and more into place so the world knows you exist and make sure you use SEO tools.
All the best to you brave entrepreneurs  in making the difference to customers who believe in the cloud by providing them the best SAAS solutions in the world.

Cloud Computing and Business School Academics

Cloud Computing has been changing the global business landscape and the Academics in Business Schools find it a challenge to keep pace.
Today most of the successful businesses are in the cloud, be it Amazon, Facebook, Twitter , Google, blogs, Rackspace,  the list is endless. These companies have created more wealth in less then a decade compared to the stalwarts in the old economy.
Mobility strategy changes every quarter and yesterday's icons have to jump-start all over with a leap of   faith that their solutions will be adopted by the consumer.
Social media has flattened the world and the distances have just shrunk, solutions like YouTube has changed the way we can learn, Wikipedia has become the world's largest and best knowledge portal.
The challenge for Business School academia is how to prepare their students in this fast changing world .
The students have access to knowledge in their finger tips which challenges their professor  and yesterdays business paradigms are no longer valid in today's digital economy.

Academia will be challenged by the pace of  Cloud Computing Economics!

A long time ago HBR case studies used to be the staple diet, but today the world is moving faster and Business schools offer their students real case studies of business which are failing or growing, most of them using cloud as the vehicle.
In the new digital economy the business school courses will need to be made shorter with more digital teaching, mastering topics like Big Data, Analytics, Cloud Computing Economics, Algorithmic trading strategy , digital business strategy, social media  plus more digital economy concepts for business is  the need of the hour.
As I look around I see many business schools losing the plot and falling on the wayside.
cloud computing is truly the catalyst of the Digital revolution in Business but in a time frame of weeks rather then decades.
We need to rethink the Business School Academics and  start working on curriculum that can keep pace with economic changes brought about by the new digital economy.
Business schools need to ride the clouds objectively in grooming future digital business leaders in their business schools who will add value to the global economy.

Dell Cloud Computing & Microsoft

This weeks headlines has been about Dell departing from Wall Street and becoming a private company under the leadership of Mr. Michael Dell . " Dell to go private in landmark $24.4 billion deal"

Source : http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/05/us-dell-buyout-idUSBRE9140NF20130205

We also see Microsoft helping Dell with this buyout which has caused speculation of a merger of Microsoft and Dell. " Microsoft and Dell what the buyout means for them " runs another headline lauding the synergies . 

Source: http://www.firstpost.com/tech/microsoft-and-dell-what-the-buyout-means-for-them-615566.html

In the past Microsoft and Dell had a great partnership  for 25 years, Microsoft provided the software solutions and Dell did the desktop

But then came along two disruptive technologies the Mobile and Cloud Computing,  the world of desktops and desktop software started to shrink. The partnership struggled to keep the Microsoft desktop and the Dell PC alive and relevant, but the writing on the wall was clear, there was no future in desktops.
Dell has seen the writing on the wall,  cloud computing and mobility is the future! 

Dell has the best Supply Chain Management for hardware manufacturing, Microsoft has the best  supply chain for software, the only contender who combined both was Apple, but Apple is slowly rotting due to the demise of Steve Jobs. 

Microsoft has failed at capturing the imagination for its tablets and other devices which it has tried to market, at the heart of Microsoft mobile strategy is the mobile phone and its Windows 8, but it is dependent on mobile makers like HTC, Samsung and Nokia. 

Windows 8 for the mobile is good today, but Microsoft could not let go  its desktop genes;  so it decided to thrust Windows 8 on the desktops of its loyal subjects desktops and all hell broke lose, you cannot use a software made for a mobile with a touchscreen on a laptop, and Microsoft's market share numbers reflect this blunder.

Microsoft struggles to get market share for Azure as cloud computing solution; pushing desktop software to customers who are prisoners is different from selling an utility like cloud, Microsoft is still at the start line of this race and figuring on how to sell an utility in a non-proprietary world driving by open source software. 

But Microsoft is a juggernaut with huge Cash Reserves, it has got stamina and the money, it does not want to go the Digital, Nortel, Tandem , Motorola way, it wants to be relevant forever. 

So here comes Michael Dell a visionary and maverick strategist who sees that the desktop era has ended and it is time to move to an ecosystem that binds his customers to Dell, He sees how Apple has made its customer's fanatical, he understands that every fanatical following has a cycle of life, just like Lotus Notes many year ago and Blackberry more recently. 

Michael Dell and his team understand that computing is destined to be an utility and has reached an inflection point like electricity did about hundred years ago to become a commodity, today electricity is traded in Power Exchanges. 

Dell Will be the Rising Sun Again - The Samurai Warrior in Computing

No one knows commodity markets and customization better then Dell who changed the rules of the desktop, Dell have the strategy, vision and  ability to sell an utility called  cloud computing.

Dell understands how Apple has bound its customers to the Apple religion. 

Dell will do the same but to a different market segment, the one that buys Dell desktops and laptops and cannot afford the Apple ecosystem. 

The end point devices - mobility devices will be made by Dell, Dell will also own the applications in these devices and the cloud computing which allow them to work seamlessly from anywhere at anytime; Dell knows that Microsoft has the cloud and the end point solutions, what is missing is hardware an area which no one knows better then Dell.

Dell will not buy HTC or Nokia to fill this technology gap rather it will hire teams from these successful companies and maybe in the interim licence technology from Microsoft. 

Time to market  and competitive price points and distribution will be a breeze for Dell since it is a proven leader on cost optimization and real time supply chain better then anyone else in the computing world in this planet. 

Execution and Time to market is key for Dell; with  energy conserved from not dancing to Wall Street's tunes Dell can now focus on its core competence of making its large customer base happy by providing affordable computing which today only the rich can afford in its Apple Devices and is not met by the Google ecosystem. 

Dell will change the world with this approach and the carriers will have to again go back to selling bandwidth rather then holding mobile device manufacturers to ransom. The internet bandwidth is a commodity today and all that Dell needs is to buy a telecom carrier and they have all the pieces together and Dell can waltz to the bank and has no need to share its spoils with Wall Street.

Could Dell be the Knight in Shining Armor for Microsoft ?

This blog is posted from a Dell Inspiron with a Windows 8 operating system. 

Cotton to Cloud

Cotton to Cloud - Sunset to Sunrise

We stopped over at the Davanagere Town recently,  a district headquarters in the state of Karnatakaand the 7th largest city in the state of Karanataka ( Bangalore/Bengalooru is the largest). It is about 260kms/160 miles from Bangalore.( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davangere) on the Bangalore Mumbai (Bombay) National Highway and also boasts of a large Railway station and the government plans to set up an aiport soon in Davanagere (.http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/13/stories/2008071352540300.htm).

Davanagere was the textile capital of  South India in the last century and it even today people remember the quality of Davangere cotton dhotis ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhoti).

Davangere's cotton mills are closed today and stand testimony to a hoary past when it was called the "Manchester of South India", today the looms stand still in these factories.

Davanagere today has a number of wonderful educational institutions and a cultured and vibrant people who are hardworking and industrious like their grand parents who came to work in the cotton mills. 

Davanagere has the opportunity to nurture innovation and new solutions and also provide support for cloud computing at a fraction of the cost offered by Bangalore or other big city companies in India.

Davanagere is a lovely city with its own football and cricket clubs and a wonderful quality of life when compared to Bangalore.Its most famous cuisine is Benne Dosa (Butter and rice pancake) washed down with a cup of hot coffee.

Towns like Davanagere will be the future destinations for Cloud Computing , these will be the new temples for  Information and Communication Technology solution delivery for the world from India. 

Are your ready to help Davanagere to move from Cotton to the Cloud ?

No Travel and No Visa Required for Cloud Delivery

No Travel Advisory and No Visa Quotas required for  Cloud Delivery.

You can deliver on the cloud from anywhere, anytime and anyway as long as you possess skill in cloud computing solutions,  a good internet connection and a customer who needs your delivery skills.

Open the Valves for Cloud Computing Delivery.
View from Powai Lake,Mumbai.

In the old days we needed a visa to work elsewhere in the world, we needed to adapt to different cultural and climatic conditions and finally many  just stayed back never to return to their homeland.

Cloud Computing allows one to work from wherever they please with a netbook or tablet and deliver the computing support and delivery needed by their customers anywhere in the world.
This transformation on cloud computing delivery will gain momentum in 2012 and we will see innovative SAAS products being imagined in Greenland , developed in Asia and delivered to customers in North America. None of these players need to travel or apply for a visa or for that matter take any vaccines to make this happen. 

This is the power of the Cloud and we will see this transformation accelerating in 2012. 

The gates for " Body Shopping " will be Shut !
Entrance to the Business School  (today a Chemistry Department) where I studied 1985-87

A fallout of the cloud computing revolution will be the death of "Body Shopping ".

Lightening has already struck a few medium sized IT firms in India, a few will close down and some will salvage  by selling out.
Some of the Indian IT companies in India who own a number of captive hotels may change their business from IT services to Hospitality services. 

The cloudburst will create a deluge which will  have many IT companies looking for alternate business to survive.

Those who steer their Business to Cloud Computing Services will survive and those that just cannot turn direction will see their Captains deserting the ship. 

This has already happened last year at one of the Indian IT biggies last year, more will follow in 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.