Archive for the ‘Cloud’ Category
Friday, February 17th, 2012
 Virtualization as the technology foundation of cloud computing has ushered in new challenges, new day-to-day responsibilities and, now, new roles for IT professionals as business leaders within their organizations.
A recent survey by SolarWinds Inc. (NYSE: SWI), a leading provider of powerful and affordable IT management software, indicates that IT departments plan to invest in key areas of business in order to play a more competitive role.
“IT’s role of creating and maintaining infrastructure is transforming to act as more of an intermediary or broker in addition to those traditional roles,” said Jonathan Reeve, SolarWinds’ senior director of product management. “IT professionals will need to demonstrate their expertise by identifying and implementing the most appropriate virtualization and cloud tools that fit their company’s needs. Investing in areas such as competitive analysis, marketing and product management will help them on their way to becoming successful business leaders.”
Survey Findings:
SolarWinds recently conducted a survey in December 2011 and received responses from nearly 65 IT professionals. As part of the survey, SolarWinds asked each IT professional a series of questions related to their predictions and organizations’ plans regarding cloud andvirtualization. Survey findings include:
- Nearly 65 percent of respondents plan to invest in competitive analysis vs. external services.
- More than 60 percent plan to invest in marketing IT services back to the business.
- Nearly 60 percent plan to invest in product management for those IT services.
“IT departments looking to stay competitive should ask themselves what direction their company is heading, identify the goals and determine IT’s strategic role,” continued Reeve. “The good news is that IT departments already have the upper-hand in understanding the unique requirements of the businesses they support.”
Three Tips for IT Pros Developing a Competitive, Business Skill Set:
1. Embrace the evolution of virtualization. First and foremost, IT professionals need to be up-to-speed on the evolution of technology and know how to manage a virtual infrastructure, including its performance, availability, capacity and applications. A core understanding of virtualization and cloud technologies has become table stakes for IT leaders.
2. Develop partnerships. IT professionals will need to identify and collaborate with vendors that are making it easier to adopt features that enhance virtualization and facilitate the transition to cloud computing. Start experimenting early and often. This will simplify the process for IT professionals whose companies are looking to move into a cloud infrastructure. Another advantage is that this will demonstrate their ability to develop and manage vital partnerships that provide the right enhancement features for their companies’ needs.
3. Become a successful business leader. This is the defining piece. IT professionals need to become prominent leaders and advise their companies on the right infrastructure needs to drive the business forward. Skills such as marketing and product management are not only for vendors, they are becoming increasingly important for IT departments whose delivery of IT services is inevitably going to be compared to outside service providers.
For the complete survey results and explanation, please read 2012 Cloud and Virtualization Predictions: The Emergence of the Competitive IT Department.
Tags: IT business skill set, IT skill sets, Solarwinds, tips for IT pros
Posted in best practices, Business advice, Cloud, IT, TechJobs | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 7th, 2012
 Armistead Whitney, CEO, Preparis, one of 60 firms presenting at the upcoming Southeast Venture Conference. By Allan Maurer
When jets plowed into the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001, Armistead Whitney, now CEO and founder of Preparis, was president of a New York City-based media firm.
Along with many other company executives based in the city on that fateful day, Whitney was faced with questions about how he and his 200 employees should react to the terrorist attacks.
“I was immediately faced with some critical issues,” he says. “What should I do to ensure my employees will be safe? How will my operations, revenue, shareholder value, and brand reputation make it through? I simply had no clue.”
He and his staff made it out of the city safely, but Whitney writes that he made it his mission to find out what he would do differently if faced with such a situation again. He met with leaders form emergency preparedness and response organizations, then with CEOs of companies of various sizes. Whitney wrote about how it all on the Preparis website.
Guidance on what to do
After considerable research, he started the Atlanta-based company Preparis Inc., a startup selling an SaaS-based platform that delivers expert information, response protocols, communications and training to help businesses meet unpredictable threats from terrorism, pandemics, and natural disasters.
Preparis is one of 60 innovative showcase firms that will present business plans to venture capitalists and angel investors representing billions in capital at the 6th Annual Southeast Venture Conference in Tysons Corner, VA, Feb. 29-March 1.
Companies face 21st century threats
In today’s world, terrorist attacks are only one threat among many that can disrupt global businesses, Whitney tells us. “Threats of the 21st century have become more complex, especially as companies outsource more. They have operations globally, in third world countries, and clients in places impacted by local troubles.”
Nowadays, then, a business has to face pandemics, cyber terrorism, nuclear meltdowns, natural disasters from hurricanes and floods to earthquakes and wild fires. Floods in Asia can hamper production of electronics parts made there from hard drives to tablets.
Yet, Whitney points out, the only preparations for meeting such disasterous business interruptions is “A plan that sits on s shelf. It can be challenging for that to be effective.”
While most larger Fortune 1000 firms do have plans in place – policies, procedures and teams, they want tech to automate it all, Whitney notes.
They need a way to automate plans
“They need a way for tech to automate it, bring it all together so that it can be accessed from any place on any device, how to protect the workforce from threats, response instructions if you receive a bomb threat, an anthrax letter.”
Technology can take those stale plans on a shelf and make living breathing programs, he says.
Downstream at smaller organizations such as a law firm, “We become their entire ecosystem with everything they need, even an emergency notification system (such as Virginia Tech installed following deadly shootings on its campus).
The Preparis system knows who do what with the product at each level and everyone from the CEO to employees can use it.
“We’ve sold to about every industry, Fortune 1000 companies, banks, attorneys. Every industry at every size has an appetite for it,” says Whitney.
In the past, most such disaster preparedness was done through consultants Preparis does it through its SaaS product that a company can download from the web and being using immediately. “We’re creating a new category,” Whitney says.
Dealing with cyber threats
Looking ahead, the company is getting into how to deal with cyber threat issues. “As new threats evolve – the pandemic fears of a few years ago for instance – we quickly add guidance for our clients.”
In the recent “Trifecta” of an earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown in Japan, for instance, the Japanese government was telling its citizens it was ok to eat the food grown in Japan. But the Preparis product told its clients, “No, it is not ok to eat the food from Japan at this time.” Later tests showed that much food was contaminated with radioactivity.
“We also had a lot of our clients use the emergency messaging system when trying to find their employees.”
It must be doing something right. It has a 100 percent client renewal rate. How many software firms can say that?
The 20 employee company has raised $5 million in Series A funding. Whitney says the company is looking at a B round for growth.
“We signed a strategic alliance with Wells Fargo, which is bundling it with their products for their insurance customers. It’s a huge opportunity. Its the fourth largest insurance broker. We don’t need money for the product, but we need to hire more people to facilitate meeting increased demand for the product. That’s the main reason we would raise a B round.”
The company’s growth plan also includes mobile and social integration. Already clients can log in to the product with Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn names and passwords.
Tags: 11/11/2001, Armistead Whitney, Atlanta, business continuity, disaster preparation, emergency response software, Preparis, SaaS, SEVC, Southeast Venture Conference, threat preparation, Tysons Corner, VA
Posted in Cloud, entrepreneurship, Events, Internet/New Media, IT, LinkedIn, Mobile, smartphones, social media, TechLife, Telecommunications, Twitter, Virginia | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, February 1st, 2012
 The unique convergence of five emerging technology forces – analytics, mobility, social, cloud and cyber security – provide the opportunity for businesses to accelerate performance in 2012, according to Deloitte’s 3rd annual Tech Trends report Elevate IT for Digital Business, released today.
“It’s an uncommon time to have so many emerging forces – all rapidly evolving, technology-centric and each already impacting business so strongly,” said Mark White, principal and chief technology officer, Deloitte Consulting LLP. “The convergence of these forces offers a new set of tools, opening the door to a new set of rules for operations, performance and competition. Our report outlines the opportunity for IT to truly help elevate business performance.”
The Deloitte report identifies the top 10 technology trends that will have the most potential to impact businesses over the next 18-24 months, grouping the trends into two categories: Disruptors and Enablers.
Disruptors – Social Business, Gamification, Enterprise Mobility Unleashed, User Empowerment and Hyper-hybrid Cloud – are technologies that can create sustainable positive disruption in IT capabilities, business operations and sometimes even business models.
Enablers – Big Data Goes to Work, Geospatial Visualization, Digital Identities, Measured Innovation and Outside-in Architecture – are technologies in which many CIOs have already invested time and effort, but which may warrant another look this year because of new developments.
“Forward-thinking organizations should consider developing an explicit strategy in each of the areas outlined in our report – even if that strategy is to wait-and-see,” said Bill Briggs, director and deputy chief technology officer, Deloitte Consulting LLP.
“We encourage organizations to step up – now – and take advantage of these digital forces. No business should get caught unaware or unprepared.”
Each trend is presented with at least two examples of adoption to show the trend at work. This year, a new “My Take,” section was added to each chapter, which provides commentary and examples from CIOs, academics and other luminaries about the utility of the trend in business.
Examples of trends in action include:
- Big Data Goes to Work – To maintain contact with customers, a car rental company received thousands of pieces of feedback daily through web surveys, e-mail commentary, text messages and feedback cards across its 8,000 locations. Geographic dispersion of the business and the unstructured form of the content, however, made it difficult. Big data changed all of that. Previously unwieldy data volumes were able to be processed centrally – with consistent rules, metrics and analysis. Insights on potential service improvements, addressing staffing issues at specific sites during specific times, were uncovered and resulted in measurable gains in customer satisfaction.
- Social Business – A beverage manufacturer’s social media mission control can demonstrate the potential of social business. A hub in the company’s marketing department tracks social media activity about the manufacturer’s brand, endorsements, competitors and broader related topics. Detailed sentiment analysis tracks products, campaigns and customers across their lifecycles. Brand attributes are observed, correlated with media performance and utilized to proactively reach out to influencers and customers. The results drive strategic marketing plans and product development, and tactical activities such as improving landing pages and content delivery. Initial results are impressive, with claims of 250 percent increase in engagement and 65 percent reduction in early page exits. Social activities likely contributed to its U.S. volume sales growing 10 percent in the second quarter of 2010 — following three consecutive years of declining sales.
- Hyper-hybrid Cloud – A paper manufacturer with several cloud solutions at the infrastructure, data, platform and application level, needed a better approach to manage its hyper-hybrid application footprint. Bypassing the internal build-out of integration and orchestration services, the manufacturer instead partnered with an aggregator and orchestrator of cloud services that managed all of the relationships and interdependences required. Any back-end complexity is transparent to the manufacturer, which simply contracts with its partner to manage service levels that are informed by business objectives.
- Gamification – A health care provider rolled out an interactive platform for users to establish health goals, use game mechanics to monitor their progress and tap into social channels for extra motivation. Users can cultivate a virtual tree representing their physical, emotional, financial, and spiritual well-being – earning “water” and “seeds” by completing tasks such as taking a walk, eating healthy, or putting savings into an emergency fund. In a beta trial, users visited the site an average of 35 times per week, spending about 15 minutes each visit. These users set out to complete 13 million actions – and performed about three-quarters of them. This represents a 50 percent increase over prior attempts without gamification.
 Enterprise Mobility Unleashed – A railway transportation provider is investing in mobility in a big way, targeting conductors and customers to build on record-high ridership and revenue performance in 2011. Few corporate analytics or decision-support systems were available to railways. Mobility is changing that.- A combination mobile app and magnetic-stripe reader solution is modernizing railway operations and the industry.
- Conductors use the app to process tickets, performing prompt fraud validation, providing customer notification of potential scheduling issues, and feeding into a sophisticated model that tracks customers and their location on the train. This usability has led to enthusiastic adoption by non-tech-savvy conductors in a matter of minutes – versus weeks of training for IT services that have historically led to poor traction, usage and results.
Tags: accelerate your business, big data, Deloitte, emerging tech forces, enterprise mobility, gamification, growth opportunities, social business
Posted in Business advice, Cloud, Internet/New Media, IT, Mobile, smartphones, social media, Studies, surveys, reports, Telecommunications | Comments Off
Monday, January 30th, 2012
 TechStars, recently recognized as the No. 1 startup accelerator in the world, and Microsoft Corp. are working together to help startups fast-track their businesses with free cloud services.
The enhanced program allows TechStars accelerators in Boulder, Colo.; Boston; New York; Seattle; and Texas to offer each of their startups up to$60,000 of Windows Azure compute and storage over a 24-month period, at no cost.
Interviewing entrepreneurs over the last few years for the TechJournal and hearing their pitches at TechMedia’s annual Southeast Venture Conference (next one slated for Tysons Corner, VA, Feb. 29-March 1), we know that the ability to operate via cloud services has enabled many tech startups to launch with much less capital then they needed previously.
Many use Amazon’s cloud, which eliminates the need for them to have significant in house infrastructure. It also makes software that only large Enterprise firms could afford just a decade ago, available to small and medium-sized businesses.
BizSpark Plus is an extension of the Microsoft BizSpark program, designed to accelerate the success of startups around the world. BizSpark Plus works through select incubators and accelerators such as TechStars to provide value-added products and services to high-potential startups.
In addition to offering this to TechStars, Microsoft is making this offer available to all founders whose accelerator is part of theGlobal Accelerator Network, a network of nearly 40 high-quality accelerators from around the world that follow a model similar to TechStars.
“Our passion is helping startups succeed around the world by providing funding and mentorship from the best and brightest Internet entrepreneurs and investors on the planet. The enhanced relationship with Microsoft will allow us to provide our founders with even more valuable support and services,” said David Cohen, founder and CEO of TechStars. “Access to technologies such as Windows Azure and other software and services from Microsoft through the BizSpark Plus program gives our companies a leg up in the all-encompassing race to scale and succeed.”
TechStars has a wealth of experience working with tech startups around the world that are building products and services in the cloud. Cloud applications and smart devices are driving the new startup ecosystem, affording startups the ability to drive user adoption, scale their companies and generate financial returns with far less capital and much more quickly than ever before.
Windows Azure offers a simple, comprehensive and powerful platform for the creation of Web applications and services.
Tags: Boston, Boulder, cloud services, CO, free cloud servicess for startups, M&A, Microsoft, New York, NYC, Seattle, Southeast Venture Conference, Startups, Tech Stars, Texas, Windows Azure
Posted in Cloud, Internet/New Media, IT | Comments Off
Monday, January 16th, 2012
 Federal agencies want to embrace the cloud, but are anxious about a “nothing but cloud” approach and the complex security issues it raises, according to SafeGov.org, which surveyed more than 400 federal agency employees on the migration to cloud computing.
Conducted in September 2011 with Ponemon Institute, the survey focused on the Obama Administration’s Cloud First mandate. The results highlight need for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the General Services Administration (GSA) to provide greater transparency about cloud security and more credible data about the true cost of cloud services.
“It is important that we assess Cloud First’s progress and how key agency decision-makers are embracing the vision,” said Dr.Larry Ponemon, Chairman and Founder of Ponemon Institute. “That was the goal of this research.”
The survey analyzes the current status of the Cloud First mandate and shows that many in federal agencies believe that it is a work in progress. Of the respondents, early compliance with the mandate is high, but incomplete.
Federal Agency Response to Cloud First Mandate
The survey notes significant push back from federal agencies on the transition as reflected by the following migration statistics:
- Eighty-three percent (83%) of respondents have fully or partially identified the first three applications they intend to migrate
- Twenty-five percent (25%) have fully migrated at least one legacy application to the cloud
- Forty-seven percent (47%) say their first migration is in progress
The majority of IT managers reported that the delay was due to concerns about the tight timelines imposed by Cloud First.
- Sixty-nine percent (69%) say the Cloud First framework is too fast
- Seventy-one percent (71%) say that pressure to move to the cloud is inadvertently creating greater security risks for their agency
Preferences for Transition to the Cloud
Concerns also remain high about the actual cost savings and overall security associated with cloud computing. A clear preference for using private clouds among survey respondents reflected ongoing apprehension about keeping sensitive data secure.
- Thirty-eight percent (38%) expect that their agency will be using a federal-only cloud in the coming year
- Twenty-eight percent (28%) expect to use a broader government cloud (open to all levels of government)
- Twenty percent (20%) expect to use a private cloud limited to their own agency
- Seventy-three percent (73%) want their servers to be physically isolated from those used by non-government customers
- Seventy percent (70%) want all cloud provider personnel who have access to their agency’s servers or data to pass rigorous background checks
“We know the transition to the cloud is going to happen. But this survey’s findings show that agencies are still in need of education on the cloud and how they will transition effectively. The key is for agencies to gather as much information as possible and work closely with their vendors to find the most cost-effective and secure option for their respective organizations,” said Jeff Gould, CEO and Director of Research at Peerstone Research and SafeGov.org expert.
Additional information on the Ponemon Institute’s survey results and a complete copy of the executive summary is available on SafeGov.org’s website at www.safegov.org.
Tags: cloud computing, cloud only approach, federal use of cloud computing, IT managers, Ponemon Institute, SafeGov.org
Posted in Cloud, Government/Defense, IT, Studies, surveys, reports | Comments Off
Wednesday, January 11th, 2012
 As cloud computing continues to gain acceptance in emerging markets, service providers (such as telcos, MSOs and hosters) are well positioned to gain mindshare and become an important route to market (RTM) for small and medium businesses (SMBs—firms with 1-999 employees) for acquiring cloud solutions.
AMI-Partners’ recently released 2011 Route-to-Market Opportunity Model shows that in emerging markets, such as China, India, Brazil and Russia, SMB cloud services spending and investments through service providers will increase nearly six-fold from $111M in 2011 to $615M by 2015.
This represents a 4-year annual growth rate of 54%—the largest among all RTMs tracked by AMI and far outpacing the growth in total SaaS spending over the same period.
“Service providers in emerging markets will gain considerable market share in the cloud services space, due to several key factors,” says Rohan Bose, Associate for AMI’s Channels Practice.
“The first is due to mergers and acquisition activity within the channel landscape. Larger telcos and service providers are in the process of acquiring smaller VARs and local channel partners/resellers.
“The acquisition of these partners allows service providers to diversify their product portfolios and enter the cloud market by providing basic SaaS solutions (such as accounting, business intelligence/analytics, email and CRM).
“This is an important step for many telcos and MSOs, as they believe that their traditional offerings such as voice, data and video services will begin to enter a phase of modest growth over the next couple of years. Cloud services allow service providers the ability to meet the growing SMB demand and differentiate themselves from other competitors.”
The second factor for the expected increase in SPs’ share is their ability to bundle SaaS solutions with broadband and high-speed Internet connectivity.
Other cloud providers such as channel partners can bundle multiple SaaS applications together, but cost-conscious SMBs are more likely to purchase bundles containing broadband.
Bose says, “As the demand for cloud services continues to rise, SMBs in emerging markets will require access to high-speed internet to increase business efficiency; it is the service providers who are uniquely positioned to offer such packages.”
Finally, many of these SPs offer datacenters and hosting capabilities to SMBs looking to store infrastructure externally. Similarly, SPs can offer datacenter hosting to traditional channel partners such as VARs for the same reason.
Other channel partners who require space to host their own apps often turn to SPs to meet their needs. AMI studies have shown strong interest by channel partners to partner with SPs for hosting needs and it is up to the SPs to foster and grow the relationship.
Given the gradual shift in SMB preference, IT vendors would be wise to take advantage of this lucrative opportunity.
Since many smaller SPs do not yet have the necessary business applications to offer SMBs, SaaS and other cloud vendors can utilize SPs as a viable option to go-to-market. By entering into strategic and symbiotic relationships, vendors can help SPs add further value to their services.
Tags: AMI Partners, CRM, emerging markets cloud services opportunity, hosts, MSOs, service providers, SMBs, telcos, VARs
Posted in Cloud, Internet/New Media, IT, Studies, surveys, reports | Comments Off
Friday, December 30th, 2011
 With high profile security breaches in the news throughout 2011, security firm Agiliance sees dramatic changes ahead for the security industry in 2012. It’s list of predictions for the coming year in security focus on mobile, cloud computing, legislation, and social media.
These predictions are based on the company’s engagement with Global 2000 companies, government agencies, fellow security vendors, industry analysts and security consultants, as well as market research it conducts on a regular basis.
Topping the list is Agiliance’s prediction that organizations will recognize that risk is security’s new compliance.
A risk-based approach and holistic view of the organization’s IT infrastructure will be driven by further consumerization of IT, challenges related to social media as an instrument in cyber warfare, stricter enforcement and new legislation focused on data protection, threat information sharing, and incident disclosure, as well as the emerging need to assess cloud service providers’ ability to enforce security policies and continuously maintain an adequate compliance posture.
“For many years, complying with government standards and industry regulations has been seen as a check box in the lengthy list of IT security tasks,” said Torsten George, vice president of worldwide marketing at Agiliance.
“In 2012, we will see progressive organizations applying a risk-based, continuous approach to security. By doing so, they will be able to make risk visible, measurable, and actionable.”
Specifically, Agiliance expects dramatic changes in the following areas:
Mobile Devices and Social Media
New products and services will emerge that deal with the necessary delineation of employer-owned versus employee-owned data on mobile devices.
These products will go beyond anti-virus and malware software to deal with embedded strong authentication, secure mobile operating systems scanners, mobile operating system vulnerability scanning, and data segregation / encryption. For social media threats, existing security tools’ capabilities will be extended to cover monitoring of social media networks to tackle the emergency of social media cyber warfare.
Cloud Computing Security
Agiliance predicts an acceleration of efforts to create standards around cloud security, primarily driven by the data consolidation efforts of the U.S. government as well as wide-ranging support of the Cloud Security Alliance. Independent, continuous monitoring of cloud service providers’ security controls will become a standard part of service level agreements.
Legislative Initiatives
Agiliance predicts that, in the second half of 2012, a government mandate will be passed that will lead to a pro-active Information Security Risk Management system and related best practices to tackle cyber security threats.
Similar to stricter enforcement policies of the HiTech Act by the HHS, regulations penalty cases will surge in 2012. Furthermore, privacy audit is becoming a major driver behind security tool investments as organizations are coming up short on audits relating to data breaches, disclosure notifications, data handling, attribution, and incident closure.
Anti-Cyber Crime Collaboration
Sharing of sensitive threat information will become essential to prevent widespread cyber attacks across different verticals and industries. Nowadays, cyber criminals are coordinating their efforts and are well-versed in sharing vulnerabilities and attack methodologies. They even have their own online communities where they exchange information.
This is unmatched by the commercial sector and government agencies. As a result, Agiliance predicts that the increase in cyber security attacks and data breaches will lead to the introduction of a formal information sharing database that will be made accessible to a broader group.
Risk is Security’s New Compliance
With more than 365 security incidents reported this year to date, affecting over 126 million records, cyber security attacks have become a mainstream event in the industry.
Based on these changes, Agiliance predicts further increase in demand for software tools that are able to aggregate data from existing security tools and information management applications to make risk visible, measurable, and actionable.
These tools will not only provide advanced reporting capabilities, but interconnectivity to ensure that remediation actions can be triggered and followed through easily. To better describe the capabilities of these tools, analysts will create a new software category called Security Risk Management.
For the in-depth predictions, data, and accompanying graphics, please see Agiliance’s 2012 IT Security Predictions:http://www.agiliance.com/forms/WhitePaperReg.html?doc=Security_Predictions.
Tags: Agiliance 2012 security industry predictions, anti-crime collaboration, cloud computing secuirty, cyber security legislation, mobile security, risk management, social media
Posted in Cloud, Internet/New Media, IT, Mobile, Security, smartphones, social media, Studies, surveys, reports, Telecommunications | Comments Off
Friday, December 16th, 2011
 Cyber crooks will target small businesses, social media attacks will be more common, and mobile security threats will reach an all-time high in 2012.
So says The Cyber Security and Information Assurance Division of Kroll Inc., which released its annual security forecast, highlighting key areas of risk and trends that will impact how organizations and governments combat and respond to cyber threats.
“The events of 2011 suggest that the cyber security landscape will find public and private organizations are still on unsteady footing,” said Karen Schuler, practice leader of the Cyber Security and Information Assurance Division. “Traditional pain points for organizations including mobile technologies, incident response and regulatory requirements will intensify as new and developing challenges surface in 2012.”
“We frequently see organizations with protective measures based on the assumption that they are not a target,” said Alan Brill, senior managing director of the Cyber Security and Information Assurance Division. “Yet 2011 taught us that no one is exempt from attack. Companies need to take a strategic and aggressive approach to cyber security. Ignoring a problem is no guarantee that the problem will ignore you.”
Kroll’s 2012 Cyber Security Forecast includes:
1. Mobile technology security threats will be at an all-time high. Mobile technologies are changing so rapidly that in some organizations the demand and pressure to deploy new technologies (e.g., tablet computers) will outstrip the organization’s existing capabilities to secure them. This unfortunate dynamic is no secret to thieves who are ready and waiting with highly targeted malware and attacks employing mobile applications. Similarly, the perennial problem of lost and stolen devices will expand to include these new technologies and old ones that previously flew under the radar of cyber security planning. For example, digital cameras used by medical facilities to document patient treatment are becoming increasingly attractive to potential thieves. The loss of this type of data represents a potential HIPAA privacy law violation and could have serious ramifications for the health care industry.
2. Social media will increase in popularity as a conduit for social engineering attacks. Social media adoption among businesses is skyrocketing and so is the threat of attack. In 2012, organizations can expect to see an increase in social media profiles used as a channel for social engineering tactics. Thieves will utilize clever tactics to coerce end-users into disclosing sensitive information, downloading malware or both. To combat the risks, companies will need to look beyond the basics of policy and procedure development to more advanced technologies such as data leakage prevention, enhanced network monitoring and log file analysis.
3. Small businesses (SMBs) will enter the crosshairs of cyber attacks. “Hacktivism” may make headlines, but the fact of the matter is that data thieves are simply looking for the path of least resistance. Of late, that path has been leading directly to SMBs that house large amounts of valuable data but lack the data security budgets of their big business peers. Common modes of attack include everything from social engineering to SQL injection. In addition, ongoing use of legacy systems – weakened by postponed or overlooked upgrades and replacements – put SMBs at heightened risk.
4. As cloud services gain in popularity, related breach incidents will flourish. If we were meteorologists, we’d definitely be calling for overcast with a chance of storms. Companies are smartly embracing the cloud for the associated cost savings and ease of use. Unfortunately, current surveys and reports indicate that companies are underestimating the importance of security due diligence when it comes to vetting these providers. As cloud use rises in 2012, new breach incidents will highlight the challenges these services pose to forensic analysis and incident response and the matter of cloud security will finally get its due attention.
5. Business and government cooperation will be mission-critical for economic and infrastructure health. Cyber crime has the capacity to cripple almost every aspect of commerce from the largest corporation to the individual consumer. Similarly, the security of U.S. infrastructure is being called into question in disturbingly real ways. For these reasons there is a growing sentiment among both private organizations and the U.S. government about the increased need for information sharing. Improved communication between the private and public sectors will not only give government the ammunition needed to take down major threats, it will also increase private entities’ capacity to respond to large threats more effectively.
6. Privacy concerns will keep geolocation technology in a white-hot spotlight. Geolocation technology is the quintessential double-edged sword. On one hand, consumers love the convenience of innovative mobile apps and services utilizing this technology. On the other, the backlash against surreptitious tracking or disclosure can be swift and strong. In fact, two federal bills were introduced in 2011 dealing specifically with the protection of geolocational information. It’s doubtful either will become law in 2012, but we can expect to see privacy advocates urging businesses to adopt an opt-in or consumer consent model.
7. Management and analysis of logs will gain more respect for its role in incident preparedness and response. Security incidents have increased in sophistication and frequency in recent years and one of the most effective modes of response involves maintaining complete logging for the network and key applications. While historically undervalued, logging provides vital information that can be utilized for analysis of network activities and documentation of security incidents. As companies begin to see the error in their ways in 2012 they will begin to implement formal risk assessments to look for security weak spots.
8. Incident Response Teams will get a permanent seat at the table when it comes to standard business operations. Historically, incident response teams were made of employees from across the organization tapped to mobilize only if and when security incidents occurred. But to remain competitive in today’s market companies need to upgrade incident response teams from contingency plan status to day-to-day operations. Effective incident response teams can include a group of full-time employees designated as incident responders or a team of outside consultants (via a third party) hired for 24/7 incident response support.
9. Companies will overlook key vulnerabilities, as regulatory compliance continues to drive organizational security. Let’s face it – state and federal regulations remain the yardstick by which the comprehensiveness of data privacy and security are measured. But using such a “checklist mentality” to drive security initiatives is dangerous because a number of data security regulations overlook basic IT security controls. Certainly there are regulations that address the need for encryption or the development of an incident response plan but few require a wide range of best-practice controls such as up-to-date anti-virus software. As more breaches occur as a result of security gaps, we should expect to see governing agencies offer specific guidance on risk assessment and standard IT security controls.
10. Breach notification laws will gain traction outside of the US. While the U.S. Congress struggles to reach consensus on a federal breach notification law, internationally the idea is gaining momentum. Germany began requiring breach notice in all sectors in 2010 and several other EU nations have expressed interest in putting similar requirements in place. Meanwhile, Canada is also considering mandatory breach notice as part of proposed revisions to PIPEDA, which governs how Canadian businesses collect, use and disclose personal information. Companies with a global presence should watch these developments closely because they could have significant impact on their operations abroad.
Tags: 2012 security threats, cloud security, cyber crime, Kroll, mobile security threats, social media attacks
Posted in Cloud, Internet/New Media, IT, Mobile, Security, social media, Studies, surveys, reports, TechLife, Telecommunications | Comments Off
Wednesday, December 14th, 2011
 In less than a decade, as employees “bring their own technology” with them, the workplace will shift to wherever an employee is located, according to initial findings from CoreNet Global’s comprehensive and futuristic look at the workplace, Corporate Real Estate 2020.
The wide-ranging study sheds light on how technology is radically changing the nature of work and even transcending science fiction.
It’s already happening with concepts like collaboration in your pocket, or other advances as seen in artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, biometric security, sensor-driven smart buildings, unified communications, and other breakthroughs like the ability for people to wear or even implant digital devices “as the new user interface.”
“Game changing,” “revolutionary” and “relentless” are among the ways that more than 200 executives taking part in the study are describing the ever-evolving landscape of flexible or alternative workplace strategies.
Bring your own technology impacts the office
Bring your own technology, or “BYOT,” will impact the size and design of the corporate office, as fewer square feet per employee will be needed, and open, collaborative workspaces will continue to replace cubicle and personal office-based designs.
The idea of “BYOT” was improbable, even inconceivable, only five or six years ago because of integration, security and other issues. Yet today, it looms as a strong likelihood thanks to the relentless advance of technology and the continued blurring of lines between personal and business technology.
“BYOT” is one of many “bold statements” coming from corporate executives involved in Corporate Real Estate 2020, which is CoreNet Global’s new transformational research initiative.
Corporate Real Estate 2020 is bringing together thought leaders from around the world to analyze and consider the current state and the future of corporate real estate (CRE) and the workplace through eight strategic areas impacting business drivers like mobility, mergers and acquisitions, talent, innovation, productivity, speed to market and risk management.
“BYOT is happening now,” according to Corporate Real Estate 2020 Technology Team member Keith Perske of E-Business Strategies. “Corporations cannot keep up with personal technology, so the next step is already happening.”
The shift implies a change for corporate information technology (IT) departments, whose long-standing role of providing computing power for companies will migrate to the Cloud.
This is already resulting in a new emphasis on enabling mobility and other forms of flexible work, as well as increasing the IT interface with CRE executives who often manage alternative workplace strategies.
Always Networked
The potential impact of Cloud computing itself could be overestimated, as another Corporate Real Estate 2020 bold statement predicts, starting with the expectation that by 2020 the number of personal digital devices in the world today will double.
“Cloud computing is about to be replaced by ‘always-networked’ personal devices with near-infinite memory,” Perske also advises.
While Corporate Real Estate 2020 participants consider the BYOT concept to be ‘predictable,’ they regard Cloud replacement as a ‘revolutionary’ change to come.
Another revolutionary concept, unified communications, will enable Cloud replacement and BYOT. It’s all about the integration of voice, data, graphic and video for the first time in a single device. “It’s fast becoming collaboration in the pocket,” Perske says. “One day soon, it will take the form of wearable technology.”
Industry experts also identified several “game changing” workplace and technology forces that will pronounce themselves by 2020 and that go beyond being revolutionary.
One of them is biometric-based security. “Technology security will become biometric,” Perske relates. “Security poses real issues in the distributed work environments which many companies have adopted to increase productivity, collaboration and innovation.”
The idea that personal, biological identifiers will allow access to key information transcends science fiction and represents another breakthrough for changing the way we work: the more extensive use of artificial intelligence.
Other advances in areas like nanotechnology will help with the introduction of emotional intelligence sensors to help raise communication effectiveness. “Sensing will increase, and buildings will become better equipped to recognize and differentiate people’s preferred styles or routines,” Perske explains. “On the individual level,” he adds, “ubiquitous technology on our skin, in our clothing and as eyewear represents the new user interface.”
Smaller and Smarter
These and other outcomes, such as the use of predictive technologies to more effectively forecast future demand for office space, are also linked to intelligent infrastructure and smart buildings.
They will tend to be smaller in scale yet provide a competitive advantage in terms of virtual teams and collaboration with multiple stakeholders. “Smarter and smaller” are the terms defining these changes. They are framing the concept of “globally networked enterprises.”
CRE departments and teams are directly influencing the formation of a new “People, Technology and Place” emphasis by integrating resources to enable flexible work and develop smarter buildings.
An increasingly sophisticated tool known as Integrated Workplace Management Systems, or IWMS, is helping accomplish the two objectives, as well as providing a reliable way to inform the C-Suite and business units on key decisions revolving around market growth or contraction, as well as demand for space and employee headcount.
Using technology to better capture, format and disseminate data is a critical aspect of CRE’s current and future focus, but workplace practices and intelligent buildings are not the only reasons for it.
New international accounting standards requiring leased properties to be moved back onto the corporate balance sheet represent another factor affecting the growing need for more effective technology applications that real estate executives are helping to deliver for their companies and clients.
Corporate Real Estate 2020 participants focused on the lease accounting, or FASB 13, standard changing, however, downplay initial fears over the new rules. “The main impact is new lease accounting standards will be like a giant migraine,” rather than a total disaster, predicts Russ Howell of Jones Lang LaSalle, who is taking part in the Corporate Real Estate 2020 Portfolio Optimization Team.
As more CRE executives are realizing, FASB 13′s requirements will create an added administrative burden similar to Sarbanes Oxley that can be mitigated with effective data management.
Carbon Footprint Regulation Is Imminent
Green or sustainable practices represent another strategic area that is fast becoming more reliant on technology and data effectiveness. The Corporate Real Estate 2020 Sustainability Team foresees the inevitability of government regulation at the local and national levels. “Energy performance disclosure will be required,” cautions team member Kevin Kampschroer of the General Services Administration.
Companies that can accurately measure and report their carbon footprint reduction and energy savings to government agencies, as well as incorporating the data into Triple Bottom Line financial reporting to stakeholders, will face much lower risk in terms of taxation or over-regulation.
At the same time, companies are seeking locations that treat green regulations more as carrots to incentivize proactive corporate social responsibility, as opposed to sticks to simply tax them. “Green incentives are one reason why sustainability has become the new sweet spot for corporate location decisions,” observes Corporate Real Estate 2020 Location Strategy and Role of Place Team member Dennis Donovan of WDG Consulting.
Bricks and Mortar Take a Back Seat
On balance, at the half-way mark of a 10-month iteration on future trends and impacts, Corporate Real Estate 2020 thought leaders are proving real estate isn’t so much about bricks and mortar as it is about enabling work and finding ways to help the business stay or become more competitive in a complex, dynamic global economy.
“In tomorrow’s world, work will go to people; people won’t necessarily go to work,” says Corporate Real Estate 2020 Workplace Team member Steve Hargis of HOK. “But that won’t diminish the importance of place, because people, and companies, need human interaction to thrive.”
Does it also mean that companies will occupy more office or other business and commercial space? Not necessarily, when you factor in today’s historically-lower job creation levels along with the now-constant mandate for companies to reduce space and costs – plus, technology’s influence in allowing for mobility, telework or other forms of flexible work.
Considering the fact that most space today is designed for groups and not individuals, and that space per person will drop to below 100-square-feet by 2020, maybe it’s not so far-fetched to ponder another Corporate Real Estate 2020 bold statement: 40 percent vacancy rates in property markets outside Asia.
At a time when multiple forces are converging, such a problem can only lead to yet another opportunity: the retrofit and responsible reuse of more than 200-billion-square feet of existing commercial space globally.
It’s another reason why, as Corporate Real Estate 2020 foresees it, there will be less emphasis on developing new buildings in tomorrow’s world of corporate real estate, including fewer build-to-suit projects.
Tags: bring your own technology, cloud computing, CoreNet, game-changing tech forces, workplace shifts to where employee is
Posted in Cloud, Hardware, Internet/New Media, IT, Studies, surveys, reports, Tech Culture, Tech Space, TechJobs | Comments Off
Friday, December 9th, 2011
 How are small businesses using the cloud? Jess3 and Microsoft 365 teamed to create an infographic on small business and the cloud. It traces cloud computing adoption for small businesses over a period of several years and includes data on how the cloud has impacted IT for small businesses. Data is from Forester, Gartner, IDC and other sources.
Tags: Jess3, Microsoft Office 365, small business use of cloud computing
Posted in Cloud, infographic, IT | Comments Off
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