Cloud Operational Issues
Cloud Computing and Outsourcing are a major productivity and cost cutting opportunity
The cloud is, without a doubt, the way to go, but we can't escape the old business issues. As the cloud grows and we become dependent on both the technologies and the providers, we're giving up a bit of freedom to make IT that much more effective for the enterprise.
Cloud computing providers need many points of presence (local data centers) to deliver the reliability, compliance, and performance that most businesses will demand and governments will mandate. The ultimate spending on infrastructure to support this will easily creep past $1 billion.
To get there, cloud providers will have to combine assets, merging and merging again until they rival GM, BP, Acher Daniels Midland, Monsanto, DuPont, AT&T, Koch Industries, Apple, and Microsoft in terms of size and revenue. In many cases, the existing big technology and/or cloud providers will combine, or groups of cloud providers will merge just to survive -- all of this to live up to the infrastructure needs required by the market.
The trouble with this scenario, as with any other functional monopoly that has come along over the years, is too much control is the hands of a few. Thus, businesses are left vulnerable to shifting priorities and costs.
Of course, we have our government to check in on these matters, but as we've seen many times before, the numbers of Senate hearings with our elected representatives jumping uglies on some CEO typically does not lead to productive outcomes. Instead, we're left hoping the market will eventually right the wrongs. In fact, U.S. businesses -- and Silicon Valley in particular -- usually discourage the government from getting involved in market activities until disaster strikes, as in the cases of Enron and the recent banking scandals. The market almost always rules.
Practical Guide for Cloud Outsourcing
The template is provided in WORD and Adobe Reader PDF format. It is can be used in whole or in part to plan for, negotiate, and manage the cloud outsourcing process. In the 126 pages included are a job descriptions for Manager Cloud applications, Cloud Computing Architect, sample contract, service level agreement, ISO 27001 - 27002 - 27031 security audit checklist, Business and IT Impact Questionnaire and much more.
Cloud Outsourcing and Disaster Recovery Bundle
The bundle includes in editable Microsoft WORD and PDF formats:
- Practical Guide for Cloud Outsourcing includes a job descriptions for Manager Cloud applications, Cloud Computing Architect, sample contract, service level agreement, ISO 27001 - 27002 - 27031 security audit checklist, Business and IT Impact Questionnaire and much more.
- Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) can be used in whole or in part to establish defined responsibilities, actions and procedures to recover the computer, communication and network environment in the event of an unexpected and unscheduled interruption. The template is IS0 27000 (27031) Series, COBIT, Sarbanes Oxley, PCI-DSS, and HIPAA compliant.
Cloud Outsourcing, Disaster Recovery, and Security Bundle
The bundle includes in editable Microsoft WORD and PDF formats:
- Practical Guide for Cloud Outsourcing includes a job descriptions for Manager Cloud applications, Cloud Computing Architect, sample contract, service level agreement, ISO 27001 - 27002 - 27031 security audit checklist, Business and IT Impact Questionnaire and much more.
- Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) can be used in whole or in part to establish defined responsibilities, actions and procedures to recover the computer, communication and network environment in the event of an unexpected and unscheduled interruption. The template is IS0 27000 (27031) Series, COBIT, Sarbanes Oxley, PCI-DSS, and HIPAA compliant.
- Security Manual Template - (ISO CobiT SOX HIPAA Compliant) includes the Business Impact questionnaire and a Threat and Vulnerability Assessment Form (PDF and Excel). It is a complete Security Manual and can be used in whole or in part to comply with Sarbanes Oxley, define responsibilities, actions and procedures to manage the security of your computer, communication, Internet and network environment.
