Industry Interview

CloudNOW Interviews: Vanessa Alvarez, Forrester Research Analyst

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:00:00 EST

A surprisingly low success rate for private cloud deployments leads one to wonder what's really holding them back. Vanessa Alvarez provides insight on the technological and cultural obstacles facing enterprises today. Even with all the hype surrounding Cloud Computing, a recent Forrester study shows that only 6% of enterprises have a successful private Cloud deployment. CloudNOW sat down with Vanessa Alvarez, named by Femmeonomics as one of the 50 women to watch in Tech, a well-respected industry analyst for data storage and cloud computing and a member of the CloudNOW advisory board, to talk about the trends and challenges in the cloud computing space and what is really holding enterprises back. Vanessa notes that "most organizations today are going into Cloud not as well prepared as they should be". While there are a number of externalities such as lack of standardization, key reasons for failure are often internal to the organization such as lack of clarity on why cloud needs to be leveraged or the lack of communication between CXOs, IT and business staff on the reasons for change. These gaps in clarity and communication often lead to "roadblocks along the cloud journey because not everyone was on board".

CloudNOW Interviews: Lauren States, IBM VP of Cloud Computing

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 05:45:00 EDT

In a recent interview with CloudNOW, Lauren States, Vice President, Cloud Computing at IBM and a member of the CloudNOW advisory board, offers her insight into the top cloud-related trends and challenges facing organizations. Very few organizations have the insight that comes from longevity and are able to bring that experience to bear in new and emerging markets. IBM is one of them. That means when IBM makes a statement with respect to the (near and far) future of computing, it’s almost always more than prognostication, it’s pragmatism based on real experience. In that regard, IBM has consistently moved forward with cloud computing using measured strides across its portfolio of products and services, recognizing that the technology evolution often outpaces readies for adoption, if not interest. Its long history with organizations large and small ensures that IBM understands the challenges of adopting new technology, not just from a technical perspective but from a business perspective as well.

Interview: VMware's Carl Eschenbach on Scope & Depth of Cloud Computing

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 10:45:00 EDT

The move to cloud is far more than an IT delivery model adjustment. It really presents a unique opportunity to get IT -- and the business of IT -- right at the highest levels. VMware Co-President Carl Eschenbach demonstrated that impact through testimonials on how cloud computing and virtualization infrastructure are advancing the business goals of three major corporations, Revlon, NYSE Euronext, and Southwest Airlines. hen people ask if cloud is real or if it's happening, I can tell you unequivocally that the answer is yes. In fact, one of the things that VMware is so excited about is our position around cloud computing. The reason I say that is that the cloud era is here, and VMware has the solutions to help our customers actually bridge the gap between their existing data centers and legacy applications to this new world of cloud computing. It's us and the strength of our ecosystem partners who are leading this technology innovation and services that enable people to accelerate their cloud adoption.

IBM VISION Cloud: "We Are Targeting an Open Specification"

Sat, 20 Nov 2010 08:15:00 EST

The EU-funded VISION Cloud initiative, led by IBM, has been launched and is focused on creating a metadata format that will enable users' data to be interoperable among Cloud service providers. This is potentially a huge development for all business, but especially small businesses, which run the risk of vendor lock-in and general unhappiness when they find that it's not cost-effective to switch Cloud vendors should they encounter problems. IBM heads the list of 15 organizations participating in this initiative. The research is being conducted out of an IBM facility in Haifa, Israel. We were able to learn more about the initiative from Dr, Yaron Wolfsthal, IBM's senior manager responsible for VISION Cloud, Here's what we asked and what he answered: Cloud Computing Journal: What are the key, high-level architectural challenges that you face in creating a way to handle portable metadata in the cloud?

Zhang Tao of China's CCID Discusses SOA, Cloud Computing

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 09:34:00 EDT

Beijing's architecture seems to be a sort of cross between Washington, DC and Dallas. Its climate can roughly be compared with that of Chicago (so it is rough), and its infamous air quality can be fairly compared to that of a Lucky Strike. But it was a crisp and fairly clear morning when I set out to meet Zhang Tao, traveling past Tiananmen Square and thousands of new high-rises, before settling into the busy commercial neighborhood that houses CCID. I never received a good explanation of why there were Christmas trees in every hotel and office lobby in Beijing, other than people seemed to think they "look nice." I was also confused as my interview with Zhang Tao progressed, because I had been told that China was lagging in SOA, let alone Cloud Computing, yet he wanted to talk about Cloud Computing above all. We had a translator there, so that he could listen and answer in Mandarin. Although it was apparent his English is quite good, he strongly preferred to maintain the home-court advantage and speak in his first language, something I found true in most of the interviews I conducted on this trip. This interview first appeared in Chinese in an international edition of NOW Magazine, published by TIBCO Software in Palo Alto, CA. The following is the interview rendered back into English.

The Mobile Web: It's About Footprint

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:40:00 EST

The mobile web's momentum continues unabated with Google's acquisition of AdMob and Apple's Shocking Numbers for iPhone app usage. The whole thing is reminiscent of the introduction of the IBM PC back in 1981(?). Brief memory lane diversion: I sold my first PC system in 1982 and it ran a company's whole accounting system off a single 5.25 inch floppy drive. But reminiscent only in a far-off, Stewart McKienoreply@blogger.com0

Here Be Dragons: HBD's Julia Long Talks SOA, Innovation, and Investment

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:00:00 EDT

HBD Ventue Capital--the HBD really does stand for Here Be Dragons--ventures across the globe seeking the most innovative companies in which to invest. In this exclusive interview, company CEO Julia Long discusses what makes the company tick and why she looks beyond the horizon for opportunity.

Bad Samaritan Economist Ha-Joon Chang Criticizes Globalization

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:00:00 EST

The United States and other wealthy countries are hypocritical in the way they view trade policy, according to leading economist Ha-Joon Chang.

Software AG Chief SOA Architect Speaks

Wed, 27 Apr 2005 22:00:00 EDT

Web Services Journal recently interviewed Theo Beack, Software AG's new Chief SOA Architect. Beack will be heading a new SOA Competency Center, to be based in the Washington, DC area. The Center will draw on the company's 30 years of global experience in developing sophisticated customer solutions in both the mainframe and XML data environments, according to Beack.

Last Exclusive JDJ Interview With "IBM's" John A. Swainson, Now CA's Newly Appointed CEO

Tue, 23 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST

Swainson: 'Let's start by defining 'on demand.' First, on demand reflects what our customers are doing with their businesses - streamlining their business processes to make them more flexible and adaptive to new markets and opportunities. They use information technology as a tool to integrate these processes, so obviously IT is a critical enabler of on demand.'

Novell CEO Messman Postpones Gupta Appointment

Tue, 23 Nov 2004 00:00:00 EST

Who Is David Litwack? Litwack is responsible for the development and advancement of Novell's secure Web services strategy, a position he assumed in July 2002 following Novell's acquisition of SilverStream Software, a company for which he'd served as president and CEO since 1997. He is also a member of Novell's Worldwide Management Committee. JDJ spoke with him on May 21, 2004 exclusively about a range of contemporary computing issues.

Stylus Studio Publishes Interview With XML Luminary Dr. Michael Kay

Mon, 09 Aug 2004 00:00:00 EDT

In the interview, conducted by Ivan Pedruzzi, Stylus Studio Senior Product Architect, and editor The Stylus Scoop, Dr. Kay provides an update on the exciting work being undertaken at the W3C on emerging XML technologies including XSLT 2.0, XPath 2.0, XQuery 1.0, and he shares his insights on how these technologies are likely to inter-operate and work alongside related XML technologies such as SQL/XML, and XML tools and components.

British American Tobacco - In the driver's seat with Web services-based dashboards

Wed, 31 Dec 2003 09:21:29 EST

With brands sold in 180 markets around the world, British American Tobacco, the world's most international tobacco company, was looking for a way to access and analyze data to improve supply-chain performance. The IT department was charged with finding a new approach that would provide significant improvements over the traditional approach of gathering and storing data, transforming it into information, and generating reports.

A Look at WS-I

Fri, 26 Sep 2003 10:33:22 EDT

Let's start with a high-level overview of WS-I and, if you can, highlight key members, new members, and what your broad mission statement is.

Knowing When to Use Web Services

Fri, 26 Sep 2003 00:00:00 EDT

Web services are moving from the latest buzzword to a mature and accepted technology. Mainstream companies such as Eastman Chemical, Wells Fargo, and NEC have begun deploying significant Web Services-Based Integration (WSBI) projects.

Service Discovery: Perspectives on the Past, Present, & Future

Mon, 18 Nov 2002 00:00:00 EST

Service discovery and identification is a critical piece of the overall Web services puzzle. Existing service architectures, such as CORBA, JINI, and ebXML, have all devoted significant effort towards making service discovery available and comprehensive. If Web services is to become a ubiquitous platform for service oriented computing, then the industry will need to create standards and products that enable sophisticated discovery, identification, and composition of Web services.

Grids, Peers, Discovery, and What's a GAIA?

Tue, 27 Aug 2002 00:00:00 EDT

This month WSJ focuses on P2P architectures and grid computing, two topics that are gaining momentum in our industry. Over the past year or so I've read many excellent articles and books on these topics. However, getting a handle on what P2P and the grid are can be a challenge as implementations advance rapidly, major technologies are converging, and more people are applying these concepts to their particular disciplines.

Silverstream eXtend™: Talking with a Web Leader

Sun, 21 Oct 2001 00:00:00 EDT

Web Services Journal recently caught up with Steve Benfield, chief technology officer of SilverStream Software, for a quick look at SilverStream's new Web services environment, SilverStream eXtend.

WSJ Exclusive Interview: Single Sign-on is A Single Point of Failure, says EPIC Counsel

Sat, 01 Jan 2000 00:00:00 EST

Chris Hoofnagle, legislative counsel for EPIC, spoke exclusively to WSJ-IN, with more background on EPIC's efforts to ensure consumer privacy online. WSJ: Have you had any response from the states' attorneys general or the FTC? Chris Hoofnagle, EPIC: No, and we wouldn't expect to. The investigations are confidential, and EPIC would not be notified of the investigation until it was completed.

Why Web Services Work

Sat, 01 Jan 2000 00:00:00 EST

Having been endorsed by virtually every technology vendor on the planet, Web services are now evolving from 'feature' to 'fabric.' They are moving from the latest buzzword (hot new feature) to a mature and accepted technology (fabric of the technology landscape). The hype is fading; it is no longer interesting to develop Web services simply as a proof of technology, or as an end in themselves.