A close look at cloud computing's transformational role in business

Covering cloud computing from what the business leader needs to know, this book describes how IT can nimbly ramp up revenue initiatives, positively impact business operations and costs, and how this allows business leaders to shed worry about technology so they can focus on their business. It also reveals the cloud's effect on corporate organization structures, the evolution of traditional IT in the global economy, potential benefits and risks of cloud models and most importantly, how the IT function is being rethought by companies today who are making room for the coming tidal wave that is cloud computing.

  • Why IT and business thinking must change to capture the full potential of cloud computing
  • Topics including emerging cloud solutions, data security, service reliability, the new role of IT and new business organization structures
  • Other titles by Hugos include: Business Agility: Sustainable Prosperity in a Relentlessly Competitive World and Essentials of Supply Chain Management, 2nd Edition

Practical and timely, this book reveals why it's worth every company's time and effort to exploit cloud computing's potential for their business's survival and success.

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Looks at cloud computing's transformational role in business. Covering cloud computing from what the business leader needs to know, this book describes how IT can ramp up revenue initiatives, positively impact business operations and costs, and how this allows business leaders to shed worry about technology so they can focus on their business.
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Preface xiii

Acknowledgments xvii

Chapter 1 The Evolution and Future of Corporate Business Structures 1

Example of a New Corporate Organization Structure 3

Model of a Responsive Organization 5

A Cybernetic Economy 7

Cybernetics is about Control and Communication 9

Profit Potential of Self-Adjusting Feedback Loops 11

Viable Systems Model: A Framework for Business Agility 14

A Cloud-Based Model for Business Organizations 19

Notes 22

Chapter 2 The New Economics of Business 23

Moving to a Variable Cost Operating Model 24

Information Technology Finally Becomes a Utility 27

Variable Cost IT Operations Enable Business Agility 30

A Combination of Technologies Creates Cloud Computing 34

Implications of the Transition to Cloud Computing 38

Notes 41

Chapter 3 Key Technologies Used in Cloud Computing 43

Cloud Computing Defined 44

Software-as-a-Service 47

Server Virtualization 49

Service-Oriented Architecture 52

Open Source Software 54

Web Development and Mashups 58

Blending It All Together 60

Notes 61

Chapter 4 Data Security and Service Reliability 63

Will Your Cloud Service Provider Be Here Next Year? 63

What to Look for in a Good Service Provider 65

Elements of Good Data Security Policy 66

Cyber Threats and Perimeter Security in Cloud Computing 69

Encryption: The Next Frontier of Data Security 72

Contracts, Service-Level Agreements, and Guarantees 73

Negotiating Service and Pricing 77

Performance Penalties and Restitution Clauses 79

Notes 80

Chapter 5 Moving to the Cloud: When and Where 83

A Business Strategy Based on Agility 84

Using the Cloud for Business Advantage 87

Business Applications with the Greatest Potential 89

Risk Considerations with the Cloud 91

Cloud Cost Considerations 94

Case Study: Selling ‘‘Designer Chocolates’’ 96

Notes 99

Chapter 6 The Transition from Managing Technology to Managing Business Processes 101

The Fixed Cost of Maintaining Large Data Centers is Being Challenged 102

Public, Private, and Hybrid Clouds 103

Issues to Consider with Private Clouds 107

The Cloud is a Platform for Managing Business Processes 109

Automate Routine Processes and Focus People on Handling Exceptions 113

Four Technologies that Enable Responsive Business Processes 115

Notes 117

Chapter 7 The New Role of Information Technology 119

Is Traditional IT Irrelevant? 119

A Tumultuous Ride for the Chief Information Officer 121

The End of IT as We Know It 122

Changes in IT and Business Unit Staffing 123

Evolution of the Traditional Corporate IT Department 124

Agile IT Professionals Using Cloud Technology will be Embedded in Business Operating Units 125

Cloud Computing Separates Data Center Operations from System Development 127

Do We Need Enterprise Technology Architects, or Business Architects? 128

Companies are Investing in New Business Process Design 129

A Renewed Focus on Using Technology for Profit and Competitive Advantage 132

Notes 135

Chapter 8 Five Profit Enablers Driving Business to the Cloud 137

Harvard Medical School 137

Golden Gate University 140

Silicon Valley Education Foundation 143

Beachbody.com 147

Five Profit Enablers Driving Business to the Cloud . . . and Away from Corporate Data Centers 148

Notes 152

Chapter 9 The Business Impact of Cloud Computing 153

New Economic Engines for Growth 153

Time to Get Agile and Reinvent Traditional Business Operations 155

Get Ready, Get Set, Go: Success in a Real-Time Economy 157

Interconnected, Adaptable, and Specialized 159

Collaboration is Now More Profitable than Control 163

Necessity Makes Radical the New Normal 165

The Recovering Complexaholic 169

Notes 170

Chapter 10 Global Implications of the Cloud 171

Real-Time Global Collaboration 171

Serious Games 173

Cloud-Based Collaboration Enables a New Way of Working: The Dynamics of Swarming 176

Real-Time Visibility Could Make Us a Whole Lot Smarter 180

New Realities and New Opportunities 183

Notes 188

About the Authors 191

Index 193

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Whether you like it or not, information technology is now mission-critical to every step your business takes. Unlike a few years ago when we left technology to the geeks, computing now gushes from the invisible woodwork and is covering the global psyche with a sea of expectations. Consumers, business-to-business customers—even your own employees—expect your products and services to cater to a technology-spoiled society. In business, only those who adapt to this ubiquitous, always-on technology will survive. Cloud computing has emerged as a pivotal driver in this equation.

In Business in the Cloud, authors Michael Hugos and Derek Hulitzky draw on their experience in business and technology to illustrate how cloud computing can transform your organization while they clearly define the many financial and efficiency benefits of this new computing model. They show how it can be quickly rolled out, scaled up to handle increased volume if business takes off, or easily scaled back to cut costs if business changes. It allows companies to replace capital expenses with operating expenses, and enables companies to directly align operating expenses with revenue to protect cash flow and operating profits. A critical lynchpin to any organization operating in high change, unpredictable environments, cloud computing ultimately allows companies to focus their technology energies and investments on what matters most. By moving some applications and services to the cloud, it allows businesses to concentrate on devising even newer ways to find customers and profits.

Loaded with case studies and insights from industry thought leaders and practitioners, Business in the Cloud explores:

  • The new role of information technology
  • A renewed focus on using technology for profit and competitive advantage
  • Using the cloud for business advantage
  • A cloud-based model for business organizations
  • Implications of the transition to cloud computing
  • Key technologies used in cloud computing
  • What to look for in a good service provider
  • Cyber threats and perimeter security in cloud computing
  • Public, private, and hybrid clouds
  • Five profit enablers driving business to the cloud
  • New economic engines for growth
  • Real-time global collaboration
  • New realities and new opportunities

As a business leader, do you know what cloud computing is? Do you feel compelled to understand it? You should. With constantly changing technologies to choose from, cloud computing is the bridge across a sea of change where every company now weaves technology into their communications, products, and processes. Experts agree that cloud computing is the largest revolution in decades in how people and companies will consume and use technology. And every business leader—not just the CIO—needs to understand it.

Designed for business leaders to absorb the often-vague concept of cloud computing, Business in the Cloud delivers a critical foundation to not only understand it, but also put it to work.

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Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9780470616239
Publisert
2010-11-19
Utgiver
Vendor
John Wiley & Sons Inc
Vekt
417 gr
Høyde
236 mm
Bredde
163 mm
Dybde
20 mm
Aldersnivå
G, 01
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet
Antall sider
224

Biografisk notat

MICHAEL HUGOS, Principal at the Center for Systems Innovation [c4si], writes, speaks and consults on strategies for IT and business agility and mentors development teams. He spent six years as CIO of a multibillion-dollar distribution cooperative developing a suite of supply chain and business systems, transforming the company's operations and revenue model. He won the CIO 100 Award and Premier 100 Award for his work, and is also author of Essentials of Supply Chain Management and Business Agility.

DEREK HULITZKY, Vice President of Content Development at a global technology media company, is a keen industry watcher with an intense focus on how CIOs and companies manage their technology teams and responsibilities. A seasoned technology marketer, he is an accomplished event and panel moderator with a rich background in technology content creation, audience development, and management.