Intelligent Enterprise | David Linthicum on Software as a Service

Attacks on Google Deal Blow to the Cloud

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:17:47 -0500

You would have to be living under a rock not to hear the news that China, and I'm talking the government, attempted to hack into several Gmail accounts of human rights activists. The sophisticated attack, in which the invading code actually covered its own tracks, has caused Google to rethink its relationship with China. This includes pulling out altogether.

The Google attacks from China are a bit different than past attacks in that it's pretty clear where they came from. Moreover, instead of attacking government organizations, the perpetrators chose to lay into a U.S. corporation. Thus, this is perhaps the first well-documented case of a government attacking a U.S. company, which is very scary.

What's in Store for SaaS in 2010?

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:56:33 -0500

SaaS is the older player in the world of cloud computing, having been relevant since about 2002 with the rapid rise of Salesforce.com. You would think there is not much more that will occur in this space, but nothing could be further from the truth. Indeed, the role of SaaS will change in the next 12 to 16 months, and how SaaS works itself into your IT operation will be significant.

First, the rise of SaaS as an office automation solution will be very apparent in 2010. Those using Google Docs today already understand the value that an office automation application delivered out of the cloud can provide. While Google Applications such as Google Docs, Gmail, and Google Calendar are all the rage in small- to medium-sized businesses, larger enterprises have been turning up their noses. However, in 2010, largely driven by the release of Microsoft's Office Web Apps, office automation applications coming out of the cloud will enjoy wider acceptance by Global 2000 companies looking to move to the cloud on the wings of existing players such as Microsoft.

Google Chrome OS: Don't Link it to Cloud Computing

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:28:45 -0500

With much fanfare, the Google Chrome OS launched last week. Chrome OS is a Web operating system that boots quickly, right into a browser. In other words, it's your existing laptop with everything but the browser removed.

We've actually been here before. Perhaps you remember the Network Computing movement circa 1996 that advocated removing all native applications and using network applications for all things productive. In short, it did not catch on.

Why Google's L.A. Win is Significant for SaaS

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:26:40 -0500

The Los Angeles City Council voted 12 to 0 last week to outsource its e-mail system to Google. The largest city in the country will make the cloud a home for its enterprise e-mail with a $7.2-million contract that will move all 30,000 city employees to Google. This might be the most significant win to-date for SaaS, a win that could drive others to cloud computing.

L.A. mediated security risks by placing a clause in the contract that requires Google to compensate the city in the event that the Google system is breached and city data exposed or stolen. That is something that every major SaaS contract should include, if you ask me. Also, this is not the free Gmail everyone knows. This is an enterprise version of their cloud-delivered software that comes without the ads, and with technical support.

T-Mobile Data Loss Falsely Reflects on Cloud Computing

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:47:04 -0500

Hopefully you don't have a T-Mobile Sidekick. If you do, you'll be disheartened to learn that your contact data could be gone after a SANS upgrade that went sideways. Failing to backup the data before the upgrade has lead to the loss of contact information for that older brand of cell phone. Thus Sidekicks that need to reload their contact information are out of luck.

So, let's see, data was lost. It was remote data. So, cloud computing failed again, correct?

SaaS Horror Stories Are Starting to Appear

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:29:19 -0500

On Twitter, my fellow cloud guy and twitter buddy, James Urquhart of Cisco, and I were kicking around the notion that few cloud horror stories have yet to emerge. I've seen a few, but most of those who have problems with cloud computing are reluctant to go on record... That is, until this story by Tony Kontzer, who does a great job highlighting some issues that Pulte Homes had with cloud computing, in this case, issues with a SaaS vendor.

"Well over a year ago, Batt told me that his confidence in the cloud had been destroyed. He'd made an aggressive leap by deploying a large IT vendor's on-demand CRM application, imagining all the benefits he'd been told about, both by the vendor and his peers at other companies. He and his staff spent weeks ironing out all the integrations between the CRM application and several other IT systems, a process that proceeded smoothly. But when it came time to make changes to the CRM configuration, all the other applications went down, forcing Batt to uncouple everything and rethink things. It was easy to understand his frustration."

Should Failures Cast Shadows on Cloud Computing?

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:48:48 -0500

The Gmail outage last week left many asking about the viability of cloud computing, at least, according to PC World and other pundits.

"Tuesday's Gmail outage was not only an inconvenience it calls into question -- yet again -- the feasibility of present-day cloud computing. One popular prediction is that future computers won't need huge hard drives because all our applications and personal data (photos, videos, documents and e-mail) will exist on remote servers on the Internet (otherwise known as 'cloud computing')."

Every time Twitter goes out, or, in this case, a major free email system goes down, everyone uses the outage as an opportunity to cast shadows on cloud computing. I'm not sure why. In many cases its apples versus oranges, such as Twitter versus Amazon EC2. Also, systems go down, cloud and enterprise, so let's get over that as well.

The Cloud Reality Is Setting In

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:31:56 -0500

Now that I work almost exclusively in the world of cloud computing, including SaaS, I see a much higher level of skepticism out there around cloud computing. This is best reflected by this recent CIO.com survey, which highlights the fact that reality is setting in.

"The June 2009 survey, 'CIO On-Demand Services Survey,' reveals that cloud computing fears regarding security, data management, total cost of ownership, regulatory and compliance issues, and vendor lock-in have actually increased as compared with results from a similar survey in August 2008."

Are Consultants Killing Cloud Computing?

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:42:13 -0500

It's clear that hype-driven cloud computing translates into dollars given to consultants who promise to lead enterprises to the Promised Land of "as-a-service." The coordinates being set by some consultants could lead enterprises to the wrong clouds with the wrong applications, and cost enterprises millions more than expected with no savings and increased risk.

So, what are they doing wrong? The key issues include:

Following the hype.
Picking the wrong battles.
Not considering the business.
Being a bit too chummy with providers.

Will Cloud Computing Kill the Data Center?

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:07:45 -0500

I'm consistently hearing that cloud computing is the "data center killer." That sentiment typically comes from cloud computing providers, but now it's coming from some in the press and analyst community as well. I figured I would set the record straight here, and reflect upon some of the key issues.

So, will cloud computing kill the data center?

Probably not. While cloud computing is a great fit for some applications, and/or other architectural components, it typically won't be a fit for all applications and/or architectural components. There will always be some data, services, processes, and complete applications that you want to keep within your firewall for a number of reasons, including: Compliance, privacy, fear, control, and cost.

The Fear of Multitenancy

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 07:49:37 -0500

In the world of SaaS and cloud computing there is one single word that will send chills up the spines in IT: Multitenancy.

From Wikipedia:

"Multitenancy refers to a principle in software architecture where a single instance of the software runs on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) vendor's servers, serving multiple client organizations (tenants). Multitenancy is contrasted with a multi-instance architecture where separate software instances (or hardware systems) are set up for different client organizations. With a multitenant architecture, a software application is designed to virtually partition its data and configuration so that each client organization works with a customized virtual application instance."

That's a lot of work just to say that you have your own space, at least logically, but physically you share and share alike.

Beware the Dreaded Cloud Pirates!

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:08:17 -0500

In this San Jose Mercury News article, "Cloud computing may create new venues for high-tech criminals," Brandon Bailey outlines a compelling case around a potential downside of cloud computing: crime.

Matt Parrella, the federal government's top tech prosecutor in the Bay Area, had this to say:

"The trend toward cloud computing, in which businesses and consumers use the Internet to access data and software stored in remote servers, instead of their own computers, may create new opportunities for crime," Parrella suggested.

As an example, he mentioned cases that focused on shady operators who used overseas factories to crank out copies of counterfeit software on disks. Those cases may decline as software is more commonly sold online, Parrella said.

Bucking the Cloud Computing Hype

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:12:24 -0500

Years ago I was running a large software development shop when the "offshoring" movement became all that and a bag of chips. I felt extreme pressure to fire some of my staff in the US and cut a deal with the dozens of outsourcing firms that were calling me daily. I was asked about offshoring so many times that it was clear to me that the pressure was on.

I had to buck the offshoring hype at the time, but for good reasons. First, our systems had issues around quality and architecture. Until we corrected those issues, bundling the code up for development offshore would do little good, and could actually kill the software. Once we stabilized the code, then I could pick portions of it to be developed in outsourced development shops, but not until then. It was very tough explaining that to laymen who just saw the dollars and cents, along with the trend and hype that told them offshoring was the way to go.

IBM 'Clouds' Look Like Conventional IT

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:57:13 -0500

According to this e-Week report, and this report in the New York Times, IBM continues to form its cloud computing strategy, including the definition of some key products.

IBM will announce a number of new cloud computing products and services... In addition, IBM will unveil plans for a new research lab focused on cloud computing. The initial plans will be for a bundle of hardware, software and services aimed at software developers and testers, and another bundle targeting virtual desktop environments. The moves come at a time when every major IT player, including HP, Cisco, VMware, Microsoft, Google and Amazon, are making deeper in-roads into the cloud.

The issue here is that cloud computing is really about, well, cloud computing. Existing hardware and software vendors, including Microsoft, Cisco, HP, etc., and of course IBM, seem to find that thought a bit scary and continue to toss traditional hardware and software at the problem.

Another Reason to Put Data in the Cloud

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:59:13 -0500

Google Labs recently announced Google Fusion Tables, an "experimental system" for fusing data management and collaboration. In other words, it's a means to merge many data sources, including any electronic conversations around data, visualization and data queries. Fusion Tables provide a platform to analyze data along with tools for electronically collaborating about that analysis.

The use cases here are numerous, but the core idea is that users will upload data, and then analyze and visualize the data on Google Maps or mashed up with other APIs, such as the Google Visualization API. Nothing new there, right? Wrong. Fusion Tables also provide for the discussion of data at the row or column level, or even specific data elements... think database and business intelligence meets Google Docs. However, the biggest bang for this new cloud service is the ability to "fuse" multiple sets of data that are logically related and then determine patterns.

Why Open Source Amazon APIs Will Matter

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:33:31 -0500

Dave Rosenberg had an interesting post around a rumor that Amazon is going to open source its API:

"Amazon.com's legal team is 'investigating' open-sourcing their various Web services API's including those for EC2, and S3, Amazon's main cloud computing interfaces, according to Enomaly founder Reuven Cohen."

Amazon's APIs are widely leveraged by thousands of Amazon Web Services (AWS) customers. While Rosenberg considers them the "best" method of interaction for various cloud services, at this point I only agree that they are the most used.

So, what does Amazon stand to gain by this? As Rosenberg argues, by releasing the APIs as open source (creative commons, or no-sue covenant), Amazon could find that other cloud computing vendors adopt their way of doing APIs. There is no clear revenue stream from that approach, but the use of the IP will be clearly linked back to Amazon. It could become one of those little heard of "brilliant moves."

Google Outages Spark Cloud Questions

Wed, 20 May 2009 10:21:00 -0500

Last week a major outage affected 14% of Google users and caused widespread panic. Okay, it caused frustration, as users could not access their free search engines, free document management systems, and free e-mail systems. Perhaps they should ask for their money back. The comment that I kept hearing was "I had to use Yahoo." Priceless.

Still, the timing could not have been worse, considering that the US Government began discussing how cloud computing fits into their $78 billion IT budget for 2010. Many in the private sector are looking at cloud computing as well. The hype leading them there is the possibility of saving some money.

SaaS/Cloud Audit Demands Could be Costly

Thu, 14 May 2009 09:26:14 -0500

"Cloud computing providers require strong audits," according to SC Magazine's Angela Moscaritolo, who focuses on security in the world of SaaS and cloud computing. However, in reading through this article I kept returning to the fact that the cost of security, together with audits, could make cloud computing, including SaaS, cost prohibitive. The value proposition of cloud computing is about saving money, after all.

The recommendations are clear:

IBM Taps Private Clouds to Change SOA

Thu, 07 May 2009 09:52:52 -0500

I've been at IBM Impact this week in Vegas. I typically don't attend vendor events, but I made an exception in this case since IBM holds a huge portion of SOA technology in its portfolio, and they are also moving aggressively into cloud computing. This is a huge event drawing more than 5,000 people, and they're all looking to figure out what IBM's next move is and whether their "traditional" IBM IT infrastructure will change, or not. Most are, of course, existing IBM technology owners or users.

A few things were clear from the event.

First, IBM has invested a huge amount of money in SOA technology, including numerous acquisitions, and it's looking to push those technologies into the enterprise.

Clearing the Air on McKinsey's Cloud Report

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:54:01 -0500

The world of cloud computing was shocked last week with the release of the McKinsey report on cloud computing, entitled "Clearing the Air on Cloud Computing." You can think of the report as a quick assessment of the value of cloud computing; however, as with any of the thought-leadership pieces pushed out around cloud computing, it was quickly picked apart by the pundits.

The report dared put forth the following definition of cloud computing:

"Clouds are hardware-based services offering compute, network and storage capacity where:

Hardware management is highly abstracted from the buyer

Buyers incur infrastructure costs as variable OPEX

Infrastructure capacity is highly elastic (up or down)"

Connectivity: The Achilles Heel of SaaS

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:42:50 -0500

Those who push back on SaaS and cloud computing typically site security, privacy, and legal issues, but they almost never talk about connectivity. Perhaps they should. In the recent shenanigans surrounding cut fiber lines in Silicon Valley, those affected quickly understood that the Internet, which is required to gain access to your SaaS provider, can be gone in an instant. With their Internet connection down for most of a day, the affected businesses that use SaaS could not access any SaaS-delivered applications, including ERP, CRM, and Sales Force Automation.

For those of you who still believe that the Internet was and is designed by the military to get around the destruction of major nodes and will save you from situations like this, you are just plain wrong. If the fiber going from the back-bone is cut, not only is your connection lost, but any cell towers hooked up to the same fiber are lost as well, thus no air cards as an option.

'Open Cloud Manifesto?' Just Stop!

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 07:09:05 -0500

I'm not sure if you've been paying attention to the cloud computing news over the last few weeks, but the most recent dust-up and silliness came from IBM and a few others, and it's centered around this "Open Cloud Manifesto."

The "Open Cloud Manifesto" proposes rules for cloud computing, including the use of open standards. I found it to be more about "motherhood, apple pie, and open standards," with no concrete anything in the document that would lead to anything of value. In essence it was a mission statement, or, at best, an opinion piece. We have plenty of those already.

SaaS Integration: Here's the Challenge

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:48:36 -0500

Remember SaaS integration? It was all the rage when SaaS started to rise, but has since fallen off the radar screen. That is, unless you're using SaaS.

This Computer World article, by Robert L. Mitchell highlights the need for SaaS integration.

"It's the SaaS twist: Add too many applications, and you might to find yourself back in the bad old days, when the various applications in the corporate infrastructure wouldn't talk to one another."

Actually, I would argue that most on-premise applications still don't talk to one another, even though my integration book, and a bunch of pretty good integration technologies have been around for some time.

Think Enhance, Not Replace, When Considering SaaS

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 11:51:50 -0500

One could view SaaS as a legacy technology when considering the number of years it's been out there and how it has become part of the modern enterprise. However, when looking at SaaS, or, in most instances, considering more SaaS, it's a good idea to put things into clear perspective.

For those tasked with maintaining existing IT infrastructure, including major systems and information stores, the subject of SaaS can be a bit scary. Typically they talk about "replacement," and how all things bad will be solved by all things SaaS. Having gone through one IT revolution or another, you know better.

Amazon Offers 'Reserved Instances'

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 20:51:47 -0500

Amazon has introduced "reserved instances," a new Amazon EC2 pricing option that lets businesses claim a part of the Amazon cloud as their own.

"Amazon Web Services is introducing Reserved Instances, an additional pricing option for Amazon EC2 that extends the current on-demand, pay-as-you-go pricing by giving customers an option to make a low, one-time payment to reserve capacity and further reduce hourly usage charges. As with On-Demand Instances, customers will still pay only for the compute capacity that they actually consume, and if they do not use an instance, they will not pay usage charges."