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Five Reasons for Cloud Confidence: A Reply to Lockergnome

jcline — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 07:16:54 +0000

Disclosure: As one who recommends, consults, releases products for, and technically lives in the “Cloud” – a nice way of describing software that doesn’t live on your computer but rather “out there” – I have a clear interest in its success. Additionally, I just like a balanced perspective so others can be well informed and make educated, responsible decisions.

Enter Lockergnome’s piece today titled, Five Reasons Not to Trust the Cloud in which Chris or one of his trusty minions lays out these five reasons:

Companies Come and Go
Security is Never 100% Guaranteed
Cloud Services Aren’t Immune to Hardware Failure
Local Connectivity is Required
Bandwidth Caps Imposed by Internet Service Providers

These are in his order and I encourage you to read the full piece using the link above.

In looking at these reasons he gives, I have three responses that immediately come to mind.

The focus seems to be on Cloud-exclusive rather than Cloud-enhancedNot having access to your files in the cloud would mean that you don’t have the local copy the cloud version is based on in cloud services like Dropbox.com or Carbonite.com or that you don’t use the free offline services for accessing your Google Docs or Gmail. I don’t know very many people using “Chrome-boxes”, Google’s new Chrome based tablet with only a connected OS and even if they were prevalent, users would likely not have it as their main PC to meet the deadlines he speaks of.
The key aspect he rightly highlights is the need to be pessimistic about your technology choices and not rely on any single technology, cloud based or not, as all are subject to very similar challenges although the virtualization in the cloud (i.e. a thousand hard drives with your data on them in case one fails) is hard to match on your local PC or server.
Analog pitfalls exist for non-Cloud options but are omittedTake the second point for example, is security guaranteed with any software? How about your local machine at home that can be hoisted and walked out the door in 2.5 minutes. He actually resolves the issue at the end of the section by simply recommending encryption prior to upload.
Many people overlook the risks they are already tolerating simply because it has become normal. Having no password to login to your PC and having a cleaning crew or after hours employees is common. Keeping files locally without a regular backup and verification procedure is common. What about when your proprietary, “doesn’t-play-well-with-others” software vendor buckles under the cost of physical distribution and 10+ operating systems to support, any guarantee that will keep working when it can’t authenticate your license credentials any longer?
Few examples are given to type the use cases involvedPeople use the cloud for many different things and in very different ways. Some seek cloud based options as their first choice where others look at it only when they can’t find an alternative. Given this diversity, having examples that illustrate each of the reasons as well as the type of user in each would be helpful to help make a more educated decision and avoid the hype on both sides.

I have found the security and contingency gains by using services like LastPass.com, Carbonite.com, Dropbox.com, and Google Docs are of a magnitude above what I was able to achieve by using their conventional non-Cloud counterparts.

I believe the Cloud is here to stay and not simply because of the hype. Both Cloud and non-Cloud based solutions share many of the pitfalls of technology in general. However, it is much easier for Cloud based apps to adapt to them and dilute the risk of doing otherwise.

Here are five of my reasons for cloud confidence:

Cloud apps often extend, compliment, archive, or otherwise make local files safer (i.e. Dropbox, Carbonite, Gmail).
Cloud apps provide more value more often more easily than installed apps.
Cloud apps can endure regional power outages, connectivity outages, and a terrorist attack – oh, and hard drive outages too!
Cloud apps enable you to test, trial, or use ongoing for free to simplify your evaluation and wise decisions.
Cloud apps are accessible from any connected computer.

The Cloud should engender confidence but never replace good planning as technology will always fail and we should show wisdom in our preparations.

What is your perspective on the risk or reward of using Cloud based solutions? Does it make you feel more or less safe from technology related losses?

– Jon

Small Business to Resuscitate Economy

jcline — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:11:08 +0000

These days, it’s hard to remain calm if you’re trying to make a living.

If you’re in business for yourself, hell, even if you work for what you once considered a sound company, it’s pretty scary when all you read in The Wall Street Journal or see on CNN is a barrage of stories about layoffs, people walking away from their homes, corporate losses and the declining stock market.

For small and mid-size business owners, the times require careful financial planning, aggressive marketing and good financing (if you can find it).

Meditation helps, too. I do a lot of that these days and reflect on these truths: What comes must eventually go. What falls must arise. All is impermanent.

Another morale booster, particularly for small business owners and entrepreneurs, is reaching out to peers for advice on how to weather this storm. Recently, in search for some assurance of my own, I went to the Small Business Leadership Summit in New York, held by Moran Media Group.

The event was attended by NYC and US officials in charge of small business affairs, a number of private companies that serve small businesses and a good number of small businesses themselves. They had come to share knowledge on everything from the state of small business and future trends to tips on raising capital and cutting costs.

In a morning session, Jim Blasingame, radio host of The Small Business Advocate Show, posed a somewhat jarring question: “Is capitalism as we know it today dead, and if not, is it on life support?” By day’s end, entrepreneurs and small business owners in attendance provided an answer: ‘Capitalism has the flu, yes, but it hasn’t yet bought the farm, and small businesses will be a major force in getting the system back on its feet.’

I believe it. How do I know? Adrian Guglielmo. She’s founder and CEO of Diversity Partners, LLC, a Brewster, NY, firm that teaches companies about marketing to various communities “through social responsibility and diversity,” she said. Adrian was at the summit doing fund-raising consulting for the Veterans Support Foundation, a non-profit organization that aims to improve the quality of life for deserving veterans and their families.

Bubbly and outspoken, Adrian popped up out of the audience during a panel discussing the state of credit from the government and banks for small businesses. She grabbed the microphone and told the audience about her struggles raising capital and offered this advice: “You don’t have to rely on banks and the government.”

Yes, Adrian got loans from all the usual sources, including the Small Business Administration and credit card companies. But she also got loans from family, her brothers. And she met an “angel” investor — someone who believed in her business and ponied up $2 million in financing.

I was impressed, and so were a lot of people in the audience. Impressed not so much by the $2 million she got, rather by her guts, determination and entrepreneurial spirit. She needed money to keep her business growing, and she made a move “out of the box” to do it.

I think we’ll be seeing a lot of Adrians from small businesses taking similar steps to keep this economy alive and move it forward.

I’m hopeful. What do you say?

Don

Mr. Don Munro is a business copywriting expert from NYC. He works with clients such as American Express and Success Rabbi. He is an avid tennis player with a great sense of humor. Mr. Munro publishes regularly to blogs including his own at writingthatsells.biz.

Virus Alert: UPS/FedEx Delivery Failure

jcline — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:02:17 +0000

This is a sad but real attempt to gather your credit card information during the holiday season.

Please read the entire post before opening any attachment or following UPS/FedEx directions via email.

An email that resembles this has been circulating recently:

From: UPS Packet Service
Subject: UPS Paket N0328795951

Dear Sir/Madam,

Unfortunately we were not able to deliver postal package you sent on July the 1st in time because the recipient’s address is not correct.

Please print out the invoice copy attached and collect the package at our office.

Your UPS

Unfortunately we were not able to deliver postal package you sent on July the 25 in time because the recipient’s address is not correct.

Please print out the invoice copy attached and collect the package at our office.

Your FEDEX
www.fedex.com

You can verify the accuracy of this threat via Snopes and UPS.