Government Cloud Achilles Heel: The Network

Yahoo-Microsoft Merger Proxy Fight – May 14, 2008

By G C Network | May 18, 2008

As I alluded to last week, “It’s not over ’till it’s over” Carl Ichan Looking to Start Yahoo Proxy Fight Money – The Microsoft-Yahoo Merger may not be over. Billionaire…

Now in the ring Sun/Amazon! – May 04, 2008

By G C Network | May 18, 2008

The Sun/Amazon cloud may be announced soon. Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz delivered a short keynote at Startup Camp in San Francisco, an adjunct event to the JavaOne Conference. According to…

Microsoft gives up on Yahoo? – May 04, 2008

By G C Network | May 18, 2008

“Cloud computing is far more than a concept. With Broadband Internet connections now all-but-ubiquitous and microcomputers and locally-run software now so trouble-prone, Cloud Computing’s time has come.” This is a…

IBM, Google and the Blue Business Platform – May 01, 2008

By G C Network | May 18, 2008

Today was good !! This morning. there was a main session built around “CIO 2.0”. The basic premise was that CIOs have now earned a seat at the business management…

The coming cloud – April 30, 2008

By G C Network | May 18, 2008

I attended the IBM Public Sector briefing this morning. The IBM executives were clearly basking in a financial performance glow. After ending 2007 with increases in revenue, profit and earnings…

Google, Cloud Computing, and the US Intelligence Community – April 29, 2008

By G C Network | May 18, 2008

Just arrived in Los Angeles for the IBM Business Partner Leadership Conference. IBM is billing this as a “new” conference, but I have my doubts. I am, however, very interested…

Location Based Services – April 25, 2008

By G C Network | May 18, 2008

INmobile.org is a exclusive community for executives in wireless industry. As a member, I have the opportunity to participate in a number of interesting discussions about mobile and wireless technology.…

IBM Business Partner Leadership Conference – April 23, 2008

By G C Network | May 18, 2008

I just completed registration for the IBM Business Partner Leadership Conference. This is a new invitation-only conference being held this year in Los Angeles from Wednesday, April 30th through Friday,…

Telephone & Web = WOW !! – April 21, 2008

By G C Network | May 18, 2008

The power of the Internet and the web lies in its ability to provide access to information. The mobile web takes this one step further with its ability to provide…

The Power of Family Oral History – April 19, 2008

By G C Network | May 18, 2008

Although I just started this yesterday, I’ve decided to backdate this entry to last Saturday, April 12, 2008. That’s when my family had it’s 3rd Annual Black History Party. The…

Cloud computing is rewriting the books on information technology (IT) but inter-cloud networking remains a key operational issue. Layering inherently global cloud services on top of a globally fractured networking infrastructure just doesn’t work. Incompatibilities abound and enterprise users are forced to use “duct-tape and baling wire” to keep their global operations limping along. The continuing gulf between IT professionals and business managers only exacerbates this sad state of affairs. IT professionals, however, bear a more significant amount of blame for the current state because we are the ones responsible for providing the operational platform and enabling the new information delivery models that drive modern constituent services and commerce.

The use of cloud has also driven changes in how governments and commercial enterprises approach data security. In the cloud era, organizations can no longer get away with treating all data at some arbitrarily high level of protection.  More than ever, they need to address data protection requirements and controls based on the lifecycle stage of the data. They also need to evaluate the numerous permutations of business function, data user role, location of access, legal or regulatory guidelines and user devices. This is especially important in the public sector where organizations use public funding and operate within a framework of public trust. While this type of analysis could have arguably been seen as overkill when organizations had direct control over the networks they used, taking that view today is tantamount to declaring open season on data for any hacker, identity thief or
ransomware vendor out there. A laissez-faire approach to data categorization and controls is not only full of economic and reputational dangers but it also represents a due diligence failure when it comes to meeting legal and regulatory requirements for protecting sensitive information (e.g. personally identifiable information, medical records, financial data).

In my new article for IEEE Cloud Computing Magazine, I continue addressing this topic by explaining why cloud networking is different and what new cloud networking services are needed. As the cloud computing industry advances into the enterprise space, its success will inevitably depend on our ability to address information consumer perceptions, evolving application requirements, improved management across the application/computing infrastructure/network interfaces and enhanced automated visibility and management of the foundational wide area network. Reading this article will help professionals looking for longevity in this industry to learn and understand how each of these issues affect your organization’s business or mission.

https://www.computer.org/web/computingnow/cloudcomputing

( This content is being syndicated through multiple channels. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of GovCloud Network, GovCloud Network Partners or any other corporation or organization.)

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