Enterprise cloud adoption on the rise, new study finds

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According to a newly-released Verizon report, enterprise IT departments are rapidly adopting cloud computing to deliver applications and services.

The "State of the Market: Enterprise Cloud 2014" study, which collected data from June 2013 and July 2014, found that cloud services have been a driving force behind business innovation. Cloud computing is becoming a more prominent feature in enterprise IT deployments, with current cloud users expecting to spend 54 percent of their IT budgets on cloud services over the next two years. The report revealed that 65 percent of organizations are currently utilizing the cloud, and spending on cloud services by enterprises has increased almost 40 percent from the year before.

Over 70 percent of survey respondents reported having plans to utilize the cloud to run public-facing production applications by 2017, an 11 percent increase. The study also discovered that 72 percent of participants plan to put the majority of their workloads in the cloud by 2017, which shows significant growth from the 58 percent of enterprises taking advantage of application support today. 

Marking a major shift in perceptions of security, 41 percent of companies reported relying on public cloud infrastructures to host mission-critical workloads. In fact, 100 percent of the enterprises that reported currently using cloud services said they did not believe the cloud put their IT systems at risk. One-third of organizations actually reported an improvement in security after deploying a cloud infrastructure.

Another interesting discovery made by the study was that companies are no longer focused solely on reducing expense when turning to the cloud. While cost savings are expected from the use of cloud services, they are no longer the biggest factor in adopting the technology. Agility was the biggest reason participants reported implementing the cloud, with 32 percent citing it as a factor for adoption.​While the cloud is beneficial to all companies, smaller organizations receive an even bigger advantage from the increased agility offered as it helps to create a level playing field with larger enterprises. 

Aid workers fight Ebola with unified communications

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As Ebola continues to spread across West Africa, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is partnering with Airtel, an Indian service provider, and the government of Sierra Leone in order to send health reminders through widespread text messaging campaigns.

Since last April, when the Ebola outbreak first began, officials have been utilizing the Trilogy Emergency Relief Application system to send nearly 2 million texts a month in the country. The messages provide the citizens of Sierra Leone with important health information and facts about Ebola to help educate the public, such as to avoid physical contact with others if they believe they have been infected, not to resist the aid of health workers in the area and other potentially life saving tips. The system is designed to send messages at off-peak hours to prevent network overload and recipients can opt out of the messages at any time.

Messages received by cell phone users include "People with Ebola who go to the health center early have a better chance of survival" and "Healthcare workers who take of Ebola patients have to wear protective clothes, do not be afraid of them." The service also allows text recipients to reply with basic health questions and receive and automated response regarding information about medical help, cleaning tips or treatment options.

Unified communications solutions have proved to be extremely effective in disseminating critical information during times of crisis. The TERA messaging system was also used in Haiti after the country's devastating 2010 earthquake and was first brought to Sierra Leone in 2013 to educate citizens about a cholera outbreak. Similar programs are used in the U.S. to send out information about severe weather or on college campuses to alert students about dangerous situations. 

Text messages reach a wider audience than emails
The messaging system was set up by the IFRC and is capable of sending a text to any cell phone that is turned on within a certain region. In areas like Sierra Leone, Internet access is not nearly as widely available as cell phone service and mobile phones are a vital lifeline for those trying to communicate with a large audience in the midst of a crisis. More than two-thirds of those in Sierra Leone have cell phone service, while only 9 percent have access to a 3G or cellular Internet plan, NPR reported. Because the messages are sent to cell phone users located in specific regions, the IFRC and Sierra Leonean Ministry of Health can tailor the texts to certain populations and provide regional advice.

In an interview with NPR, IFRC mobile operator relations officer Robin Burton noted that the system can also be used to make aid services more effective through feedback from recipients.

"We hope this will empower people to help themselves," said Burton. "They could send a message back to us saying, 'Thanks for the rice, but we have no way to cook it,' or, 'We don't eat pork here.' We call it beneficial communications because it helps everyone do better."

Burton also noted that the information sent in texts is saved on the phone and can be used for later reference, unlike information shared through the television or radio which is often quickly forgotten.

So far, more than 4,000 people have died as a result of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, and the rapid pace at which is has been spreading in the region has spurred the Red Cross into expanding the messaging program to seven other countries in the area; Tongo, Mali, Benin, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Burkina Faso and Gambia. Once the Ebola outbreak subsides, the TERA system will remain in use in those countries during natural disasters or times of conflict. 

State governments have their heads in the cloud

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Across the country, states are increasingly adopting cloud services. According to a recent TechAmerica survey, the number of states with high investments in the cloud has increased 14 percent since last year. The number of states that utilize at least some cloud services has also increased 5 percent, with 73 percent of states employing the technology in some form and considering the use of other cloud services.

Delaware was the first state in the U.S. to use the cloud to store the data, applications and operating systems of government departments on centralized servers that can be accessed remotely by employees. The state moved its computer servers to a consolidated data center to create a virtual computing climate seven years ago. Now, Delaware is looking into utilizing a third-party service provider to handle its cloud computing infrastructure to increase ease-of-use and allow IT departments to focus on more business-critical processes.

States find savings in the cloud 
​California was also an early adopter of cloud technology, being one of the first states to adopt cloud computing for government agencies. The state has implemented a shared-services strategy called CalCloud that allows agencies to share resources and information among themselves and their constituents. The model used by California government departments allows the state to minimize upfront capital investment, as cloud services offer states increased computing power at a time when their IT budgets are shrinking.

Many states have turned to the use of cloud services in order to benefit from its cost savings. States have seen estimated savings of between 25 and 50 percent for their computing operations. The first year Delaware's cloud operations were fully functional, the state saved $5 million, according to Delaware's acting CIO William Hickox. The federal government's "cloud first" strategy has also helped states feel more comfortable about adopting cloud strategies.

More employees using personal devices for work, new study finds

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According to a new Gartner study, nearly 40 percent of U.S. professionals who work for large companies use their personal devices for at least some work purposes. The report, which included surveys of more than 4,300 American consumers, looked into technology use and attitudes toward mobile devices.

The study found that only a quarter of employees using their personal devices for work do so because they are required to by their employers.

The study went on to reveal that there are an estimated 770 million devices in the U.S., and that number will likely grow in the next 12 months. Gartner's research found that 32 percent of survey participants are planning to purchase a smartphone over the next year, 23 percent intend to buy a new laptop or notebook and 20 percent are looking to get a new tablet in that time period.

"While this is a large number, it is still a small portion of the potential number of Internet of Things devices people will own in five years' time," said Amanda Sabia, principal research analyst at Gartner. "Newer devices for the connected home and personal trackers are coming to market — these are the seeds of growth — not only for purchasing devices, but also for associated services and apps."

Mobile applications are also witnessing an increase in popularity, experiencing an rise in downloads.  The study found that 80 percent of consumers have downloaded an application in the last year.

Employees finds their own devices better suited for work
The report suggests that a growing number of employees are using their personal devices for work because they are better suited, more powerful and better equipped for the job than devices provided by the company. The survey highlights the need for enterprises to employ bring-your-own-device policies and the security procedures to protect the network devices connect to.

"The lines between work and play are becoming more and more blurred as employees choose to 'use their own device' for work purposes whether sanctioned by an employer or not," said Sabia. "Devices that were once bought purely for personal use are increasingly being used for work and technology vendors and service providers need to respond to this."

Companies looking to benefit from the advantages of implementing BYOD policies while avoiding the security risks that come along with them can utilize a third-party service provider to roll out an enterprise BYOD platform. By professionally developing infrastructure and policies for mobile device use, employees are more aware of the associated security risks and networks are better prepared for the new level of traffic.

Google plans test for new ultrafast Internet

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Google strengthened its commitment to bring super fast, gigabit-per-second Internet to homes this week by filing with the FCC for permission to test new Wi-Fi technology.

While the tech giant has requested confidential treatment for the filing, Google has said that it will use frequencies of 5.8 GHz, 24.2 GHz, 72 GHz and 82 GHz in testing their new concept. Currently, 2.4 GHz is the most commonly used Wi-Fi band and it is becoming increasingly congested as more individuals connect more devices to networks.

The project, which was first launched by Google four years ago, is scheduled to have its next test in mid-November. Testing will take place in three locations within the San Francisco Bay area. Experts who are familiar with the filing believe the new technology could be a reliable replacement for traditional fiber, ValueWalk reported. Researchers have also hailed Google's technology as a faster, more cost-effective way to provide ultrafast Internet service.

Telecom expert Stephen Crowley noted in a blog post that Google is experimenting with higher radio frequencies so there will be more available options. With more frequencies to choose from, more bandwidth becomes available and data speed increase dramatically. The frequencies being used in Google's upcoming test work best in short distances and will require users to connect directly to a receiver.

Faster connections not without obstacles 
According to Forbes contributor Elise Ackerman, using a 60 GHz standard known as WiGig would allow connections of up to six gigabits per second, which is six times faster than the speeds currently offered by Google Fiber. While such a frequency would provide ultrafast Internet, it also has its downsides.

"The problem that you encounter when you get to these really high frequencies is the propagation starts to be almost like light," said Bill McFarland, vice president of technology for Qualcomm Atheros. "Sixty gigahertz doesn't like to go through walls. It's very directional. It goes in the direction you point it."

McFarland went on to say that this characteristic is amplified as the frequency increases. He added that as long as receivers have a clean line of sight to the area requiring  the Internet connection, it wouldn't be unreasonable to consider using Google's new Wi-Fi technology as a replacement for fiber.

New study finds mobile work options create more productive employees

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A recently released study by UK communication services provider Azzurri has revealed that employees are more productive when equipped with mobile devices and the ability to work from anywhere.

The majority of respondents – 62 percent – reported using their mobile devices for both the creation and consumption of content. The most common tasks completed by professionals on their devices are sending emails, sharing files and accessing company data. The ability to complete ordinary business processes at any time and any location seems to have invigorated employees, as nine out of 10 participants reported an increase in productivity.

The study, which included surveys from IT and telecom leaders at more than 180 firms, found that 93 percent of participants experienced greater productivity from staff members using mobiles devices outside the office. Almost 50 percent of those claimed the boost was substantial.

With mobile productivity boost, focus shifts to UC
Currently, companies are focusing on ways to enable mobile data access, but according to the report priorities are shifting toward the ability to provide remote business communication. Enterprises are increasingly focused on unified communications in general and workflow management and video conferencing in particular.

"Smartphones and tablets have transformed mobile devices from being for consumption to being used for creation and editing — and so are changing the way we all work," said Azzurri Communications CTO Rufus Grig. "The form factor shift towards devices with larger screens is enabling more meaningful work to be performed. Mobile productivity suites allowing proper editing of documents have made this a reality".

Video conferencing is currently ninth on a list of top priorities for IT specialists, but is expected to jump to second next year. Grig also noted that, as connectivity improves with increased access to Wi-Fi coverage and 4G mobile networks, a variety of services will become more prominent in the enterprise. Instant messaging, presence and Web conferencing will all become more valuable to companies in the near future.

According to the report, only 42 percent of organizations currently utilize tools for mobile device management. While another 17 percent have plans to do so soon, a large portion of companies employing bring-you-own-device and mobile work policies are woefully unprepared for the stress and risks such programs can cause to a network. Utilizing a third-party service provider to roll out an enterprise BYOD or mobile strategy is a reliable way to ensure that security is maintained and company networks are strong enough to handle the increase in traffic related to remote working.

Starbucks experiencing competitive advantage with the cloud

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As cloud becomes an increasingly prevalent enterprise technology, companies are responding to the real world advantages it offers to create new business models, enhance client relationships and incorporate employee and partner expertise into operational processes. During the recent IP Expo 2014, Starbucks Coffee’s EMEA IT director Robert Teagle discussed how the company is experiencing advantages and maintaining a competitive advantage through the use of cloud services, ComputerWeekly reported.

Starbucks has been employing a variety of cloud services for some time now, like utilizing cloud-based email solutions and tying client relationship management tools to data from their loyalty card program. This is because the cloud provides an effective way to deploy changes in business processes and find new ways to connect with clients, creating a more agile enterprise.

Organizations are also utilizing the cloud to create flexible assembly models, allowing them to integrate previous investments with current innovations and quickly transform their business models whenever necessary. In the case of Starbucks, the coffee chain’s point-of-sale systems’ data warehouse is integrated with a cloud infrastructure which has allowed the company to seamlessly migrate its existing warehouse into an expanded platform that offers insight through big data tools.

Many large organizations are finding advantages through use of hybrid cloud environments, which offer the ability to host automated services in a protected environment that is still easily accessible. This ensures the security and privacy of the information stored within the cloud while still providing flexibility and ease of use.

Cloud platforms drive enterprise innovation
During the expo, Teagle noted how one of the major benefits of the cloud is its ability to drive innovation.

“IT innovation has to be aligned with business goals and when we are trying to manage innovations, cloud IT certainly helps,” Teagle said.

He added that IT is able to respond more quickly to business needs through the flexibility and agility provided by the cloud.

Another major benefit of utilizing an enterprise cloud platform is that it allows companies to develop and experiment with new systems and processes in a safe environment. Starbucks has certainly taken advantage of this. Teagle said in his talk that enterprises can more effectively manage their innovations through experimentation and testing frequently before deployment.

“Being innovative really helps and all IT teams looking to drive their businesses forward bust start innovating,” Teagle said. “And cloud certainly helps in facilitating innovations.”

Majority of companies using hosted virtual servers, new study finds

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A report recently released by Kaspersky Lab has found that the large majority of enterprises utilize third-party providers to host their virtualization servers. IT managers appear to prefer the lower costs offered by third-party providers, as well as the ability to have someone else take care of system maintenance.

The study, which included surveys of more than 2,000 IT professionals who use virtual servers revealed that 67 percent of organizations employ at least a partially hosted system. Firms with smaller IT departments were more likely to implement virtual servers. According to the report, 41 percent of small- and medium-sized businesses reported using a virtualization service.

More than half of survey participants reported housing business-critical applications and core parts of their IT infrastructure in their virtual environments. Of those using virtual servers for important systems, 68 percent stored email and other communication applications, 65 percent hosted database programs and 56 percent used the virtual servers to host accounting packages.

Hosted virtual servers offer enterprises a variety of benefits, including reduced costs and lowered complexity for onsite IT staff. Through the use of server virtualization, capacity can be easily added by third-party service providers and support growing enterprises.

Server virtualization also provides companies with a cost-effective way to detect security breaches, which offers protection for not just servers but an entire network. Virtualized servers are capable of detecting compromised and unstable applications, providing increased malware identification, enabling enterprises to quickly and effectively separate any compromised systems from the rest of the network.

Organizations using virtual servers can easily have systems remotely monitored by administrators in one virtual location, allowing for enhanced visibility of traffic activity and user access. A master image of the server can be created, enabling IT departments to quickly identify abnormal behavior, improving the security posture of the enterprise.

Growing digital health market highlights need for secure data storage solutions

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A recently released study by Juniper Research revealed that the digital health market is making dramatic gains, especially in the area of wearable tech and mobile phones. According to the report, applications targeting healthcare will be a driving factor behind the digital market for that industry reaching more than $3 billion over the next five years. The market is rising so fast, in fact, that other research has suggested it may grow to more than twice that size in an even shorter amount of time, with Visiongain predicting the market will be worth $6.7 billion by the end of this year.

Wearable technology has found its way into a variety of industries, but healthcare shows the biggest opportunity for success, according to the study. Healthcare apps are being widely adopted because of the myriad benefits they offer. Wearable health devices can collect a massive amount of user data that can then be analyzed to track trends in a variety of healthcare populations. Having the ability to connect smartphones and tablets to medical devices like heart rate monitors and blood pressure cuffs offers a variety of benefits, like improved in-home monitoring and an enhanced ability to screen for related health issues.

The report suggests that the advancement of electronic health records will create an enhanced and widened digital health environment, as the records can provide a baseline for mobile health databases.The data collected through healthcare applications can also be used to help reduce the price of medical insurance for users. Existing federal laws allow information gathered by wearables and mobile devices to influence the price of health insurance as long as they meet a predefined set of requirements that constitute an employee wellness program. However, now that the growing amount of personal medical data can be integrated into insurance information, it's only a matter of time before more modern frameworks is developed to utilize this new data.

Protect sensitive medial data in the cloud
As more hospitals and healthcare providers adopt the use of wearable medical devices, the ability to store and protect the vast amounts of information created will become a top priority. A reliable way to increase the security of sensitive patient data is to employ cloud storage services. Storing sensitive information in the cloud provides organizations automatic encryption, as well as disaster recovery solutions that ensure necessary data will be available even a primary system were to fail or be damaged. Cloud services are also a cost-effective solution, as they are easy to scale to meet needs. 

Travelers find quality of Wi-Fi increasingly important

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The website Hotel Wi-Fi Test, which provides travelers with detailed information on the quality of the Internet at their specific hotel, has introduced its new Wi-Fi Happiness Ranking, highlighting how important access to quality Internet is to people when they travel.

Prior to the happiness ranking, hotels on the site were sorted by the expected speed of their Internet. Often times this was misleading, however, as a hotel with a great download speed may have a dismal upload speed, making the quality of video calls terrible and disrupting communication. In an age when so many people travel for work and rely on cloud-based communication strategies, expecting one speed and getting another is unacceptable.

The new ranking uses a variety of metrics, including latency, stability and both download and upload speeds to provide users with a comprehensive score. The site also provides an overall confidence rating that reflects how well the Wi-Fi has been tested.

A solid Internet connection has become increasingly important to travelers as so many are now on trips for work instead of pleasure. A recent survey by online retailer Pixmania found that respondents were more interested in Wi-Fi access at their hotel than having a clean room while on vacation. Almost one-third of respondents put Wi-Fi access ahead of cleanliness, ranking Internet second overall in terms of desired comforts while traveling. Only a nice view was thought to be more important.

Mobile use increasing importance of quality Wi-Fi
The growing reliance on mobile devices has also made reliable Wi-Fi a valuable commodity. According to a new study by online travel company Expedia, travelers are becoming more reliant on their mobile devices, treating them as a concierge, tour guide and travel companion all in one. More than half of the survey's participants reported that their decisions on booking flights and hotels were impacted by the price and availability of Wi-Fi.

The Expedia report, which included surveys of more than 8,800 employed adults in 25 countries, found that 76 percent of travelers believe their smartphones to be either very important or critical to their daily lives. Seventy percent said the same about their laptops. The study also found that 35 percent of travelers use their smartphones more when they are on a trip than they do at home. In fact, 30 percent of respondents reported carrying some type of device to recharge their smartphones while on the go when traveling so they don't have to wait until they're back in the hotel to plug in. 

"For business trips, mobile devices are already a requirement for most travelers, and mobile usage trends are still increasing," said Rob Greyber, president of Expedia's business travel brand, Egencia. "This is because mobile devices and enabling-apps make corporate travel smoother and more productive."

As travelers – especially those on business – rely more heavily on their mobile devices, access to reliable Wi-Fi is becoming increasingly important. Hotels with good Internet connections are being singled-out and earning a better reputation among guests than accommodations without decent Wi-Fi. Hotels looking to gain an advantage over their competition would be remiss not to take a hard look at their Wi-Fi offerings and make necessary upgrades to provide improved latency, resiliency and speed.