Executive S Guide To Cloud Computing

Your organization can save and thrive in the cloud with this first non-technical guide to cloud computing for business leaders In less than a decade Google, Amazon, and Salesforce.com went from unknown ideas to powerhouse fixtures in the economic landscape; in even less time offerings such as Linkedin, Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and many others also carved out important roles; in less than five years Apple's iTunes became the largest music retailer in North America. They all share one key strategic decision – each of these organizations chose to harness the power of cloud computing to power their drives to dominance. With roots in supercomputing and many other technical disciplines, cloud computing is ushering in an entirely new economic reality – technology-enabled enterprises built on low cost, flexible, and limitless technical infrastructures. The Executive's Guide to Cloud Computing reveals how you can apply the power of cloud computing throughout your enterprise, giving members of the C-suite a detailed look at: Why cloud computing must be a top priority on your company's IT roadmaps How the drive for scale, lower costs and greater agility is making cloud computing a fiscal and technological imperative The relationship between cloud computing and other relevant IT initiatives The strategic implications of cloud computing for the enterprise Where to begin and how to get started integrating cloud computing into your existing operations Now you can harness cloud computing's potential for your organization. Executive's Guide to Cloud Computing shows you how.

Cloud computing will transform every company, and to an increasing degree, the world in which we live. But today there is no readable, accurate and comprehensive manager's guide. The Manager's Guide to the Cloud captures and explains today's emerging revolution in cloud computing. technology and key related technologies. But most importantly, it highlights the transformative possibilities, if not certainties for people, business, and society. With a focus on the transformational effect of these emerging, if not outright erupting technologies. Detailed in the second will be the what and how's of Serverless computing and Containers, Artificial Intelligence, Infrastructure as Code, Blockchain, Data Services, and overall Business Intelligence. We will explain over the next decade, how these transformative technologies will drive the fourth industrial revolution now in its infancy. This book both educates why and explains how it is both necessary and urgent to leverage the most fundamental change in enterprise technology since the advent of the Internet.

Many cloud computing initiatives flat-out fail; others limp along, functioning tolerably without ever delivering what they promised. An Insider's Guide to Cloud Computing reveals why and shows how to do better. Cloud pioneer and long-time CTO David Linthicum explodes the industry's secrets and presents practical ways to optimize cloud for value and performance. Linthicum takes a hard look at aggressively marketed technologies such as cloud-based AI, containers, no-code, serverless computing, and multicloud. He illuminates what works, what absolutely does not work, and how to manage the difficult cost-complexity tradeoffs presented by many offerings. You'll learn why some workloads and datasets still don't belong on the cloud, and even discover "game changer" technology that has actually been undersold. Linthicum's seen it all: the tricks providers play to make their numbers at customers' expense...realities whispered about in conference rooms and spilled over drinks at conferences...facts and techniques you simply must know to deliver value-optimized solutions. An Insider's Guide to Cloud Computing is for every technical and business decision-maker responsible for evaluating, planning, implementing, operating, or optimizing cloud systems. It offers exceptional value to professionals ranging from solution architects to cloud engineers, CTOs to enterprise consultants, or those just getting started on their cloud computing journey. What cloud providers don't tell you about their storage and compute services Cloud-based artificial intelligence and machine learning: What are you actually paying for? Containers, Kubernetes, and cloud-native development: truth versus hype Multicloud: Which approaches actually save you money? Real-world cloud security: beyond silos, black boxes, and out-of-control complexity Cloud computing, carbon footprints, and sustainability: reality versus fiction The crucial role of talent: how to identify, find, and keep the skills you need How cloud computing is changing—and how to prepare for what's coming

Cloud computing has caused a marketing fog, confusing business executives seeking to understand the technology's potential applications and business benefits. A Quick-Start Guide to Cloud Computing cuts through the industry hype and provides non-technical explanations about what it is and how it can improve your business. With case studies from large and small business, it shows how enabling a remote workforce and sharing resources can reduce your organisation's carbon footprint. It describes: the benefits of cloud computing; how to choose the right supplier and technologies for your particular business; key security issues and the perils and pitfalls to avoid. This Quick Start Guide puts business needs before technology, enabling you to make confident decisions about IT strategy, make the right choices for your business and reject 'solutions' that fix problems you don't have.

The reason I published this book was to fortify business owners and executives with the basic knowledge they need to make a great decision when choosing a Cloud Computing Integrator. I believe a qualified computer consultant can contribute to your business success just like a great marketing consultant, attorney, accountant or financial advisor can. The technology industry is ever changing, and growing at such a rapid pace, that most business owners can't keep up with all the latest whiz-bang gadgets, alphabet soup acronyms, and choices available to them. Plus, many of the “latest and greatest” technological developments have a shelf life of six months before they become obsolete or completely out-of-date. Sorting through this rapidly- moving mess of information to formulate an intelligent plan for growing a business requires a professional who not only understands technology and how it works, but also understands how people and businesses need to work with technology for progress. Unfortunately, the complexity of technology makes it easy for a business owner to fall victim to an incompetent or dishonest computer consultant. When this happens, it creates feelings of mistrust toward all technology consultants and vendors, which makes it difficult for those of us striving to deliver exceptional value and service to our clients.Therefore, my purpose is to not only give you the information you need to find an honest, competent computer consultant, but in doing so, to raise the standards and quality of services for all consultants in my industry. I certainly want your feedback on the ideas in this book. If you choose a Cloud Integrator as I've outlined and they work, please send me your story. If you've had a bad experience, I want to hear those horror stories as well. If you have additional tips and insights that we haven't considered, please share them with me. I might even use them in a future book! Again, the more aware you are of what it takes to find and hire great consultants in every aspect of your business—not just technology—the stronger your business will become. I am truly passionate about building an organization that delivers uncommon service to my clients. I want to help business owners see the true competitive advantages technology can deliver to your business, and not just view it as an expensive necessity and source of problems.

This book takes a pragmatic and hype–free approach to explaining artificial intelligence and how it can be utilised by businesses today. At the core of the book is a framework, developed by the author, which describes in non–technical language the eight core capabilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Each of these capabilities, ranging from image recognition, through natural language processing, to prediction, is explained using real–life examples and how they can be applied in a business environment. It will include interviews with executives who have successfully implemented AI as well as CEOs from AI vendors and consultancies. AI is one of the most talked about technologies in business today. It has the ability to deliver step–change benefits to organisations and enables forward–thinking CEOs to rethink their business models or create completely new businesses. But most of the real value of AI is hidden behind marketing hyperbole, confusing terminology, inflated expectations and dire warnings of ‘robot overlords’. Any business executive that wants to know how to exploit AI in their business today is left confused and frustrated. As an advisor in Artificial Intelligence, Andrew Burgess regularly comes face–to–face with business executives who are struggling to cut through the hype that surrounds AI. The knowledge and experience he has gained in advising them, as well as working as a strategic advisor to AI vendors and consultancies, has provided him with the skills to help business executives understand what AI is and how they can exploit its many benefits. Through the distilled knowledge included in this book business leaders will be able to take full advantage of this most disruptive of technologies and create substantial competitive advantage for their companies.

The Executive’s Strategic Guide to Driving Maximum Business Value from Cloud Services Cloud services represent a fundamental shift in how individuals, enterprises, and governments conduct business, interact, and use technology. If used effectively, they can increase business agility and focus, simplify capacity planning, and strengthen cost control. Unsurprisingly, however, the cloud also presents risks. In this concise, executive level book, leading experts Archie Reed and Stephen G. Bennett share the insights and guidance decision-makers need to drive maximum value from cloud services--and avoid the pitfalls. The authors explain what cloud computing is, how it works, who provides cloud services, and how companies are using them. Next, they walk through the entire cloud lifecycle, offering expert guidance on planning, governance, compliance, security, operations, administration, management, and more. You’ll learn how to: · Assess the opportunities, benefits, and risks of cloud services in your environment · Use the cloud to improve processes, accelerate system/product delivery, or create entirely new products and businesses · Approach the cloud strategically (and learn why you should) · Understand cloud infrastructure, operations, and standards from the decision-maker’s point of view · Build on existing solution architecture, design practices, and SOA investments · Ensure appropriate control, monitoring, compliance, and security · Use IT process standardization to simplify cloud services management · Define a flexible roadmap that enables multiple projects to move forward in parallel, and can change as the marketplace evolves Cover illustration by RapidEye /iStockphoto.com

This book describes the landscape of cloud computing from first principles, leading the reader step-by-step through the process of building and configuring a cloud environment. The book not only considers the technologies for designing and creating cloud computing platforms, but also the business models and frameworks in real-world implementation of cloud platforms. Emphasis is placed on “learning by doing,” and readers are encouraged to experiment with a range of different tools and approaches. Topics and features: includes review questions, hands-on exercises, study activities and discussion topics throughout the text; demonstrates the approaches used to build cloud computing infrastructures; reviews the social, economic, and political aspects of the on-going growth in cloud computing use; discusses legal and security concerns in cloud computing; examines techniques for the appraisal of financial investment into cloud computing; identifies areas for further research within this rapidly-moving field.