An Introduction to Cloud Computing
Monday, June 14, 8:30 am – 11:45 am
Are you an IT professional or a business leader who wants to understand what cloud computing can do for your company? This half-day workshop will provide you with a comprehensive overview of the foundational elements of the cloud environment from both a business and technical perspective. Led by Judith Hurwitz, Marcia Kaufman, and Fern Halper, all authors of the best-selling book, Cloud Computing for Dummies, this workshop will define the many terms and concepts that are fundamental to developing an understanding of cloud computing. In addition, you will learn about the economics of public and private cloud environments as well as management, governance and security in the cloud. You will also learn how to get started with the development of a cloud services strategy that works for your company.
The workshop will include the following sessions:
Session I: What is cloud computing and how do you plan for it?
This session will define the key concepts in cloud computing such as multi-tenancy, elasticity, self-service provisioning and deprovisioning, billing, metering, standardized interfaces, and virtualization. We will examine virtualization as a core requirement of the cloud and discuss the importance of characteristics such as partitioning, isolation, and encapsulation. This session will introduce the key delivery models for cloud services and examine the business value of each. This session will use vendor and end-use customer examples to examine cloud delivery models in detail: Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service, and Software as a Service.
Session II. The Economics of the Highly Scaled Data Center
This session will define the characteristics of a cloud data center and describe how it differs from a traditional data center. This analysis will include a look at the cost structures of traditional versus cloud data centers. In addition, we will define the types and characteristics of workloads and review issues surrounding the management of data in a cloud environment.
Session III. Cloud Management Options: Private, Public, and Hybrid Environments
This session will define private clouds and examine the evolving strategies of companies that are implementing private clouds in combination with public cloud services. All cloud computing environments (public, private, and hybrid) need to be well managed to deliver the benefits you expect. This session will provide an overview of cloud security and cloud governance issues. In addition, this session will help you understand the complexities involved in managing cloud environments, particularly if you find your company working with a combination of private clouds and several different public cloud providers.
Instructor - Marcia Kaufman, Analyst, Hurwitz & Associates
Marcia Kaufman, a founding Partner of Hurwitz & Associates, has more than 20 years of experience in business strategy, industry research, service oriented architecture, software quality, information management, and analytics. In addition to publishing a regular technology blog, Marcia has written extensively on SOA, information management, and the business value of information technology. Marcia has worked within the financial services, manufacturing, and services industries. During her tenure at Data Resources Inc. (DRI) she developed sophisticated industry models and forecasts. She holds an AB from Connecticut College in mathematics and economics and an MBA from Boston University.
Marcia is a co-author of Service Oriented Architecture For Dummies, 2nd Edition (Wiley Publishing 2009), Service Management For Dummies (Wiley Publishing 2009), Cloud Computing For Dummies (Wiley Publishing 2009) and Information on Demand For Dummies (Wiley Publishing 2008).
Instructor - Judith Hurwitz, President, Hurwitz & Associates LLC
Judith S. Hurwitz is President and CEO of Hurwitz & Associates, Inc., a strategy consulting and research firm focused on distributed computing technologies. A pioneer in anticipating technology innovation and adoption, Judith advocates for a pragmatic adoption of an architectural and business approach to the emerging market for cloud computing, service orientation, and service management. She has served as a trusted advisor to many industry leaders over the years. Judith has helped these companies make the transition to a new business model focused on the business value of emerging platforms. Prior to founding Hurwitz & Associates in 2002, Judith was a co-founder of CycleBridge, a consulting firm focused on life sciences software. In 1992, Judith was the founder of Hurwitz Group. She also served as a senior information technology consultant at John Hancock and Apollo Computer.
