Businesses are in the dark on cloud costs and usage


Whilst there are increasing levels of trust in running critical applications in the public cloud, many organizations struggle when it comes to providing details of their cloud costs and consumption.
This is according to a survey for analytics specialist Cloud Cruiser, carried out by Dimensional Research, which interviewed almost 350 IT professionals who attended the Amazon Web Services re:Invent shows in 2014 and 2015.
Microsoft releases new Office 365 SMB plans


After announcing the subscription-based service in 2014, Microsoft has now made available three new Office 365 small/mid-size business plans to its existing business customers.
The three plans -- Office 365 Business Essentials, Office 365 Business and Office 365 Business Premium -- are replacing the current Office 365 Small Business, Small Business Premium and Midsize Business plans.
Share files using public cloud and you might get fired


"You’re fired!" is a line we only really expect to hear from Alan Sugar these days, and even then, only for entertainment. Yet recent research reveals that file sync and share challenges could be putting UK employees at risk of hearing these words, or at the very least, of receiving a written warning.
It’s a familiar situation for most employees working in office environments -- you have some urgent files that need to be sent to a customer or partner on a tight deadline. The files are too big to be emailed and the person administrating the FTP-Server is, of course, on holiday. Being a hands-on, solution-oriented employee who is well versed with modern technology, you decide to share the files through a cloud-based file sharing solution like Dropbox or Box. With the job done and the customer happy, you might be expecting a pat on the back as a reward not a written warning, or even worse, a letter of termination, but that is the hidden reality for most UK employees.
New solution helps enterprises manage web applications


The shift towards the cloud means that running applications is now often done in a browser. While this is convenient for the end user it can make life difficult for IT departments who need to know what's being used and where.
To address this browser management company Browsium, is releasing a new web application inventory and analytics solution for enterprises.
Barbie says hello to more security flaws


Hot on the heels of last Friday's news of the potential of the Wi-Fi enabled Hello Barbie doll to be hacked, new research has uncovered security issues with the mobile app associated with the doll and with its connections to cloud servers.
Application security specialist Bluebox working with independent researcher Andrew Hay has revealed that the app can be modified to reveal confidential information including passwords.
Accidental DDoS takes down Google's European cloud

Security is a major concern for cloud migrations


When it comes to migrating to the cloud, 65 percent of companies are concerned with security, a new survey by Netwrix has unveiled.
Moreover, 40 percent worry about the loss of physical control over data in the cloud. In particular, 69 percent of companies fear migration will increase the risk of unauthorized access, while 43 percent worry about account hijacking.
Technology terror: How ad-blocking technology steals ad dollars and video views


Freddy Krueger. Jason Voorhees. Michael Myers. Ad Blocking Technology. If you’ve watched a horror movie in the past 20 years, you’ve no doubt heard of those first three gruesome monsters. The last term may not be as familiar to you, but it is becoming a boogeyman of sorts for streaming video -- both for those who create and provide it as well as those who consume it.
Ad-blocking software and technology has become a very serious concern for programers, video creators, and publishers in 2015. Before the year is over, an estimated $3 billion dollars in video ad payload will be lost by publishers because of ad-blocking technology. Some premium video authors estimate that as much as one third of their video content isn’t reaching their streaming audiences at all. It may not be an epidemic yet, but there clearly is a trend, as ad-supported video businesses are being challenged as consumers install ad blockers at an increasing rate, especially on their mobile devices where they engage with video the most.
The benefits of disaster recovery in the cloud


As more systems are moving to the cloud it's leading to an evolution in requirements for disaster recovery.
Irish IT solutions company ERS Computer Solutions has produced an infographic looking at how companies can benefit from disaster recovery in the cloud.
SAP's customers are tired of hearing buzzwords


SAP customers are growing tired of vendor buzzwords and hype, desiring more practical advice on digital products, according to a recent survey.
Research conducted by the UK & Ireland SAP User Group found that 80 percent of respondents were skeptical of terms such as "digitalization" and "digital transformation". Fifty-eight percent of SAP customers also believe that vendors over-hype their terminology.
How cloud strategies differ between Microsoft and Google software sellers


Google Apps for Work and Microsoft Office 365 are the two big beasts stalking the cloud software world, but there are differences in approach between independent software vendors (ISVs) for the two.
This summer the Cloud Technology Alliance surveyed 39 independent software vendors (ISVs) and channel partners about their market strategies for their cloud solutions in both Google and Microsoft environments.
Microsoft and ConsenSys will offer blockchain technology to financial institutions


Microsoft has partnered up with Brooklyn-based blockchain start-up ConsenSys to bring the technology to financial institutions.
Blockchain is the technology that underpins Bitcoin. It is essentially a vast, decentralized ledger that registers every transaction anonymously, and because the ledger is public, it makes blockchain tamper-proof and ideal for financial clients.
What can businesses do after Safe Harbor's dismissal?


October 6 was quite an interesting day for consumer privacy. After 15 years in place, the Safe Harbor agreement was declared invalid by Europe’s highest court, the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Driven by data localization trends and consumer privacy concerns in the wake of the "Snowden Effect", the ruling empowers each country in the European Union to set its own consumer privacy rules and regulations. The court’s decision has complicated implications for U.S. organizations conducting business overseas. In light of Safe Harbor’s invalidation, can international businesses continue to operate as usual?
Moving legacy apps to the cloud: Why and how you should do it


With shrinking IT budgets it is crucial that businesses ensure they are spending their IT budget wisely. As a result, organizations are already taking advantage of the economies of scale that cloud computing offers.
However, despite the benefits being clear, businesses still have applications running on legacy environments. Moving legacy applications to the cloud is one way to reduce operating costs and relieve staff from managing tasks that are better served in the cloud, freeing them to focus on tasks that contribute to business growth.
Twistlock strengthens container security for enterprises on Google Cloud


More and more businesses are adopting a container strategy but this leads to problems for operations and security staff seeking to maintain control and visibility.
Container security specialist Twistlock released its Container Security Suite in beta back in May and has now announced general availability of the product along with its participation in the Google Cloud Platform partner program.
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