By Ellen Pearlman

Every time some technology breakthrough comes along there is much excitement in some quarters about the promised benefits and much criticism in others about the potential risks. Usually those shouting the loudest are either those hyping the enormous cost savings and leaps forward in speed and agility from this technology or those decrying the loss of security that comes with its deployment. So how are companies today responding to one of the latest tech buzzwords: cloud computing?

A review of recent literature on the topic yields an array of opinions and advice. Many point out that cloud computing is not new, it is based on utility computing and software as a service (SaaS), but all agree that it has suddenly become very popular. One factor in its recent appeal is that the amount of content in the cloud that consumers and corporate users can take advantage of has grown to a critical mass. So perhaps the tipping point for cloud computing is here. To help simplify your efforts in sorting this all out, here are some of the articles, events, reports and books about cloud computing that can shed light on the topic and be of assistance to you as you consider your organization’s strategy.

Blog: "Schneier on Security," a blog by security expert Bruce Schneier. His June 4, 2009 entry on Cloud Computing is about trust.

Book: Dot Cloud: The 21st Century Business Platform Built on Cloud Computing by Peter Fingar, paperback published by Meghan-Kiffer Press, February 2009. A business book by strategy expert and former CIO, Peter Fingar, who explains the main ideas of Cloud Computing in lay terms and how it will transform business.

BusinessWeek: "How Cloud Computing Will Change Business: A Special Report," June 4, 2009.

CIOZone: "Hyper-Risks in the Hyper-Extended Enterprise" by Laton McCartney, June 11, 2009. RSA, the Security Division of EMC just released several research reports that examine the far-reaching security implications of promising technologies, such as cloud computing, and explore the pivotal business risks and rewards they represent to organizations worldwide.

CIOZone: Interview with Nicholas Carr on his recent book The Big Switch and the coming transition to cloud computing.

CIOZone: "Lightning Strikes Amazon Cloud." A lightning strike brings down Amazon’s cloud service for several hours.

Cloud Computing Journal: a media site that aims to inform Enterprise IT professionals about the economics and strategies that utility/cloud computing provides. It includes news, analysis, blogs, conferences, webcasts and whitepapers.

CNET News: "Ray Ozzie on the Cloud, Vista Lessons, and More" by Ina Fried, May 20, 2009.

CNET News: "The Cloud Conversation is Changing" by James Urquhart, June 6, 2009. The cloud conversation is moving from "what is it?" to "how would I use it for my business or institution?"

Event: 4th International Cloud Computing Conference & Expo, Santa Clara, CA, November 2 – 4, 2009. The theme is achieving the strategic value of Cloud Computing while delivering real business value.

Event: Reporter’s Notes from the Under the Radar Cloud Computer Conference by Rafe Needleman, April 24, 2009. What was on the minds of CIOs at the Radar Cloud event? Some were concerned about the costs, security and their inability to stop employees from bringing it into their organizations.

IT Foresight: "The Cloud is Ready for You: Are You Ready For the Cloud? By Booz & Co. analysts Stefan Stroh, Olaf Acker and Aneesh Kumar, 2009. The virtues of cloud computing are many but so are the risks, especially for large enterprises. But it should be on every CIO’s radar.

McKinsey & Co. Report: Clearing the Air on Cloud Computing. McKinsey analysts discuss who should consider shifting IT work to the cloud. Cost estimates and the conclusions they reached caused a lot of dissenting opinions. Here are two different viewpoints:

• Amy Wohl: "McKinsey got it wrong: Cloud Computing is for Enterprises," May 27, 2009.


• WebSphere Journal: "McKinsey & Co - Clearing the Air on Cloud Computing" by Reuven Cohen, April 18, 2009.

New York Times: "I.B.M. to Help Clients Fight Cost and Complexity" by Steve Lohr, June 14, 2009. I.B.M. is introducing some products and services and a roadmap for its corporate and government customers to comfortably embrace cloud computing.

Pew Report: "Use of Cloud Computing Applications and Services" by John Horrigan, published Sep 12, 2008. How online Americans are making use of cloud-type applications and services.

World Privacy Forum Report: "Privacy in the Clouds: Risks to Privacy and Confidentiality from Cloud Computing" by Robert Gellman, released February 23, 2009. This report frames and analyzes the issues of privacy and confidentiality in the cloud-computing environment.

ZDNet News: "The Five Defining Characteristics of Cloud Computing" by Dave Malcolm Surgient, April 9, 2009.

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