Executive's Guide to Cloud Computing

Praise for Executive's Guide to Cloud Computing

"A very timely and invaluable resource for CIOs, CTOs, and enterprise architects . . . extremely relevant information that will serve readers well now and far into the future." -Bob Flores, President and CEO Applicology Inc.; former CTO, Central Intelligence Agency

"The authors have done a great job in explaining the cloud concepts. They give historical and technical background to show that cloud computing is really an evolution of numerous technologies and business strategies. It is the combination of these that enables cloud and these new business strategies to happen. This makes the fuzziness of the concept come into focus. The 'technical' chapters show the CIO and technical architect a model for building your own strategy within the business and a path from concept to deployment with governance and business models thrown in. Darn, I keep hoping for 'the answer.' Now my questions can dig into the real value for our enterprise and a strategy for moving forward. Great book!" -Dave Ploch, CIO, Novus International

"'Executive's Guide' is not a code-phrase for an introductory text, but a comprehensive guide for the CIO, IT decision-maker, or project leader. The authors, both entrepreneurs and pioneers in the field, speak from substantial real-world project experience. They introduce the topic and related technologies, highlight cloud drivers and strategy, address relationships to existing initiatives such as Service-Oriented Architectures, detail project phases in the implementation of and evolution to cloud-based enterprise architectures, and offer many reasoned insights along the way." -Joe Weinman, Strategy and Business Development, AT&T Business Solutions

"Executive's Guide to Cloud Computing is a crystal ball into the future of business. Not a technical treatise but an insightful explanation of how cloud computing can quickly deliver real business value. This book is an instruction manual on how to win business in this 'born on the Web' world." -Kevin L. Jackson, Engineering Fellow, NJVC, and author of Cloud Musings (kevinljackson.blogspot.com)

"There's cloud computing for dummies and cloud computing for rocket scientists. This book is for the rest of us. Great book!" -John Willis, VP of Services, Opscode, Inc. / JohnMWillis.com, co-host Redmonk's IT Management Guys podcast

The first widely-accessible guide to cloud computing-for business leaders and more

What is cloud computing? Is it real, or just another marketing phenomena that you should simply let run its course? These questions and more are on the minds-or should be on the minds-of senior executives and leaders at a wide range of organizations around the world.

As with any other area in which there is rapid innovation, cloud computing can seem to be nothing more than one big, jumbled, confusing tangle of ideas and opinions. Executive's Guide to Cloud Computing demystifies cloud computing and offers basic understanding and clear guidance about its realities: what it is exactly and how you can use it optimally to your organization's greatest advantage.

Here, you'll find out:

• Why you should care about cloud computing
• How to create an adoption model for the enterprise, with special comments for the startup
• Where to begin with cloud computing
• Why inevitability is . . . inevitable
• How to create cloud-enabled applications that work equally well on both private or public clouds
• Why you will re-think everything about data-the crucial currency of the new economy-in order to succeed

Complete with practical steps for planning, executing, and measuring incorporation of cloud computing in a wide variety of organizations, Executive's Guide to Cloud Computing explores why cloud computing is happening, why it will happen, and consequently, why it is well worth understanding.

Eric A. Marks is President and CEO of AgilePath Corporation, a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and Web services solutions firm. He is focused on driving executive insight, strategy, and planning, and business execution of Web services and SOA. A software and technology services veteran with seventeen years of experience with firms including PricewaterhouseCoopers, Cambridge Technology Partners, Novell, Electronic Data Systems, StreamServe, Ontos, and Square D Company/Schneider Electric, he serves on the Advisory Board of Directors for LogicLibrary, the leading software asset reuse firm, and lectures at Syracuse University's nationally recognized School of Information Studies. He is a regular columnist for Computerworld online, Managing Automation magazine, and the industry portal www.SearchWebServices.com.

Roberto (Bob) Lozano is chief strategist and founder of Appistry, Inc., a leading provider of cloud application platforms. An experienced entrepreneur with a history of building successful companies, Lozano founded and led PaylinX, a leader in the payment solutions market. He has also held management and technology positions with Southwestern Bell (now AT&T), Monsanto, and Sandia National Laboratories, has lectured on artificial intelligence as an adjunct faculty member at Washington University in St. Louis, and also founded Intelligent Computer Systems. He is a frequent speaker around the industry and blogs at www.thoughtsoncomputing.com.