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Business Process Transformation in the Cloud

By Dennis McCafferty on 2010-12-10


Cloud computing is the technology innovation du jour . Yet, this much-hyped storage and application delivery solution remains cloaked in mystery for many executives, particularly those on the business side of their organizations. Likewise, as CIO you likely understand the technology of cloud computing, but are you fully aware of the business process transformation that cloud technology can drive? Author Peter Fingar demystifies the cloud in his book, "Dot.Cloud: The 21st Century Business Platform" (Meghan-Kiffer/Available now). In the book, Fingar traces the origins of cloud computing and explains in practical fashion how it can be applied to day-to-day business operations. The cloud has democratized the process of computing for the masses, Fingar writes, and these masses are now gaining great influence in how technology is delivered. CIOs who grasp these and other key cloud concepts will have a great advantage over those who do not. Fingar is a business-strategy expert and former CIO. Here are 10 fundamental truths about the cloud from Fingar's book.

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Crisis seeds game-changing innovation.It was during the recent Great Recession that IBM, Google, Amazon, Microsoft and other players came up with this business-computing platform called “the cloud.”

The cloud isn't really a new Internet thing.It's the way the Internet was always intended to be – an endless infrastructure made up of networks of networks of computers.

Even the phrase “cloud computing” is old.NetCentric tried to trademark the term in 1997, then abandoned it.

Translating the cloud into "geekspeak."You may know it as grid computing, SaaS, or peer-to-peer computing.

Explaining the cloud without jargon.It's about using the Internet to access hardware, software and data resources when you need it – not when the IT department decides to provide it.

Translating the cloud into "business-speak."It makes it possible to create entirely new business-operations platforms to collaborate and change strategies with customers, suppliers and partners in ways never-before conceived.

It's all about context.The business-operations platform in the cloud brings understanding of context to a user's virtual experience. It understands time of day, geographic location, weather, where a user is heading and whether business associates and/or friends will be nearby.

No room for traditional hierarchies.The “one-to-many” concept of connectivity is no longer relevant. It's about “many-to-many” connections – linking organizations to customers, partners, the public.

Customer relationships.The cloud will bring organizations so close to customers, you'll no longer be discovering their needs. Instead, you'll be accurately anticipating those needs, and innovating to successfully deliver.

Crowd sourcing rules.For HR purposes alone, the cloud's crowd-sourcing capability will result in significant cost-savings for talent recruitment, retention.

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