IBM leads a joint research initiative with 15 European partners to develop a standard smart cloud storage architecture. 

The research tackles storage clouds' major challenges-- cost-effectiveness, data mobility, security guarantees and computing power demands. 

The consortium partners include standards bodies, media companies, telecommunications companies, healthcare companies, academic institutions and more.  

An EU grant worth €15.7 million funds the project dubbed "Vision Cloud-- Virtualised Storage Services for the Future Internet". 

Vision Cloud Read more...

Softec launches its Altair fleet management software as a cloud-based service. 

The SaaS allows corporations or inviduals to view, manage and optimise the use of any type of vehicle in real time through internet browser. 

It comes in 2 versions-- Altair Sky (for private aviation, air cargo and charter companies) and Altair Ground (for ground and sea transporation companies).

The system is scaleable as one requires.

Being SaaS, the service only requires a monthly fee. It comes in 2 modules-- Live tracking and Fleet management. 

The company also offers Read more...

Microsoft Office 365 combines Office, Sharepoint, Exchange and Lynch in a cloud service that works with most browsers, smartphones and desktop applications. 

Microsoft offers 2 versions-- one for small businesses, professionals and companies with fewer than 25 employees and an enterprises version for midsize/large businesses and government organisations. 

Office 365 for enterprises also includes an option to get Office Professional Plus desktop software on a pay as you go basis for the first time. 

In 2011 Office 365 will also include Microsoft Dynamics Read more...

Forrester Research reports 12-15% of IT channel companies will wash out of the market in the next 5 years. The reason? Failure to adapt to the new era of cloud computing.

A Forrester researcher blog entry shows results from a recent channel company survey.

These results show: there is confusion amongst channel partners over their role in the cloud services value chain; they are not simply waiting for tech vendors to tell them what to do; but they need a lot of help to transform their business models for the cloud computing era.

Not all channel Read more...