Cloud security is an important issue today as many businesses concern that sensitive information may be leaked via ineffective cloud usage policies among cloud users in a company and a compromised security moving data from one data center to another in the cloud. Focusing on the latter, this week in the cloud highlights the effort to make cloud computing more secure for businesses.
As reported by eWeek.com, Gazzang is one of the cloud businesses pursuing to make the cloud more secure by launching a product, ezNcrypt, MySQL database encryption software. MySQL – runs with PHP programming language – is the most widely used database in the cloud today; making it more secure is only logical. Gazzang’s longer term aim: Making ezNcrypt an enterprise cloud solutions.
Data encryption is on demand today, and there will be other companies offering such cloud security solutions, such as Trend Micro, Venafi and EMC. This competition will only benefit both personal and enterprise cloudsters.
Coming up – here are some other worth-noted developments in cloud computing for business:
Clear Channel Radio acquires Thumbplay, a cloud-based music business
Clear Channel Radio bets on the cloud with its acquisition of Thumbplay, a cloud music business, for US$41 million. Thumbplay only has 20,000 subscribers – each paying US$10 a month, totaling $200,000 a month business. That would be 17 years on ROI calculation – is it well worth it? Is the goodwill value of Thumbplay is that huge? I wonder – are we approaching the cloud bubble burst just like the eCommerce bubble burst entering the new millennium?
Cloud storage important for businesses using mobile devices
Mobile cloud computing is booming. Mobile devices – smartphones, tablet PCs, etc. – allow users to access data and information from anywhere. Cloud computing is making the whole process more effective and efficient, by leveraging resources to be delivered from the nearest location of the users. Adding cloud storage into the equation can relieve some technical and financial burdens of companies adopting mobile devices and technologies.
Fujitsu plugs Australia local cloud into global cloud
Outside Japan, Australia will be the first country to link Fujitsu’s local cloud services into the company’s growing global cloud. The move is an initial effort to achieve Fujitsu’s plan to connect its data centers in different geo-locations – Singapore, United Kingdom, United States and Germany – by the end of 2011, which allows Fujitsu to offer commoditized cloud services to customers worldwide.
