Google apps cloud computing, discussing server virtualization, identifying applications for the cloud.

1. E-Guide
How to identify which applications
are right for public cloud
computing
The benefits of server virtualization are proven by now, but the fact is,
many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) haven’t been able to
realize the benefits due to cost restraints. But the emergence of public
cloud computing has helped SMBs take advantage of virtualization’s
efficiencies. In this e-guide from SearchCloudComputing.com, gain
expert insight into how public cloud computing benefits businesses of
all sizes. Discover how to identify which applications are good
candidates for cloud computing and which are not. And find out about
alternatives to adopting a full public or private cloud computing
strategy.
Sponsored By:

2. SearchCloudComputing.com E-Guide
How to identify which applications are right for public cloud computing
Sponsored By: Page 2 of 8
E-Guide
How to identify which applications
are right for public cloud computing
Table of Contents
Public cloud computing levels the playing field
Identifying applications for public and private clouds
Resources from Google Apps

3. SearchCloudComputing.com E-Guide
How to identify which applications are right for public cloud computing
Sponsored By: Page 3 of 8
Public cloud computing levels the playing field
By Mark Vaughn
New technology terms and marketing lingo are always popping up, and the cloud computing
market is one of the biggest offenders.
The onslaught of such terms as IT as a Service, Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a
Service and Software as a Service has led to a rush on buzzword bingo cards. As much as I
hate to add to the chaos, I am proposing my own new term: Cloud as an Equalizer. CaaE,
as I like to call it, is not a technology, but rather a statement about technology.
Leveling the playing field
We always talk about the proven benefits of server virtualization, but the fact is, many small
and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) haven't been able to realize these benefits because of
cost restraints, the complexity of the technology or a lack of staff to support the virtual
infrastructure.
The emergence of cloud computing (particularly public cloud) has helped SMBs take
advantage of virtualization's efficiencies. And these efficiencies have created new
opportunities previously afforded to only the largest and most complex organizations --
hence, Cloud as an Equalizer.
One of the equalizing features of public cloud computing is agility. Cloud computing allows
more organizations to respond to real-time market conditions and bring services to market
in record time. This agility can allow even the smallest of companies to be the catalyst for a
tipping point in their markets, putting them in the right place at the right time.
A word of caution, however: Being in the right place at the right time is good only if you can
take advantage of the opportunity. Growing too fast can be even more damaging than
growing too slow. If you hit the right niche at the right time, you can quickly outgrow your
capacity to deliver and destroy your business before it ever gets off the ground.

4. SearchCloudComputing.com E-Guide
How to identify which applications are right for public cloud computing
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Luckily, another equalizing attribute of public cloud computing is elasticity. The ability to
quickly scale your services to meet fluctuations in demand can help you ride the wave of
being first to market, then allow you to scale back and control costs as that initial demands
levels out.
In the old days of virtualization, before public cloud computing, agility was an expensive
luxury that few could afford, and elasticity simply did not exist. If you wanted to handle a
high volume, you signed a three-year commitment to that capacity. Matching capacity to
demand was a difficult balancing act. It led to the downfall of many SMBs and gave an
advantage to larger shops that could more easily adjust to changing capacity requirements.
Now public cloud computing has presented SMBs with the chance to level the playing field
and compete in the major leagues. SMBs can use the cloud to respond quickly, grow on
demand and shed resources when they are no longer needed.
Enterprises had better take notice. Tomorrow's competition may just as easily come from
the startup on Main Street as from the corporate competitors they are accustomed to
battling.

5. SearchCloudComputing.com E-Guide
How to identify which applications are right for public cloud computing
Sponsored By: Page 5 of 8
Identifying applications for public and private
clouds
By Tom Nolle, Contributor
Enterprises are unanimous in agreeing that they are not likely to outsource all, or even a
majority, of their applications to public cloud computing. They are also largely in agreement
that not every application or every enterprise would be a fit for private cloud computing.
Cloud computing is all about efficient use of resources, principally, managing capital and
technology support costs. Finding where resource efficiency could be low is the key to
finding cloud computing applications.
Good candidates for the cloud:
• Applications that are used by a group of mobile workers to manage their time and
activity, and that contribute only limited information to the company's broad
management information databases. Sales support and field service support
applications are good examples of this.
• Applications that require system hardware or software not normally used by your
company's IT operations. An example would be a Linux application in a Windows
shop.
• Applications that are run infrequently but require significant computing resources
when run. The cost of sustaining the excess internal IT capacity for these
applications can be significant. This is particularly true if the applications must be run
ad hoc, and thus could collide with normal IT schedules.
• Applications that are run in a time zone different from that where your company's IT
personnel are located, depending on how much usage is offset with your support
staff. Here, cloud-sourcing may be a better alternative than starting your own multi-
shift support operations.

6. SearchCloudComputing.com E-Guide
How to identify which applications are right for public cloud computing
Sponsored By: Page 6 of 8
• Major changes in company IT use, created by M&A, business changes, etc. can
benefit from public cloud computing during the period of IT transition. The cloud is a
good framework for testing and prototyping application changes, even if the final
applications will be run on your own infrastructure.
• If your company is planning on outsourcing web hosting and Internet-hosted
customer or employee services, the back-end server portion of these applications are
good candidates for public cloud computing implementation.
• Companies who have distributed server locations and data centers to support a set
of applications used throughout the company. By creating a larger resource pool, you
may be able to make more efficient use of servers and storage, lowering equipment
costs, and also support your IT investment more efficiently. The more server
complexes your company uses, the more it stands to gain from private cloud
computing.
• Companies who want to have backup for critical applications are good candidates for
both public and private cloud computing. By creating a cloud-friendly internal IT
structure, you'll find it easier and more efficient to outsource applications to the
cloud if internal systems fail or are overloaded.
Obviously, the more of the above factors apply to a given application, the more likely it is
that the application is a candidate for the cloud. There are other factors that can make cloud
computing use more problematic, though.
Bad candidates for the cloud:
• Applications that involve extremely sensitive data, particularly where there is a
regulatory or legal risk involved in any disclosure, will require special treatment if
they are to be run on a public cloud. It is smart to get a legal opinion before
committing any applications of this type to public cloud computing.
• Applications now being run on the company's private network and that are very
performance-sensitive may create user experience issues if they're run on a public
cloud. It is normally more difficult to control network performance for public cloud
services.

7. SearchCloudComputing.com E-Guide
How to identify which applications are right for public cloud computing
Sponsored By: Page 7 of 8
• Applications that require access to a very large database may be difficult to run on a
public cloud. Loading the database onto the cloud may be costly and also create data
harmonization problems with internal uses of the data, and accessing the data from
the cloud is very likely to create performance problems.
Even where cloud computing is a viable choice, there may be better ones available. In many
cases, it will be possible to use software-as-a-service (SaaS) instead of public cloud
computing services. Sales and support applications (CRM, in particular) are popular in SaaS
form, and SaaS eliminates application management and support costs that are almost
always a part of even public cloud computing services. Personal productivity tools like
"office suites" can also be obtained online from many sources, and even unified
communications and collaboration tools are available as hosted services.
Experienced enterprise planners know that cloud computing, like most trends and new
concepts in the industry, has tended to be over-publicized. That can create unrealistic
expectations and disappointing results from early implementations. The best way to prevent
this is to have a realistic plan for cloud computing adoption, one that assures the
applications being targeted are the ones with the best potential for generating benefits.

8. SearchCloudComputing.com E-Guide
How to identify which applications are right for public cloud computing
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Resources from Google Apps
Should Your Email Live In The Cloud? A Comparative Cost Analysis
Cloud Computing - Latest Buzzword or a Glimpse of the Future?
Cloud Computing - What is its Potential Value for Your Company?
About Google Apps
Google email security and archiving services, powered by Postini, enable organizations to
make their existing email infrastructure more secure, compliant, and productive. The
services protect against spam and messaging threats as well as provide content filtering and
encryption for email. The archiving service stores email messages in a central archive with
search capabilities to locate messages quickly. As a service, there is nothing to install or
maintain, so organizations can simplify their IT architecture and lower costs.