Cloud Computing

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Comment by MBUNGYUH TSEYAH James on November 23, 2014 at 2:57pm

I think Google docs are the best. It is what we are using. One good thing i like with cloud is that once in the cloud, you can access you data from any device.

Comment by Shepherd Mulwanda on January 22, 2013 at 1:24pm

Thank you for accepting my request

Comment by Keisha Taylor on September 18, 2012 at 5:31pm

TechSoup Global Releases Results of Global NGO Cloud Survey

TechSoup Global just released the findings from their 2012 Global NGO Cloud Survey. The executive summary (in several languages) and full report (in English) is available online.  The survey was fielded in February and March 2012. It received more than 10,500 respondents in 88 countries and was done in collaboration with 36 partners around the world. The large number of responses enabled TechSoup Global to compare cloud adoption among NGOs by region and also by per capita GDP. Compulsory reading for anyone interested in how civil society organisations around the world are using the Cloud. You can access the report here

Comment by Bill Tomon on August 10, 2011 at 1:58am

Amazon Cloud Outage: What Can Be Learned?

http://informationweek.com/news/cloud-computing/infrastructure/2313...

Comment by Mwende Njiraini on July 25, 2011 at 10:53pm

Cloud computing is said to present numerous advantages including reduced capital costs associated with IT resources and equipment as well as flexibility - the ability to scale up or down IT applications, platform or infrastructure on demand. 

 

Cloud computing services such as Communications-as-a-Service (CaaS) support the “dematerialization” - the replacement of atoms with bits - potentially reduce carbon emissions hence promoting sustainable consumption and development by using telecommunication services such as tele- and video-conferencing.  In addition services such as e-Government, e-Commerce, e-Learning hosted on public, private, community or hybrid clouds, optimize processes and products as regards their material and energy efficiency.

 

On the flip side cloud computing is causing concern in developed countries over the potential negative impacts on the environment.  Green Peace, an environment protection and conservation advocacy group has argued that the growing demand for data centers and telecommunication networks, the two key components of the ‘cloud’, energy consumption associated to powering equipment and cooling buildings, will triple by 2020 to about 1,963 billion kilowatt hours of electricity. 

 

Apart from energy, other cloud computing resource demands are floor space of the data centers and broadband access to support ‘bandwidth-hungry’ applications, result in negative impact to the environment.  For example, the global ICT sector industry contributes to around 2 - 2.5% of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions.  Other negative environmental impacts include destruction of natural habitats due to creation of new ICT structures such as submarine and underground fibre optic cables, e-waste and destruction of scenic landscapes.

 

Despite these potential negative environmental impacts, the increased demand for cloud computing services presents development opportunities for developing countries which though limited by finances and technical skills to run cloud computing services, could offer ‘residences’ for cloud computing providers. 

 

The ‘cloud residency’ proposition for developing countries is supported by the exponential growth in terrestrial and international broadband connectivity, availability of large reserves of ‘green’ energy to support the need for constant supply of electricity and relatively affordable land for data centers.

 

The availability of these key ‘cloud’ components has the potential to generate tremendous economic value for developing countries particularly Kenya, where broadband, ‘green’ energy and land use for economic development are supported by favourable Government policies.  Cloud computing ‘residency’ could support governments’ diversification of economic growth areas and contribute to national development.

 

To take advantage of this potential growth area, challenges do exist, in particular, balancing public and private demand for energy and land resources.  Another challenge is presented by the cross-jurisdictional nature of the internet, as content that may be illegal in one country could resident in data centers hosted in Kenya.  Fortunately, in light of increasing cyber threats, governments’ could take advantage of global recognition of the need for international legislation to resolve this challenge.  In the interim however enactment Privacy and Data protection legislation is paramount.

Comment by Sonigitu Ekpe-Aji on July 21, 2011 at 8:55pm

Cloud computing makes you more efficient. It makes you more responsive. And it saves you money.

Comment by Virginia (Ginger) Paque on June 28, 2011 at 6:35pm

28 June 2011 Last updated at 12:11 GMT Microsoft launches Office in the cloud!!!  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13943437

 

Would you pay to use Office online? What do you think? cheers, gp

The web-based versions aim to make collaborative working much easier

Microsoft is launching a cloud-based version of its Office software suite.

Called Office 365 the service puts the familiar e-mail, word processing, spreadsheet and collaboration programs on the web.

Microsoft said the programs will be accessible via desktops, laptops and tablets plus Microsoft, RIM, Apple and Android smartphones.

The launch is aimed squarely at Google and others who already offer web-based business software. 

Comment by Ljubisa Gavrilovic on June 15, 2011 at 2:46pm

I am not sure how well you are informed about Chromebooks a successor idea to net-books. Idea behind Chrome-book is virtually no operating system to take care off on your "laptop". Fast boot, wifi and 3g connectivity, light-weighted and fully virtual-cloud concept = always on the net.  Is it worth spending $ on it? Still in waters of uncertainty.

Productive?

Read this: http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/google-in-the-enterprise/your-ques...
IMHO this is excellent development for "rentals" especially on conventions and conferences. If you do not wish to travel with your laptop and you do not mind having all or travel selection of your info on the cloud this could be interesting solution and competitor to "kiosk" systems. I would just rise question how secure local copies of the data will be on these machines.

Comment by Ljubisa Gavrilovic on June 15, 2011 at 12:31pm

Security issues of cloud are popping out. How closely can you monitor issues that intrinsically on the internet can change at any time?

Author of this article has asked how convenience of cloud can be questioned from security side: http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/security/dropbox-convenient-absolu...

Service in question is somewhat popular file exchange system called DropBox. For ones that has not stepped on it earlier, DropBox is system that allows you to syncronize files between your computers (if you have more than one), and with your peers providing that they use the service. Apart from using web browser to perform upload/download operations, dropbox has installable clients that transfer files from specified folders "in the background" which makes it extremely convenient for exchanging large files that may have difficulty sending by email and other file transfer methods.

Comment by Deirdre Williams on May 21, 2011 at 5:24pm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13451990
This article was on the BBC this morning. I thought it might be of interest to members of this group.

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