Cloud Connect 2012-Quick Overview and A Few Lessons On The Side

by Cary J. Calderone, Esq.

This was a terrific show with excellent presentations.  Here are a few notable comments:

From Steve Wylie

• The past was about defining the Cloud.  Now it is about the Cloud in action.

From Jesse Robbins of Opscode

• Everything breaks at scale.
• Train for disaster. Start small, then add large scale fault injection across critical systems. 
• Failure is multiplicative 99.9 x 99.9 x 99.9 = 99.7% reliability.
• Cloud failure has stages like death:  Denial, Anger, More Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and finally, Acceptance.

From Geva Perry of Thinking Out Cloud Blog

• Surprise!  Your organization is already using the public cloud.
• There is a new pattern of technology adoption-from the bottom up.  
• Users adopt, then CIO learns about it and authorizes-i.e., the freemium model.
• Problem with most Cloud adoption surveys, they ask the CIO-always the last to know. 

Other Random Nuggets:

• There are three Cloud functions: store, compute, and deliver.  
• Rackspace gives away their software because service and support is the differentiater.
• Some argue virtualize first, then move to the Cloud.
• Others (SWIFT) believe virtualization is unnecessary and slows down Cloud performance.
• There are already examples of Cloud security "options:" e.g. free Gmail, Gmail for Business, and Gmail for Government.
• There are 3 kinds of Clouds: Community, Private, and Special Service
• Can your Cloud vendor answer the same questions you do when it comes to your client's data?
• For you to be compliant, you need compliance by your vendor, and their vendors and contractors too-otherwise, you are not really compliant.
• Is your Cloud provider transparent?  Trust but verify.  Look at their policies and procedures.

I enjoy sharing technology factoids that are tangents to the event , or, "Lessons on the Side."  At Cloud Connect there were a few worth mentioning:

1. At the Industry Summit, there were at least 10 laptops up and running for every iPad. Until the tablet does a better job of replacing a laptop by better enabling input, or, makes it possible to travel without your cell phone, this will continue to be the case.  Cool technology, but apparently, when a laptop is necessary, even techies don't bother bringing a tablet.   
2. The breakout sessions for Compliance in the Cloud had about 15-20 people.  The session for Openstack had well over 100.  Product development matters the most with disruptive technologies.  The legal details can get worked out later.  
3. Many lawyers still don't get it.  As one disgruntled attendee mentioned, "I asked the panel about ensuring compliance and they responded with contract language?"  Once the proprietary data escapes, a contract clause will not pull it back inside for safekeeping.   Apparently, those who are very concerned with Cloud compliance, take little solace from nicely crafted legalese and penalties, after the fact.
4. Want to know how fast Twitter works?  I Tweeted a fun line delivered by Glenn Solomon of GGV Capital, and 5 minutes later, when the MC got up to thank him for his presentation, he mentioned the Tweet.  Unbelievable!
5. The Cloud is still very hot!  I ball-parked twice the number of exhibitors and booth space as last year's show.  Stay tuned...