On-demand Software

Microsoft has long dominated the e-mail, collaboration and office tools market, but Google is launching a strong challenge.

The typical cloud computing contract can look downright simple to an experienced IT outsourcing customer accustomed to inking pacts hundreds of pages long that outline service levels and penalties, pricing and benchmarks, processes and procedures, security and business continuity requirements, and clauses delineating the rights and responsibilities of the IT services supplier and customer.

To say that this year's Interop will feature a lot on cloud computing would be an understatement. Of course, cloud computing is only one of the many topics experts at Interop are due to discuss this year. If you're not interested in the cloud, you can always attend sessions on virtualization, mobility, VoIP and more. This Interop Planning Guide should help you pick out the most interesting sessions with the most relevant speakers to match your area of expertise.

The reality of cloud computing has always been a lot more about the nuts and bolts of data-center operations than about the metaphor of on-demand computer power flowing from anonymous sources somewhere on the other end of the network connection.

A number of providers have stepped up with tools to make spreadsheet sharing a lot easier than sending attachments. Here's how they stack up.

Phil Mentesana, chief technology officer at Delphi Capital Management, knew that backing up critical data to tapes and schlepping them offsite for safe storage wasn't exactly a smart plan.

An Aberdeen Group report lists the nine SaaS vendors that offer actual ERP software and services -- not just a bunch of cloudy marketing hype.

Major virtual computing vendors underestimate the simplicity and efficiency end users need from cloud and virtual services. Some companies are adopting products from relatively obscure third-party companies in order to keep resources from being wasted and keep costs down.

With a cloud infrastructure, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's electronic health records and practice management system makes it easier to ship medical records from one office to another.

A private cloud arrangement can help your IT staff reinvent how they think about management. Consider these eight key requirements for a successful private cloud deployment, says CA's Stephen Elliot.

Mounting evidence suggests that in 2010, the hottest segment in BI (business intelligence) software will revolve around offerings delivered from the cloud, thanks to increased product sophistication, strained IT budgets and other factors.

Is Chrome OS worth bothering with now? If you're an end-user, the answer isn't just no, it's "Heck no!" But, it offers a glimpse into a future where 90% of your computing is done on a nearly always connected netbook.