No enterprise today can afford to ignore the compelling benefits of cloud-based computing and the SaaS delivery model it enables. Yet CIOs continue to be reluctant (justifiably in some cases) to entrust critical data and business processes to cloud-based systems. In fact, these concerns over security and reliability are widely cited as the biggest inhibitors to widespread enterprise adoption of cloud computing, even as businesses are increasingly reliant on cloud collaboration services for e-mail and other office communication needs.

The question is: Are these security fears really warranted?

For business with some of the toughest security requirements in the world, there are a number of criteria to consider when evaluating potential vendors in the cloud.

I just returned from speaking at the Akamai Customer Conference as a member of a panel called “Accelerating Global Collaboration across the Enterprise.” It fell into the first of three tracks at the conference: 1) Enterprise / High Tech, 2) Media & Entertainment, and 3) Commerce. (Incidentally, I noticed the panel had a much higher number of attendees this year than in the past. Is this a direct correlation to my participation?)

Momentum: A Brief Lesson in Physics

Momentum=mass x velocity is a fundamental concept of physics that has applications in everyday life. For instance, athletes gaining speed in a race are said to be gaining momentum. Outside scientific applications, of course, there are other types of momentum that are equally important. Take the momentum generated from executing forward-moving ideas in business.