Modern computing is no longer about devices but is all about providing services, a natural progression that both consumers and enterprises are eager to embrace. As it can deliver those services, efficiently and with quality, at compelling price levels, cloud computing is with us to stay. Ubiquitously and quite definitively, cloud computing is answering the demand for sophisticated, flexible services Cloud Computing: Technologies and Strategies of the Ubiquitous Data Center looks at cloud computing from an IT manager’s perspective. It answers basic as well as strategic questions from both a business and a technical perspective so that you can confidently  engage both IT and financial assets in making your organization techno- savvy, efficient, and competitive. Any answers about the future of computing are definitely in the clouds The first section of the book offers up a history of the computing roots that have evolved into cloud computing. It looks at how IT has been traditionally serving needs and how cloud computing improves and expands on these services, so you can strategize about how a cloud might provide solutions to specific IT questions or answer business needs. Next, the book shows how to begin the process of determining which organizational needs would best be served and improved by cloud computing. Presenting specific cases as examples, the book walks you through issues that your organization might likely encounter. Written clearly and succinctly, it — Introduces you to the concepts behind different types of clouds, including those used for storage, those that improve processor and application delivery, and those that mix any and all of these services Covers typical concerns you will hear with regard to such issues as security, application integration, and structural limitations Looks at the future of clouds, from developments right on the horizon to those still in the planning stage By the book’s conclusion, you will have a solid basis on which to initiate strategic discussions about deploying clouds in your organization. You will understand how cloud computing  can affordably solve real problems. You will know which strategies to use and you will learn of the pitfalls to avoid when taking your data center to the clouds. Throughout this book are the answers you need to the many questions from the most basic to the more advanced surrounding cloud computing and its place in your enterprise. What exactly is cloud computing?How are clouds different than virtualization?Should my organization use a cloud (or multiple clouds)?Can clouds and virtualization play significant roles in my organization at the same time? Covering the basics of virtualization and clusters and the more advanced strategic considerations of security and return on investment, this book will be your guide to IT’s present and future in the cloud, a resource that you will continually turn to.  Coming soon! For more information, Professional Cloud Computing, at www.professionalcloudcomputing.com, will help you find information to delve more deeply into the discussion in any of a number of directions.   About the Authors: Brian J. S. Chee is one of the first 10 Certified Netware Instructors outside of Novell, Inc., Brian has seen networking evolve from the ground up from the viewpoints of a manufacturer, a distributor, a reseller, a computer scientist at the U.S. General Service Administration Office of Information Security (GSA-OIS), and now at the University of Hawaii School of Ocean and Earth Sciences and Technology (SOEST) as a researcher. As a Senior Contributing Editor to InfoWorld magazine and a long-time member of the Interop NOC team, Brian has a unique insight into networking trends and the emergence of new technology. Curtis Franklin, Jr. has been writing about technologies and products in computing and networking since the early 1980s. A Senior Writer at NetWitness, he also contributes to a number of technology-industry publications including InfoWorld, Dark Reading, and ITWorld.com on subjects ranging from mobile enterprise computing to enterprise security and wireless networking. He is also online community manager for the Interop conference. Curtis is the author of hundreds of magazine articles, the co-author of three books, and has been a frequent speaker at computer and networking industry conferences across North America and Europe. When he’s not writing, Curt is a painter, photographer, cook, and multi-instrumentalist musician, and is active in amateur radio (KG4GWA), scuba diving, and the Florida Master Naturalist program.