innovation

Is cloud computing another arcane term from the technology industry? You bet. But it’s also the most revolutionary set of capabilities the industry has offered in a generation. Much like the Internet and eCommerce technologies that transformed the relationship between businesses and customers, cloud computing is poised to have a similar impact. In this case, though, that impact is on the relationship between businesses and their information technology (IT) departments.

Cloud computing and open cloud technologies are fueling innovation in companies of all sizes by saving them money, increasing their profits and enabling them to reinvest in key segments of their businesses.

Someone on Quora recently asked “How can IT departments become better innovators (using the cloud)?”

Texans have a lot of home-state pride. And so does Rackspace. When we started putting together the building blocks of Rackspace, Texas wasn’t seen as a technology hub. Launching a hosting company in San Antonio was met with a lot of raised eyebrows.

Enterprise IT is under great pressure to decrease cost, increase agility and improve speed of delivery. At the same time, IT is presented with a unique opportunity to achieve better alignment with business, which is truly transformational. Undoubtedly, virtualization, as a horizontal technology, has helped datacenters reduce operational costs. Meanwhile, cloud computing, as a service delivery model, will help enterprises shift risk to their service provider and allow them to take bigger steps towards changing business outcomes. This increased level of agility to help enterprises capture new business opportunities, respond to market changes and address new compliance mandates is a crucial attribute for the transformed IT. The new IT – an amalgam of people, processes and technology – focuses on innovation and less on operation. In this post I’ll explain further. Read on…

This post is part three of a three part series examining how the cloud accelerates innovation. This final installment looks at how the cloud frees IT from creating applications and other on-premise restraints, and how it can ultimately attract new talent, both of which foster innovation.

This post is part two of a three part series examining how the cloud accelerates innovation. Tune in next week to read how the cloud frees IT from creating applications and other on-premise restraints, and how it can ultimately attract new talent, both of which foster innovation.

This post is part one of a three part series examining how the cloud accelerates innovation. Tune in next week to read how the open cloud and OpenStack can spark innovation.