Understanding Cloud Computing: Leading CTOs and CIOs on Achieving Cost Reductions, Improving Scalability, and Redefining Services (Inside the Minds)

Understanding Cloud Computing provides an authoritative, insider's perspective on leveraging the benefits of cloud computing services and navigating the potential pitfalls. Featuring IT executives representing some of the top companies in the nation, these leaders offer their best practices for implementing virtualization, transforming legacy systems, and reallocating resources for increased capabilities. The authors discuss a range of advantages from reducing costs to effectively planning for disaster recovery while also sharing their strategies for working with vendors, negotiating contracts, bridging knowledge gaps, and customizing solutions that will meet business needs. Because the decision to move to managed services is often a debate between control and flexibility, readers will benefit from the authors perspectives on creating backup plans, evaluating security, managing data, and determining what information is best suited for these services. The different niches represented and the breadth of perspectives presented enable readers to get inside some of the leading technology minds of today, as these insiders offer their key strategies for separating the hype from reality and redefining IT's services with one of today s biggest trends.

Inside the Minds provides readers with proven business intelligence from C-Level executives (Chairman, CEO, CFO, CMO, Partner) from the world's most respected companies nationwide, rather than third-party accounts from unknown authors and analysts. Each chapter is comparable to an essay/thought leadership piece and is a future-oriented look at where an industry, profession or topic is headed and the most important issues for the future. Through an exhaustive selection process, each author was hand-picked by the Inside the Minds editorial board to author a chapter for this book.

Chapters Include:

1. Noah Broadwater, Vice President, Information Systems, Sesame Workshop - "Harnessing Cloud Computing Strategies for Long-Term Business Success"
2. Ray DeBiase, Chief Information Officer, McCormick Foundation - "A Case Study: The Benefits and Pitfalls of Moving to the Cloud"
3. Chuck Clabots, Chief Information Officer, Rust Consulting - "Toes, Ankles, Shins: Stepping Your Way into a Successful Cloud Computing Strategy"
4. Michael F. Adelaine, PhD, Vice President, Information Technology, South Dakota State University - "Device Neutral: Harnessing the Active Learning Cloud"
5. Clifton G. Howell, PhD, Director, Information Technology, Pate Dawson Company - "Flexibility and Control: Assessing Cloud Computing Options"
6. Antoine A. Agassi, Senior Vice President and Corporate Chief Information Officer, Cogent Healthcare - "Redefining Delivery of Services with the Cloud"
7. Ravi Simhambhatla, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Virgin America - "Enhancing Customer Experience with Cloud Services"
8. Mirie Westbrook, Chief Technology Officer, Tec-Masters Inc. - "Leveraging the Business Potential in Selling Platforms, Software, and Infrastructure as a Service"
9. Michael I. Skaff, Chief Information Officer, San Francisco Symphony - "Driving Innovation and Enhancing the Business with Cloud Computing"
10. Cynthia Ann Humes, Chief Technology Officer, and Jeremy Whaley, Director, Information Systems and Network Services, Claremont McKenna College - "The Ivory Tower and the Cloud"
11. Peter Greco, Chief Information Officer, Regis University - "Using Cloud Computing to Service Your Clients' Interests"