Toronto - Software Plus Services and the Impact on the Industry
Main Discussion Points:
- Trend towards consolidation – taking in-house apps and co-locating them
- Concern about security and control of hosted apps, as well as co-located ones
Details
- Observation: One company was forced into it - Main Reason: integration
- Challenge: Web != Security - Security and Infrastructure Key
- Challenge: How do I get tools talking together? Managing schema.
- Advantage: Hosted Exchange has provided an interesting pay per use model
- Guarantees - Start charging for an SLA
- Challenge: There is no 1:1 parity on how services are implemented
- Advantage: Location independence - globalization is easier
- It changes the nature of the data center
- Challenge: Finding the right sources to support, "expert" sources of services.
- Challenge: Political barriers, geo-locking, licensing
- Challenge: Transitioning from Traditional models to Software + Services
- Observation: "Software in the cloud is cloudy"
- Observation: Small companies in Canada write custom applications
- Barrier to adoption for the model is confidentiality and security
- Observation: S+S is a "wobbly bridge"
- Challenge: How do you guarantee an SLA for a fast inet connection around the World
- For example, challenges in connection between Thornhill and Etobicoke. Toronto and Ottawa!
- Challenge: End user experience based on connection
Theme request for next learning circle: Roadmap for Technology - predictability and consistency
For example: Latest CRM product only supports 64 bit, hardware was purchased in advance with no indication of dependency.