Cloud Evolution! Getting There from Here

Cloud Computing Webinar Series
Categorized Under: Homeland Security, IT Solutions

The latest in the ICF International Cloud Computing webinar series, Kevin McDonald and Pete Wilson will be presenting, “Cloud Evolution: Getting There from Here!” In many discussions, people have often asked “How did we get where we are and what does that tell us about where we are going?” In this session, you will hear how assessing information technology (IT) service maturity in your organization can help find the right path to moving IT services to the cloud. Hear from our experts and ask them questions in our expanded Q&A session.

During this webinar, Kevin McDonald, author of Above the Clouds: Managing Risk in the World of Cloud Computing, and Pete Wilson will discuss issues such as:

Learn how to measure the maturity level within your IT services
Get useful techniques for evaluating and selecting both internal and external Service Providers
How the Cloud Roadmap helps guide your organization’s Cloud Governance

Cloud computing can save companies money without putting business information at risk. Through cloud computing, a company's IT functions are moved to an external, shared service provider and accessed over the Internet. Data is no longer stored in-house and the company no longer owns software applications.

The concept of 'outsourcing to the cloud' is proving increasingly attractive to companies seeking to save money. Costs are falling dramatically, which means it is no longer rare for a company to consider cloud computing. A company is charged for the use of software applications and for data storage, just like being charged for electricity. By only paying for the resources used, operating costs can be reduced. With this method, in-house data centers typically leave up to 90 percent of available capacity idle.

Cloud computing can lead to energy savings, too. Running a data center normally requires heavy investment in generators and uninterruptable power supplies. Cloud computing removes that burden from individual companies and consolidates workloads on high-performance processors.

Presenters

Peter Wilson
Technical DirectorICF International

Peter Wilson leads subject matter experts and teams in delivering technical services that span program and project management, strategy, governance, capital planning, enterprise and solution architecture, strategic sourcing, and process improvement. Mr. Wilson has 18 years of consulting experience within the U.S. Federal Government , health care, Fortune 500, and not-for-profits. He also supports public/private-sector thought leadership and advisory initiatives. Mr. Wilson currently chairs the Enterprise Architecture Competency Standards development initiative within the Industry Advisory Council’s Enterprise Architecture Shared Interest Group.
Kevin McDonald
Senior Analyst and Cloud StrategistICF International

Kevin T. McDonald, a cloud strategist for ICF International based in Washington, DC, is the author of Above the Clouds: Managing Risk in the World of Cloud Computing. He is an affiliate member of the government Smartcard Interagency Advisory Board, Tech America Cloud Computing Committee, the IAC-ACT Cloud Computing in Government committee, the Cloud Security Alliance, and the PMIWDC International C2C representative to PMI UK and PMI Italy.

He is widely published on issues ranging from green technology and cloud computing to cyber security and risk management. He is pursuing graduate studies in Technology Management at Georgetown University.