I would venture that it has not been the best period for Google. As Google Apps users move to a more unified service with more features, offerings and numerous 3^rd party applications this should have been a great start. Google seem to be reacting to the new competition that Office 365 brings which is a very positive move for them so it must have been a devastating blow when news of Chinese attacks on Google Apps for Government hit the headlines.

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Confusion surrounding the cloud still seems rife. The buzz word of choice in IT at the moment is one that everyone has heard yet only some understand. Assumptions of what people can do in the cloud are not helping matters. Cloud delivery is still emerging with Office 365 still awaited and Microsoft have this month released their Cloud CRM system, Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Interestingly, Sony are about to release a cloud storage facility for the PS3 and rather than using the term Cloud they are coining the title ‘Online Saving’. This is of course a cloud offering but Sony must have decided that the straight forward name of Online Saving will better communicate the offering to the PS3’s consumer audience.

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I’ve read many articles, received newsletters and emails, been to conferences, events and recognised the fact that the Cloud has been around for many years. The rebranding of online services under the Cloud umbrella has been taking place for a while now and a large number of people have heard of it (probably not yet most people). The fact that a large number of people have heard of it however does not mean that they know what it is. In the consumer market it is readily available in many guises, from Dropbox through Google Apps to the Carphone Warehouse Music Anywhere cloud product.

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I would suggest that this is one of the major questions we get asked about when it comes to the Cloud. Where is your important data stored? This question is one that many companies including Google have been unable to answer. It is one that is particularly relevant in the UK, with some companies holding data for UK based businesses in the US where different laws apply. This is off putting to many businesses. Cloud Hypermarket is UK based but with the US providing the biggest battlefield for Cloud services, occurrences in the states are being watched with interest from around the world.

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With Mobile phone Giant O2 releasing its Eco rating System today it is interesting that the 2 main business phone providers decided to opt out of the assessment. As the two market leaders, perhaps this is understandable (especially as they have both opted out), as unless they were the greenest phones, the rating could only of been to their detriment. It does seem almost comical though that the two vendors named after fruit (which is surely attaching some sort of green marketing spin) both refuse to be independently assessed on their carbon footprint. Perhaps even stranger that, with the emphasis on green matters today, the trendiest phones on the market will stand out as unrated next to all the other phones on offer at O2. With Sony Ericsson topping the list as the most eco friendly phone, is there going to be more competition for Apple and Blackberry based on green credentials?

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I thought for my first Cloud Hypermarket blog, I would write something simple and straightforward for those of you who are struggling with the very concept of the cloud. I have explained it to several businessmen who have been pleased that they have eventually got their head around what is essentially a straightforward concept.

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With growing optimism about the end of the recession, businesses everywhere are looking to grow their operations, whilst at the same time keeping a handle on costs. With the banks not lending businesses are looking for new and innovative solutions to allow them to grow. Nowadays, IT is a central part of every business but traditionally can be prohibitively expensive.

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