Microsoft Debuts Systems Management Update With Cloud Computing Pathway

Cloud computing is one of the hottest topics in the world of information technology. While it is an amazing concept to think about, it can also be a very frightening one. The thought of having all the information of a company on the “cloud” could be unnerving for those in charge of its security. Microsoft recently unveiled its Systems Center 2012 at their management summit in Las Vegas. The system is “a way for business to begin transitioning their traditional IT systems to private and public cloud computing services (Whiting).” Microsoft aims to provide a better way of managing the virtualized databases that make up cloud computing. The system, along with some of its variations (System Center Service Manager 2012 and System Center Data Protection Manager 2012), is set to be released later this year (Whiting).

Microsoft is taking a step in the right direction with their Systems Center 2012. With companies starting to move towards cloud computing, Microsoft is creating a product that enables businesses to make the transition from traditional IT systems to the cloud. In a time like this when many companies are trying to look at bottom line strategies to cut costs, Microsoft is giving the industry what it wants. According to the assistant commissioner of the General Services Administration, “moving to the cloud is easier, more cost-effective, and safer than many federal IT pros realize (Montalbano).” The more good press cloud computing can get, the better off Microsoft will be. This can be a big help in getting the company back to where they were during the dot com phase of the early 2000s when their stock price was almost double what it is today. Microsoft has been preparing for the release of this project for a while. Not unlike Apple and its vision for the iPad that started back in the 1990s, Microsoft envisioned that the world will be turning towards cloud computing. For this, they strategically started acquiring companies such as Opalis Software and AVIcode a couple years back (Whiting). I think that this was a very smart decision by the company considering the products of both companies have impacted the success of the Systems Center 2012.

I feel that cloud computing will be one of the types of technologies that take off on a chain reaction. It seems to me that once a couple major firms or organizations take advantage of the high-tech idea it will catch on like crazy. Also, I feel that it will be easy for people to link up virtual databases to one another, therefore turning the process into a chain reaction; once it gets started it will grow rapidly. And to help out this exponential grow, Microsoft will be getting feedback from its first customers on how to make their product better and more usable by all other companies. The combination of these events and the pursuit of knowledge sharing will soon take off and be here before we know it.

Whiting, Rick. "Microsoft Debuts Systems Management Update With Cloud Computing Pathway." CRN. 22 Mar. 2011. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. .

Montalbano, Elizabeth. "Cloud Computing Is Safer Than You Think." GSA. 22 Mar. 2011. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. .