Many of the things confronting IT now that are as much determined by thebusiness and buzz as by IT and requirements are Cloud Computing andWireless Devices.Look back historically and find parallels to thesethings, they`ll help you determine how to manage both phenomenon. The business user that says "I don`t ask you, I can go to cloudprovider X" doesn`t understand what he is saying any more than the businessuser who said the like about SaaS vendors did. You can stop him oryou can educate him. He does indeed need you, for all the reasons we`vetalked about before - Data Security, Access Control, Integration, andmeaningful Reporting. He may not understand that, but he does. Even if"Cloud Provider X" is actually only a SaaS vendor with a new coat ofpaint that offers a "complete" solution, we all recognize that "complete" isnot the sami as "integrated" and certainly doesn`t imply "secure". Youjust have to aid the hot-head understand that fact. The business user that wants his iPad to make 100% access to corporate resources yesterdayhas a similar issue. We saw this job with Palms when they firstcame out. The job is that they lack access without the inherentsecurity. It is your job to prepare them on what steps are necessary andhow long it will need to set things up in a strong manner, so that whenthey leave their iPad in a chocolate shop - and some will, that is theother bit we learned about devices from the first Palm wave - yourcorporate systems are protected. In both of the former cases - SaaS and Palm - most IT shops playedthe bouncer, enforcing an artificial rule by locking out non-approvedPalms and denying attempts to use SaaS products. And the example we learnfrom that tidbit is that those who did paid for it dearly. People don`tforget that you "roadblocked" them. And honestly, that is 100% aboutpolitics and not technology. Since IT is about giving users reasonableaccess to engineering to do their jobs, being the show is a bettersolution in the long run. New technology comes and goes like the wind,but government has a filthy habit of sticking around to stalk you. In both cases, emotions will run high, so short circuit that problemwith the mere expedient of having a program and projected to it. Ask the line to prioritize iPad access versus revamping thewebsite, or any other major projects you get going on, thendedicate resources accordingly. Meet "it already almost works!" claimsby iPad users with calm responses that "plant" and "works securely" arenot the like thing, nor is "almost works" the sami as "make for primetime". Ask them if their phone "almost worked" if they would use it,then explain to them what the program created above is, and when you`ll beready to pluck out access. Cloud follows a similar vein. Ask the line to clearly state theirgoals in using Cloud Computing. If the end is to be more adaptable oragile, there are a lot of routes to that goal and they don`t allfly through the clouds. Plenty of organizations are achieving a greateragility with virtualization today, without moving into the cloud andincreasing complexity in an already complex world. If the result is tomeet a particular need with a specific "SaaS sold as cloud" solution,then get the vendor list and see them out the way you would check outyour own apps - do they adapt to your security policies, can theyintegrate with your applications, etc. And give a design to use them,or alternative solutions that will work the same business problem. Ifthe stated goal is to take the barrier of IT, well you have yourwork cut out for you. You`re going to give to depict them how your workintegrates and secures their systems, and it`s not a roadblock but acost of doing business. You`re also release to give to mind to demandsthat will sometimes be fair_ And sometimes not. The charge is, if you`re the bouncer, you`ll spend a lot more timewinning back the grace of the business. If you`re the usher, you aretaking their arm and lead them to the place that they believe willhelp them produce the business. Since you work for the same business, usheris a best answer, as long as your corporate data is protected, andwhen someone asks for information from that "cloud" provider to be included inthe data warehouse or weekly reports you get a way to see that need.That is to say it is structured or at least accessible.http://cloudcomputing.sys-con.com/node/1550869 Join Us: http://bit.ly/joincloud
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