Over the past 18 months we have seen the irresistible rise of a new phenomenon, cloud computing. This term is given by the IT industry to a new business model for computing, one where capacity for computer, storage and networking can be dynamically acquired, on demand,and paid for according to usage. 

The commercial potential of cloud computing and cloud services is widely accepted, both in private industry and in the public sector.  The opportunities for cost reduction and efficiency in the UK public sector are real and achievable, but require significant changes to procurement practices, delivery frameworks and across the supplierlandscape. 

The security of SQL Server database servers has become a top priority for database administrators. This article examines best practices that can be employed to secure Microsoft SQL Server 2000 databases. It provides an overview of the security model in SQL Server 2000 and discusses best practices you can employ to secure yours. 

<p>Businesses need to keep a close eye on the evolution of cloud based services to avoid wasting money and missing out on business opportunities.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> 

Business continuity and disaster recovery can mean a rapid return to operations or financial downfall. This IDC white paper highlights the challenges and best practices for implementing continuity and recovery solutions, and details how Riverbed WAN optimization solutions enable firms to meet their recovery requirements. 

Join Glenn Weadock, Global Knowledge Instructor, MCITP, MCSE, MCT, A+, for this Windows 7 Review Guide. This white paper introduces the key areas in which Windows 7 differs from Vista - areas you'll need to focus on if you're thinking of moving to Windows 7, either from Vista or from XP. 

Discover the importance of centralization in log management, and learn the best practices for security and compliance. 

Read this paper to get a full analysis of ESET’s ThreatSense.Net®, a sophisticated malware reporting and tracking system, which shows that the highest number of detections this month with almost 12.47% of the total was scored by the Win32/Conficker class of threat. 

In the cover story of the April 2012 issue of Storage magazine, Lauren Whitehouse outlines best practices for cloud backup integration and the various methods for doing so. Also included in this issue are articles regarding virtual server management, storage for big data, the rising cost of disk drives and more. 

Storage systems are severely susceptible to attack and it is time for organizations to rethink their security tactics. Read this eGuide to learn about concepts regarding storage security and solutions like encryption that can help defend against attack. 

Virtual server backup is a known pain point among backup administrators. In our tutorial, learn all about VMware backup with this collection of articles on VMware backup and restore, VMware Consolidated Backup, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure and more. 

Unplanned business disruptions come at a high cost.  In an emergency situation, desktop virtualization enables displaced workers to continue working from home, on any device – a tablet, a rented laptop, an old PC or a device they just purchased. Discover why desktop virtualization is a vital element of business continuity planning.