AFCOM's website has taken a dramatically dynamic approach to bringing even more news, articles and information to its home page. Each day we'll alert you to a new Meet-a-Member participant or newly posted article in the Digital Archive.

In this issue of the Communiqué, we'd like to turn your attention to our just released "Guiding Data Centers to Cloud Computing," a position paper written by the Data Center Institute with recommendations for data center managers considering cloud computing services. The paper is free to AFCOM members.

While we have featured keynotes on cloud computing at recent Data Center World conferences, today's paper represents its most specific guidance to date on the transition to cloud services.

AFCOM says the paper is "not designed to debate the definition of cloud computing" but instead provide specific guidance for the data center manager.

"The purpose of this paper is to help AFCOM members understand the issues they will need to address since the architecture of clouds will drive the way future data centers are built, configured and operated," said Tom Roberts, Director, DC Facility Management, Trinity Information Services.

"The decision to move to the cloud can be challenging because it raises many concerns dealing with having less direct operational control, and the preparedness of the cloud provider when it comes to training, meeting your existing Service Level Agreements, and physical and data security," Roberts added.

AFCOM says the guide addresses tips for selecting the right cloud provider, the value of cloud computing, and "Ten Steps for Building an Internal Cloud."

"Data center managers are dealing with cramped facilities, massive data growth, tight budgets and archive mandates that have created nearly impossible storage requirements," said Jill Eckhaus, the CEO of AFCOM. "Cloud computing works to contain these issues and make data centers more manageable and cost effective, but data centers will have to be prepared in order to leverage public clouds, or become a public or private cloud."

Read "Guiding Data Centers to Cloud Computing," by clicking here.

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