Cloud provider platforms and tools
When a business is ready to proceed with a cloud migration, it's prudent to consider which cloud provider platforms and tools meet business objectives and align with a staff’s skills. Hyperscale providers AWS, Azure and Google lead the market, offering ever-expanding portfolios of tools and services, but other providers deliver competitive offerings as well.
Top Stories
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Tip
18 Apr 2025
10 cloud programming languages developers need to know
Cloud programming languages are not one-size-fits-all. Learn about the top cloud programming languages, and use our expert criteria to choose the best language for your workloads. Continue Reading
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Opinion
15 Apr 2025
Google Cloud Next 2025: Ambition to lead AI agent ecosystem
The cloud giant delivered new tools to provide interoperability, enterprise security, powerful reasoning-capable models and low-latency infrastructure for AI. Continue Reading
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News
18 May 2018
Google acquisition aims to simplify big data projects
Google Cloud analytics tools are well-regarded for their technology, but not necessarily for their ease of use. Google's acquisition of Cask Data could solve that shortcoming. Continue Reading
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News
09 May 2018
Red Hat OpenShift tie-ups target hybrid cloud portability
Partnerships with major cloud providers help position Red Hat OpenShift as a hybrid cloud management platform that customers hope can solve lock-in troubles. Continue Reading
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News
09 May 2018
Azure Cosmos DB flexes joints for multiple data stores
Microsoft added multi-master write replication and more granular cost controls to Cosmos DB to cover the broadest number of uses in the hotly competitive managed database market. Continue Reading
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News
09 May 2018
Microsoft showcases Azure DevOps Project enhancements
Microsoft continues to reach out to developers with an updated tool to help them configure a DevOps pipeline and connect it to the cloud, regardless of the app dev platform. Continue Reading
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News
18 Apr 2018
Microsoft takes holistic approach to IoT security concerns
Azure Sphere extends security from the cloud to the device. It's the most holistic approach on the market and provides another example of Microsoft abandoning its insular past. Continue Reading
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News
21 Mar 2018
IBM cloud tools aim to woo the unconvinced
IBM's latest batch of cloud tools aims to help customers deploy and manage workloads on private and public clouds and keep the company at the center of their cloud strategies. Continue Reading
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News
15 Mar 2018
Analysts: How to make IBM Cloud services more competitive
To make IBM Cloud more competitive, Big Blue must stand by its enterprise base, while it also satisfies the developer community and expands its infrastructure tools. Continue Reading
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Opinion
12 Mar 2018
Alibaba Cloud services become strong IaaS contender
Alibaba continues to gain traction in the IaaS market, and despite not having the same breadth of services as some of its rivals, it could lure some smaller shops away from AWS. Continue Reading
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News
08 Feb 2018
The window to be a hyperscale cloud provider is closing
A handful of companies will control the majority of the public cloud. Is there still room for big-name companies to join the club, or are they already too late? Continue Reading
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Blog Post
26 Jan 2018
Cloud conferences to check out in the first half of 2018
For beginners and experts alike, cloud conferences are a good way to gain industry knowledge and sharpen your skills. Here are some to pencil in over the next several months. Continue Reading
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News
25 Jan 2018
Azure networking feature addresses latency, performance
An Accelerated Networking upgrade to Microsoft Azure reduces latency and improves performance for newer VMs, as Microsoft tries to keep pace with AWS. TEST Continue Reading
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Tip
23 Jan 2018
Google cloud features evolve to turn up the heat on AWS
Google made several moves in 2017 in an attempt to close the gap between itself and market leader AWS. But will those efforts be enough to win over new customers? Continue Reading
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News
08 Jan 2018
Microsoft advances Azure hybrid strategy with Avere deal
Microsoft's acquisition of Avere Systems addresses a shortcoming in Azure storage services and could help steal some business from AWS and GCP. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Feb 2017
Compare offline data migration services from AWS, Azure and Google
Sending a storage disk to a cloud provider seems like an antiquated data-migration method, but it's a common choice. Here's how AWS, Azure and Google manage the process. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Dec 2016
Choose the best Google cloud instance types for your workloads
Not all workloads are the same -- some require more CPUs, while other require more memory. Fortunately, Google's range of cloud instance types offers enterprises a lot of options. Continue Reading
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Definition
01 Aug 2016
IBM SoftLayer
IBM SoftLayer is a public cloud computing platform that offers a range of services for compute, networking, storage, security and application development. IBM acquired SoftLayer in 2013, and the platform now competes with other public cloud providers, such as Amazon Web Services. Continue Reading
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Answer
16 Mar 2016
What cloud security controls are best for due diligence?
With increasing use of cloud sending more enterprise data outside of the organization's control, due diligence is crucial. Expert Dan Sullivan offers advice on how to get it right. Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2015
Microsoft cloud strategy turns competitors into partners
For a company once known for its closed ecosystem, the Microsoft cloud strategy is increasingly reliant on the competition. Continue Reading
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Feature
13 May 2015
Exploring capabilities, costs of Microsoft Azure cloud
Microsoft Azure targets enterprises that want to connect their existing data centers to the cloud. But is Azure the best bet for your organization? Continue Reading
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Feature
08 May 2015
Getting a handle on Google Cloud Platform options
With a range of options for big data, storage and more, Google Cloud Platform has become the public cloud of choice for many enterprise users. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 May 2014
Sizing, pricing Amazon Web Services EC2 instance types
Bill Claybrook compares complex sizing and pricing issues when choosing EC2 instance types. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 Jan 2014
Is Amazon CloudSearch superior to do-it-yourself search tools?
Big data can be incredibly valuable for enterprise business intelligence. But to extract that value, you must choose the most appropriate search tool. Continue Reading
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Definition
17 Dec 2013
CloudTrust Protocol (CTP)
The CloudTrust Protocol or CTP is a mechanism that helps cloud service customers request and retrieve standardized inquiries about cloud provider transparency. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Jun 2013
Windows Azure Media Services gives YouTube junkies a new outlet
Enterprises need only look to YouTube's stats to see the value of video. Windows Azure Media Services has the benefits of video with more control. Continue Reading
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Definition
21 Feb 2012
Security, Trust and Assurance Registry (STAR)
The Security, Trust and Assurance Registry (STAR) is an online registry of cloud provider security controls. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Jun 2011
Three questions to ask when considering Microsoft Azure
Is Microsoft Azure a no-brainer cloud choice or impossible to adopt? Ask these three questions to determine if the cloud platform is right for you. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Jul 2009
Running a Web service on Google App Engine
Google's App Engine for building Web applications in the cloud is beginning to support Java servlet-based Web services. It's still under development, but you can experiment using Eclipse support or command-line utilities in the SDK. Continue Reading