Report from the Cloud Computing Summit: Business Intelligence, Data Integration, and the Cloud

Fellow eBizq.net blogger, Brenda Michelson, did
a stellar job in blogging a the Open Group Cloud Computing Summit, taking
place this week in San Diego. I spoke
yesterday on Enterprise Architecture and Cloud Computing.

A few observations around BI and cloud computing from the show in attending other talks, and just in the hallways over coffee.

First, cloud computing can't not progress forward without a clear data integration and business intelligence strategy, if you ask those in charge. The core questions are: How will my information get back into my enterprise when I need it, and better yet, how can I consider data stuck in the cloud in the context of my BI requirements?

Second, security. Enough said.

Finally, cultural issues around leveraging platforms we don't own.

Cloud computing is not evil, indeed it's an opportunity to leverage databases-as-a-service, and even information-as-service, at a price point unheard of. However, you need to place all of this in the context of a cloud computing strategy that specially addresses data security, BI, MDM, and data integration.

These days when the hype is bigger than the opportunity, we'll have a few folks tossing data outside of the firewall without a logical reason.

Thinks you need to consider are:

· Semantic mediation.

· Transactional control.

· MDM encompassing data in the cloud.

· Data interfaces on the cloud, and enterprise sides.

· Information that can be delivered on-demand to be leveraged in the context of operational or BI data.

More around this issue as it evolves.

http://www.ebizq.net/blogs/linthicum/2009/02/_report_from_the_cloud.php