Many Government agencies, corporations, and law firms are affected by one of the hottest trends in technology and shared services: Cloud Computing. D.C. Bar CLE Faculty Member, Philip D. Porter, takes a few moments to discuss with Tanisha Santos, D.C. Bar CLE Marketing & Program Specialist about the types of cloud computing, common issues overlooked by attorneys, and the upcoming CLE course on the Top 10 Issues in Cloud Computing.
TS: To start, could you explain the primary types of cloud computing and which ones you will be focusing on in your class?
PP: Productivity software applications are the technology assets that are perhaps most commonly offered through the cloud, and these service offerings are called “Software as a Service” or “SaaS.” Data storage, data security and networking capability are also available through the cloud and are examples of “Infrastructure as a Service” or “IaaS.” “Platform as a Service” or “PaaS” offers a computing platform of hardware and operating system software on which a customer can deploy software applications it has licensed. “Business Processes as a Service” or “BPaaS” refers to remote data processing services, for example, payroll gross-to-net calculation services. A Google search of “cloud computing” identifies numerous other types of technology assets and IT services that are available in the cloud. Although this class may rely on primarily on examples of SaaS” and “IaaS” offerings, the principles that will be covered are intended to present a systematic approach to evaluating all types of cloud services.
TS: What are main features of cloud services?
PP: The cloud is a metaphor for the Internet. “Cloud computing” means the use by a purchaser or customer of one or more information technology assets and/or IT-based business processes (e.g., computer hardware, software, data storage capacity, data-processing) remotely, via the Internet, instead of installing and using those assets, or performing those processes, at the customer’s facility.
TS: What are some common issues that attorneys can overlook?
PP: Cloud computing transactions transfer an important share of responsibility for a company’s continued success, its ability to comply with government regulations, and even its continued operations, to third-party cloud service providers. Entrusting a company’s destiny to third parties may be essential, especially when a challenging economy dictates careful cost management, but this strategy should nevertheless be pursued only with a systematic approach to evaluating and procuring cloud services.
TS: Is cloud computing mostly for larger or more for smaller organizations?
Many companies, large and small, already use some cloud services, and some have moved substantial portions of their information technology and data processing to the cloud. The reasons are practical and straightforward and are equally applicable to companies of all sizes:
- Cost: Cloud computing transactions allow customers to pay monthly subscription and service fees for the duration of the cloud service transaction as an alternative to making large one-time investments in IT assets.
- Scalability: Because cloud services can be increased as needed and decreased periodically, usually annually, customers can purchase volumes of services that meet their current needs and adjust the volumes if their needs change.
- Refreshment: Cloud service providers typically replace computer hardware and upgrade the computer software that they use to provide cloud services on a more regular basis than customers would upgrade technology assets installed on their own premises.
- Reliability: Cloud service providers can devote their entire attention and resources to providing the cloud services and may be able to offer a customer cloud services that are more reliable than the IT technology assets and data-processing services that a customer could provide for itself.
TS: What do you want attendees to walk away from this course having learned?
PP: Attendees should leave the course with:
- a recognition that cloud services offer benefits and create risks;
- a procedure for identifying the risks that a particular cloud service creates for the customer; and
- the means to determine whether and how the customer can manage the risks that a cloud service creates.
TS: Do you have questions you want to pose to potential attendees?
PP: Please be prepared to discuss your own experiences with negotiations related to cloud computing and how your clients are using cloud computing in their business operations.
Mr. Porter will be teaching Top 10 Issues in Cloud Computing with H. Ward Classen, Deputy General Counsel of Computer Sciences Corporation. The course takes place on Monday, January 14, 2013 from 6:00 pm to 8:15 pm at the D.C. Bar Conference Center. Please go to this link to register: http://bit.ly/VPzdCG
