Cloud Hosting

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., March 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Gladinet has announced a new platform to provide cloud storage solutions for collaboration, file storage, backup and team workspaces. Gladinet Cloud version 4.0 also seamlessly integrates with existing local storage to create a hybrid cloud platform with centrally managed, unified access. As part of their continuing effort to "ease small and medium sized business (SMB) migration to the cloud," Jerry Huang, Gladinet's President, said, "We are excited by the opportunity to offer customers solutions that allow them to adopt cloud storage quickly and without disruption, while maintaining control of their data using preferred storage services like Google Cloud Storage, Google Docs Amazon S3, OpenStack and more."

Gladinet Cloud version 4.0 is available in four editions: Starter, Professional, Premium and Team, ordered by increasing capability. The Starter edition provides basic cloud connectivity through a mapped drive on a single user's desktop and the Professional edition adds capabilities like backup, 2-way synchronization and support for Google Docs 2-step authentication. These editions are geared towards customers that just want to access cloud storage from their desktops and laptops. The Premium edition adds capabilities like snapshot backups, file and folder sharing, web portal access and mobile access. Finally, the Team edition offers access to more advanced clients for servers with Active Directory integration.

The open, flexible platform gives Gladinet customers several options for cloud storage adoption. For example, they can instantly make shared folders on a file server accessible to remote users without disrupting on-premise access. They can use existing Active Directory identities to globally manage access. They can share files and folders with external users. Gladinet Cloud version 4.0 also facilitates file server replacement or the creation of synchronized, shared workspaces in the cloud, and can be used to synchronize a folder across multiple machines.

In addition to the new features and open platform, Gladinet has also broadened the potential scope of its partnerships. Engagement models now run the gamut from simply recommending or reselling Gladinet products to becoming a preferred partner with the right to distribute a branded version hosted by Gladinet or the partner. Huang also noted that "We are seeing a sharp increase in partner branding activity as they seek to make it easier for customers to access their cloud storage." His claims were confirmed by a partner who stated, "Gladinet Cloud's unified access model is an interesting differentiator, which makes it easy to migrate to the cloud and control user access without changing their access models away from familiar paradigms like local drives, network shares, desktops and mobile devices."

Whether you are a partner or SMB, if you are interested in non-disruptive adoption of cloud storage for collaboration, remote access, backup or file storage, Gladinet has a unique and compelling solution.

About Gladinet

Founded in 2008, Gladinet started by providing users the convenience of a network drive attached to cloud storage. With the addition of products that attach cloud storage to file servers, backup to the cloud and create personal clouds, Gladinet is changing the way businesses access and use cloud storage through its widely accepted cloud storage access platform. Learn more at http://www.gladinet.com. Follow us at http://twitter.com/gladinetor find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Gladinet.

Contact:

Franklyn Peart, SVP Business Development Gladinet franklynp@gladinet.com http://www.gladinet.com

This press release was issued through eReleases(R). For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.

Link:
Gladinet Cloud Version 4.0 Released

By Cody Switzer

Is the future of nonprofit technology in the cloud?

Nine in 10 nonprofits already have one system hosted online, according to a recent survey of 780 nonprofits by the Nonprofit Technology Network. But its not ideal for every organization.

Its not like one-size-fits-all, says Patrick Callihan, executive director of NPower Pennsylvania, a nonprofit that provides technology services to other organizations. Its technology.

Whats right for your nonprofit? Mr. Callihan and other nonprofit information-technology leaders outline the risks and benefits of moving systems to the cloud.

Cloud services are housed on virtual servers and can move quickly between a providers physical machines, which means that outside experts can quickly manage disruptions and minimize the time staff members typically lose when their own servers crash, says Mr. Callihan.

Many cloud services bill on a per-user basis, so they can work well for small organizations that need only a few accounts. You also know exactly what you will be paying each month for services like e-mail and know how much to budget, says Mr. Callihan.

About 59 percent of people in the NTEN survey cited security, privacy, control, and access, as concerns about the cloud. But some cloud services may be more secure than systems that are managed in-house. Few nonprofits have a security expert on staff, but cloud services could have dozens of people who work to keep the data safe.

If you work at a small nonprofit, your days are already filled. With cloud services, your IT staff can spend less time dealing with hardware and more time working on your software and processes.

The cloud is one way to keep your work focused on your mission and not have to worry about keeping a server alive, says Holly Ross, Nonprofit Technology Networks executive director.

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Moving to the Cloud: Pros and Cons

Summary: Is it time for a major computing paradigm shift? A world in which we no longer think of servers and operating systems could be just around the corner.

Bear with me, if you will, for a moment while I put forth an interesting idea concerning Microsofts future in the cloud computing business marketplace. I believe that traditional server operating systems (OSs) will go out of style long before desktop format computing will and theres a very good reason for that: We just dont need standalone servers anymore. Yes, I realize thats a pretty strong statement in any arena but, as I wrote above, bear with me while I discuss this salient point with you. I think that Microsoft will replace standard, standalone Windows Server with Hyper-V and App-V. And, youll probably select which one you want to use during installation. Windows vServer 2015 or Windows Application Server 2015?

Click. Restart. Deploy.

Once your system is up and running, you can select through a series of Roles for your new Server, if you selected Windows Application Server 2015, such as Remote Desktop Server, Exchange Server, SharePoint Server, Communications Server, Media Server, Active Directory Server, Office Applications Server or Custom Applications Server. The Custom Applications Server would allow you to deploy applications that dont fall into one of the other categories.

The Server OS itself is an application. Its little more than (or hopefully a little less than) Server Core.

Of course, you could deploy either major server type onto physical hardware or into virtual machines.

What other types of servers do you need that you couldnt install via Roles?

I hope you didnt say File or Print. Those services move under application server configurations. Hopefully no one but small companies are still using Windows Servers as File/Print servers.

This scenario of having the choices of Hyper-V or Application Server doesnt currently exist, except in my mind. But, I think it could exist. And, I think Microsoft is smart enough to realize that traditional server deployments are getting a little long in the tooth. Todays businesses, especially those interested in cloud services, want agility. Agility means changing the way you do business. It means changing the way you think about servers, services and infrastructure.

You have to forget traditional terminology and traditional paradigms.

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Are Hyper-V and App-V the new Windows Servers?

SAN MATEO, CA--(Marketwire -03/22/12)- Dome9 Security, the leading provider of cloud security firewall management for public and private clouds, as well as for dedicated and virtual private servers (VPS), today announced that its cloud security firewall management service protects cloud servers from today's serious cloud server security threats, including the recently publicized Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) vulnerability. Dome9's cloud security service that automates firewall management eliminates the tactical response to both known vulnerabilities, and vulnerabilities yet to be discovered, and delivers a strategic approach to securing cloud servers.

Employed across millions of cloud and virtual private servers, RDP is a widely used service to control remote Windows servers. The recently announced vulnerability allows hackers to gain full access of any Windows server running RDP and execute remote code without needing any authentication to the server. The exploit affects all versions of Windows Server for any public, private, or hybrid cloud, as well as traditional datacenters, but Windows cloud servers are at the greatest risk because most have public-facing, open RDP ports that are not protected by a corporate perimeter.

"Microsoft's RDP vulnerability and others like it pose a serious threat to cloud servers," said Tim Mather, founding member of the Cloud Security Alliance, and co-author of "Cloud Security & Privacy." "Cloud users should take a proactive, strategic approach to securing their cloud servers that goes beyond the tactical, reactionary response of relying on patching alone."

"Hacker kits are already available for download that make it easy to identify and exploit this vulnerability on any Windows cloud server," said Roy Feintuch, Dome9 CTO and Co-Founder. "And, despite the newly released patch, it will take months -- if not years -- for every cloud server to be updated, creating a huge window of exposure for attackers. Dome9 provides a strategic solution to recurring vulnerabilities such as this, giving cloud users a long-term security solution that virtually eliminates the risk from vulnerabilities in the OS and application layers."

In addition to addressing this RDP vulnerability, Dome9 eliminates the risk from future, yet undiscovered vulnerabilities, and ends the continuous cycle of find and fix fire drills. Instead of keeping RDP and other service ports open publically on cloud servers, Dome9's cloud security service enables cloud users to close them, by default, and get secure, on-demand access. Dome9 ensures only authorized users can get to the secured resources they need, and any vulnerabilities from the OS and/or applications are virtually irrelevant because they are never exposed to the outside world. Dome9 has two offerings: The new, free Dome9 Lite Cloud, which provides centralized firewall management for an unlimited number of servers and clouds in virtual private, cloud, collocated, and hosted environments; and the pay-as-you-go Dome9 Business Cloud, which adds advanced policy automation.

Dome9 Security is the only cloud security service to automate cloud firewall management for public and private clouds, as well as for dedicated and Virtual Private Servers (VPS), across all platforms. Dome9 closes a critical gap in today's cloud computing server security -- ports such as SSH, RDP, and MYSQL left open so administrators can connect to and manage their cloud servers. This common practice leaves servers vulnerable to hackers who need only guess the correct username and password or exploit any protocol vulnerability to gain unauthorized control of a server. Dome9 secures all administrative ports -- for all servers and clouds -- enabling secure access, on-demand. Its key innovation is the ability to provide secure access leasing -- dynamically generated, time-based secure access to cloud servers -- which enables customers to close all server administrative ports by default.

About Dome9 SecurityDome9, the leader in cloud security management, automates and centralizes cloud firewall management across all servers and clouds. Available for both enterprises and hosting providers, and as a free offering, Dome9 supports clouds, VPS, dedicated servers, and Amazon's EC2 Security Groups, across all major operating systems and service providers. Dome9 is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, with U.S. offices in San Mateo, Calif., and is venture backed by Opus Capital Ventures. For more information, visit: http://www.dome9.com/.

Dome9, Dome9 Central, Dome9 Connect, Dome9 Cloud Lite, and Dome9 Agent are registered trademarks of Dome9 Security. All other trademarks are registered to their respective companies. Copyright Dome9 2012.

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Dome9 Security Addresses Widespread Microsoft RDP Cloud Server Vulnerability