CenterBeam, Inc.

U.S. President Barack Obama has been clear about the government's need to refocus its IT resources to a new future that involves cloud computing. The goals of the move are to allow the country to operate smoother and maintain its security standards as cyber criminals becoming increasingly adept at cracking even the best desktop security systems.

For years, it was difficult for software companies to establish a presence in the China because software piracy was so prevalent. However, SaaS applications cannot be pirated as of yet, and one Chinese software expert believe that cloud computing is the key to establishing a strong software market in China, according to Reuters.

The Cloud Security Alliance, European Network and Information Security Agency and the National Institute for Science and Technology recently published separate protocols for cloud computing security to ensure the safe development and growth of the industry. The remarks followed the urging of RSA president Art Coviello that cloud companies become more proactive in their security practices at last week's RSA Conference in San Francisco, California.

Accounting firms have been very slow to move to cloud computing because of the sensitivity of the data stored in their networks. According to Computer World, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants recently endorsed cloud computing in hopes of easing the reservations of large firms and independent accountants about moving to cloud computing.

Small- and medium-sized businesses are turning to cloud computing at a faster rate than ever in hopes of reducing costs by outsourcing IT to a SaaS provider, according to Outsourcery.

Companies who sell cloud computing services must be aware of their commitment to their customers and carefully package features, according to ZDNet. Also, determining a pricing option based on the package offered to a customer is crucial.

For small health clinics and private medical practices looking to collect money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, an IT expert believes that shifting to cloud computing in the form of SaaS is imperative when the government begins awarding the funds in 2011.

Forty-five percent of supply-chain professionals stated that their companies outsource regulatory compliance needs, according to a recent survey conducted by BDP International and its survey branch Centrx.

Microsoft announced recently that its latest cloud computing offering Azure is now available in India, according to the Economic Times. One of the strongest features of the new product and all cloud computing, according to the software giant, is its implications for the environment and a company's bottom line.

On March 1, a law went into effect in Massachusetts mandating that all companies that store personal information about customers must improve their overall data security. The companies must draft and install a written information security program that is appropriate to the size and overall scope of the company.