Due to this difficult economy, virtually all companies are operating under tight budget restrictions, and the mandate to accomplish more with fewer resources. SMBs are particularly challenged to function effectively in this environment. They need to regularly update their IT and communications infrastructure, attract, hire and retain the talent to manage and maintain it.For many SMBs, Cloud offers may help them meet their IT and communications objectives, expectations and challenges…cost effectively. There are a range of Cloud offers in the marketplace, and more are being developed every year. SMBs will need to assess their requirements, and identify and assess potential Cloud solutions to meet them. This session will address the following areas: The types of Cloud offers in the marketplace today: Public, Private and Hybrid Voice, Data, Video Potential benefits that an SMB could realize from a Cloud solution: Economic, Operational, Time to Market Key capabilities and qualities that an SMB should seek in a Cloud provider: Reputation, Experience, Interoperability, Reliability

Cloud services and solutions play a critical role in the cloud ecosystem. But the expansion of cloud services brings with it new complexities and an increased need for integration, aggregation and automation. This is a disruptive change for both business and IT, and constitutes a series of challenges, coupled with new requirements. Leveraging the cloud requires more than just technology and platform migration. It requires a common platform across providers to design, build and operate a solution with a single point of accountability and transparency to enable successful transition to the cloud model. This session will provide an overview of how innovative cloud brokerage technologies are helping streamline cloud sourcing, procurement, onboarding, integration, aggregation, billing and use of different cloud services for cost savings, centralized management and increased control.

Migrating to the cloud is like moving to a new house. Pick the right trusted cloud partner or you may end up moving into a house with no walls and no plumbing! As the need for business resiliency to decrease the dependence to any physical location or system grows, we continue to see more SMBs integrate cloudbased technologies. But, as with any transition, migrating to the cloud requires advanced planning, especially for small businesses that don’t have an inhouse IT department to begin with.No matter the size of your business, most of us need flexibility, and sometimes that means implementing a cloud strategy that is truly hybrid. As your data sets grow, you are particularly at risk for needing a strategy that mixes cloud and physical solutions. Performance, cost, reliability and control are critical to managing your business and your customer experience. How do companies that build their business around big data identify a cloud service that truly meets their needs while delivering the performance customers demand? You don’t need to make the painful decision to sacrifice anything in order to build the best solution for your business.

With continuing advancements in technology, increasing competition, declining budgets and the rapid adoption of mobility by what is becoming the 24x7 always on work force, IT departments are struggling to keep pace with business needs. How do IT departments select the right integrated service for their needs and craft the best, most flexible, cost effective solution for today and tomorrow? SMBs must evaluate and adopt new technologies that can simplify IT and improve efficiencies while at the same time allowing their company to focus on the business of doing business, not the technology that runs it.This informative session will provide a ‘How To’ on the transition to the Cloud while allowing your team and clients the tools they need to utilize cloud technology to work more efficiently and profitably. See how computing in a virtual environment can enhance your personal and business success while bridging the gap between Accountant and Client via dynamic computing methods.

As businesses begin to leverage virtualization and move a variety of missioncritical and secondary applications and services to the cloud, the question becomes how do they manage, secure and optimize their virtual infrastructure to ensure they are getting the most for their dollars? This session will focus on best practices for effective cloud management, including automation, application management, and secure and compliant virtualization.

Today’s workforce is undergoing the most significant change since the Industrial Revolution as the web has evolved over the past decade, so have work styles and structures. An increasing number of professionals are leaving the traditional workplace behind to thrive as contractors, freelancers, solo professionals, and small business owners. As of 2005, onethird of the U.S. workforce participated in this freelance economy and that number is increasing. These new professionals represent an alwayson virtual workforce that’s powered by the latest cloudbased, social networking, and mobile technologies.This session will discuss the evolution of technology from the days when the web was revolutionary to today, where even the most sophisticated tasks can be handled on a mobile device. It will also explore how these changes in technology are enabling a new crop of professionals to take charge of their own careers and how technology startups and small businesses are working together, to create a structural shift in how work gets done.

Competition is nothing new to the technology arena – it’s what breeds innovation and defines new trends. When new ideas reach the point of becoming disruptive, competition heats up to the point of a tech war, which is where cloud computing has taken the industry, with vendors large and small making a play in the clouds, and businesses of all sizes evaluating their options in the cloud.The idea that any computing and communications resources will be delivered on an “asaService” basis from server farms physically located anywhere in the world represents a powerful shift in computing theory. Despite the hype, media attention, and adoption to date, the cloud is still a relatively new technology with many questions still to be answered. Still, the concept of moving sensitive business information and applications into an offpremises environment managed by a third party is profoundly changing how businesses think about, purchase, and manage technology.What does that change mean? How will providers and users alike handle concerns over privacy and security? Which cloud model will dominate the others? Where does open source fit into the picture? Does cloud mean the end of local computing completely?The only thing that is certain about the future of the cloud is the battle for supremacy will be fierce. TMC’s Editorial Director Erik Linask will lead a panel of cloud computing leaders to find out what it will dominate the cloud landscape and what the next major shift will be, and who will emerge victorious in this battle.

In a datadriven world, what will be the role of the network operators? Will they be “dumb pipe” companies, or will they leverage their unique assets —communications infrastructure, connectivity, market coverage and customer intimacy — to emerge as the hubs of dynamic global ecosystems? Rhetoric on this subject has been replaced with reality. New capabilities and services are being developed and delivered to customers in multiple form factors on multiple screens, and developments like virtualization, WebRTC, and CDNs further threaten the value of the network operator as a traditional service provider. The coming months will require an strategy decision on the part of network owners: Will they cede the high valueadded ground to others or succeed in asserting the imperative of their centrality to creating the future. TMC Senior Editor and 35year veteran of the telecom industry Peter Bernstein will lead this critical discussion with a panel of highprofile vendors with a critical stake to claim in the new service delivery paradigm.

The telecommunications industry is undergoing dramatic change. Within the next 5 to 10 years, the FCC expects the landscape for telecom to be forever altered, favoring a move to all IP services. What does this mean for small businesses and for the service providers that are targeting this market segment? This session will include views and suggestions that will be useful to businesses and prospective service organizations.

The popular saying ‘there’s an app for that’ is starting to come true for SMBs around the globe. More and more solutions pop up on a daily basis that promise to help with everything from tracking expenses to managing todos and new contacts. But no single solution will ever address every business’ needs. Luckily, the cloud has enabled companies of all sizes to create offerings that can work together, transforming the way SMBs work and allowing them to create completely customizable solutions that are best for their business. This session will explore how these apps can increase efficiency and improve ROI, by leveraging highly tailored tools that serve the specific needs of SMBs worldwide.

Enterprises are faced with the challenge of scaling their WiFi network to achieve more bandwidth, greater coverage, and more users/devices, all while keeping CAPEX and OPEX to a minimum. Addressing these challenges is difficult within traditional hardware controllerbased wireless LANs WLANs due to inherent complexities and limitations.Now, the same benefits of server virtualization can be brought to WiFi networks by implementing a “virtual” WLAN vWLAN. Within this session, attendees will learn how to scale their WiFi network for current and future demands, leverage previous IT investments, and achieve a more simplified and efficient means to managing their wireless network.

Cloud Offers are transforming the way we communicate, collaborate and conduct business – and Cloud offers are here to stay. However, not all Cloud Offers and Providers are created equal. Capabilities and performance records differ. Consequently prospective customers must conduct thorough “due diligence” and utilize proven techniques to mitigate potential implementation problems and maximize success.

This session will address the following topics:
•The relationship and implications of cloud offers on the following areas: Network infrastructure, Security provisions, Privacy Compliance, Command and Control, Scalability, Capital and Operational budgets, Service Level Agreements, Business continuity, Accountability

•Techniques for selecting a Cloud Solution Provider with: A range of integrated offers, relevant experience, an excellent reputation.

An increasing number of business applications and services are being used on an ‘as a Service’ basis from the cloud. Many of these are critical applications that are at the core of business operations. While it is commonly understood that the cloud can deliver agility, cost savings, instant scalability, and flexibility, the fact is that the most decision makers require evidence of a real ROI model before approving the move.To help executives and IT managers quantify the benefits of a cloud strategy, this session will provide real examples of realworld use cases and how they help prove real ROI on cloud investments.

An outage as you run in the cloud can spell disaster for an SMB. Knowing when and how to scale your architecture to match your growing business is paramount. Visibility in combination with a solid scaling strategy is required. Leaders in the Web world have learned that attempting to build an infinitely scalable architecture is futile. Designers have to ensure their architectures are designed to both support growth and withstand and prevent outages.This session will cover the unique needs of SMBs operating in the cloud, and how to handle scaling needs efficiently while preventing outages. Technology challenges associated with the design and implementation of a pod architecture and other strategies will be discussed, along with the challenges and benefits associated with the automation and deployment of those strategies with an eye towards stability and reliability for the SMB.

While many businesses have started to understand the benefits and logic behind moving to a cloud or hybrid environment, they still struggle with the migration process. This session will address common painpoints of cloud migration and effective ways to avoid or overcome them, as well as best practices for cloud strategies, including when, what, and how to make the move and how to develop your cloud strategy.