10 books on cloud computing that all IT leaders should read
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Want to start learning about the power of the cloud? Check out TechRepublic’s top 10 titles to understand why the cloud is so important, and how to work with it.
1. Cloudonomics: The Business Value of Cloud Computing by Joe Weinman
1. Cloudonomics: The Business Value of Cloud Computing by Joe Weinman
Do you struggle to understand how cloud computing can create value for your business? In Weinman’s compelling title, traditional wisdom about the cloud is flipped on its head. The book gives detailed examples to show how, for customers, providers, and investors alike, the cloud can offer incredible opportunities. By digging into the costs and returns, Weisman shows exactly when your business should–and should not–harness the power of the cloud.
2. Architecting the Cloud: Design Decisions for Cloud Computing Service Models by Michael J. Kavis
2. Architecting the Cloud: Design Decisions for Cloud Computing Service Models by Michael J. Kavis
In this 2014 title, Kavis, a contributor at Forbes, serves up an in-depth look at the fundamentals of cloud computing. This expert guide is meant to assist businesses in choosing the right cloud service model to meet their needs by offering a critical look at the options available.
3. Re-Imagine! Business Excellence in a Disruptive Age by Tom Peters
3. Re-Imagine! Business Excellence in a Disruptive Age by Tom Peters
This is book is over a decade old, published in 2003–long before the importance of the cloud had fully sunk in. Still, Peters’ call-to-arms for shedding outdated company values and embracing new digital transformation strategies rings through even today, and his insight and easy-to-read style makes this book a must-read for all IT leaders.
4. Why Buy the Cow? How the On-Demand Revolution Powers the New Knowledge Economy by Subrah S. Iyar with Cindy Gordon
4. Why Buy the Cow? How the On-Demand Revolution Powers the New Knowledge Economy by Subrah S. Iyar with Cindy Gordon
Written a decade ago, in 2007, Iyar, the co-founder of WebEx shares insights on why subscribing to online services rather than on-premise software is the smartest business approach. By looking at WebEx, arguably the first Software as a Service (SaaS) application to gain widespread appeal, Iyar and Gordon examine the roots of the business’s success, and the takeaways for other business professionals.
5. Cloud Computing: From Beginning to End by Ray J. Rafaels
5. Cloud Computing: From Beginning to End by Ray J. Rafaels
For beginners interested in learning the technical and business aspects of the cloud, Rafaels offers a great overview, which includes everything from the history of the cloud to the technical aspects to how businesses can strategize to use the cloud effectively. He also gives clear examples of enterprises and federal agencies putting cloud technology to use.
6. Behind the Cloud by Marc Benioff
6. Behind the Cloud by Marc Benioff
In Behind the Cloud, Benioff tells the story of how he founded the “cloud computing” giant Salesforce. The title is structured around what Benioff calls “plays,” which are his ideas and concepts about starting a business, including his thoughts on things like marketing, sales, philanthropy, finance, and leadership.
7. Business in the Cloud: What Every Business Needs to Know About Cloud Computing by Michael H. Hugos and Derek Hulitzky
7. Business in the Cloud: What Every Business Needs to Know About Cloud Computing by Michael H. Hugos and Derek Hulitzky
This 2010 title explores how business leaders can craft strategies for using the cloud that can increase profits and decrease stress. It also touches on the broader implications of the cloud–such as how this new technology impacts organizational structures, especially IT departments.
8. Cloud Computing: Concepts, Technology and Architecture by Thomas Erl, Zaigham Mahmood, and Ricardo Puttini
8. Cloud Computing: Concepts, Technology and Architecture by Thomas Erl, Zaigham Mahmood, and Ricardo Puttini
Once you’ve decided to use the cloud for your business, how can you use a management platform to leverage it effectively? This question is at the heart of Cloud Computing, a title full of specific advice on harnessing different cloud management tools.
9. The Agile Architecture Revolution: How Cloud Computing, REST-Based SOA, and Mobile Computing Are Changing Enterprise IT by Jason Bloomberg
9. The Agile Architecture Revolution: How Cloud Computing, REST-Based SOA, and Mobile Computing Are Changing Enterprise IT by Jason Bloomberg
This title from Bloomberg, a Forbes contributor and thought leader in cloud architecture, is a must-read, that includes myths about “checklist architecture,” which he says is “just another way to achieve dramatic levels of business/IT misalignment, and furthermore, this mistake can be a spectacular waste of money.” Read this book to learn how to avoid these mistakes.
10. A Prehistory of the Cloud by Tung-Hui Hu
10. A Prehistory of the Cloud by Tung-Hui Hu
Written by Hu, an assistant professor of English at the University of Michigan, this title is a thought-provoking examination of way we think about the cloud–versus what the cloud really is. Hu compares the massive data centers and infrastructure that fuels the cloud with the way businesses and consumers experience the technology.
