“In a 10-month project, the Air Force has contracted IBM to design a cloud computing environment that can recognize security threats and adapt on the fly.”[1] The main goal of this “cloud computing” will be to manage, monitor and secure information that flows through the military network in order to ensure safety and security. IBM’s InfoSphere Streams software, which was implemented by the Air Force last year, will be used to analyze the data that flows through the networks and will be able to provide insight about possible threats and prevent disruptions to the military’s software.
Cloud computing has been defined many different ways, and according to InfoWorld, cloud computing is basically just “virtual servers available over the Internet.”[2] What does this mean for the Air Force particularly? With this cloud computing available to the military, possible threats and cyber-scams can be monitored and then prevented. With the availability of the InfoSphere Streams software, this threat prevention will be possible because monitors and sensors will be able to detect the massive amounts of information that pass through the military’s systems and networks daily. These systems can then decide which information serves as potential threats to the military databases and such.
As far as IBM goes, this new cloud computing system they are providing for the Air Force may “help IBM win more contracts in the public sector, which contributes more than 15 percent of the company’s almost $100 billion in sales and was the only unit to increase revenue last year.”[3] If successful, this system could push IBM’s sales to even further heights this year which is crucial in an ever-changing, technological world. As a result, if this system is deemed a success by the Air Force, it is very likely that other branches of the military will contact IBM in order to ensure that their networks are secure and virus-free as well. This, in turn, could send IBM sales sky-rocketing even further.
On the other hand, if the Air Force decides that this system does not lead to a cost-saving situation, they may kick it to the curb in a sense. This could mean that IBM would suffer a loss in sales and potential sales because no other branches of the military would then want to utilize this cloud-computing system. Although this is a possibility, I believe that even if IBM fails to implement this new system successfully, they are better off taking a chance because results if it is successful will be much more rewarding than they would be detrimental if the system failed to work properly.
Personally, I believe that without this new and innovative technology, the system would not be able to adapt to incoming threats and scams on the fly which is extremely necessary for the military, especially during a time of war. Preventing these threats will lead to overall more efficient security for not only the Air Force networks, but for the country as a whole. Therefore, if this computing cloud that is being designed by IBM prevents threats and overall eliminates costs, success would be inevitable for both military network servers, and IBM.
References:
[1] John Foley, “Air Force Seeks Secure Cloud Computing,” InformationWeek, 4 February 2010, http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/cloud-saas/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222601145, (accessed on 9 February 2010).
[2] Eric Knorr, “What Cloud Computing Really Means,” InfoWorld, http://www.infoworld.com/d/cloud-computing/what-cloud-computing-really-means-031, (accessed on 9 February 2010).
[3] Katie Hoffman, “IBM Develops Cloud-Computing Model For U.S. Air Force,” BusinessWeek, 4 February 2010, http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-02-04/ibm-develops-cloud-computing-for-u-s-air-force-adds-security.html, (accessed on 9 February 2010).
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IBM definitely has a great chance to advance their company to the next level. In a time of war, managing and securing the military’s network is essential. I believe that IBM’s cloud computing technology can potentially change the face network security. Furthermore, I agree with the statement “this system could push IBM’s sales to even further heights this year which is crucial in an ever-changing, technological world.” Higher sales allows for higher revenue, which increases technological developments that can benefit the United States.
ReplyDeleteA sophisticated and adaptable cloud computing technology is necessary for the Air Force. So much information enters the military system and it is essential to have this information to be processed and secured correctly. Viruses are a real threat to all computers and extra steps for security need to be realized and implemented. I think that the InfoSphere Streams software is taking proactive steps to securing important information.If IBM successfully implements this cloud computing software, it should increase sales.
ReplyDeleteA lot of the recent blogs have focused on implementing new technology for companies, but none have really talked about it benefiting both the company and the one providing and selling the new system. This is interesting, because if the new cloud computing technology provides the Air Force with a sense of security and better reliability, it also provides IBM with not only strong recognition, but also a potential increase in sales. I think its interesting looking at the implementation from both sides of the company. Of course there is the risk if the costly system is not beneficial, but I think that’s something Air Force and IBM will have to be willing to accept. With the everyday technology innovations, the Air Force must update their system too, mainly for security purposes.
ReplyDeleteI feel that this cloud computing system will definitely help secure our military intelligence. The Air Force is responsible for all cyber threats to the US Government, so if their system is not secure people could hack into our government. This system maybe a risk that both firms are willing to take, but I feel if the Air Force is going to spend this money they have done their research to see that the system will work. In addition to helping the Air Force and the United States cyber space, it will also help IBM and the technology sector of the US economy begin a growth phase again. Cloud computing seems to be one of the ways for the future, so it will be interesting to see how this system works.
ReplyDeleteI feel like these types of systems are beneficial for many types of companies but especilly so for the military. I say this because the military has a huge amount of information, most of which is extremely confidential, traveling through their systems on any given day. I think that the air force deciding to implement a cloud computing system is a good idea that will help with security and operations. I also think it is interesting that the article discussed how the sucess of this system could benefit IBM. I agree that if sucessful this could lead to huge sales and recognition for IBM and that other branches of the military should implement similiar systems. Hopefully this cloud computing system does prove to be sucessful because I think it has the potential to be a great advantage to the military.
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