Apple named Salesforce Chatter the best iPhone business application in the App Store Rewind 2011. “Chatter Mobile enables users to stay connected to the people, groups, data and files that matter most when they are away from their computer. Chatter users can update their status, post comments, upload photos and much more right from their smartphone or tablet.” Also, the application is free! Curious? Download it here.

• Chatter Mobile: Best iPhone Business App in 2011

Nourse argues that it is most effective to manage all constituents in one database rather than having multiple databases. When using one system, reporting is simpler, training is more straightforward and comprehensible, and having all of your data in one places gives you the opportunity to reach out to multiple constituencies as needed. Moreover, your relationship with your constituents will change, and it is easier to make these changes in one system. A database such as Salesforce.com is flexible and allows you to make these changes and easily managable.

• How Salesforce.com Enables Non-Profits to Manage All Constituents in One Database

A lot of concerns surrounding trust, reliability, compliance and security arise while looking for a cloud provider. Business Cloud News provides us with some best practices for choosing a cloud provider: perform an audit report of your provider’s environment to build your trust for them, select a service provider that understands regulatory requirements, understand the security responsibility of your provider, know the location of where your data is actually kept in case there is ever an emergency, and finally, evaluate your cloud provider based on their key controls and security responsibilities. Moreover, it is important to continually evaluate your cloud provider, as the best cloud providers will continue to make improvements.

• 5 Steps to Choosing the Right Cloud Provider

This week, RightNow Technologies announced that “nearly everyone voted in favor of the previously proposed merger with Oracle.” The proposed merger between RightNow and Oracle was announced a few months ago, with Oracle agreeing to acquire RightNow for $1.5 billion in cash. RightNow is a cloud-based customer service company that helps other companies manage customer interactions across multiple channels.

• RightNow Stockholders Approve $1.5 Billion Merger with Oracle

An ongoing discussion regarding what was the biggest development in cloud computing in 2011. Responses so far revolve around greater development in the cloud and mobile accessibility. Add your responses to the discussion below.

• What Was the Biggest Development for the Cloud in 2011?

KPMG came out with a recent study on where cloud computing is heading, and what is compelling this change. Out of the 806 executive participants, 81% said that their organization has already moved at least one business activity to the cloud, and 10% said their organization is already running their “entire core IT services on the cloud.” Why are these companies moving to the cloud? 80% reported process improvement as their main reason; 79% of users stated technical benefits, and 76% said cloud computing has strategic benefits, such as “transforming their business models to gain a competitive advantage.”

• How Companies Are Adopting and Adapting to Cloud Computing: KPMG

Cloud computing has a lot to offer for various businesses, and might also be considered crucial for startups. Most importantly, cloud computing reduces your startup costs significantly, can get you going right away with out of the box mobility, and allows for pay as you go resources and customizable plans. Cloud computing can also offer faster time to value, which means the quicker a startup can begin to look towards profitability. Other benefits they list are easier collaboration and partnering, faster access to IT enhancements, fewer IT people, and improved security.

• Cloud Society: Ten Reasons Why Cloud is Good for Startups

It looks like the Australian market is most adverse to cloud computing, and are “skeptical about the speed at which cloud computing [is] being adopted elsewhere across the globe.” However, despite their skepticism, Australian businesses are quite possibly the best-positioned market to adopt to the cloud, with 67% of their businesses already utilizing some form of cloud technology. From what it sounds like, their main, possibly only, issue with the cloud is security, which is something covered a lot in our blog and various other cloud computing blogs. The cloud is not any less secure than say, hosting your data on an in-house computer. Why so much hesitance? We’re not quite sure, but for their sake, we hope they catch on soon.

• Australian Market Most Adverse to Cloud?

In case you missed it, Force.com held a Siteforce webinar earlier this week. It is now available for viewing. Check it out to learn more about how to create and run a web site on Siteforce!

• Siteforce Webinar Now Showing

Major companies such as Salesforce, Oracle, and IBM are integrating their CRM with the social cloud. According to SugarCRM’s CTO, CRM is yet to become established. He states, “I can guarantee it will take off massively in the next few years… We have a whole new generation of social collaboration users- who we call the Facebook generation- that expect these tools to be in front of them.”
I agree with this article’s argument that businesses need to turn social, especially at the brink of the “Facebook generation” coming into the workforce; however, I do not agree when it states that Salesforce is “1st generation SaaS” and that SugarCRM and Oracle are “2nd generation, 100% open” SaaS. Marc Benioff’s whole keynote at Dreamforce was dedicated to the social cloud, (remember, “We were born cloud, and we’ve been reborn social” comment that had people tweeting #DF11 away?). Especially with the ease and effectiveness of Chatter, Salesforce seems to have the social cloud concept figured out pretty well. What do you think?

• Social CRM: The Facebook Generation Demands it

Oracle acquired RightNow, a cloud computing customer service company, on Monday to the tune of $1.5 billion. Thomas Kurian, Executive Vice President of Oracle Development, stated that Oracle is “moving aggressively to offer customers a full range of Cloud Solutions inculding sales force automation, human resources, talent management, social networking, databases and Java as part of the Oracle Public Cloud.” I suppose this acquisition isn’t a shocker, seeing as they announced the Oracle Public Cloud not too long ago. I wonder what other acquisitions Oracle has up their sleeves?

• Oracle Acquires RightNow for 1.5 Billion, Aims Turrets at Salesforce.com

There are many possible reasons as to why Oracle bought RightNow. Being new to the cloud, this acquisition might bring some credibility to Oracle since it has taken them awhile to jump on the cloud computing bandwagon. Also, it may bring them more customers in small and medium sized businesses and reach more markets. Moreover, it allows Oracle to compete better with salesforce.com’s Service Cloud 3, which is their cloud computing customer service. Oracle purchased RightNow at $43 a share, making out to $1.5 billion.

• Why Oracle Paid $1.5B for RightNow

The technology and concept of paying to access resources on a remote system through a network connection is not new, companies have been doing it since the days of renting mainframe time. However, “the cloud” is being featured as a bold new concept, why? There are many factors that play in to this; this article lists 11. For starters, millennials are entering the workforce, and they are very computer literate who hardly remember a time without the Internet. Moreover, international outsourcing is easier and more accessible, software products are being launched faster now than ever before, new advances in mobile computing creates opportunities for employees to work from multiple locations, offices are becoming more fragmented, IT budgets are shrinking, and people trust and rely on the internet a lot more than they used to. All of these factors, and more, create the need for cloud computing.

• 11 Reasons Why SaaS and the Cloud are Taking Over

Sencha announced the public beta launch of Sencha.io this week, their new HTML5 mobile cloud service. Sencha.io provides various cloud services, “including Sencha.io Data, Sencha.io Messages, Sencha.io Login and Sencha.io Development.” These new services allow developers to use just a few lines of Javascript code to store data, send and listen to messages from users, deploy apps or login through Facebook and Twitter. In beta now, so check it out here. Cool!

• Sencha Launched Mobile HTML5 Cloud, Sencha.io

ebizQ always posts great question to ponder, this week it is regarding moving enterprise architecture to the cloud. Is it possible? To sum up our point of view, “definitely.” However, the cloud needs to mature a little more before it is ready for enterprise adoption. There are a few patterns emerging though that need to be taken into account as the cloud becomes a component of enterprise architecture, such as consumerization of IT, the importance of mobile access, and the idea of everything-as-a-service. These are just our opinions though, feel free to input yours in the link below.

• Is it Possible to Move Enterprise Architecture to the Cloud?

Oracle’s public cloud, and more specifically the Oracle Social Network, was “greeted largely with apprehension from the web community” at last week’s OpenWorld conference. If you watch the youtube video ad for Oracle Social Networking, you might find yourself yawning. The comments below the video make it worthwhile, bringing up valid points such as, “OK, Oracle, but where to go next? Any URL?” or simply, “Oracle! This was boring as hell!” Not to mention that when Ellison announced the product, very little valuable information was given, with Ellison awkward asking the audience, “I hope this isn’t boring.” We just don’t know what to think.

• Ellison’s Oracle Social Network Baffles

The Salesforce Foundation announced that in honor of Steve Job’s memory, they are going to make dollar-for-dollar match donations to College Track. College Track is an organization that helps disadvantaged youths reach and succeed in college through college-prep testing and providing a culture where success and higher education are valued. The Salesforce Foundation will match up to $500,000, and with the help of donations, that would be $1 million. If you are interested, donate here.

• In Honor of Steve Jobs, Salesforce Foundation Will Match $500K in Donations to College Track

Quite possibly the best person to talk to about moving your company to the cloud is your CFO. However, you need to approach with less of a “what we need to do” approach and more of a “what the business outcomes will be when it is completed” kind of approach. A few questions you might want to be prepared to answer: What is the clear value that the cloud will bring to the business? What are the tangible impacts to the business? and What is the transition plan and how much will each phase cost?

• Want to Move to the Cloud? Talk to Your CFO

Ben Kepes has an interesting discussion going about what we’ll all take for granted in 3 years in cloud computing. Whether it is the ease of connectivity, security objections, the word “cloud” itself, cloud integration, etc., cloud enthusiasts are adding a lot of of predictions to the mix. Add in your input below.

• What Are the Top 10 Things About Cloud We’ll All Take for Granted in 3 Years?

iOS 5 launched this week, Apple’s newest software upgrade. I’ve been playing around with my iPhone upgrade, and it really does have a lot of useful features. Kingsley-Hughes touches on five features that may not be obvious nor necessary, but nevertheless, super cool. For one, you can make your own custom vibrations pattern and save it for use; also, you can check how much storage each app is using using, and can delete some if they use too much data. Also, autocorrect is a little bit more accurate, and now you can even save your own text shortcuts such as “omy” to change to “on my way.” Pretty sure you can add unlimited shortcuts, which might save you from awkward autocorrect moments. What are some of your favorite iOS 5 features? Comment below to let us know.

• 5 iOS 5 Secrets

The Most Important Feature of Salesforce Winter ’12
@TehNerd
Salesforce will be generally available during major release upgrades, cutting downtime significantly.

The Cloud Must go On: Watch the Keynote and Q&A
@jennydburnham
Watch Marc Benioff’s cancelled keynote and following Q&A session.

Winter ’12 Preview Webinar Recording Now Available
@cloudysan
A recording of Bhanot and Carroll’s Winter 12 preview is now available for viewing.

Using the Database.com Java SDK
@cloudysan
Bhanot discusses the Beta release of the Database.com Java SDK.

SMS Notifications for Salesforce Outages
@amber9904
Using ifttt.com to notify you of a Salesforce outage.

After Cancelled Keynote, Benioff Strikes Back; Talks Future of the Cloud (From a Restaurant)
@techcrunch
So many articles written on the Benioff/Ellison incident; here’s TechCrunch’s take on the whole ordeal.

Benioff Plays Keynote Martyr, Markets Salesforce Wares
@ZDNetRachel
Benioff speaks his mind regarding Oracle and his cancelled keynote.

On Wednesday, Marc Benioff was scheduled to keynote Oracle’s OpenWorld conference. Unfortunately, Oracle abruptly cancelled Benioff’s keynote due to a comment Benioff left on Twitter, criticizing that Oracle was not responding to the needs of corporate IT customers. Benioff decided to go ahead with his speech, but gave it at a restaurant nearby instead. Dan Gallagher gives his opinion that the incident is “manufactured drama,” and was used to draw more attention to Benioff’s speech and the subject of Chatter. What are your thoughts on the incident? Leave us comments below.

• Salesforce CEO Says Oracle “Not in Touch”

If you want to see Benioff’s keynote and press conference, click the link below. In the future, Salesforce live stream can be found at salesforce.com/live

• The Cloud Must Go On: Watch the Keynote and Q&A

An interesting juxtaposition to the previous article; Larry Ellison unveiled an assortment of cloud computing services yesterday, which will run the company’s Fusion Applications, aka “Oracle Public Cloud.”"Oracle’s new public cloud will be available for a monthly subscription and will include resource management and isolation, security, data exchange and integration, self-service sign up, elastic capacity on-demand, virus scanning, and more.” Oracle’s public cloud is now interoperable with other clouds such as Amazon cloud, but not Salesforce. In addition to their public cloud, Oracle also announced “Oracle Social Network,” which is in direct competition with Chatter. We have a feeling this is not the last time we are going to hear about Salesforce and Oracle in the same article; as TechCrunch states, “The fight is on… let the eye-rolling begin!”

• Ellison Reveals Oracle’s Public Cloud; Calls Salesforce The ‘Roach Motel’ of Cloud Services

IDC predicts that spending on IT cloud services will increase significantly by 2015, resulting in one in every seven dollars spent on packaged software, servers and storage will be related to the cloud. With such a high increase in cloud spending, strong performance monitoring is crucial. Monitoring cloud performance for users and cloud performance for development are both important, and would allow companies to solve any cloud related problems before they become an issue.

• Thoughts on Cloud Performance Monitoring

There are hundreds of articles out there about Steve Job’s death this week. This particular article, however, caught my eye. Tim Carmody’s son is 4 years old, but due to autism he has problems communicating and comes off as an 18 month to 2 year old in normal conversation. Because of the iPad, his son can better speak and communicate, and continues to learn and improve through a variety of apps. These technologies that Steve Jobs helped create and make accessible are not just used for watching funny videos of cats on YouTube and capturing funny AutoCorrect moments, some people rely on them to communicate, to express themselves, to literally speak. Apple products continue to become more accessible to people with disabilities; for example, the new Siri on iPhone 4S allows the blind to text. Even though Apple does create technology that changes peoples lives, Steve Jobs still insisted that, “this stuff doesn’t change the world.” Instead, “these technologies make life easier… these things can profoundly influence life… things don’t have to change the world to be important.” Sure, you can believe him that these things don’t change the world, but the fact that they make lives easier is strong enough. We can now communicate with people we had not before, and that is something to celebrate.

• ‘Thus Stuff Doesn’t Change the World’: Disability and Steve Jobs’ Legacy