Project Management In the Clouds (A
review of new collaboration technologies)
• The Project Management Institute
Sacramento Valley Chapter. January 2011
[I-80] Roundtable
Presented by
Carter Engelhart, PMP
Resources
• To The Cloud YouTube
• Microsoft Airport Commercial
• IBM History of computing
• ManyMoon Project Management (integrates with
Googledocs)
• I.B.M. to Help Clients Fight Cost and Complexity (NY Times)
Overview
• New cloud computing based technologies have
promised to change the way we work and live. But
what's really behind all of the hype?
This presentation will answer questions like:
• What is Cloud Computing and why should I care?
• What are the pros and cons to these new
technologies?
Overview Continued
• Who are the major players?
• How can these technologies be leveraged to
help Project Managers succeed?
• What does the future of Cloud computing look
like?
• Can you show me any concrete examples of
how Cloud technologies have added value to
real projects?
What is Cloud Computing and why
should I care?
Cloud Computing
• Is the use of web based resources to provide
both application and data storage/sharing
services.
• Can be either internally based (inside a
company's firewall - intranet) or externally based
(over the Internet).
• Moves software off the PC to a collective
centralized Inter/intra net location. (e.g. Microsoft
Outlook vs. Gmail).
What is Cloud Computing and why
should I care?
• It can allow project team members to easily and
concurrently collaborate from multiple locations
(both from inside and outside of firewalls)
• Many basic cloud resources are provided free.
• Project and meeting documents can be updated
by all members concurrently during conference
calls.
• The technology promotes help to promote team
work because everyone's work is transparent
and available
What is Cloud Computing and why
should I care?
• It reduces the overhead involved in provisioning
external resources into the organizations internal
network.
• It makes project information easily available on
multiple internet connected devices.
• It can promote team accountablility through the
transarency of project status information.
• It provides an easy way to keep high level
stakeholders engaged by providing the
information via technology that they already use.
History of Computing
• Centralized – Mainframe (Terminals, Printers,
Modems, etc are directly connected to the large
Mainframe computer. Mainframe runs all of the
apps and stores files. Nothing much being done
by terminals. Access to information and apps is
dependant on connectivity to mainframe.
• Distributed -Mainframe/PC (aka Client/Server
design) – Both Mainframe and PC's run apps.
Mainframe handles file storage and connectivity.
Access information and apps is dependent on
access to PC and Mainframe.
History of Computing
• Centralized Cloud – servers handle both the
apps and the file storage. Access to information
and apps is dependent on a PC or thin client
having access to the intra/inter net connectivty.
What are the pros and cons to these
new technologies?
Pros: Cloud Computing
• Easy collaboration from in and outside of the firewall
• Information is available from PC, Tablet and/or mobile
device.
• Handles concurrent users nicely.
• Move storage off a given PC (backup always available)
• Free options
• See also previous slides titled ”What is Cloud Computing
and why should I care?”
Cons: Cloud Computing
• Potential Security Issues (confidential documents)
• Relinquishing ownership of documents (by viture of where
they are stored)
• Moving many of an organization most valuable assets
over to a third party.
• Some rich PC based document processing features may
be limited or not available.
• Document availability is dependent on access to the
internet
• Lack of control of computing resources (performance,
capacity, flexiility of features)
• Printer services can be challenging.
• Regulatory compliance.
Demo of Google Docs
• Demo to show examples how to leverage cloud
computing technologies to contribute to project
success.
• How Cloud technologies have added value to
real projects?
• http://www.gmail.com
What does the future of Cloud
computing look like?
According to the Pew Research Center
Most people participating in their survey:
“expect that by 2020 most people will access
software applications online and share and access
information through the use of remote server
networks, rather than depending primarily on tools
and information housed on their individual,
personal computers.
Questions