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Why I go to Manila for Cloud Security

Next week (25/26 November 2013) I will deliver Cloud Security (CCSK) training near Manila, Philippines. If you are interested in attending, drop me a line, we may have a good seat for you.

It is with very mixed feelings that I will travel to Manila. Is delivering CCSK training relevant in a country that has been hit by what is probably the largest typhoon in history, where thousands have died and millions are suffering? Is this the best use of time for me and my attendants? I have asked myself these questions and I have come to the conclusion that it is. My best contribution is to keep doing my job, which is helping people apply cloud computing in the best possible way.

The 2011 earthquake that hit Japan had a peculiar effect on the perception of cloud computing. My friends over there tell me that the earthquake woke people up to the notion that cloud computing can be more resilient to natural disasters than traditional data-centers. This is quite a dramatic shift in attitude for a country where corporate IT was generally approached in a conservative way. Now they have accelerated their adoption of cloud computing.

Last year I visited Bangladesh twice to deliver cloud training. I had a similar question there. Does it make sense to develop advanced technology in a country that is among the poorest in the world, with beggars everywhere? My contacts in Bangladesh think it does, and are convinced that it advances their development out of poverty.

If we believe that IT can better coordinate people in their personal and professional lives, it makes sense to work on IT delivery models that are more accessible and resilient. Cloud computing is such a model.

So, when we start next Monday in Makita, I will take time with my attendants to think of the current situation and its effect on their personal lives and families. Then we can discuss how cloud computing can help them better prepare for the next emergency.

I know a lot of people’s hearts and minds are with the victims, and are looking for a way to demonstrate that. If you have a message, you can send it to me, and I will personally relay it to the people that I meet there.

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