Interop Planning Guide: Cloudy forecast

Cloud computing is the big story at Interop, but has it moved beyond being a buzzword?

To say that this year's Interop will feature a lot on cloud computing would be an understatement.

Interop's goal this year seems to be to leave no cloud unturned, as its sessions explore topics ranging from optimizing cloud computing to navigating different cloud standards to the economics of cloud computing.

"Clearly cloud computing is a game changer and it's one technology that we think people need to know about," says Interop general manager Lenny Heymann. "In fact on Wednesday morning our keynote speeches largely revolve around cloud computing."

Cloud computing, virtualization top Interop agenda|
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To say that this year's Interop will feature a lot on cloud computing would be an understatement.

Interop's goal this year seems to be to leave no cloud unturned, as its sessions explore topics ranging from optimizing cloud computing to navigating different cloud standards to the economics of cloud computing.

"Clearly cloud computing is a game changer and it's one technology that we think people need to know about," says Interop general manager Lenny Heymann. "In fact on Wednesday morning our keynote speeches largely revolve around cloud computing."

Cloud computing, virtualization top Interop agenda|
Five unconventional ways to lose your shirt in Vegas|
Interop history quiz

Of course, cloud computing is only one of the many topics experts at Interop are due to discuss this year. If you're not interested in the cloud, you can always attend sessions on virtualization, mobility, VoIP and more. This Interop Planning Guide should help you pick out the most interesting sessions with the most relevant speakers to match your area of expertise.

Tuesday, April 27

10:15 a.m. Speedometers and Roofracks: The Cloud Ecosystem

What, exactly, makes up cloud computing? The answer is nobody really knows, as the entire ecosystem is still in a state of flux. The talk with Bitcurrent founder Alistair Croll will attempt to show you what parts of the cloud are central to its essence and what parts are merely nice options to have.

Alistair Croll – Founder, Bitcurrent

10:15 a.m. Virtualization Primer: Terms, Trends and Technologies

Think of this as Virtualization 101. FOCUS president Barb Goldworm will give you a concise breakdown of all the different types of virtualization and what they can do for your IT network. Topics include server virtualization, hypervisors, OS virtualization, hardware assists, virtual desktop architectures and application streaming and isolation.

Barb Goldworm – President and Chief Analyst, FOCUS

11:30 a.m. How Virtualization Can Enable and Improve Disaster Recovery for Any Sized Business

With earthquakes, hurricanes and other major disasters wreaking havoc on the world, disaster recovery has become a key worry for many IT departments. This panel will provide some ideas on how to leverage virtualization to improve your disaster-recovery plans.

Moderator – Barb Goldworm – President and Chief Analyst, FOCUS
Joel McKelvey – Technical Alliance Manager, NetApp
George Pradel – Senior Director of Strategic Alliances, Vizioncore

2:45 p.m. Delivering Business Value with a Comprehensive Green Data Center Framework

This session's goal is to provide data center managers with a comprehensive road map to transition their technology to energy-saving "green" IT. The basic idea behind the panel is that investing in energy saving technology today will help you save money in the long term even if it temporarily expands your budget.

Moderator - Doug Washburn – Analyst Infrastructure & Operations, Forrester Research
Shehzad Merchant – Senior Director, Strategy, Extreme Networks
Tate Cantrell – Chief Technology Officer, Verne Global
Robert Petrocelli – Chief Executive Officer, GreenBytes