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News

• Microsoft fixes SkyDrive problem, issues persist with Outlook.com

  Microsoft's Outlook.com web mail application and SkyDrive cloud storage service are suffering a partial outage on Wednesday.

• Microsoft's SkyDrive, Outlook.com are down for some people

  Microsoft's Outlook.com web mail application and SkyDrive cloud storage service are suffering a partial outage on Wednesday.

• Microsoft trades reticence for transparency and discloses Office 365 uptime data

  Dropping the veil of secrecy over Office 365 uptime, Microsoft has released availability data for each of the past four quarters and is celebrating the results.

• CirroScope: Stealthy cloud security startup hatched by ex-Symantec teammates

  A small team of ex-Symantec security experts has formed a stealthy Silicon Valley start-up called CirroScope that's focused on shielding enterprises from threats stemming from their use of SaaS applications such Box, Salesforce.com and Google Apps.

• Companies explore self-detonating data as security control

  The popular Snapchat photo-messaging app used mainly by Android and iOS mobile device owners to share images that then self-destruct after 10 seconds is the sort of security idea that businesses say can help them secure online transactions with business partners.

• Startup aims SDN technology at Cisco WANs

  SDNs aren't just for data center networks, despite the best-use-case-scenario arguments for network virtualization and flow management pervading the industry.

• Dropbox to add single sign-on

  Dropbox, whose cloud storage and file-sharing application has been adopted by millions of consumers, will add single sign-on (SSO), its latest feature for businesses as it seeks to penetrate the workplace market.

• Office 365 for businesses gets upgraded, new bundles added

  Microsoft will upgrade on Wednesday its existing Office 365 cloud email and collaboration suites for businesses, as well as introduce new bundles, growing even more the list of Office 365 editions, which some analysts and users had already termed somewhat confusing.

• Security standards council cuts through PCI cloud confusion

  Can you hold Payment Card Information (PCI) data in a cloud-based service? Yes, but doing so isn't straightforward, so the PCI Security Standards Council has published a guideline that clarifies what approaches compliance-minded businesses can take.

• Best IT resolutions for 2013

  It's that time of year when IT executives' thoughts turn to setting resolutions for the new year. We've talked to CIOs, IT analysts and other industry experts about the major trends for 2013 to come up with our own list of suggested IT resolutions.

• Growing confidence in cloud security

  Cloud computing is blowing into 2013 on the winds of confidence, with IT professionals increasingly convinced that the security controls are adequate, but still very, very leery.

• 'Server huggers' impede cloud migrations

  Chipita America may be as close to a serverless company as one can find today. Its ERP, EDI and BI systems, Office and Exchange applications and file servers are all hosted in the cloud. About six years ago, when many IT managers were <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/90957/Debate_Transcript_Does_IT_Matter_">debating</a> the merits of Nicholas Carr's book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Information-Technology-Corrosion-Competitive-Advantage/dp/1591394449/computerworld-20">Does IT Matter?</a> , Chipita CIO Scott Martin was moving the Tulsa, Okla.-based snack food maker's email to service provider CenterBeam's cloud-hosted platform.

• 'Server huggers' present obstacle to cloud adoption

  Chipita America may be as close to a server-less company as one can find. Its ERP systems, EDI, BI, Office, Exchange and file servers are all hosted in a service provider's cloud.

• Office 365 'momentum' announcement met with some skepticism

  Microsoft's declaration this week that Office 365 is enjoying unprecedented levels of sales success didn't fully convince some industry experts who were expecting the company to back up its claims with more concrete figures and who feel it's too early for a victory lap.

• Microsoft: Office 365 a hit, especially with small businesses

  Office 365, Microsoft's cloud collaboration and communication suite for organizations, is selling eight times faster than its predecessor, the Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) and has been particularly successful among small businesses, which make up over 90 per cent of its customer base,according to the company.