In the Know: Top 5 Must-Read Cloud Stories, Jan. 29

Talkin’ Cloud at the end of each day pulls out five must-read cloud computing stories from the news cycle for its readers to review in the morning. Today’s column features IBM (IBM), Docker and Voxox.

Some of these stories have been gathered from Talkin’ Cloud’s article database, while others have been collected from elsewhere. If we missed something, feel free to leave a comment below. We might just add it into the mix.

Here’s today’s list of must-read cloud computing stories.

Super Bowl-Caliber CSPs: 10 Things To Consider When Searching For One Jan 28, 2015. The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will face off in Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday, and businesses that are searching for a successful CSP can learn a lot from this year’s top NFL teams. What does it take to find a “super” CSP? Here are 10 things you should look for in any CSP to ensure that your business receives championship-caliber support — 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

This timely piece provides channel partners with the foundation they need to find the right CSP for their customers. Scroll through the slides to learn how to build your championship team.

Head of IBM SoftLayer Steps Down: Here’s What You Need to Know. Big Blue today confirmed that Lance Crosby, CEO and founder of SoftLayer, has resigned. The news comes after Robert LeBlanc was named the leader of Big Blue’s dedicated cloud unit earlier this month.

Click here for Talkin’ Cloud’s Top 100 CSP list

Docker Adds New Leadership Roles To Open-Source Container Project. Docker is adjusting its operational structure by adding three leadership positions to its open-source container project. These new roles — prompted by company growth — include chief architect, chief maintainer and chief operator. According to the San Francisco-based company, it now has more than 740 project contributors, more than 20,000 projects and more than 85,000 Dockerized applications under its belt.

Major Disruption To Custom App Business Models Ahead. When it comes to shifting applications to the cloud the assumption that is often made is that software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications are simply a more efficient mechanism for distributing software. But for many providers of application software that’s only the proverbial “first shoe” to drop. Now that there is a critical mass of applications and data in the cloud, the provider of cloud services can next be expected to disrupt traditional custom application development.

Voxox Introduces Cloud Phone Pro Hosted VoIP Solution. Vorox has has added Cloud Phone Pro, a hosted Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) solution, to its Cloud Phone product line. The unified cloud communication solutions provider today unveiled Cloud Phone Pro at ITExpo in Miami and noted that this hosted VoIP solution is designed to deliver “savings beyond what other hosted VoIP providers can offer.

BONUS:

IBM Layoffs 2015: Here’s What You Need To Know. The VAR Guy reported last week that Big Blue’s massive layoffs would begin this week — and this seems to be the case. Word surfaced last weekend that IBM is prepping to layoff up to 26 percent of its global workforce, or some 100,000 workers.

Follow CJ Arlotta on Twitter @cjarlotta and Google+ for further updates on the story above — or if you just want to say hello.