How Cloud Computing is the Way Forward for Business

Wednesday 09 March 2011

Cloud computing is the talk of the IT world. Rob Hamilton, Managing Director of Aberdeen-based Dynamic Edge Solutions, looks at the changing face of IT and the shift to cloud computing in the workplace.

What is cloud computing?

In essence it is the delivery of hosted IT services over the internet – meaning a business ‘consumes’ the services it needs, as and when they are needed. A company doesn’t need to invest heavily in hardware and software to get the IT services that its success and growth depend upon.

What are the benefits of cloud computing?

In financial terms it switches IT from capital to operational cost, and means a company only pays for precisely what it uses. In practical terms its advantages are wide-ranging – it means the deployment of IT is at optimum efficiency and it yields mobility because of the capability to access services from anywhere. And of course there is the resilience that comes with being part of large-scale corporate data centres.

Is it easy to move from a traditional IT system to the cloud?

The capabilities exist today to make a painless transition – and to minimise down time or indeed remove it altogether. There is a comprehensive tool set available and a growing pool of skilled people around. We’re seeing more and more companies, particularly those with multiple offices, a mobile workforce or ageing on-premise server hardware, making the switch because they can see the advantages for them.

Where would my company data be located?

Cloud computing providers have data centres located around the world. It’s possible your data may be held in the UK or abroad. A reputable cloud computing provider will always let you know where you physical data is located. Equally, it can be held locally – and some businesses prefer the ‘comfort factor’ of that. Some countries legislate that a company’s physical data must be located within the country boundaries in which they are trading – there is now a solution available that accommodates this.

How much does it cost?

The costs depend entirely on the range of services a company uses and the extent to which it uses them: basically it revolves around a ‘per user per month’ costing model. That, however, is the commercial beauty of it – a company pays for what it uses, and no more.

How will I be supported?

There are various support options open to a business. It may still have an in-house IT team to provide ongoing support, or a specialist IT services provider like Dynamic Edge can fulfil that role, or the cloud operators themselves provide full support services to their clients – it can be shaped to whatever is most appropriate to any individual circumstance.

What Disaster Recovery plans or processes are in place?

There are in effect two dimensions to this. In the event of a catastrophic event at a business – such as a fire – staff of course can continue to work from elsewhere as there is no data on-site. Beyond that, larger cloud operators have ‘geo-redundant’ data centres: they in effect replicate each other so that if one fails, there is a complete ‘real-time’ back up. We provide our cloud computing services via Microsoft Online Services, which has such data centres in Amsterdam and Dublin.

How are future software upgrades handled?

Upgrades typically come as part of the subscription package so businesses automatically access the latest technology – the need for periodic hardware and software upgrades is negated.

Why should I use Dynamic Edge Solutions?

We were very early players in the cloud computing arena and have developed the tools, skills and processes to do the migration and support work. Experience is a rare commodity in a relatively young concept like cloud computing but we’ve got it. We’ve already around 40 clients on this platform, making us one of the largest providers in Scotland.

Is cloud computing really the future of IT?

I believe it is, certainly when the costs and resilience arguments come into play. There’s an analogy with the use of mobile phones by a company – it doesn’t buy the entire infrastructure for running a mobile phone system but sources its specific requirements from a third party. There’s logic in wider IT going the same way.