What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is a combination of software and computing delivered as a service. It provides a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources. Pooling these resources allows organizations rapidly to provide staff with access to the applications, infrastructure, or platforms they need to perform their jobs effectively. Moreover, the resources can be accessed via a simple front-end interface, such as a Web browser, and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. Depending on the deployment model in use, organizations can even contract cloud solutions on a utility basis, paying only for what they use.Cloud solutions are not virtualization per se; rather, they represent a further evolution of the strategic principles of virtualization. One of the most attractive benefits cloud computing offers is its ability to scale resources—upward to meet rising demand and back down again as need subsides. The flexibility cloud computing provides, even in the face of unpredictable usage spikes, creates unprecedented levels of operational efficiency.

What Does Cloud Computing Look Like?

To understand cloud computing, first consider software resources as an example. Software typically is loaded onto individual computers or client devices. With cloud, that same software is instead loaded onto a virtual server utilizing pooled datacenter resources. The computing resources can be located within an organization’s own data center or in that of a third-party service provider.Using a simple Web interface, such as a browser, users are able to access the software from any client device, including desktops, laptops, and mobile phones. The software is thereby provided to the user as a service. Infrastructure and platforms can be similarly provided from back-end resources via user-friendly menus and management tools.The term cloud simply paints a picture of how various IT needs can be served up to users and networks in a virtualized manner.
How Will Cloud Computing Benefit My Organization?

A cloud computing solution can help your organization achieve multiple benefits, including:

  • Reduced hardware, software, maintenance, and management costs
  • Rapid provisioning of resources and on‑the‑fly scalability
  • More efficient use of limited IT staff
  • Increased employee productivity

How Can I Help My Organization Embrace Cloud Computing Solutions?

When considering a cloud computing solution, it’s important to consider the following questions:

  • What IT resources are required for your employees to remain effective and efficient?
  • How quickly is your organization currently able to provision and scale those identified IT resources—whether software, platforms, or infrastructure?
  • What is the total cost to your organization of provisioning and maintaining IT resources?
  • Which needed IT resources could be pooled for greater efficiency and cost savings?
  • What deployment model would provide the best fit for your organization’s specific needs?

Software as a Service (SaaS)

 An increasing number and diversity of software applications are now available to organizations by accessing a cloud hosted on a service provider’s infrastructure. Some common application types available via the cloud include:

  • Calendaring
  • E-mail
  • Customer relationship management
  • IT service management
  • Spam filtering
  • Intrusion prevention

 

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

 IaaS enables organizations to obtain needed IT infrastructure from a cloud services provider—often via a self-service catalog—rather than deploying new data center equipment. The cloud services provider manages the infrastructure, including scaling up or down as needed. Examples include remote backup solutions and on-demand platforms based on technologies such as VMware.

Platform as a Service (Paas)

 PaaS caters to software developers, offering up the entire computing platform and solutions stack needed to create and support an application. PaaS allows organizations to deploy acquired or custom applications without incurring a range of upfront and ongoing costs associated with the underlying infrastructure, including provisioning, maintenance, and management.

 

Deployment Models

Organizations have four distinct choices when it comes to deploying cloud computing services:

Public cloud

 Offers cloud infrastructure for use on a self-service, on-demand basis via a service provider. While public cloud computing allows an organization to avoid many infrastructure expenses, it’s important to plan for other associated cost areas tied to a deployment, such as vendor management processes, capacity planning, chargeback systems, incident management, and service level agreements (SLAs).

Private cloud

 Builds the concept of self-service, on-demand into an organization’s own data center or, alternatively, offers it exclusively via a service provider. Organizations may build a private cloud as an evolutionary step so that an IT services management (ITSM) framework will already be in place in the event of a future move to a public cloud.

Community cloud

 Provides an opportunity for multiple organizations with similar needs or interests to share infrastructure. A community cloud option doesn’t provide the full cost benefits of a public cloud, but it can allow organizations to more readily facilitate requirements for higher levels of privacy, security and compliance. Similar to a private cloud, a community cloud can reside within an organization’s data center or at an external site.

Hybrid cloud

 Allows organizations to mix and match public, private, and community cloud solution options to meet more complex needs.

Getting Started with Cloud Computing

Our approach includes:

  • An initial discovery session to understand your goals, requirements, and budget
  • An assessment review of your existing environment and definition of project requirements
  • Detailed vendor evaluations, recommendations, future design, and proof of concept
  • Procurement, configuration, and deployment of the final solution
  • Ongoing project measurements to meet SLAs