#CloudAdoption Archives

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Multi Cloud Computing

Posted on 15/11/202113/11/2021 by Tushar

Multi cloud computing, where multiple cloud services are put to use to create a single overarching infrastructure, is becoming increasingly popular amongst larger enterprises. Many companies already use more than one cloud provider and over 30% of them use upwards of four. By the end of the decade, it is believed nearly all enterprises will have adopted a multi cloud strategy of some kind, as it gives them greater flexibility and even more potential for rapid innovation and deployment.

However, with other possible options available, such as developing a hybrid cloud infrastructure, it is important that those who make the decisions are fully aware of the advantages and disadvantages of adopting a multi cloud strategy and in this post, we seek to highlight what these are.

The advantages of multi cloud

By far the main benefit of creating a multi-cloud infrastructure is that it provides enterprises with the flexibility needed to innovate at speed. The reason for this is that it doesnâ€™t tie them to the specific set of services provided by individual cloud providers. As a result, the way an enterprise chooses to innovate its own applications and services is not restricted by the limitations of a single host.

If a company relies on a single host, it may find it is adequate for the vast majority of its needs. However, if using that host means the company needs to make compromises on development then its innovations may end up being curtailed. Rather than go through the trauma of migrating all its services to another host that can help it innovate in the way it wants to, multi cloud enables it to run different services with different providers, each one offering the most advantageous platform for its specific workload. In this way, a multi cloud infrastructure is the best solution for developers looking for platforms that meet the specific needs of individual applications or services.

One example of this could be with GDPR compliance. An enterprise that uses cloud services based outside of the EU might find it easier to comply with GDPR if it used an EU based provider for the storage and processing of data pertaining to EU citizens.Â Another example is with performance. Using a cloud provider with a datacentre in a particular geographical location could improve performance within that region simply because of its proximity to users.

Another advantage of multi cloud is its ability to cut storage costs. Despite the price of data storage coming down, the ever-increasing volumes of data being collected means enterprises are still spending significant amounts on storage. However, the competition between providers that forces prices down means that those with multi cloud infrastructures can easily shift their data to the cheapest provider whenever prices change.

The final benefit of a multi cloud strategy is that it reduces the potential for vendor lock-in. The main risk here is that an enterprise can become dependent on the technology employed by a particular provider. However, by making the appropriate choices when developing an infrastructure and finding another provider where a compatible, redundant platform can be created, this can be overcome.

The disadvantages of multi cloud

The obvious disadvantage of using a multi cloud infrastructure is that the wider the range of cloud services an enterprise uses, the more complex it gets to manage. Failure to manage the system adequately can increase the costs of using such a system and could affect business agility.

One critical area which needs to be managed effectively is security and a multi cloud strategy can make this more challenging. By using a variety of public cloud services, the line of defence runs across more than one single provider, so it is essential that robustly secure networking and security measures are put in place. Areas which need close scrutiny include finding ways to monitor across different cloud platforms and ensuring that governance is comprehensive and robust.

A final issue with multi cloud is how to manage redundancy and high availability effectively and efficiently when using more than one provider. In instances where this is not efficiently managed, there can be the potential for financial wastage.

Conclusion

While multi cloud infrastructures are more complex and provide a bigger challenge for management, they do offer significant benefits. In a market where everyone is utilising technology to outpace their competitors, the need to innovate and deploy quickly can be the difference between survival and going under. A multi cloud infrastructure enables enterprises to remain a force to be reckoned with, providing the essential flexibility that is so crucial for rapid innovation.

10 Benefits of Cloud Computing for Businesses

Posted on 22/10/202113/11/2021 by Tushar

Cloud computing is where data is stored, managed and processed on a network of servers hosted remotely on the internet. It has become highly popular with businesses because it offers considerable savings together with high security, enormous capacity and a host of managed services. Cloud hosting provides businesses with many advantages and in this post, we’ll take a look at ten of the most important ones.

1. Cloud hosting saves you money

The bottom line for any business looking to adopt a new technology is whether it offers value for money and a good return on investment. What’s great about cloud computing is that you don’t need your own hardware as everything is hosted on your providers’ servers. This means savings can be made on the cost of hardware and, in addition, you can dispense with the costs of running your own data centre. You won’t need to pay for space, power, physical security, insurance and air-conditioning or need to cover the costs of ongoing maintenance.

2. Instantly scalable resources and pay as you go pricing

If you have your own data centre and need to increase computing resources, you’ll need to buy, install and configure an expensive new server. If you only need that capacity to cover a short-term demand, it leaves you with two problems. Firstly, you’re buying something that may lay redundant for most of the time and, secondly, if that demand comes unexpectedly, you might not get the server up and running in time to deal with it.

With cloud computing, scalability comes built in. If you need extra resources because of an unexpected peak in website traffic, you can increase your computing capacity instantly. If that peak only lasts for a day or two you can scale down as demand decreases. And, as you are charged on a pay as you go basis, you only pay for the extra resources you have used. There is no need to upgrade permanently to a bigger package or hire a new server. In this way, cloud provides increased agility and cost-effective resourcing.

3. Strategic competitive advantage

Deployment time in cloud computing is virtually zero and applications that are critical for growth and success can be online almost instantly, giving you a strategic competitive advantage over competitors who have not yet adopted cloud technology.

In addition, the scalability mentioned above means that smaller companies who would normally be at a disadvantage against larger companies with greater in-house capacity, now find themselves on a level playing field without the need to invest heavily in their own data centres.

4. High Availability

As businesses become reliant on applications to run their critical operations, downtime can be disastrous. Server failure can result in companies coming to a complete standstill and getting back online can be a challenging and sometimes long-winded process. Losses can be significant.

Cloud hosting, however, removes the possibility of server failure causing downtime. A cloud environment is engineered to deliver predictable and consistent performance with guaranteed 100% up-time. This is because clients are hosted on virtual machines that, in the event of an issue, can be migrated between the clustered server. The cloudâ€™s hyper-converged design guards against everything from hard disk failure to an entire server failure, enabling mission-critical applications to be available all the time.

5. Lightning fast performance

In order to stay competitive, cloud service providers need to continually update their technology to meet the demands of their customers. As a result, cloud computing offers high-performance servers with technology such as powerful CPUs and super fast SSD drives.

In addition, load balancing is used to route client requests in a way that maximises speed and capacity utilisation. In this way, when servers are busy, the load is distributed so that no single server suffers from performance problems â€“ and with so many servers at their disposal, a cloud provider can always ensure that performance is consistently optimised.

6. Get new apps running quicker

Before the advent of cloud computing, it could take a long time to get new applications running smoothly. Cloud-based applications, however, have significantly reduced the time required for successful execution. Most cloud-based applications can be used instantly after signup.

This offers many advantages to businesses. One, in particular, is that businesses who migrate to the cloud can be benefiting from AI and machine learning applications within hours of signing up.

7. Increased security

With cloud hosting, your business is protected against hacking, infection and internal data theft. Cloud providers are required to comply with a range of stringent security regulations in order to protect their customersâ€™ data. This includes the use of robust firewall technology that features intrusion prevention systems and in-flow virus protection. These detect and isolate threats before they reach your server. You can even extend your office into the cloud with extensive VPN features.

8. More flexible working

Cloud computing provides greater flexibility in how employees work. As it is internet based, staff can access files both in and out of the workplace, enabling them to work remotely or in the office. Many companies are using this to give employees more flexible working conditions and to cut down on the amount of office space they need. In order to cut costs, many local councils have massively reduced office space expenditure by allowing staff to work from home and by using a hot-desking system on the days they come into the office.

Staff can access the companyâ€™s system using web-enabled devices such as smartphones and laptops and can collaborate in real-time with others by sharing synchronised files and using online conferencing. Many businesses now have a â€˜bring your own device (BYOD)â€™ policy which is backed up by the use of a logical access authentication protocol to ensure security.

9. Environmental friendly

Moving your system to the cloud means that you won’t need your own data centre and can reduce your own carbon footprint significantly. You wonâ€™t need to power the servers or keep them cool. You wonâ€™t even need data centre space which needs to be lit.

However, there are more environmental benefits than simply offloading your carbon footprint to your provider. Once you have migrated to the cloud, youâ€™ll find that economies of scale mean that your provider can use energy in a much more efficient way and that the energy needed to run your systems is much less than it would be on-site. In this way, cloud computing reduces the overall impact on the environment.

10. The cloud is future enabled

We’ve already mentioned that cloudâ€™s scalability puts smaller companies on a level playing field with bigger ones. In the future, this is going to be even more important. With the growth of the Internet of Things, the amount of big data that businesses are collecting and processing is going to increase exponentially.

Big data analytics provides vital information for driving business development and those companies who have the resources to carry it out are the ones who will gain most. Cloud computing is by far the most cost-effective option for storing and processing enormous quantities of data. In addition, it provides the easy deployment of the applications needed to carry out this processing.

Conclusion

As you can see from this post, cloud hosting provides many benefits to businesses. It’s cost-effective, can save you money, itâ€™s highly reliable and it provides the scalability, flexibility, agility, high performance and security businesses need from their IT systems.

8 Reasons Why Cloud Hosting Helps Businesses Compete

Posted on 23/03/201922/06/2021 by Tushar

Organisations are flocking to cloud computing in greater numbers than ever before and many are expanding their use of it. This comes as no surprise, given the many advantages that cloud migration brings. In this post, we’ll look at how the cloud hosting enables its users to outperform their competitors.

1. Cloud users save money

One of the primary reasons that organisations migrate to the cloud is to cut costs. By using the hardware and services of your cloud provider you’ll no longer need to spend enormous sums on purchasing your own hardware. And that’s just the start of your savings. As you won’t need a data centre any longer, you can eliminate the expenses of running one. The money spent on maintenance, management, space, security, air-conditioning, power, insurance, etc. can all be put to better purposes.

2. Instant scalability

Being competitive means being able to adapt at speed to market demands. One of the drawbacks for businesses running their own data centre is that scaling up can be a slow and expensive process. If you are getting increased traffic to your website and you need additional resources to cope, scaling up can involve purchasing a new server, setting it up and getting it online. This can take quite some time to do. When you use the cloud hosting, your service provider’s vast data centres mean that you can have all the resources you need instantly.

Another issue faced by organisations scaling up in-house is that the additional resources they acquire aren’t fully utilised. For example, your company may get high traffic for certain periods but for the rest of the time, the new server sits idle. This doesn’t make it the wisest investment. Cloud services, however, are charged on a pay as you go basis. You only pay for what you use, so during quieter times, the costs are minimised.

3. Speedy application deployment

It’s not just scaling up that can be done quickly in the cloud hosting , the deployment of the critical applications needed to give you the edge in a competitive market can also be done instantaneously. This can be particularly advantageous for smaller enterprises as it gives them the same speed of deployment as larger competitors who have superior in-house capacities.

Cloud-based apps require far less time for successful execution, most of them being available immediately on signup, giving you instant access to game-changing technologies such as AI and machine learning.

4. 100% uptime

Today’s organisations rely on critical applications to run their operations. The disruption caused by downtime is a major issue, as events such as server failures can cause operations to grind to a halt. Fixing the problem can be difficult and time-consuming and the resulting losses and reputational damage can be substantial.

In a cloud environment, server failure cannot cause downtime. As clients are hosting on virtual machines, when a physical server error occurs, the virtual machine is simply moved to another part of the server cluster. This hyper-converged infrastructure protects organisations against everything from hard disk issues to entire server failures, guaranteeing 100% uptime for critical applications.

5. Latest technologies, exceptional performance

Another problem with in-house data centres is that the technology organisations purchase or lease soon become less competitive than the newer, high-performance products that are regularly released onto the market. Continually updating is both expensive and disruptive and this often puts companies at a disadvantage.

For cloud service providers, investment in these new technologies is a necessity in order for them to remain competitive and meet the growing expectations of their clients. The advantage for cloud users is that they will see their applications running on the latest, high-performance servers without the need to invest in the technology themselves. These are servers where performance is consistently optimised, using powerful processors, blisteringly fast SSD drives and load balancing to maximise speed and capacity utilisation.

6. Increased security

Every organisation has concerns about security, so it’s good to know that cloud providers are obliged to comply with stringent security regulations to safeguard customer data. Your provider will protect you against hacking, malware and internal data theft. Using state of the art firewalls that feature intrusion prevention and in-flow virus protection, threats will be detected and isolated long before they reach your server. Other security features include data encryption, remote backups and VPN.

7. Organisational transformation from working online

As a cloud user, your employees can access your system from anywhere with an internet connection and this has helped many organisations to reap the benefits of remote working. It enables companies to employ highly skilled members, no matter where they live, and bring about more flexible working hours. It also means they can save on the amount of office space needed as staff can collaborate in real-time using online conferencing and through the sharing of synchronised files.

Furthermore, as employees can access the company’s system using connected devices such as smartphones and laptops, many companies have dispensed with these costs by introducing a ‘bring your own device (BYOD)’ policy that uses authentication to maintain security.

8. Do more with technology

Perhaps the biggest benefit of the cloud is that it is a technology that enables you to do more with other technologies. With Big Data analysis, machine learning and AI all rapidly deployable, just imagine what potential cloud brings: personalised marketing and communications, improved customer services, discovering new development opportunities and much more. Cloud is also the ideal place for companies wanting to take advantage of the Internet of Things, augmented reality and the other ground-breaking innovations that are helping to reshape the way the world works.

Conclusion

Cloud hosting enables even the smallest of companies to take advantage of the technologies that are transforming today’s marketplace and working environments. In doing so, it makes them far more competitive, while enabling them to spend less and do more. At the same time, these organisations can also benefit from the cloud’s high-performance and reliability, its scalability and flexibility and its highly secure environment.

The 5 ways cloud computing will change in 2020

Posted on 06/03/201922/06/2021 by Tushar

Cloud computing is set to continue its remarkable development this year with technologies like 5G, Kubernetes, AI and machine learning increasing the scope and scale of the operational uses it can be put to. In this post, we’ll look at these technologies and see how they will change the face of cloud computing and how businesses use it.

1. IoT boosted by 5G

The long wait for 5G is finally over and, with its introduction, we’re set to see it play a critical role in the connectivity of IoT devices, extending that connectivity way beyond the limitations of wi-fi and enabling the development of edge computing.

The exponential growth in the number of IoT devices is coupled with an equally gargantuan collection of data. As the value of that data for delivering rich insights prevents enterprises from deleting it, companies are left to find a way to store and process it all. They need massive data storage capacity and vast compute capabilities. At the same time, some of the new technologies being developed for IoT use, self-driving vehicles being a prime example, require network latency to be almost eradicated.

5G can help with all these issues. It can connect devices where wi-fi and cabled connections are not available and at exceptional speed, it enables storage and compute services to be installed at the edge of 5G networks, shrinking latency to less than a millisecond while reducing the type and volume of data being stored in datacentres.

2. More stringent security standards for public cloud

Security is a critical concern for all enterprises and one new area to consider is the issue around 5G as it becomes part of the cloud network. The UK’s decision to use Huawei technology for its 5G network has already become a political hot potato. This, together with other concerns, is likely to lead to more stringent security standards, particularly over endpoint security, for cloud providers.

It is expected that tighter regulations will be introduced for the architecture of hybrid clouds requiring full data separation between on-site and public cloud environments. Brexit will also play a part, as the UK goes its own way in implementing standards regarding data protection.

3. More users adopting hybrid cloud

While many companies have considered hybrid cloud computing , its technological challenges have led to most of them adopting a purely public cloud model. And while there are workloads which are better suited to a hybrid solution, the lack of flexibility to deploy both on-site and cloud infrastructures is a hurdle which many enterprises are not equipped to overcome.

In 2020 and beyond, we’ll start to see new tools that can overcome these management and migration challenges. These tools will split migration into two separate processes where companies can first become familiar with their new programming and management models on-site before finally moving their infrastructure to the cloud. This is particularly helpful for those organisations that want to move to the cloud but don’t want to abandon the investments they have made in their datacentres and hardware.

4. Kubernetes to become the standard container

Containers have become widely used by companies that need to run multi-cloud workloads. By providing a platform-agnostic solution for the packaging and management of applications, they have simplified the process of cloud adoption and migration.

Of all the container solutions available, Kubernetes has become the most widely adopted. The primary reason for this is that, aside from housing an application, it also specifies the app’s required infrastructure, including load balancing, networking and scaling. What’s more, the standardised way in which it does this means those specifications can be more easily transferred across providers. When it comes to deploying infrastructure for container-based workloads, Kubernetes is today’s go-to solution. Additionally, its popularity means there are also a growing number of tools being developed to support its use.

5. AI and machine learning used in networking

AI and machine learning are now being deployed to carry out a wide range of operations and this means companies are reorganising their IT services to enable them to make deployment easier. One area where AI is beginning to bring developments is in networking, helping with such things as reducing energy consumption and in automating maintenance tasks. Expect to see even more examples of its uses coming into the spotlight in the next few years.

Conclusion

It is an exciting time for the cloud with technologies like 5G, containers, AI and machine learning enabling its users to undertake more operations and enhance their capabilities. However, with expanding uses comes an even greater need for security and higher standards in how data is used. Hopefully, the information given here will have shown you what developments are in store and how your company can benefit from them.

Predictions for the Cloud service in 2019

Posted on 25/01/201919/06/2021 by Tushar

2018 saw important technological advances in cloud computing that made businesses take a fresh look at how it could help them achieve their goals. In 2019, we are likely to see a further shift towards the collection and use of data, including that gathered from business processes and external data sets.

To enable businesses to make the most of this, weâ€™ll see organisations move from standard infrastructure as a service (IaaS) solutions to cloud services with more advanced features, such as AI, machine learning, blockchain and analytics. Hand in hand with this, we are also going to see more organisations adopt hybrid and multi-cloud environments which provide them with a more effective infrastructure and a better set of tools to achieve their aims. As a result, here at Anteelo, we believe the cloud trends mentioned below will become increasingly widespread as more businesses continue to develop their use of cloud technology.

A shift to hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructures

While many businesses have adopted cloud technology in some form or other, performance concerns and compliance requirement mean the majority of companies still run mission-critical applications and handle sensitive data in-house. In order to continue their move towards a cloud environment, companies will look at using a wider range of cloud options.

Public cloud will still be used as a cost-effective way to handle many processes, however, rather than rely on a single provider, many organisations will opt for a multi-cloud approach using a variety of hosting solutions for different purposes. At the same time, some workloads are more suited to private cloud networks and this means weâ€™ll see an increase in the use of hybrid cloud infrastructures being developed.

While this mix of in-house, private cloud and public cloud architecture is obviously more complex, their integration will give enterprises the opportunity to build the most effective infrastructure it needs to drive the business forward.

A move towards open cloud technology

The shift to hybrid, multi-cloud environments naturally leads to the adoption of open cloud technologies. Doing so helps companies avoid vendor lock-in and gives them greater freedom to choose the right solution providers. Indeed, using open cloud technology improves the interoperability of platforms, apps and data which is ideal for businesses looking to create diversely hosted infrastructures.

Increased adoption of containers

Another consequence of companies moving towards a multi-cloud strategy is that they will want to deploy their apps across their multiple cloud platforms. This will lead to the increasing adoption of containers which will enable migration between various IT environments to take place easily and quickly. Key to this will be the use of the open source tool, Kubernetes, which enables the deployment and management of container-based applications.

An emphasis on security

Any move to a hybrid cloud setup means enterprises will need a more sophisticated approach to security. Using the services of multiple cloud providers means they will need to consistently manage all the threats to their applications and data across all vendors. An important aspect of this will be the need to get developers to integrate security features into their apps during development in order to ensure better app visibility, protection and control.

Skilling up

Adopting a hybrid, multi-cloud approach means IT teams will need to develop new skills and practices in the way they operate. While relying on managed services may still be appropriate in some situations, there will be an increased need for staff with skills in using cross-platform tools, automation and data integration. The training up or recruitment of specialists, such as cloud architects, service brokers and automation engineers may be a necessity.

Rapid growth in edge computing

The huge rise in the numbers of connected devices and the emergence of 5G networks means that 2019 will see edge computing grow rapidly. Its use will enable companies to significantly benefit from the analysis of all the valuable data being harvested from sensors and other IoT devices in operation. Whether to gain customer insights, improve operation efficiency or for real-time condition monitoring, the use of interoperable technologies enables edge locations to remain synced with the companyâ€™s system to ensure it has a consistent overview of the wider network.

Conclusion

As you can see, the big development in 2019 is the move towards a hybrid, multi-cloud strategy where enterprises create bespoke IT solutions that combine public and private cloud service with in-house IT. Hand in hand with this will be a move to open source cloud technology, the increased adoption of containers, a stronger emphasis on security, the skilling up of IT teams and a rapid growth in the use of edge computing.

Ways cloud hosting is similar to Santa

Posted on 21/01/201918/06/2021 by Tushar

You might think it Christmas crackers to believe a beardy, old sleigh driver donning a red hat, has anything remotely in common with an internet-based hosting solution â€“ but youâ€™d be wrong. Both of them, in their own unique ways, can bring us many benefits. So, as Christmas approaches and we begin to let our minds wander away from work and towards the festivities, hereâ€™s a more seasonal and humorous post for you to enjoy. Here are the reasons why cloud hosting is like Santa Claus.

When it comes to running critical operations, Santa relies on his sleigh just as much as businesses need their applications. Downtime for either can be disastrous. Sleigh failure can result in millions of unhappy children waking up to empty stockings – an unimaginable reputational disaster for the worldâ€™s most trusted brand. For others, the standstill caused by server failure not only damages reputations but can also result in significant losses.

Neither Santa nor businesses like downtime

While Santa relies on magic reindeer dust to keep his sleigh in action, for businesses, the best option is to migrate to cloud hosting where the possibility of downtime due to server failure is non-existent. The virtual nature of a cloud environment means that it delivers consistent performance with guaranteed 100% uptime. This is because its hyper-converged design protects against everything from hard disk failure to an entire server failure, enabling critical apps to be always available.

Reindeer fast performance

Speed is essential for both Santa and modern businesses. For Santa, dropping off presents to the worldâ€™s 2 billion children in a single night means he has to work fast. Itâ€™s been scientifically calculated that he needs to travel at approximately 650 miles per second to get everything done in time and to achieve this, he needs more than your average reindeer. Indeed, the average reindeer can only manage 15mph and most of those would be flagging after half an hour of pulling all that weight.

What makes everything possible for Santa is that he uses the cloud. Rather than taking the sleigh over rugged terra firma, riding high in the cloud provides an almost friction less environment to travel and where gravity has less of an impact. This massively improves his speed.

That same cloud, or one very similar to it, can also help boost the speed of your data. Indeed, as data is weightless, it can travel even faster through the cloud than reindeer, almost at the speed of light. And with high-performance servers featuring powerful Intel Xeon CPUs and super-fast SSD drives you can perform critical tasks quicker than an elf can say â€˜Merry Christmasâ€™.

Santa has been so impressed with cloud technology, heâ€™s now adopted load balancing to prevent his sleigh tipping over on tight corners. For cloud hosting users, load balancing maximises speed and capacity utilisation so that when servers are busy, the load is distributed. This ensures that no server suffers from performance problems and, with multiple data centres at their disposal, cloud providers can always ensure optimised performance.

Both Santa and cloud hosting save you money

Whether you are buying presents for your children or cloud hosting for your business, it is important that what you buy offers you value for money. Whatâ€™s great about the cloud is that you can save on the costs of running a data centre and the capital expenditure needed to pay for hardware. Everything you need is provided by the host. There will be no need to pay for premises, electricity, physical security, maintenance or insurance.

Similarly, with Santa, those who have well-behaved children can save on the cost of buying presents. Instead of spending a fortune on Amazon, simply get your â€˜nice listâ€™ kids to write a letter to Santa and put it in the nearest post box. Doing this automates the process of putting presents in stockings and under the tree on Christmas Eve. Although a small delivery fee of a mince pie and a shot of something warming is required, the savings are dramatic, especially when your child has an eye for expensive electronic gadgetry.

Unfortunately. If you have naughty kids, youâ€™ll have to supply your own presents or make do with the small bag of coal that â€˜bad listâ€™ children get left.

Both come with expert little helpers

When you have significant workloads, it pays to have experts on hand to help you get things done. Santa, for example, has an army of elves who spend their days creating the presents, wrapping them up and loading them onto the sleigh. Theyâ€™ll also manage the naughty and nice list and organise the presents in a way that enables delivery to be done with awe-inspiring efficiency.

If Santa has a technical problem, Mrs Clause offers 24/7 support, together with tea and biscuits, to help him find an effective solution. Last year, for example,Rudolphâ€™s nose was a bit dim and Mrs Clause provided the right type of carrot to add to Rudolphâ€™s food â€˜til the luminous glow was restored.

Users of cloud hosting also benefit from expert little helpers. Working away behind the scenes is an army of engineers and technicians who ensure that your hosting is expertly managed. Theyâ€™ll monitor and maintain the servers, update the software, scan for intruders and malware,and generally make sure your hosting is working as effectively as possible.

At the same time, should you have any issues, a good cloud host will provide their own 24/7technical support. While they may not know one end of a reindeer from the other, they will have expert skills in helping you with all your hosting needs and will be available by phone, live chat or ticket.

Wrapping up

So, as you can see, it is possible to compare Santa with cloud hosting. Comparing,however, doesnâ€™t mean you have to choose between them. If youâ€™re clever and have been good all year, you can have both. Now, that is good tidings.

How Can Migrating to the Cloud Help Customers?

Posted on 20/01/201919/06/2021 by Tushar

There are many benefits of migrating to the cloud: financial savings, increased agility, tighter security and uninterrupted service, just to name a few. But one often overlooked benefit is the improvements it brings to the customer experience and the positive effects this has on user trust and satisfaction, brand engagement and a companyâ€™s online reputation.

Improving the user experience is increasingly important for an enterpriseâ€™s success. According to Bloomfire, over 80% of businesses see the user experience as something which helps differentiate between competitors and, by the end of the decade, it is projected to overtake price and product choices as the main reason why consumers choose one brand over another.

Online, where consumers expect immediate, unlimited and uninterrupted access to information, products or services, businesses that still use non-cloud systems may miss out on the opportunities that the cloud has to offer. Migrating to the cloud provides the tools and services businesses need to participate in todayâ€™s competitive, on-demand marketplace, enabling them to enhance the customer experience and reap the rewards of doing so. Here are the ways migrating to the cloud can improve your customersâ€™ experience.

Give customers 24/7 access to your products and services

The days where customers were prepared to wait for usual business hours to get in touch with a company are over. Today, they expect online operations to be available 24/7, whether that is to buy products, contact customer support or access online services. They also expect that these things can be done from anywhere, using any type of connected device.

By migrating to the cloud, it means that businesses have a much greater flexibility to put these things in place. For example, as employees can connect with work-based applications anywhere they have a connection, it means they can deal with customer service enquiries even when they are out of the office, helping expand operations and keeping costs to a minimum. Indeed, by using AI chat boxes, many of the inquiries a company has out of hours can be automated with only a minimal need for any human interaction.

This 24/7 availability can be provided for many services, such as product sales, ticket ordering, delivery tracking and much more.

Provide a one-stop shop

Ever had the experience of waiting for ages in a phone queue and then, when you finally get through, to be told you need to call a different number? There is nothing more frustrating for a customer than finding out they cannot access all a companyâ€™s services from a single point of entry, whether this is on the telephone or online.

Thankfully, the tools and systems available to companies which migrate to the cloud enable them to provide the integrated services that their customers demand, without them needing to leave the website.

The applications available in the cloud provide customers with easy to use interfaces from which they can manage all their services from a single place, whether on a website or smartphone app. Just think of all the things that online banking customers can now carry out on a bankâ€™s website or apps. And if they have a problem, they can have access to support using the same interface no matter where they are, what time of day or what device they are using.

Offer personalised experiences

Despite all the concerns around data privacy, most customers prefer it when companies provide them with personalised shopping experiences. Itâ€™s great for consumers seeing products and services that are tailored to their needs and desires and putting these things directly in front of customers certainly helps improve sales. Itâ€™s a win-win situation for both consumer and company and something we are seeing a lot more of when we visit websites.

The reason companies can provide personalised shopping experiences is because of the vast amount of data that is made available. Websites can track browsing and shopping history; they provide wish lists to see what people like; if customers donâ€™t inform them directly, their algorithms can quickly ascertain a consumerâ€™s age, gender, family background, geographic location and similar data; and all these things can be compared with the data of those in a similar demographic. The result is that users of these websites see an increasingly accurate guess at the things they are looking to buy and this increases their chance of buying them â€“ especially when the company uses this data to incentivise a purchase through offers and discounts.

To provide personalised shopping experiences, however, all that data needs to be collected, processed and analysed. And there is a lot of data to collect. Cloud computing offers the best way to do this, providing unlimited storage and processing capacity, charged for on a pay as you use basis while allowing the use of widely available big data and AI applications to undertake the data crunching.

Improve the trustworthiness of your brand

The cloud provides several ways to improve the reputation of your brand. With high availability cloud hosting, the bad press associated with application downtime can be a thing of the past; the security features available from service providers means that there is a reduced risk of IT systems becoming victims of cyber attacks, infections or ransomware; and the choice of cloud-based tools on offer provides a range of ways to ensure that customersâ€™ needs are dealt with quickly. Together, these things ensure that customers see your online provision as something that is both reliable and trustworthy.

Conclusion

Migrating to the cloud can greatly improve the user experience, helping to attract new customers and retain existing ones. With many tools available, the cloud can help businesses give their customers the online experiences they demand, providing 24/7 access to integrated services and personalised shopping from a reliable and trustworthy business. With these in place, businesses will have a clear advantage over their competitors.

Cloud Adoption : Major Challenges

Posted on 13/01/201917/06/2021 by Tushar

Since the start of the pandemic, digital transformation has accelerated as more businesses see the need to adopt advanced technologies and do so quickly. Providing ways to propel businesses forward, adapt to new ways of working and cut-costs, digital transformation has many benefits. Cloud adoption, while a necessary element of that transformation, is not without its challenges. Before migration takes place, companies need to know what the main challenges are. Here, we explain.

Security in the cloud

Cloud services, in themselves, are exceptionally secure. All cloud providers have to comply with stringent regulations and this requires them to put robust security measures in place, including the use of strict protocols and advanced security tools. However, companies still have concerns about multi-tenancy and data location.

Multi-tenancy can be a compliance issue for some organisations which hold sensitive data. The problem can be overcome by storing the data in a single-tenancy private cloud where they have dedicated use of the underlying hardware.

Data location is an issue for organisations which store data protected by regulations such as GDPR. Using a cloud provider that migrates data or backups between countries, puts the data at risk of being kept in a nation that doesn’t comply with those regulations. For example, EU citizen data is protected by GDPR, however, if it is stored on servers in the US, the government there has legal access to it for national security purposes. If it is accessed, the organisation will be in breach of compliance. The easy solution here is to opt for a cloud provider which locates all its datacentres in a single country, as Anteelo does in the UK.

Cost management

One of the biggest advantages of the cloud is the ability to reduce capital expenditure on hardware and in-house datacentres. The other financial advantage is that cloud resources are chargeable on a pay per use basis, enabling companies to scale up and down quickly so that costs can be minimised.

The financial risks here depend on how well a company manages its use of the cloud. Poorly managed, it is easy for the use of these on-demand resources to spiral and this can be costly. Companies need to implement use policies, monitor cloud usage and carefully analyse where the money is being spent.

Lack of IT expertise

Migration to the cloud not only presents a new type of infrastructure to an organisation; it also puts a host of new technologies at their disposal. While the benefits of using these are the prime reason for cloud adoption, one of the challenges faced by most companies is developing the expertise to make use of them.

Organisations adopting the cloud need a clear understanding of what they want to use it for and make sure they have the necessary expertise to help them meet their objectives. This could require the training of current staff or the recruitment of new ones.

Thankfully, many providers offer managed services and 24/7 technical support. There is also a wide range of tools which automate many of the tasks which not so long ago required expert manual input.

Multi-clouds and hybrid clouds

Over 80% of companies now use more than one cloud provider, some as many as five, to carry out different workloads. The reasons for this are numerous, but it boils down to choosing the most appropriate vendor for the specific workload being undertaken. At the same time, there is an increasing number of businesses developing hybrid-clouds, a mixture of public and private clouds together with dedicated servers.

While multi-cloud and hybrid cloud can be beneficial for financial, operational and compliance purposes, they add to the complexity of an organisation’s overall infrastructure. Here, there will be a greater need for governance, monitoring, expertise and security.

Migration

While the points above discuss the challenges of cloud adoption, the migration itself can also cause problems. A cloud environment can be markedly different from the one on which an application is hosted in-house. Issues with operating system compatibility and system configuration may mean an application might not work, or work as expected, in a cloud environment. Resolving these issues can have an impact on the speed of migration, project deadlines and budgets.

Thankfully, there are a wide and growing range of applications, many of them open-source, that have been developed for cloud environments, are quickly deployable and work straight out of the box.

The key to a smooth and speedy migration, however, is to find a vendor with the expertise and technical support to help you manage the migration process.

Conclusion

The pandemic has accelerated the pace of digital transformation across the globe with unprecedented numbers of companies migrating to and expanding workloads in the cloud. While for many organisations, this is a necessary part of the ‘new normal’, they should not underestimate the challenges that cloud adoption presents. The best way to prevent issues is to work closely with a cloud provider that will get to know your company and put tailored solutions in place for you.

Enterprise cloud hosting migration challenges

Posted on 04/10/201819/06/2021 by Tushar

Despite the enormous benefits that the cloud brings, there are several issues that many enterprises face as they transition to this new technology. These include making choices about the right time to migrate, the best way to do it and which services to move. Other issues concern security, the use of managed services and whether to opt for a multi-cloud or hybrid cloud approach. Here weâ€™ll look at these challenges in more depth.

Planning the move to the cloud

Research by the Cloud Industry Forum shows that 88 per cent of UK enterprises have now adopted cloud technology with two-thirds expected to expand their use during the next 12 months. In doing so, many will shrink their in-house data centres or close them entirely. The result is that they can scale down or eliminate the expense of paying for the physical premises, hardware, applications and security that a data centre requires and replace this setup with a more agile cloud infrastructure.

The issue is that planning the migration of many different applications from the data centre to the cloud can be a challenge that takes considerable time to carry out and which often stretches already busy IT teams beyond capacity. Indeed, many IT teams lack the skills needed to carry out a successful migration.

The solution is not to undergo this process in isolation. You should find a provider that will carry out the necessary assessments, assist you in designing and developing the infrastructure you will need and which will then plan and undertake the migrations on your behalf.

Finding the right cloud solution

The cloud provides a range of benefits for enterprises, itâ€™s cost-effective, secure and provides the scalability businesses need to be agile. Finding the right cloud solution, however, can be a challenge. Crucial requirements include ensuring all your applications are ready for migration and finding the best platform on which to host them.

The complexities involved often means that, for some enterprises, standard-package cloud service setups might not provide the best solution for their needs. Increasingly, businesses are looking for service providers that can offer bespoke cloud or hybrid solutions that provide the ideal environment for all their applications.

Managed solutions

Many companies that migrate to the cloud attempt to keep costs down by managing their IT in-house. However, moving parts of your infrastructure to the cloud or to a multi-cloud/hybrid cloud environment can make managing these integrated services more complex. Add to this the constant development of new applications and technologies means that maintaining a highly trained IT team can be very expensive.

By outsourcing your IT management to a credible provider, not only are the on-going training costs reduced, it also frees up your IT staff to concentrate on more business orientated projects which can drive the company forward. Service providers employ certified IT teams who are able to expertly manage all aspects of your solution and are compliant with a wide range of regulations and industry standards.

Cutting IT costs

As enterprises expand their use of and reliance on IT, one of their biggest challenges is to prevent the costs becoming excessive. Cloud services help reduce costs in a number of ways. Firstly, they reduce the requirement for a large-scale data centre, its ongoing operating costs and the capital expenditure on hardware. The use of managed services can also reduce the need for such a large IT team and the associated training costs. Additionally, the pay as you use pricing of cloud means that costs, as well as services, are scalable, helping you to keep them to a minimum when IT requirements are low.

Data storage and security

The storage and security of data is a key challenge for enterprises, especially with the increasing number of threats and regulations. Data breaches can lead to huge fines but, perhaps more importantly, can have a devastating impact on the companyâ€™s reputation.

While there have been concerns about data stored in the internet accessible cloud, service providers have to comply with strict standards and regulations to ensure customersâ€™ data, such as personal and mission-critical information and intellectual property, is secure.

Conclusion

Migrating to the cloud can bring many benefits, giving enterprises access to the latest technologies, such as the IoT, artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data analysis. With so many businesses already employing cloud IT, maintaining competitiveness may rely on such a move. However, migration is not without its challenges as we hope this post has shown. That said, by choosing the right hosting partner, these can be overcome. If you are looking for a cloud hosting provider who can offer the services mentioned in this post, check out our enterprise cloud hosting page.

The advantages of multi cloud

The disadvantages of multi cloud

Conclusion

1. Cloud hosting saves you money

2. Instantly scalable resources and pay as you go pricing

3. Strategic competitive advantage

4. High Availability

5. Lightning fast performance

6. Get new apps running quicker

7. Increased security

8. More flexible working

9. Environmental friendly

10. The cloud is future enabled

Conclusion

1. Cloud users save money

2. Instant scalability

3. Speedy application deployment

4. 100% uptime

5. Latest technologies, exceptional performance

6. Increased security

7. Organisational transformation from working online

8. Do more with technology

Conclusion

1. IoT boosted by 5G

2. More stringent security standards for public cloud

3. More users adopting hybrid cloud

4. Kubernetes to become the standard container

5. AI and machine learning used in networking

Conclusion

A shift to hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructures

A move towards open cloud technology

Increased adoption of containers

An emphasis on security

Skilling up

Rapid growth in edge computing

Conclusion

Neither Santa nor businesses like downtime

Reindeer fast performance

Both Santa and cloud hosting save you money

Both come with expert little helpers

Wrapping up

Give customers 24/7 access to your products and services

Provide a one-stop shop

Offer personalised experiences

Improve the trustworthiness of your brand

Conclusion

Security in the cloud

Cost management

Lack of IT expertise

Multi-clouds and hybrid clouds

Migration

Conclusion

Planning the move to the cloud

Finding the right cloud solution

Managed solutions

Cutting IT costs

Data storage and security

Conclusion

Delivering excellence, collaborating across time zones.

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