TOP 7 THINGS Every Executive Should Know About Cloud Computing EXECUTIVE BRIEF

TOP 7 THINGS Every Executive Should Know About Cloud Computing EXECUTIVE BRIEF

As interest in cloud computing increases, so does the confusion surrounding it. What is cloud computing? Can the technology help you grow your business? Is it secure? Is it a fad, or here to stay? Tribridge helps set the record straight with the Top 7 Things Every Executive Should Know About Cloud Computing. WHAT IS CLOUD COMPUTING? Cloud computing lets you access software over the Internet without having to purchase, house or support your own server infrastructure. Cloud computing partners provide the platform, security and software expertise as a service which frees up your IT resources to focus more on strategic initiatives and minimize large capital outlays typically associated with enterprise solutions. CLOUD DELIVERS Increased portability The agility to scale capacity and user access up or down as needed A pay-as-you-use-it business model Easier disaster recovery Faster service delivery The flexibility to blend on-premise and hosted infrastructures YOU BENEFIT FROM Better information accessibility More business flexibility More strategic budgeting More stability More profitability A solution that s right for your business

7 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW 1. KNOW THE LANGUAGE Understanding commonly used terms is critical to knowing how cloud computing can support your business needs. Cloud computing encompasses on-demand IT, including infrastructure, on-demand software, and business operations, typically customized to fit business process requirements, along with the ability to deliver and manage those business processes. The cloud refers to any network-based IT environment that includes aspects of provisioning and management of IT as a service. Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) is like renting a building. The infrastructure is there, but your organization will still need to supply application support, software, maintenance, patching and expertise. What you get is a shared platform. Platform as a service (PaaS) provides all the components necessary to run a system, including an operating system, but it does not include applications. Instead, it provides a pool of resources that the application can draw from. This type of service does not require the maintenance and underlying support that IaaS does. Google and Microsoft each offer PaaS. To run applications on PaaS, they must be rewritten. Software as a service (SaaS) is subscription-based software delivered over the Internet, typically accessed through a browser and billed according to usage. It includes the software, the platform and the infrastructure. Software-plus-services describes an architecture in which on-premise (hosted at your business location) software and Internet services interact to deliver solutions. Service level agreements (SLAs) are guaranteed uptime amounts (ex: 99.999%). Unexpected downtime equates to money back for your organization. 2. KNOW THE BASICS OF HOW CLOUD COMPUTING ACTUALLY WORKS About 75% of today s companies access applications via cloud computing. Why? It delivers cost control. Cloud s pay-as-you-use-it model enables companies to defer the costs of service delivery in an on-premise solution to other business-critical initiatives. It facilitates budgeting and long-term business strategy. It enables scalability. As your business grows, you can increase computing capacity and the number of users. Cloud speeds application access. Since applications are templated, provisioning for application usage is dramatically faster in the cloud. Cloud increases availability. Multi-tenancy (just as apartments have many tenants) means that applications are shared among many users. Scale Out Automated Service Management FUNDAMENTALS High Availability Multi-tenancy Web Services & Applications CONSIDERATIONS On-Premises Applications Off-Premises LOCATION On-Premises Homogeneous INFRASTRUCTURE Heterogeneous OpEx BUSINESS MODEL CapEx Lease / Rented OWNERSHIP Owned Third Party MANAGEMENT Self

3. KNOW THAT THE EARLY ADOPTER PHASE HAS COME AND GONE Cloud computing is changing the way companies are doing business by allowing them to do more, focus on what is important and play a more strategic role within the organization. 75% of IT managers report they are currently using or evaluating cloud computing IDC, June 2010 4. CLOUD COMPUTING CAN BE EXTREMELY COST EFFECTIVE It costs the average business about $2,900 per year to support a server and about $2,000 per year to support applications. Paying a provider to manage these can be much less expensive over time. One of the key benefits of cloud computing is that you now have that choice. You can have your software delivered in a box, hosted by a partner (like Tribridge Concerto Cloud Services), or delivered as a service over the Internet (SaaS). Hosted and SaaS offerings are less expensive than on-premise offerings. After about seven years, hosted solutions become less expensive than SaaS offerings. $8,000 $6,000 40x cost benefit for SMBs Private Cloud $4,000 10x cost benefit for Enterprises Public Cloud $2,000 $0 Public Cloud Cost at Scale 100 1,000 10,000 100,000 Cloud Size (# of Servers) 5. KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE CLOUDS Public clouds are standardized and built for massive scale with thousands of users. Private clouds are customizable to the needs of your organization. They enable you to leverage your existing IT resources. They offer additional layers of security, as well as increased redundancy through access to a co-location model for data storage. Private clouds provide: > > Reliability and fault-tolerance a trusted partner like Tribridge is able to host secure, reliable applications > > No patching and maintenance with less hardware to manage and maintain, you can focus on what is important > > The ability to get online fast private clouds enable you to quickly deploy both a business site and business-critical software IT as a service includes services in a private cloud, as well as IT support to enable you to access services via a public cloud.

6. KNOW HOW TO GROW EXPERTISE WITHOUT GROWING IT Cloud computing enables you to do more with fewer people. This is especially beneficial for IT organizations with limited staff within a growing business that needs to roll out new services quickly. It enables you to supplement your IT resources by paying a monthly fee. Use the cloud to: > > Get the latest versions of software when they are available without installation and deployment hassles > > Increase collaboration by giving employees access to the web-based tools they can use together > > Enable employees and customers to engage with your business from a number of devices 7. KNOW THE RIGHT CLOUD SERVICES ADVISOR Make sure you choose a trusted provider experienced in cloud implementations. Tribridge s Concerto Cloud Services gives you: > > Deep cloud computing expertise in creating the right IT solution for your business > > The freedom to focus on what matters most your business > > Confidence that comes from working with a partner that truly understands your industry and your business LEARN MORE For more information about Tribridge s Concerto Cloud Services, visit: www.concertocloud.com Visit our cloud computing blog at: www.concertocloud.com/blog Visit the Microsoft Power Cloud website at: www.microsoft.com/cloud