CLOUDCOMPUTING

WORLD
Issue 15 January 2016

Network
Infrastructure

A Cloud First
Approach
Data Sovereignty

Integrating IT Resources

Disaster Recovery
Platinum Sponsor

DATA CENTRE
SUMMIT
SOUTH
2016
10th of February, Barbican Exhibition Halls, London

Data Centre Summit South will take place in the heart

of the city of London on the 10th of February within the
Barbican Exhibition Halls

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

www.datacentresummit.co.uk
 CONTENTS
6
CCW News
All the key news in the world of cloud.

8
A World of Cloud Brokers
Tony Limby gets to grips with hybrid cloud environments and the integration
of cloud services.

10
UNIFIED COMMUNICATION
Ash Patel shares the four key business benefits of unified communications.

12
Double Down on the Cloud: It’s a No-Brainer

CLOUDCOMPUTING
John Marlow gives his cloud predictions for the upcoming year.

14
Sovereignty, Security and Privacy
WORLD
Lawrence Jones answers the clouded questions of data in 2016.
e-space north business centre

18
181 Wisbech Rd, Littleport, Ely,
Achieving Digital Maturity Cambridgeshire CB6 1RA
David McLeman contemplates a cloud first approach to welcoming the Tel: +44 (0)1353 771460
millennial generation. info@cloudcomputingworld.co.uk
www.cloudcomputingworld.co.uk

22
The Rise of Shadow IT
Ed Macnair explains how businesses can mitigate the risk of shadow IT.

24
Putting the Horse Before the Cart
LGN Media LTD

David Lozdan examines the steps businesses need to take to secure new Publisher & Managing Director:
Ian Titchener
efficiencies from IaaS.
Editor: Nick Wells

26
Creative Director: Andy Beavis
The Future of Continuity Advertising Sales Executive: Joe Tye
Production Manager: Rachel Titchener
Jaspreet Singh asks how cloud can help solve problems surrounding backup, Financial Controller: Samantha White
recovery and archiving of data.
The views expressed in the articles

28
Zero Downtime
and technical papers are those of
the authors and are not endorsed
by the publishers.
EACS & Mimecast support Office 365 migration for a leading car dealership.
The author and publisher, and its

30
officers and employees, do not
Are you prepared for an onsite disaster accept any liability for any errors
that may have occurred, or for any
Rufus Grig discusses the cultural changes that organisations will face when reliance on their contents.
moving to the cloud. All trademarks and brandnames
are respected within our publication.

32
Cloud Services However, the publishers accept
no responsibility for any inadvertent
Alan Byrne explains why more organisations are placing their business misuse that may occur.
operations in the cloud. This publication is protected by
copyright © 2015 and accordingly

34
2016 Predictions from Vodafone must not be reproduced in any
medium. All rights reserved.
Matt Key puts forward his predictions for the M2M market in 2016 and
Cloud Computing World stories,
beyond. news, know-how?
Please submit to

36
Business Critical nick@lgnmedia.co.uk

John Paterson looks at the benefits of using colocation to power SaaS CRM.

CLOUDCOMPUTING 3
 It’s hot.
(But not as hot as your standby could be.)

FIND OUT MORE

Hot standby machines, ready to power on at any moment.

• Create and sync perfect copies of running machines for DR purposes.
• Clone machines to physical, hypervisor or cloud environments.
• RTOs of less than 5 minutes and flexible RPOs.
• Cost-effective protection for your critical systems.

FREE 30 DAY TRIAL: www.cristie.com/request-a-trial

sales@cristie.com | +44 (0)1453 847000

 FOREWORD

Next Generation Cloud

Compared to the slower growth of non-cloud IT, the
percentage of total IT infrastructure spending devoted to the
cloud continues to mushroom. Our fascination with artificial
intelligence is unlikely to subside as cloud computing becomes
increasingly useful. While it’s widely understood that migrating
workloads to the cloud can transform your business, only doing
the bare minimum can result in chaos. It’s essential that your
infrastructure continues to evolve whenever your applications
change. The cloud doesn’t maintain itself. Organisations
should choose IT infrastructures that make collaboration easy,
so that users may be supported no matter where they are or
what device they are using. The cloud brings with it a demand
for greater flexibility and the most innovative companies are
those that make collaboration easy. Adopting and encouraging
an effective infrastructure through fully integrated cloud
solutions is a golden opportunity to help build a stronger
business and change workplaces for the better. What’s your
vision for the next generation of cloud?

Best Regards, Nick Wells, Editor, Cloud Computing World

CLOUDCOMPUTING 5
 REGULARS

CCWNEWS
All the key news in the world of cloud.
Please don’t forget to check out our Web
site at www.cloudcomputingworld.co.uk for
a regular weekly feed of relevant news for
cloud professionals.

M
apR Technologies, provider of the
only converged data platform that
integrates the power of Hadoop and
Spark with global event streaming, real-time
database capabilities and enterprise storage,
has announced that several MapR partners
have integrated technologies with the
MapR data platform and made them freely
available for education, demonstration,
and evaluation purposes via Amazon Web
Services Test Drive for Big Data. “AWS
provides a highly scalable platform where
customers can easily spin up MapR clusters,”
said Matt Lescohier, Senior Director of
Business Development, MapR Technologies.
“MapR is the only Hadoop distribution on
the AWS Cloud that is available as an option
on Amazon Elastic MapReduce (EMR), AWS
Marketplace, and now via AWS Test Drive.

These AWS Test Drive offerings add value
for our ecosystem partners by showcasing
the performance, reliability, and scale our
combined solutions provide to customers.”
With this AWS Test Drive, users can create
a functional three-node cluster and install
Vertica’s SQL analytics database co-located
within the MapR Hadoop environment.
Users have four hours to evaluate and
query Hadoop ORCFile formatted data
via standard ANSI SQL statements. “The
AWS Test Drive is a valuable tool for
experiencing the power of SQL analytics,”
said Chris Selland, Vice President of business
development, Big Data Platform Software,
Hewlett Packard Enterprise. “The HPE Vertica
team works closely with MapR to deliver a
comprehensive, tightly integrated, scalable,
open-standards big data platform solution
for our joint customers.” AWS Test Drives
are developed by APN Consulting and
Technology partners and are provided free
of charge for education, demonstration, and
evaluation purposes. Each AWS Test Drive
includes enough free AWS server time to
launch and explore these live solution stacks.
www.mapr.com
E
ngineering solutions provider Costain
has selected NaviSite hybrid cloud
hosting services to support the roll out
of its complex Electronic Service Delivery
for Abnormal Loads (ESDAL) application
for Highways England. NaviSite was
selected after a successful competitive
tender process, underpinned by its proven
reputation and success in supporting
large client implementations. Highways
England turned to Costain to deliver an
innovative solution that would comply
with complex UK legislation requiring
highways authorities, structure owners
and the police to be notified of vehicles
and their loads exceeding standard
dimensions. Costain developed the ESDAL
application to automate this process and
looked to NaviSite to provide a secure and
scalable hosting solution. The successful
mobilisation of the ESDAL service, hosted
on NaviSite’s hybrid cloud model has
enhanced the reputation and confidence
in Costain to deliver complex integrated
technology solutions. The success of the
new service has been underpinned by a
collaborative approach with NaviSite to
create the required infrastructure to meet
the key performance requirements of the
contract. This approach linked to Costain’s
broader capabilities has proven our ability
to deliver a complex IT solution to meet
national needs and provided Costain
with the opportunity to create significant
new business. ESDAL is now available as a
free service to local councils, government
departments and private companies
through Highways England’s ESDAL website.
Costain’s Graham Stacey, Highways
Technology Director said: “The national
road network is undergoing significant
upgrades, and our highways clients look
to us to deliver innovative technologies
to help them improve the road network
across the UK. NaviSite was tasked with
helping us roll out ESDAL, in an extremely
demanding timeline. They were able to
expedite the implementation due to the
quality of their staff and their technical
expertise. The new cloud based platform
will enable us to further develop the ESDAL
solution and take advantage of new and
emerging technologies. As we expand our
business we will continue to look to NaviSite
to support the development of our services.”
Sean McAvan, Managing Director, NaviSite,
said, “We enjoy working with companies
like Costain because our synergies align for
delivering innovative solutions to complex
challenges. By working together, we were
able to develop new business opportunities
with Costain and we look forward to working
with them to continue delivering new
solutions to their customers.”
www.navisite.co.uk

6 CLOUDCOMPUTING
 REGULARS

Q
redo, the data security specialist,
has unveiled the beginning of a
beta programme for its ‘quiet cloud’
architecture, which enables developers
to build cutting-edge encryption into
applications from the outset, backed by
its secure cloud platform, protecting all
data stored and transmitted. This Qredo
software development kit (SDK) addresses
the increasing global problem of server data
breaches. The SDK has been designed to
revolutionise application development as
it removes the single biggest barrier to a
wider adoption of encryption - difficulty of
statistics tell us that hacks are increasing
in frequency and costliness, and without
action the trend is to set to continue. Even
more onerous will be fines levied under
new EU data protection laws, which will be
implemented by the end of 2017. Under
these laws, companies could incur fines of
up to 4% of their global annual turnover
and will have to notify the Information
Commissioners Office of any breaches
within 72 hours. Qredo will help compliance
in advance of mandated changes in security.
“We have realised that cryptography is
the most powerful weapon we have in the

B
arracuda has launched Barracuda integration. As part of the beta programme, fight against mass data breaches, loss of
Essentials for Office 365, a suite it is immediately available to anyone privacy, stolen identity and more, said Justin
of cloud services designed to help who needs a new weapon to keep their Megawarne, Lead Developer. “But it has
organisations expand on the security and applications secure. Recent UK Government been passed over because of the difficulty of
data protection functionality in Office 365. figures show that the average cost of a combining it with other technologies, such
Barracuda Essentials combines three of single security breach has risen sharply and as cloud services, despite the very best will
Barracuda’s innovative cloud technology the cost to a large business ranges from and intentions of the skilled developers out
solutions – Barracuda Email Security Service, close to £1.5m to more than £3m, up from there. We have built the Qredo quiet cloud
Barracuda Cloud Archiving Service, and a range of £0.6m to £1.15m a year ago. as a new tool aimed at making encryption
Barracuda Cloud Backup – into an easy-to- Meanwhile, small businesses saw a sharp rise easy to integrate.”
deploy and manage suite of cloud services in the number experiencing cyber-attacks,
with simple per-user licensing. In a survey up from 60% to 74% in just one year. These www.qredo.com
by TechValidate focused on customer Office
365 migration and deployment plans, the
majority of respondents reported concerns
about, or have not considered, whether the
security, compliance and backup features
in Office 365 meet the needs of their
organisations. “Microsoft and Barracuda
have worked closely together for a number
of years to help customers simplify and
secure cloud migrations, particularly in the
case of Office 365 and Azure. Barracuda
Essentials for Office 365 is the result of
our experience and expertise in protecting
Microsoft environments and aims to help
customers transition to Office 365 as easily
as possible,” explained Michael Hughes, SVP
Worldwide Sales, Barracuda. “Thousands
of businesses are moving to Office 365 to
reduce costs, increase accessibility for their
employees, and simplify their technology
environment. Barracuda Essentials for Office
365 combines the security, archiving, and
backup and recovery tools these users need
for successful Office 365 deployments.”

www.barracuda.com

CLOUDCOMPUTING 7
 CLOUDSERVICES Integrating IT Resources

AWORLDOF
Tony Limby gets to grips with
hybrid cloud environments and
the integration of cloud services.

CLOUD BROKERS
By Tony Limby, Director, Cloud & Data Centre,
IT Services, BT Business

Puda nem inum dipsunt restemolent,

consedis niendem. Mus doluptur modite
nime erum volora net adis simpossimi,
veles non reiurio rerferro mos ma cor-
porere, et debiscias alitaquam ventinum
sequ

written by Steve Gold

Infoburst: The idea of ‘cloud brokers’

is set to grow with the adoption of
on-demand applications and services.

8 CLOUDCOMPUTING

Introduction
Over the last couple of years, the cloud market has
matured. On demand applications and services
have been adopted by businesses, and that rate of
adoption is set to grow exponentially over the next
few years. Just as an example, more than 70 per
cent of UK SMEs are already using cloud services,
and the annual global cloud IP traffic will reach
6.5 zettabytes by the end of 2018 (1 ZB equals
1,024 EB), with more than four-fifths (86 per cent)
of workloads processed by cloud data centres by
2019. Also by 2018, 59 per cent of the total cloud
workloads will be software-as-a-service workloads,
up from 41 per cent in 2013, according to the Cisco
Cloud Index.
The reason is that cloud is now real – not just
a term people use or read about. Customers have
a new understanding of what it is, in terms of how
it can fit with their business and objectives, as well
as the benefits it will bring – from cost savings and
the ability to scale at speed as required, through to
access to the latest applications, without the capital
outlay for hardware and software, and ongoing
management.
As more companies begin to look at the wider
application of cloud within their organisations,
and start to move more critical applications away
from on-premise infrastructure, they expect more
in terms of resilience and functionality, but also
the breadth of applications and services that are
available through trusted partners. This means
that suppliers must change what they provide and
how they provide it in order to offer exactly what
businesses need in the form that they choose to
consume or use it.
This means flexibility in pricing, but also an
increased range of applications and services that
customers can buy from their preferred supplier.
No longer can companies just supply a single part
of the puzzle, for example, connectivity or a single
application or service, like outsourced data storage
or CRM, and expect customers go to each provider
for specific products.
Cloud Services Integration
We increasingly see our role as one of a ‘broker’ for
cloud services, allowing customers to get exact-
ly what they need through one provider – and
that’s what we’re being asked for: to manage the
relationships and provide the first line support and
management, taking the pressure off their
procurement, finance and IT teams.
In addition to managing the relationships
with multiple vendors or service providers, which
we’ve been doing for decades, our role is now more
complex – especially with our larger customers. It’s
evolving to manage multiple hybrid cloud
environments and to deliver cloud services
integration, which seamlessly incorporates our own
and others’ more niche offerings under collective or
single Service Level Agreements.
 Our Global Services division recently
announced a new generation of cloud services
that allow larger organisations around the world to
connect easily and securely to the applications and
the data they need, independently of where they
are hosted.
CLOUDSERVICES
“Just as an example, more than 70 per cent
of UK SMEs are already using cloud services,
and the annual global cloud IP traffic will
reach 6.5 zettabytes by the end of 2018.”
Badged as the ‘Cloud of Clouds’ strategy, it will
allow customers to integrate IT resources and
applications hosted in their own private clouds
as well as on BT’s cloud platforms and on the
platforms of other leading cloud providers. We work
closely with BT Global Services, but our customers
have differing requirements. And, while we offer
similar services, we have developed our own new
platform to help deliver the applications and
services that our customer base needs. This new
platform gives us much more flexibility to bring new
cloud services online and, just as an example, has
allowed us to launch ten new cloud-based products
in the course of the last 12 months.
We have also developed an ‘App Direct’
platform, which will allow us to offer a much richer
range of services, including the ability to back up
a company’s entire system to the cloud and have
them back up and running in 24 hours should
disaster strike.
Prioritising Development
One key element to being a successful broker of
cloud services is understanding that this is our role.
It may sound simplistic, but we have a single view
of technology plans and investment across BT
Business, which allows us to prioritise technology
development, where applicable, and look for
partners that have services our customers need.
Part of this is our ‘hunt teams’ programme,
which means we have people in Silicon Valley, Israel
and Brussels monitoring developments in these
‘tech centres’. When they find something that they
think will benefit our customers, we work with the
vendors to ensure it is of a quality and resilience
that we would put our name to, and can bring it
online rapidly – as we recently did with our partner
RingCentral, which underpins our BT Cloud Voice
product.
Conclusion
As with any technology decision, companies need
to understand their full requirements, and then
work with a partner to ensure they implement the
technology they need. That partner needs to be
trusted and reliable, but equally important is the
ability to be able to offer a full range of cloud-based
services under a single contract, with a single SLA.
In the same way as you wouldn’t go into a
department store and expect to only be able to
buy products from one manufacturer, CIOs and
their teams expect to be able to buy the full range
of cloud services from their preferred suppliers, so
the idea of ‘cloud brokers’ is set to grow with the
adoption of on-demand applications and services.
CLOUDCOMPUTING 9
 CLOUDSERVICES Cloud-Based Communications Solutions

UNIFIED
COMMUNICATION Ash Patel shares the
four key business
benefits of unified
communications.
By Ash Patel, Director of Business
Transformation, Cobweb Solutions

Introduction
Successful business relies on communication. To
compete in today’s mobile workplace, companies
need an array of integrated communications
tools. This technology was traditionally regarded a
luxury afforded only to larger enterprises, as it was
expensive to implement and maintain. Now, thanks
to the rise of outsourced cloud-based alternatives,
there are infinitely more affordable options, which
are also more compatible with other commonly
used business tools.
Using cloud-based unified communications
services presents businesses with a myriad of
benefits, which extend well beyond telephony
systems to include greater collaboration,
streamlined processes and increased productivity.
For small and medium-sized firms in particular,
using a hosted solution is the ideal route to
business advantage, offering enterprise level
capabilities, without sacrificing the cost and agility
of the cloud.

Improved and Secure Communication
There is a direct correlation between strong
communication and business success. This has
always been the case. The only thing that’s
changed is the method, having evolved from letters
and memo-based business communications,
to email and video conferencing. For a business
to compete in today’s fast-paced, competitive
environment, it needs a range of integrated
communications solutions. These tools streamline
communications between your employees,
providing the infrastructure for web conferencing,
enterprise instant messenger and multi-party Infoburst: Using cloud-based unified
communications services presents
voice and video calling. What’s more, unified businesses with a myriad of benefits.
communications technology provides extra
vital security for your firm’s communications.
Take for instance, Skype for Business. This can
be used anywhere, without the need for a
VPN for encryption, meaning it is secure and
straightforward for your workforce to use.
However, without a proper strategy your
business may not acquire the right tools for the

10 CLOUDCOMPUTING

biggest impact, which risks wasting resources and
hindering productivity. To ensure you choose the
best solution, it’s worth consulting a trusted cloud
provider who understands both the holistic benefits
unified communications offer, as well as your firm’s
individual needs.
A Flexible, Mobile and Happier Workforce
The need to have a mobile workforce is often the
key driver behind the decision to adopt a unified
communications strategy (InformationWeek,
2014). As this technology is built around where
the end user is based, it empowers businesses
to implement a flexible working policy, whereby
employees can work effectively from any
broadband-accessible location, at any time and off
any mobile device.
For instance, cloud collaboration tools, such as
Office 365, enable teams to work together in
real-time on documents online in an easier way
than ever before. With technology that facilitates
online video, audio or conference calls and mobile
apps for VoIP, staff can participate in virtual
meetings from any location, whether they are
based on site or remotely – or even while on the
move. In turn, businesses can reap the productivity
benefits associated with having an agile, satisfied
and more empowered workforce.
Streamlined Productivity
Indeed, a great unified communications strategy
should be focused towards boosting your business
productivity. Businesses should concentrate on
moving away from the idea of ‘efficiency among
individuals’ to ‘business process efficiency.’ By
reinventing models of teamwork and improving
channels of communication, using an integrated
solution will enhance your firm’s operational
productivity.
For instance, with unified communications,
applications can be used concurrently, creating
multi-channel sessions so employees can
collaborate more effectively, and in real-time. This
helps to reduce inefficiencies, duplicated effort and
wasted time. Consider video conferencing tools.
Using these tools to host meetings eliminates the
need for your employees, particularly those who
are based remotely, to attend in person, thereby
saving your business valuable time and cutting
unnecessary spend on travel.
If your current approach to managing
communications is limiting your business
productivity, then you need to consider turning to
unified communications. To guarantee a successful
strategy and ensure you have a robust network
and collaboration infrastructure in place, speak to a
channel partner. Channel partners are well placed
to address your concerns and provide your business
with independent, tailored advice.
Value for Money
The primary motivation for many businesses
choosing a hosted solution is the significant cost
benefits it delivers. Not only does a cloud solution
Infoburst: By providing a wide portfolio
of first-class services, partners can stand
out from the competition.
CLOUDSERVICES
mean less investment in capital expenditure, it is
also a key way to future-proof your business. By
working with the right service provider, you can
be confident that your communications tools will
always be supported and evolve as your business
needs dictate – enabling you to grow or shrink the
service on demand, without over-provisioning or
wasting money.
Time to Change
While the decision to embrace unified
communications is a strategic one, it can’t be
justified on numbers alone. Ultimately, its value
is reflected in employee performance, enhanced
productivity and better overall business outcomes.
In fact, adopting a unified communications
strategy will soon be an essential requirement for
SMEs to stay ahead of the curve. According to
recent research, 2016 will be transformative, as
cloud-based unified communications deployments
are expected to rise by 466 per cent.
For the channel, this means the biggest
challenge will be educating small businesses about
the range of benefits a unified communications
approach can deliver. By adopting a true
partnership approach and providing a wide
portfolio of first-class services and support to their
SME customers, partners can differentiate their
offerings and stand out from the competition.
Additionally, from July 1st Microsoft will
increase the minimum seat requirement for
new Enterprise Agreements from 250 seats to
500 seats. This change is aimed at simplifying
customer choice and supporting the development
of Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider reseller model,
which aims to reduce the complexity and barriers
often encountered with traditional software and
services life cycle when delivered via an EA or Open
Agreements.
CLOUDCOMPUTING 11
 OPINION
DOUBLE DOWN ON THE CLOUD:
IT’S A NO-BRAINER
Infoburst: Collaboration tools are
poised for accelerated adoption for
person-to-person communication.
12 CLOUDCOMPUTING
Introduction
2015 may have been a ‘year of the cloud’ but
who’s to say 2016 can’t be a different type of year
for rapid adoption of cloud-based applications
surrounding security, analytics and collaboration.
Here are my predictions for the coming year.
 
Cloud Solutions
Cloud vendors will become the go-to
communications solutions providers. FTSE 100
companies and many more have already adopted
cloud CRM platforms like Salesforce, and this
year I expect to see cloud PBX and cloud contact
centres move upstream. It’s more economical for
companies to move to communication solutions
in the cloud as it saves time, space and human
resources, as well as giving companies more
opportunities for new, additional and flexible
communications solutions that can improve
the way they do business, such as apps and
collaboration tools.
Cloud Applications  business communications. The workplace as we
Cloud applications will untether corporate workers
from their desks. No one likes feeling chained to
their desk and cloud solutions free employees to
work anywhere with high productivity. Enhancing
traditional company phone systems, for instance,
with cloud applications that run equally as well on
mobile phones as they do on desktops, will enable
users to have untethered and rich experiences
regardless of their location or device. Availability of
such cloud business apps will push development of
more user relevant functionality, allowing workers
to do more in the palm of their hand or wearable
technology, which is fast becoming the next phase
of device lead innovation.
Predictions for 2016
John Marlow gives his
cloud predictions for
the upcoming year.
By John Marlow, Managing Director
EMEA SVP Corporate Development,
RingCentral
Cloud App Data
Analytics drawn from cloud app data will become
part of everyday business. The connected employee
is evolving and growing at a rapid pace, end users
have become massive consumers of services and
information pushing the volume of data being
presented and utilised by business and users alike.
Cloud-based applications are only pushing this
data volume higher. 2016 will bring with it logical
presentation and consumption needs of this data.
Accessibility to these tools will be key to their
successful adoption, as these analytics become
an essential part of a business’ cloud solutions.
Empowering a lot of just in time, actionable
business insights, utilising these analytics will be the
new normal for many C-suite executives.
 
Security Solutions
Cloud security solutions will become paramount.
With more and more business conducted in the
cloud, security is imperative and leaves no room
for error. The explosion of IoT will also make cloud
security even more essential as Gartner predicts
that by the year 2020, the IoT will include 26 billion
units. As hacks get more sophisticated, and the
number of vulnerabilities increases, it will be down
to the cloud providers to keep business’ data secure
with significant investment and development in this
space being inevitable. Add to this the possibility of
new legislation from the EU and UK parliaments for
more robust and top-grade cloud security and it is
clear that security will be a key concern in 2016.
 
Collaboration Tools
Collaboration tools will become essential for
have known it is changing. The rise of social media,
a need to be reached anywhere, anytime, clubbed
with the limitations of legacy communications
tools like email have resulted in a higher focus on
collaboration and team interaction, forcing broad
adoption of collaboration solutions in corporate
lines-of-business. Collaboration tools are poised for
accelerated adoption for team projects and
person-to-person communication, possibly
challenging email someday. Collaboration tools
will become essential for users as they look to
streamline work, improve their efficiency and
discover new ways of interacting with colleagues
and customers alike.
 DATASECURITY The Issue of Data Sovereignty

SOVEREIGNTY,
SECURITY AND
PRIVACY
14 CLOUDCOMPUTING

Lawrence Jones answers the clouded
questions of data in 2016.
By Lawrence Jones, CEO, UKFast
Introduction
It is fair to say that 2015 saw some major
upheavals in the data landscape for many
businesses and organisations. High-profile
data breaches made headlines in the UK
like never before, transatlantic data transfer
agreements were thrown into uncertainty with
the invalidation of Safe Harbour, and public
debate over new government snooping laws
intensified.
In contrast to the disruption of 2015,
the year ahead is likely to be a period of
resolution; at least on some of these issues,
with strict new EU data protection regulations
due to come into force, a new Safe Harbour
framework set to be announced and UK
Government plans on data surveillance to be
set in stone.
Data privacy is not a new issue. It’s
already a major item on companies’ agendas.
However, I believe that 2016 will be a year
in which we see genuine change, in part
driven by consumer awareness, but also
by an acceptance from regulators that the
current patchwork of security and privacy
laws is quickly being left behind by evolving
technologies. By its very nature, technology is
always evolving – once something has been
programmed and put live, it is already out
of date, people are already challenging it,
evolving it and testing it. It’s time to keep up.
Safe Harbour
The international Safe Harbour Privacy
Principles were initially established 16
years ago to ensure that any personal data
originating from the EEA would remain
protected under equivalent stringent EU
levels when exported or stored in the United
States by firms. The European Commission,
responsible for managing the EU, had
DATASECURITY
Infoburst: In 2016, cloud users are set
to become more insistent that vendors
offer clarity and control over storage
locations.
originally concluded that firms could be
relied on to self-regulate their auditing and
compliance.
The End of Safe Harbour 1.0
The problem was taken to the European Court
of Justice by a Facebook user, who cited the
larger privacy revelations made by Edward
Snowden as motivation for a reconsideration
of the Safe Harbour agreement’s validity.
The closure of Safe Harbour has become a
challenge for some cloud vendors, particularly
ones with global supply chains, and for their
customers. For prospective users of cloud
services in 2016 there is a certain responsibility
to consider the growing issue of data
sovereignty. There are obligations now to
ask questions of providers about where they
are storing data, and under what conditions.
At the end of January, European courts have
promised to start enforcing the ruling with
fines.
Some cloud services – SaaS for example –
have, in the past, given no guarantee or choice
over the geographical location that personal
identifiable information is stored in. In 2016,
cloud users are set to become more insistent
that vendors offer clarity and control over
storage locations – requiring peace of mind
both on data security and on legal compliance.
The Search for a Solution
Invariably, action will follow, as necessary.
Either in the form of a customer shift towards
European providers with tightly controlled
supply chains or investment by non-EEA
providers in facilitating compliance and
reassuring their customers - meaning a great
deal of work for those providers as they reign
in third-party suppliers, data flow and backup
procedures.
CLOUDCOMPUTING 15
 DATASECURITY
Of course, there are no guarantees that meetings Despite being an urgent matter that
happening in the first months of 2016 will yield needs prompt resolution, the regulation is
a long-term solution. Even after regulations are currently scheduled to have been agreed and
put in place, there’s always the possibility of implemented by Spring 2018, after a two-year
a mismatch at political level between the EU transitional period. Now is the time for providers
and the USA, particularly when it comes to the to pay attention and get their plans in order in
sensitive issue of snooping. While influential preparation.
business groups have called on the two sides to
come to a swift resolution, it still remains to be The Public Sector Standard
seen if this will encourage cooperation and, more The UK Government’s Cloud Security Principles
specifically, reduce the appetite of EU regulators are the only set of principles that are more
for data privacy for EU citizens. stringent than those suggested by the GDPR,
I know first-hand that building and and could project a future gold-standard for the
establishing new data centres is a mammoth handling of all sensitive personal data.
task, but as the uncertainty around data transfer Among the 14 principles of the UK
rumbles on, that appears to be the go-to option Government’s Cloud Security Principles are
for some cloud operators. AWS (Amazon Web stipulations about data transiting at every point
Services) and Microsoft have both responded to after leaving the consumer, particulars about
the Safe Harbour developments with plans to the physical location and physical security of
build data centres to house their clouds in the compliant data centres, secure hardware disposal
UK in the next year. It would be fair to say that plans, the screening of data-handling personnel,
their hand was forced - they have been driven to and audit records provided to consumers. These
respond to the absence of a clear message from seem like common-sense approaches that many
any of the global hosting providers on the issue of businesses should be looking to adopt if they
data sovereignty. These multi-national providers haven’t already, if they are to stay ahead of
need to act quickly and transparently to appease the curve in data protection. To put it simply, it
their customers, particularly those that require the is essential to know where your business data is
highest level of guarantee on the issue of data stored, by whom and to ensure your provider is
sovereignty. transparent at every level.
The continued success of these more stringent
The General Data Protection Regulation principles to minimise the risk of attacks may pave
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the way for a standard that supersedes even the
the new set of standards currently in development GDPR. While these principles may seem heavy-
by The European Commission, aims to consolidate handed by today’s standards, in time they may
the current patchwork of standards and threaten well prove to be the minimum standard for truly Infoburst: It is essential to know where
more severe punishment. Current discussions secure data storage. These issues and more are your data is stored and to ensure your
suggest penalties of €20 million, or up to 4 per developed in UKFast’s 2016 IT Security and Cloud provider is transparent at every level.
cent of annual worldwide turnover are at stake for Technology whitepaper.
those who do not comply and I’d argue that this
kind of sanction is necessary considering the scale
of what is at stake.
For CISOs, one of the more obvious changes
in priorities is the introduction of a tougher vetting
process and an increased compliance between
firms as they weigh each other up in an effort
to avoid associations with a breach. In effect,
this new responsibility encourages self-policing,
and previous security failures – even those that
predate the implementation of the GDPR – may
weigh more heavily on the securing of business
partnerships.
Though negotiations over the wording of
the GDPR and the specific penalties are yet to
be decided, a preliminary proposal suggests
new tougher sanctions, a ‘right to erasure’, the
appointment of an independent ‘Data Protection
Officer’ issued by a European Data Protection
Board for larger firms, and the opportunity for
users to request a copy of their personal data
in an accessible format that can be passed on
electronically to another processing system. I’d
anticipate the role of the CISO becoming even
more critical to firms in the coming year as the
realisation of the importance of data security
regulation starts to hit home.

16 CLOUDCOMPUTING
 NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE The Transformation of the Workforce

ACHIEVING
David McLeman contemplates a
cloud first approach to welcoming
the millennial generation.

DIGITAL MATURITY
By David McLeman, CEO, Ancoris Ltd

Infoburst: The most innovative

companies are those where teams can
work together effectively with high levels
of collaboration.

18 CLOUDCOMPUTING
 NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE

Introduction
In 2015, the millennial generation, sometimes
referred to as ‘digital natives’, became the largest
segment of the workforce. These Millennials
aren’t just defined by when they were born, but
by the fact they have different communication
preferences to previous generations. This is a
generation that grew up with mobile phones,
prefers to do everything online and can’t imagine
life without social media. For employers, this
means that an ever-growing section of the
workforce will expect to use the same advanced
technology in the workplace that they use in their
personal lives. As a result, digital transformation,
powered by cloud technologies will be key to
recruiting fresh talent.
Simply investing heavily in a range of digital
initiatives though, is not enough to guarantee
your own organisation will be able to compete
and thrive. According to research by the MIT
Center for Digital Business, successful business
transformation depends on achieving ‘digital
maturity’. Companies who achieve this are
on average 26 per cent more profitable than
competitors that don’t. In order to reach
digital maturity and provide the necessary collaboration also requires simultaneous Infoburst: Entire teams must be able to
technology expected by the millennial workforce, co-authoring and co-editing, arguably only access shared documents wherever they
organisations must choose IT infrastructures that available in cloud services such as Google Apps are, which is now achievable with many
cloud storage solutions.
make collaboration easy, avoid information silos, for Work. Imagine how much time real-time
provide secure and easy access to enterprise data collaboration saves when entire teams can be
and are based on simple architecture so that users working on one document, business plan or
may be supported no matter where they are or proposal all at the same time.
what device they are using.
Integrated Social
Collaboration The millennial generation is defined by their
According to the Future Foundation, the most innovative approaches to communication. Mobile
innovative companies are those where teams is the platform of choice, online interactions
can work together effectively with high levels of are preferred, and they are information hungry
collaboration. For millennials, collaboration has and most comfortable with cloud-based tools.
become the norm. Now when young people do According to Nielsen, 80 per cent admit to
coursework, they compare notes, or chat about sleeping with their smartphone and 54 per cent
work over social media, supporting each other use social networking sites in work.
through their network and learning together. The impact of these trends in the workplace
In the workplace, we’ve been gradually is an expectation to use tools that are social and
removing paper. However, in many cases, the integrated, providing quick and easy access to
process of getting things done hasn’t changed. everything in one place. Fostering a collaborative
For example, building a group consensus on environment is dependent on social tools to
a document requires one person to draft and enable communication. Removing silos is a must.
email everyone, following which one unfortunate Not only are millennials reliant on contact and
individual is expected to integrate all the feedback working within collaborative teams, but siloed
into one document. This isn’t an efficient way of working tends to be less productive and fails to
working, and you might as well be printing it out fully utilise digital tools that could make jobs
and making comments in red pen. simpler and easier.
Integrating tools and collaborating on
document creation is critical to achieving digital Mobile Working and BYOD
maturity. Entire teams must be able to access Along with the demand for social tools, comes
shared documents wherever they are, which the demand for greater flexibility and mobility.
is now achievable with many cloud storage In multiple sectors and industries, employees are
solutions. However truly productive real-time increasingly using smartphones and tablets to

CLOUDCOMPUTING 19
 NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE
work on the move. Research by eMarketer shows
that adults are not only spending more time
online every year at work and at home, but that
increase is almost entirely as a result of mobile
devices. The net result is mobile use outstripping
desktop. By 2018, it’s expected that 35 per cent
of consumer-owned smartphones and tablets will
also be used for work.
The growing consumerisation of IT, and
expansion in this area as part of the movement to
cloud platforms and digital maturity is boosting
staff morale and productivity. Companies with
BYOD strategies have seen a 46 per cent rise in
employee productivity and with more millennials
in the workforce, organisations are seeing up to 37
per cent improvement in employee satisfaction.
A mobile approach to transformation will enable
employees to be more productive, working in
and out of the office and with the latest cloud
technology, providing a consistent experience
across all devices.
Cloud as the Simple Solution
Achieving digital maturity, and fully welcoming
digital natives requires a cloud first approach.
With such an influx from the millennial
generation, organisations are already moving
past email and embracing social media tools,
which let them communicate and collaborate
even more effectively. Chat, comment threads
on shared documents, micro-blogging and other
forms of social media, as well as face-to-face video
conferencing, are all playing a greater role in how
teams work together. That means you now need
a platform that seamlessly delivers those social
20 CLOUDCOMPUTING
networking capabilities alongside email, word
processing, spreadsheet and presentation apps Infoburst: Companies with BYOD
– while keeping the cost and effort of managing strategies have seen a 46 per cent rise in
employee productivity.
that to a minimum. Cloud tools are arguably
the only ones available that provide this level of
integration at one price point, without the need to
purchase separate add-ons.
Businesses are spending an enormous 70 per
cent of their IT budgets simply on maintaining
existing infrastructure. Analysts at Forrester warn
that future success will require organisations to
cut ‘business as usual’ costs to just half their
budgets and devote savings to organisational
expansion and innovation to remain competitive.
Reducing maintenance is therefore a good way to
achieve this, and with millennials demanding new
innovative technology at work, adoption should
be seen as a no brainer. Flexible and agile cloud
tools come without the management headaches
and reduced maintenance, and will help to reduce
further costs by encouraging innovation and
increasing productivity.
Conclusion
In the age of the millennials, cloud computing
must be seen as an opportunity to change
workplaces for the better. It’s true value is as
a springboard for full business transformation,
helping to change the way employees work,
and interact with customers, suppliers, partners
and most importantly, one another. Adopting
and encouraging the use of collaboration, social
and mobile tools through fully integrated cloud
solutions will help to build a better business and
create happier, more engaged employees.
Server Emulators & Load for Commissioning
& Integrated Systems Testing
Temporary Racks & Power distribution
Temporary blanking
Temperature & Humidity logging
Fully installed and managed or rental only

heatload.co.uk
Datacentre Testing .… No Problem

16MW Heat Load Available for rent

Rack Mounted 3.5 or 3.75kw

Rack Mounted 2kw Single Phase Single Phase

Floor Standing – 3-Phase & Single Phase

2, 3, 9, 15 & 22kw

www.heatload.co.uk +44 (0)1243 575106

Heatload.co.uk is a trading name of Mafi Mushkila Ltd
 SHADOW IT Innovation Versus Risk

THERISEOF
SHADOW IT Ed Macnair explains
how businesses can
mitigate the risk of
shadow IT.
By Ed Macnair, CEO, CensorNet

Infoburst: Shadow IT applications
are often far cheaper than their ‘official’
counterparts.
Introduction
Shadow IT – as the name implies – is the
installation and use of applications by employees
that operate in an organisation’s area of
shadows, without the knowledge or approval
of IT. These applications have not been vetted,
authorised, controlled or supported by the
IT team and therefore are often not in line
with the organisation’s requirements for data
management, security and compliance. At the
same time, shadow IT is considered by many as
an important source for innovation, enabling the
faster development of applications and tools not
considered by the IT team, to develop a prototype
way of working that benefits the entire business.
Shadow IT can lead to innovation with
applications meeting the needs of the business,
but can also lead to risk. It’s a balancing act for
businesses, with each individual organisation
needing to decide just how far they reside along
the risk curve. By allowing – or at the very least
turning a blind eye to – shadow IT, new working
processes that can benefit the wider business
may be found. However, shadow IT can also be a
security nightmare. Especially when you consider
that those members of staff who are likely to use
their own solutions, will inherently be from the
generation of risk takers and less concerned by
the need for all-encompassing security measures.
So, how can businesses protect themselves from
this laissez faire attitude to risk and how should
businesses decide their own risk profile?

22 CLOUDCOMPUTING
 SHADOW IT

BYOD as a Catalyst
In some ways, bring your own device (BYOD) is
the one to thank (or blame) for shadow IT. The
result of allowing such personally chosen devices
in the work environment has led to the creep of
employee’s own applications to access or manage
corporate information and data. The general
consumerisation of IT and the trend for staff to
bring in their own devices has meant that every
employee is now a potential user of shadow IT.
It’s no longer just rogue, tech-savvy staff wanting
their own tools. Shadow IT has become a broader
issue. A starting point for businesses wishing to
mitigate the risk is to ensure that their acceptable
usage policies are updated to cover the modern
day business, such as working from home and
BYOD.
 
Coming Out of the Shadows
According to Atos, 36 per cent of shadow IT
purchases is being spent on file sharing software,
33 per cent on data archiving, 28 per cent
on social tools and 27 per cent on analytics.
Respondents cited the IT department’s inability to
test and implement new capabilities and systems
in a timely manner, thus smothering creativity and  
productivity, as the primary call for shadow IT. Chasing Innovation
The trend for businesses to move core Infoburst: Organisations need to be Instead of trying to drive out shadow IT, some of
able to monitor an individual’s data flow
processes to the cloud – and staff’s general the world’s largest companies are embracing it
at the most basic level.
acceptance of it – has also accelerated its as part of a wider culture of innovation. Adriana
prevalence, while at the same time making it Karaboutis, VP and global CIO of Dell recently
harder to monitor. According to a recent survey said: “I don’t chase shadow IT, I chase innovation.
conducted by Fruition Partners of 100 UK CIOs, 60 When you work in a technology company you
per cent of respondents said there is an increasing have to be out there listening and determining
culture of shadow IT in their organisations, with how you can create even more value for the
79 per cent admitting that there are cloud services employees and customers that you serve as
in use that their IT department is not aware of. opposed to being defensive about owning IT.”
  I would tend to agree. The onus on
A Motivational Force forward-thinking businesses shouldn’t be on
It’s wrong to discuss shadow IT without stamping out shadow IT, but rather encouraging
examining the benefits it can bring. A recent Frost employees to adopt and get the most out of their
and Sullivan report entitled The New Hybrid Cloud tools of choice in a secure and productive fashion.
showed that 49 per cent of staff are comfortable  
using an unapproved application, because using Conclusion 
them helps staff to ‘get their job done more With the advent of shadow IT and the
easily.’ The rise of shadow IT may actually exponential rise of cloud applications,
inject a healthy dose of innovative thinking into organisations need to be able to monitor an
organisations, so shouldn’t be disregarded from individual’s data flow at the most basic level,
the start. The ability to test new approaches to regardless of whether users are in-office or mobile.
business problems that could have a positive Solutions such as cloud application control (CAC)
impact on the bottom line, is vital to employees at can provide businesses with this visibility and the
all levels. If they are encumbered by the need for ability to discover, analyse and control all the
permissions, or for budget approvals to get to the information that staff are accessing or sharing. It
technology they need, things can stall at a time is about managing security risks without stifling
when market conditions are changing quicker innovation. By ‘following the user’, businesses
than ever. Not to mention, shadow IT applications can ensure that employees are safe and secure
are often far cheaper than their ‘official’ at all times, whether they are using authorised
counterparts procured through the IT department. applications or those from the shadows. 

CLOUDCOMPUTING 23
 CLOUDINFRASTRUCTURE Infrastructure as a Service

David Lozdan examines

PUTTINGTHEHORSE
the steps businesses need
to take to secure new
efficiencies from IaaS.

BEFORE THE CART

By David Lozdan, Head of Public Sector,
Exponential-e

Infoburst: As new technologies

emerge, the infrastructure that
supports these devices and
applications is becoming more
and more critical.

24 CLOUDCOMPUTING

Introduction
Most businesses are only just beginning to realise
the degree to which everything will change in
the next few years of IT. First generation digital
assistants like Siri and Google Now are collecting
more contextual information and transforming
into autonomous intelligent agents that can make
decisions on our behalf. Computers are starting to
recognise patterns in data with Gartner predicting
that smart machines will author 20 per cent of
business content – from shareholder reports to
legal documents and press releases – within the
next two years. While sensor-packed devices like
Fitbit and Apple Watch are beginning to talk to
each other and other internet-enabled tools.
However, as new technologies emerge, the
infrastructure that supports these devices and
applications is becoming more and more critical.
Networking speeds need to increase to cope with
the volume of bandwidth-hungry applications,
data centre racks need to be optimised to
manage the movement of big data and the cloud
needs to connect environments and devices. As
a result, today’s businesses are demanding an
IT infrastructure that reliably supports critical
applications, but is flexible enough to cater for
operational growth.
Despite this, many organisations don’t
necessarily want to invest in designing, buying,
building, deploying and managing the complex
and costly infrastructures that are needed to
support new technologies. Cloud has become
mainstream and enterprises expect to use it to
level the playing field. The G-Cloud is one example
of where this approach has been particularly
successfully. Since launching in 2012, a total
of £856 million sales have now taken place via
the G-Cloud, allowing public sector bodies to
transition towards a ‘cloud-first’ policy and shift
the complexities and expenses of hardware to
cloud suppliers.
Driving the Digital Agenda
As more enterprises move towards the cloud, IDC
currently predicts that Infrastructure as a Service
(IaaS) will be the fastest growing area of this
market between 2014 and 2018. However, before
enterprises adopt IaaS, first they need to consider
how they plan to consume and use the many
variations of cloud that exist.
For example, private cloud is the model
that has evolved in most organisations. Many
enterprises have built their own infrastructure
and automation for development and testing
or running internal web services, often using
CLOUDINFRASTRUCTURE
“As more enterprises move towards the cloud,
IDC currently predicts that Infrastructure as a
Service (IaaS) will be the fastest growing area
of this market between 2014 and 2018.”
new and efficient methods to facilitate it. Yet,
when compared to the public cloud, it doesn’t
necessarily provide the same amount of flexibility
and agility - something that can be restrictive for
businesses.
The public cloud in comparison has always
been available as a service that can be consumed
by all. It appeals and is used by the mass market
for backing-up files, streaming music and films or
email services. Surprisingly, despite advocating
a private solution, a lot of global organisations
adopt public cloud in one manner or another.
This solution may be suitable for parts of the
IT estate, but is certainly not secure enough to
provide storage for the most important data and
documents running over a network.
In contrast, a hybrid solution can provide
the flexibility and agility of a public cloud, while
still providing the security a business needs and
would receive with a private cloud. Increasingly,
it is the hybrid cloud model that will provide
the foundations of the infrastructure for next
generation technology. Instead of making an
upfront capital investment in hardware or relying
solely on existing architectures, enterprises can
simply purchase more computing power or server
space from their cloud provider as and when it’s
needed. This could be anything from a highly
scalable, low cost architecture for a big data
project to a high-capacity cloud network that can
be scaled for peaks in web traffic.
IT Turns Strategic
Ultimately, the businesses that will grow most
in 2016 will be those which capitalise on IT’s
potential to provide the business with new
efficiencies and competencies. The hybrid cloud
delivers all the features expected of the cloud in
relation to flexibility and agility, while providing a
secure environment that allows organisations to
focus on driving innovation, capabilities, service
management and business insight.
As more businesses drive their digital
agenda towards a hybrid cloud model, they will
be equipped with the infrastructure to deliver
the best services available for their business.
Combining whatever existing infrastructure is
already in place with the burstable capacity
and additional functionality of the cloud means
that resources can be adapted to business
requirements. In the long-term, this allows IT
to move out of the backroom and evolve from
being the plumbers of the digital age, into a vital
resource in developing IT strategies that drive
revenue and meet business objectives.
CLOUDCOMPUTING 25
 DISASTER RECOVERY Backup, Archiving and Recovery

THE FUTURE OF

Jaspreet Singh asks how

cloud can help solve problems
surrounding backup, recovery
CONTINUITY
and archiving of data.
By Jaspreet Singh, CEO, Druva

Introduction
Wherever you look in IT, cloud computing
strategies are taking off. For more than 75 per
cent of companies surveyed by Enterprise Strategy
Group in 2015, respondents have implemented
or plan to use at least one public cloud service.
This is a growth of over 300 per cent in
adoption compared to 2013. Spending on cloud
deployments is also due to increase within 42 per
cent of companies.
However, this change in how IT services
are delivered has an effect on how data can be
kept secure and protected over time. As more
data is created outside the walls of the office
and on mobile devices, existing approaches to
data backup, disaster recovery and archiving of
information all have to evolve as well.

The Future of Cloud

Talk to any IT professional about business
continuity planning, and it will normally become
clear how hard it is to get members of the
management team to understand the difference
between the various elements of data protection
that make up a full continuity plan. Even the
difference between business continuity (BC)
and disaster recovery (DR) can be difficult to get
across without resorting to jargon.
In the past, this has not been helped by the
IT vendor community either where different
technologies that were good for achieving specific
aims around backup, recovery and archiving of
data would often be lumped together. As CIOs
and IT teams face the challenges of supporting
more mobile workers and greater use of cloud
applications, it’s important to build up greater Infoburst: Using public cloud eliminates
the need to run a complete stand-by hot
understanding of how these pieces fit together,
site for continuity.
both for the wider IT function and for the business
as a whole.
Enter cloud again. Using public cloud services,
companies can make use of the potential of this
new approach to delivering services for their DR
strategies in the future. Cloud DR and DR-as-a-
Service implementations can help fix some of the
business problems that are coming up around
saving and storing data for backup purposes.

26 CLOUDCOMPUTING

However, this can also cross over into using cloud
for archiving that data as well.
Now, this is not a case of using a backup tool
and then calling the backup an archive as well.
Archiving data has its own specific considerations
around long-term data storage and retrieval to
bear in mind; it’s also worth noting that backup
tends to be more expensive than archiving data
as this information has to be retrieved faster.
Instead, it’s worth going through any existing
business continuity plan to evaluate the likelihood
that data will be required and how quickly it will
be needed. You can then break down data into
three different categories:
Hot data – This is normally defined as company
data that has been created in the last 30 days.
The original data will normally be saved close to
the production applications, and any recovery will
have to meet a very short Recovery Time Objective
(RTO).
Warm data – This normally covers data between
30 and 90 days old. While the RTO for this data
can be longer than that for hot data, this data
will be required for running the business in a short
time frame after a disaster event.
Cold data – This includes all data that has to
be kept by the business, whether for compliance
purposes or internal records. However, it is not
often called upon during day-to-day activities, and
so can be moved to cheaper and more reliable
long-term storage.
The aim here should be to unite backup,
recovery and archiving for the business, but
without ignoring the specifics of each area. By
considering the requirements of each use case, it’s
possible to use one converged set of infrastructure
to meet those different needs. Rather than
applying one tool for backup and then ignoring
the needs of archiving, this should look to
automate the processes for handing over data
between backup and archiving storage.
As part of this, it’s important to match
the capabilities of cloud storage against each
requirement. Taking this holistic approach is
possible through using public cloud services like
Amazon Web Services. Amazon S3 Storage can
support hot and warm data, while Glacier would
handle cold data and archiving.
The role for public cloud services here is
growing as more organisations seek to reduce
their expenditure on capital investments. Business
continuity projects have traditionally involved a
lot of additional hardware, software and skills
in order to implement full backup and recovery.
This means that only the largest enterprises could
implement them properly. The growth of cloud for
DR provides companies with a more cost-effective
option to run this critical infrastructure.
Using public cloud eliminates the need to
run a complete stand-by hot site for continuity.
This also removes the need to keep constantly
monitoring the two platforms to check for
inconsistencies in the operating systems,
DISASTER RECOVERY
“Taking a cloud-first approach to DR gives
you the opportunity to reduce costs and
improve reliability when backing up,
recovering or archiving data.”
virtualisation platforms or hardware that might
affect a recovery. Instead, public cloud services
can support a wider variety of operating systems
and platforms in one place.
Security and Cloud
At the same time, security concerns around cloud
should also be considered. The development
of the EU General Data Protection Regulation
(GDPR) provides guidance to companies of all
sizes on how they should be planning to meet
compliance requirements regarding customer
data in Europe, while the re-negotiation of Safe
Harbour is currently taking place.
For IT teams that are concerned over the
security of their data in the public cloud, there are
steps that they can take:
Encryption of data between the company’s
servers or devices and the public cloud should be
in place from the very start. However, the current
debates around how encryption technologies
are used can be concerning. Instead, making use
of two factor encryption and data scrambling
ensures that data is properly secured in the cloud,
without having to manage keys.
Using multiple, separated keys for encryption
should also mean that the data itself is not
accessible by the public cloud service provider
at any time. For companies that are concerned
about their service provider being forced into
disclosing data, this means that this option is not
possible from the start.
There are also regional data privacy and
storage concerns that should be considered. For
example, Russian companies should only store
data about their customers on servers that are
physically hosted within the country according to
laws brought in during 2015; companies based
in Germany have much stricter rules on what
customer data can be taken from their employees’
devices or shared. To address this, it’s important
to look at where DR data is sent when using public
cloud services.
Conclusion
Taking a ‘cloud-first’ approach to DR gives you the
opportunity to reduce costs and improve reliability
when backing up, recovering or archiving data.
The aim here is to consolidate disparate tools
and save on costs. However, this should not be
confused with trying to apply single tools to every
requirement within continuity; instead, it’s about
making use of cloud storage to meet the needs
of each use case, which reduces overheads and
enables the business to protect data across the
organisation.
CLOUDCOMPUTING 27
 CASESTUDY
ZERO DOWNTIME The Company
T C Harrison is one of the UK’s largest privately
owned motor groups with 200,000 customers.
Thomas ‘Cuth’ Harrison, a racing enthusiast
who competed in many British and European car
rallies, founded the T C Harrison motor and plant
dealership dynasty back in 1931. Currently run by
the third Harrison generation, James, Jonathan
and William, it has grown to become one of the
country’s largest privately owned motor groups,
employing around 500 people across 16 locations.
It is actually a number of businesses, ranging
from a network of main Ford dealerships to JCB
operations and servicing; from fleet and business
car leasing to auto finance, with a combined
turnover of more than £200 million.
The Challenge
As with any sizeable service enterprise with a large
customer base, T C Harrison’s email systems had
become the lifeblood of the business. It was not
unusual to process over 12,000 emails a day. With
hundreds of users spanning nine different domains,
reliability and continuity are paramount and
systems that had been appropriate in the past were
becoming a burden to maintain. Neil Bailey, Group
IT manager, explains: “We had been using more
than one email system, protected by a common
cloud-based spam and virus filtering solution.
However, it was becoming unreliable, culminating
in two days’ downtime over a 12-month period.
Email is so mission-critical now that downtime
can lead directly to lost support and sales. For us,
where customer service is one of our competitive
differentiators, there is always a risk of not
delivering and damaging the brand. Meanwhile,
our requirements had extended from reliability,
continuity and ‘hygiene’ to include archiving,
something that had not been an issue in the past.”
The Wish List
“At the same time, we had decided to adopt
Microsoft’s Office 365 solution for some of our
key back-office systems,” continues Neil. “It meant
we could exploit the benefits of cloud computing,
while continuing to provide our users with the
applications they knew and liked. For my group IT
support staff, adopting Office 365 would provide
unprecedented levels of control, yet simplify
administration by shifting much of the burden to
Microsoft, including software updates. For users,
it would provide access from anywhere, including
home or on the road, sharing and updating
documents secure in the knowledge that data
integrity would not be compromised. However, we
28 CLOUDCOMPUTING
Email Management
EACS & Mimecast support
Office 365 migration for a
leading car dealership.
needed to ensure that Office 365 would provide
us with the best levels of reliability, continuity and
virus/spam protection. We decided to explore a
hybrid solution, which we hoped would provide the
best of both worlds.”
The Solution
Having compiled a detailed set of selection criteria,
Neil enlisted the help of EACS to assist with the
project. “They’re an award-winning IT partner with
Microsoft gold accreditations and we knew they
had both the technical and implementation skills
to help us,” says Neil. “Their recommendation was
an email management suite from Mimecast that
is cost effective, meets all our requirements and
integrates seamlessly with Office 365. In fact, it
was the only solution that ticked all our boxes. I
mentioned security as an important requirement.
EACS were able to show us how effectively
Mimecast could encrypt emails whenever we wish
to transmit commercially sensitive data, such as
customer lists for use by third party marketing
organisations. Another key strength was the
archiving capability of Mimecast, and the role it
can play in providing continuity. If I can give a
simple, but important example, when someone
leaves the company, it’s crucial to have immediate
access to any communications they may have had
with prospective and existing customers. We need
to make sure we are honouring any commitments
that may have been made. We now have that
reassurance.”
Conclusion
The system has been running now for 12 months
and Neil sums up: “Unlike front-office systems, it’s
the nature of email management that users don’t
comment on its success. Success is transparent. We
have suffered no downtime, but even if Office 365
had failed we would have been able to continue
communicating internally as well as with suppliers
and customers externally, all archived and virus
protected. As to virus and spam control, I see
from last week’s report alone that we rejected
no less than 73,912 emails across the group,
including nine virus signature detections, 455 spam
signature rejections and 2,314 rejections based
on IP reputation. That represents a huge saving
in wasted time, not to mention frustration, for our
staff, along with the safeguarding of our corporate
data. According to reports, reading and answering
email takes up 28 per cent of workers’ time and the
typical corporate user sends and receives around
105 email messages a day. Based on those figures,
continuity alone cost-justifies the solution.”
 DATA CENTRE
SUMMIT 2016
2016
S O U TT HH
10thof
10th ofFebruary,
February, Barbican
Barbican Exhibition
ExhibitionHalls,
Halls,London
London
Thereare
There aresosomany
manyways
waysthat
that you
you
willbenefit
will benefitfrom
fromattending
attendingData
Data
Centre Summit.
Centre Summit.
• BE part of the latest thinking and
• BE part of the latest thinking and
share the experience of other
share the experience of other
organisations’ experience
organisations’ experience
• SEE what’s new in the industry
• SEE what’s new in the industry
and keep up to date with latest
and keep up to
innovations date
and with latest
technologies
innovations and technologies
• LEARN from case studies in similar
• LEARN from case
organisations studies in similar
to yours
organisations to yours
• CATCH UP with your current
• CATCH UP and
suppliers withmeet
yournew
current
ones –
suppliers
all in oneand
daymeet
saving new ones –time
precious
all in one day saving precious time
• FIND new partners and business
• FIND
opportunities
new partners and business
opportunities
• NETWORK with your peers from
other organisations
• NETWORK with your–peers
makefrom
use of
Platinum Sponsor
our networking
other organisationslounge
– make use of Platinum Sponsor
our networking
• FIND lounge
ways of saving money and
developing
• FIND ways ofyour business
saving money and To discuss exhibiting call
developing your business
• VISIT the exhibition of leading Ian Titchener on 01353
To discuss 771464 or
exhibiting call
vendor Peter
Ian Herbert
Titchener onon01353
07899771464
981123or
• VISIT the exhibition of leading
vendor Peter Herbert on 07899 981123
To register visit www.datacentresummit.co.uk
 DISASTER RECOVERY
ARE YOU PREPARED FOR AN
ONSITE DISASTER
Rufus Grig discusses the cultural changes that
organisations will face when moving to the cloud.
By Rufus Grig, CTO, Azzurri Communications
Infoburst: In most cases, disaster is
always the situation that companies
aren’t expecting.
30 CLOUDCOMPUTING
Introduction
Your office has been flooded. Are you aware of
how long your business could really carry out
‘business as usual’ if it had to? What policies have
been put in place and training undertaken to
ensure employee productivity in times of crisis?
About 20 years ago, I worked for a company
that was ready for any disaster. Their client record
boxes, which held all of their tape archives, were
fireproof, shatterproof and practically
people-proof, and kept within the NatWest Tower.
Unfortunately, the IRA then blew up parts of said
Tower. While the boxes lived up to their designed
ability and withheld this attack, the building’s
water pipes did not. The boxes didn’t take into
Migrating to the Cloud
account the possibility of water damage and as
a result, the tapes were sodden. Luckily, recovery
was achievable – with careful hanging and hand
drying. The lesson from this is that in most cases,
disaster is always the situation that companies
aren’t expecting. Is it possible to efficiently
prepare for the unexpected? There is no definitive
answer that will bypass all fiascos, but there are
ways to avoid being caught with the hand drier
and a washing line.
Outside of the Office
Within a company structure, there are two
fundamental distinctions between employees
in the work force: at the highest level, there are
process workers and knowledge workers. The
individuals that businesses need to worry about
most in terms of disaster recovery are the process
workers. These are the employees that require
equipment and tools to complete daily tasks
that are normally tied to a specific location. For
example, the majority of retail workers need a till
to process transactions. Because retailers tend to
have stores in several different locations, moving
staff to another location can often easily offset
an incident in one store. However, in other cases a
process worker may be an individual in a contact
centre – making it harder because you only have
one centralised location.
The least disruptive option for process workers
is to set up a standby office in case of any
disaster. If the use of the second space is needed,
kitting it out with the appropriate apparatus for
employees to do their day-to-day job is essential -
from contact centres to logistics centres, a second
location is the only option. Considering where
this location would be, and how plausible it would
be for all members of staff, must be logistically
decided to avoid further disruption in the case of
a disaster.

Knowledge workers generally need to be able
to do what they need to do wherever they are
(CEO, CIO …). They should be equipped with the
tools and skills to do this - whether this is using a
mobile phone, or portable laptop with a dongle –
and working outside the office building shouldn’t
be a problem. However, not every member of
staff that sits inside the knowledge bracket will
have this paid-for equipment. As a result, working
outside of the office is not always an option.
Investing in your employees’ ability to work in
more than one place may be expensive, but it
may ensure a lower disaster recovery cost.
ISO Standards
Business continuity is a failover that requires
a minimal effort recovery strategy. You have a
system and it fails – this could be a network or IT
system failure, or a fire or flood – but you have a
backup system in place and can quickly bounce
back from the failure with limited damage to your
everyday situation. Disaster recovery requires
manual intervention. There must be a plan in
place to prepare for the unthinkable. This can
range from the absence of the CEO, or a whole
system failure, or possibly the inability to re-enter
the office. A good way to prepare for disaster
recovery situations is to look to the standards from
International Organization for Standardization
(ISO). When qualifying for ISO standards
companies are asked what their critical systems
are, how every department functions, and what
would be the worst possible outcome of a disaster.
All eventualities are considered throughout the
business – from who the critical people are, to
where network issues could arise. Acknowledging
every aspect of an enterprise and noting every
process down isn’t always possible, but there
will always be that one person that knows the
operation inside out – who are they? In the event
of their unavailability, how would you continue to
work?
Preparing for disaster recovery must involve
a test run – turning off the switch and checking
how the recovery operation works. This will most
likely be an on paper test, as a run through would
be costly and disruptive to all members of staff.
Nevertheless, once it is tested, it will become
obvious what works and what doesn’t. Below is a
list of common disaster recovery questions that
should be at the top of your consideration list:
• Moving offices – is there enough space? Car
parking? Commuting capabilities?
• Insurance – are you covered from another
location?
• Working from home – are employees able to
work at the same level of productivity?
• Is the new space a safe, secure and suitable
working environment?
• Have you thought about the employers’ duty
of care?
• IT system and network – does this work from
other locations?
DISASTER RECOVERY
Where is Your IT Equipment?
More and more businesses are moving their Infoburst: Business continuity is a
failover that requires a minimal effort
systems from under the stairs or the back recovery strategy.
cupboard to a place in the cloud – which in most
instances dramatically improves security, reliability
and availability. This, however, does raise a
number of issues that users need to be aware of.
For example, when considering migration to
the cloud the issue of data sovereignty should
be considered. There are a number of rules
surrounding data protection in the EU, and
the good news is that they cover the whole of
the region. Unfortunately, the European Court
of Justice has lifted the safe harbour scheme
between ourselves and the US. In the interim,
most organisations are relying on a mutual non-
disclosure agreement (NDA) between themselves
and anyone else who gets their hands on their
data under the EU agreement. While enterprises
patiently wait to see what replacement will be put
in place for the US safe harbour scheme a mutual
NDA is essential, particularly if you are using an
American company to host your cloud systems
and data.
Then there is encryption. Who has the keys
to reading your data? The more secure you make
it, the harder it is to use. Several people must be
aware of how to get into the encrypted data to
ensure that it’s effectively used day-to-day, and in
the case of a disaster.
Alternatively, the cloud could be used as a
backup option and on a pay-as-you-go scheme.
Setting a server up to run systems from the cloud
if needed prepares businesses for a number
of data eventualities. It is a good and cheap
disaster recovery strategy - by only using it when
necessary, it allows for a secure virtual storage
facility. The suggestions above are a starting
point, but they’re well worth trying to envisage
across your own business model. Preparing for all
disasters is not possible, but attempting to could
prevent something that is screamingly obvious.
CLOUDCOMPUTING 31
 CLOUDSERVICES
CLOUD SERVICES
Alan Byrne explains why more organisations are
placing their business operations in the cloud.
By Alan Byrne, Director of Cogmotive
Introduction
It is expected that by 2018 over 60 per cent of enterprises will
have at least half their infrastructure on cloud-based platforms
(Forbes). Rising levels of adoption often appear as a jarring
contrast against the ammunition thrown at the cloud in favour
of on-premises solutions: ‘it’s not as secure’, ‘there is less control
and insight’, ‘how do we govern its usage effectively’. And yet
the market value continues to increase, showing no sign of
slowing. According to IDC, in just 12 months, public cloud service
alone will hit £70 billion, so what is driving larger, legacy-laden
organisations towards an environment that many previously
shied from?
32 CLOUDCOMPUTING
Future-Proof Your Environment
Successful businesses are constantly evolving. They thrive
in often unstable environments and work at speed. These
qualities should be assimilated in the technology they choose.
In an increasingly digital world, young, nimble companies, with
revolutionary plans, and the infrastructures to facilitate pace and
change are confronting the most traditional, and rigid industries.
Everyone is aware of the global influence that digital businesses,
such as the likes of Google, Uber, and AirBnB possess. This
renown, coupled with their lightning-fast responses to market
trends, leaves slower, traditional contemporaries in their wake.
Recent predictions from IDC FutureScape reaffirm what many
businesses already know: in 2016, CIOs need to consider the

impact of digital transformation, on both their organisation and
their landscape. Suddenly the surge in cloud adoption among
larger enterprises, and a current need to maintain competitive
agility doesn’t seem quite so coincidental.
Security Concerns
Previously, the main obstruction to mass adoption among larger
organisations has been security concerns. Ineffective protection,
breaches, and poor visibility are the sorts of concerns that keep
IT pros up at night, both working, and worrying. The cloud’s
past is beleaguered with a handful of high profile instances that
called into question its security credentials, but as is the case
with IT - a lot has changed, and fast. Unreliable security is an
issue that’s fading rapidly, partly due to re-education on best
practices, but mostly thanks to innovation, which has produced
risk-seeking tools. These solutions padlock all entry points
against intruders, and the numbers highlight a renewed faith.
IHS Research estimates that the cloud security market grew by
over 13.5 per cent in 2014, and 44 per cent of organisations that
have moved to the cloud, use it specifically for security (CompTIA
study).
CLOUDSERVICES
Infoburst: As its services continue to
develop, the cloud is on its way to full
transparency.
A common reason to continue with on-premises solutions is
the belief that detailed performance analysis and IT governance
cannot be undertaken in the cloud and that it is impossible to
see into. As its services continue to develop, the cloud is on its
way to full transparency. Using extremely intelligent reporting
tools, enterprise users are able to gain full view of their estate,
with almost immediate savings. The data available in cloud
platforms can be analysed instantly to identify everything from
everyday usage, to license distribution and overspend, and even
the most incredibly obscure data that IT pros might just need
once…or perhaps never find a reason for.
Conclusion
In IT terms, placing your head, or business operations
and strategy, in the cloud no longer means ignoring your
surroundings, it means acknowledging them. Development
in cloud services mean total visibility for users, but complete
impenetrability for intruders. It comes as no surprise that the
desire to be responsive and efficient, with a view to future-proof
your environment has driven this uptake in adoption among
larger enterprises.
CLOUDCOMPUTING 33
 OPINION The Future of M2M Technologies

2016 PREDICTIONS
FROM VODAFONE

Infoburst: Marketers are realising the

potential of IoT to enhance customer
experience.

34 CLOUDCOMPUTING

Matt Key puts forward his predictions for the M2M
market in 2016 and beyond.
By Matt Key, Commercial Director, M2M at Vodafone
Introduction
2015 saw the Internet of Things (IoT) become
a catalyst for digital transformation. With more
than a quarter of all companies worldwide using
M2M technologies, as unveiled by Vodafone’s
M2M Barometer, business models are being
transformed and, as we embark on 2016, the
future of M2M technologies looks even more
promising. M2M is becoming more pervasive,
impacting everything from back-end operations
to the consumer experience. We expect a surge
in usage in 2016, with an increased focus on
creating a more cohesive ecosystem for the
marketplace. Below are my predictions for the
M2M market in 2016 and beyond.
M2M
M2M strategies will evolve to drive new
customer experiences. An increasing number of
organisations are realising the potential of M2M
communications to not only automate internal
business processes, but also to drive new customer
experiences. Companies are introducing new
customer-facing connected products and services,
improving their existing offerings, increasing
revenue and creating new revenue opportunities.
This trend is evident with 66 per cent of those
already using M2M stating that their strategy
today focuses on external stakeholders, according
to the Vodafone M2M Barometer 2015. As
the scope of M2M expands beyond internal
departments, we predict more organisations
will adopt M2M and extend it throughout their
business, and that more than a third of businesses
will describe their M2M projects as innovation
focused, rather than IT.
Greater ROI
Businesses are constantly looking for solutions
that provide key capabilities for building
next generation systems that make a greater
positive impact. The convergence of M2M
with other sophisticated technologies, such as
cloud computing and big data analytics, will
provide new business opportunities and lead to
significantly greater returns. The Vodafone M2M
Barometer 2015 substantiates this with 83 per
OPINION
cent of the most sophisticated organisations
seeing significant return, compared to 43 per cent
of the least sophisticated businesses, and 69 per
cent of those most sophisticated organisations
stating that M2M has ‘fundamentally
transformed’ their businesses. With M2M and IoT
gaining momentum, these integrated solutions
are seen as a must have, and we will see vendors
delivering more sophisticated deployment of the
technology in 2016.
The Potential of IoT
Marketers are realising the potential of IoT to
enhance customer experience and engage with
them in new and innovative ways. Through
customer-facing connected products and services,
marketers gain insight from massive amounts
of data and new analytics technologies that
enable them to take strategic business decisions.
Beginning next year, we expect the use of M2M
and IoT to mature across all sectors. Companies
across all industries will place M2M at the heart
of their customer experience. For example, this
year, M2M adoption in the retail sector grew
an astounding 88 per cent, with retailers now
understanding that M2M can strengthen the
shopping experience through personalisation,
smarter payment methods and digital signage -
all while streamlining internal operations.
A Strategic Approach
With the sudden surge in IoT, businesses jumped
on the connected devices’ bandwagon without
having a strategic vision or plan. Companies
simply rushed to connect almost everything
without evaluating the investment and potential
benefits. As the market matures, we expect
companies to weed out the solutions that do
not make sound business sense and focus on
connecting only those products or services that
align with their business or societal objective. From
an M2M vendor and service provider perspective,
this means the ability to understand the clients’
needs and offer the right solution to the right
company, such as utilities and smart meters,
heart monitors, fleet management and chronic
healthcare management solutions.
CLOUDCOMPUTING 35
 CLOUDSERVICES

BUSINESS
Cloud CRM Systems

CRITICAL
John Paterson looks
at the benefits of
using colocation to
power SaaS CRM.
By John Paterson, CEO, Really
Simple Systems

Introduction
When Really Simple Systems began in 2005,
you could choose to host servers on your own
premises, colocate your servers in a data centre
or rent physical or virtual servers. Amazon’s EC2
didn’t go into full production until the tail end of
2008. The IaaS/PaaS revolution hadn’t begun. We
used colocation from day one. We liked the idea
of building our own servers with the exact mix
of processors, RAM, conventional and SSD drives
that suited our application, and we were wary of
storing our customers’ data on a box owned by
somebody else.

Uptime
It’s a universal rule that any individual IT system
will fail, no matter how clever it is and how much
internal redundancy it has. The power will go,
despite all the UPS’s. The Internet connectivity
will fail. This could be caused by external events or
internal misconfiguration by some cable monkey,
which isn’t discovered for an hour. Even Amazon’s
AWS goes down.
The only way to provide 99.999 per cent
uptime (that’s five minutes total downtime a
year, by the way, 24/7) is to have two systems
running in parallel. The two systems have to use
different data centres on different power grids
and different ISPs with different routings, and
switch automatically if one fails. You can achieve
redundancy like this without using colocation, but
you can’t if you use just one company’s service
to host your site, as is the case with a IaaS/PaaS
provider.

Build You Own Servers

Infoburst: One of the bugbears in
maintaining your own servers is having
to constantly update them with the
latest security patches.
The unique feature that colocation offers you is
that you can build your own servers exactly as
you want to. We use Intel servers, built-in RAID
support, Seagate drives and Intel SSDs. We like to

36 CLOUDCOMPUTING
 CLOUDSERVICES
Infoburst: One of the problems with
using a shared service is that other
people’s activity affects your response
times.

stick an extra drive in a spare slot in case a drive in

the RAID fails - we can then use the spare drive to
replace the faulty one, rebuild the RAID and save
a trip to the data centre.
All our servers have been through multiple
upgrade cycles, with additional RAM and
replacement drives. The old servers are moved
down to become development servers, or to non-
critical batch jobs. The first server we purchased
back in 2006 is still being used as a development
server, hosting multiple VMs. It may use twice as
much power as the newer servers, but is providing
great value.

One Colo Good, Two Colos Better

One of the bugbears in maintaining your own
servers is having to constantly update them with
the latest security patches. Windows servers
invariably need rebooting afterwards (which is just
one of the reasons that we are currently migrating
our CRM system from Windows/IIS to Linux/
Apache). Having two instances doesn’t remove
the pain, technically it doubles it, but at least you
can manage when the updates happen and most
importantly, we can move everybody off one
data centre and onto the other while we run the
updates on all the physical and virtual servers, and
then move them all back. Managing rollbacks is
easier too. We can take a snapshot of a VM before
applying the updates and if the updates crash the
system, roll it back until we figure out what the
issue is.
A Cautionary Tale
Our marketing agency persuaded us to move it
off our servers and onto Amazon’s AWS. We were
reluctant, but they insisted that it would much
easier for them to maintain and the uptime would
be good. However, Amazon rolled out scheduled,
but unannounced updates in the middle of the
night, causing the site to go offline. Then AWS
had lots of minor outages. We took the site back
in house running on our own servers with our own
failover system and it has been stable ever since.
What was also noticeable was that the page
response time improved dramatically overnight
(see Pingdom graph). One of the problems with
using a shared service is that other people’s
activity affects your response times, unpredictably
- notice how steady the graph is once we
migrated.
Solution
We colocate servers in Blue Square in Maidenhead
and Redstation in Fareham. They are 70 miles
apart so a natural disaster in one won’t affect
“It’s a universal rule that any individual IT
system will fail, no matter how clever it is and
how much internal redundancy it has.”
the other. They use different ISPs and are on
different power grids. And importantly for us,
both are owned by UK and not US companies, so
not subject to the US’s notorious Patriot Act. The
whole system runs with master-master real time
replication, so when a data centre goes offline,
which happens at least twice a year for each of
them, we can continue to run all our customers’
CRM systems with no loss of data nor availability.
Conclusion
Colocation works well for us. We can build our
own servers, configured exactly as we like them
with lots of RAM and SSDs. With virtualisation
we can crank amazing value from the physical
servers, and fire up additional development servers
whenever we want. We’re confident that our
customers’ CRM data is secure and nobody else
can covertly access it. I’d argue that colocation
works out cheaper than renting servers, and
certainly cheaper than IaaS/PaaS once you start
to scale and need more resources. It is scalable,
when we need more resources we just rack more
servers and as our demand load is predictable
some weeks in advance, we have the time to
provision new servers when we need them. Most
importantly, it solves the data security and uptime
issues, which are business critical for our CRM
customers, and therefore for us.

CLOUDCOMPUTING 37
CONFERENCE 2016

Headline Sponsor

The Barbican 22nd June

Conference Centre,
Golden Lane, 2016
London EC1Y 0QT

The BICSI UK Conference and Exhibition is a one day conference due to

take place at London’s prestigious Barbican Conference Centre.

The event will deliver game changing information to those involved in the
installation and specification of network infrastructures in the data centre
and information communications technology environment.

For more information

Ian Titchener Joe Tye
ian@lgnmedia.co.uk joe@lgnmedia.co.uk
Tel 01353 771464 Tel 01353 771466

TO REGISTER VISIT WWW.BICSICONFERENCE.CO.UK

LGN Media LTD

E-Space Business Centre, 181 Wisbech Road, Littleport, Cambridge, CB6 1RA