Interview with Gen-i CIO Peter Finch
How to set off on the journey to the cloud
With all the recent hype about cloud computing, you could be forgiven for feeling you have been left behind as the world rushes online. Yet you're reluctant to rush in because of concerns about aspects such as security and operational performance.
But don’t fret, shifting to the cloud does not happen overnight – and it can be done in a cautious manner. Gen-i CIO Peter Finch sets some waypoints to follow on the path to the cloud…
Peter's advice is to approach the move to cloud-based services as a journey.
There are many things that you should get sorted before moving to cloud services, he says.
"You don’t just phone your local provider up and say, ‘I want to be on the cloud - come and do it for me’. You need to decide what you’re going to take to the cloud, how you are going to get yourself to that environment and what the logical path is to follow."
Peter suggests moving into the cloud progressively.
"You wouldn’t jump into the pool if you don’t know what the temperature of the water is, you’d stick your toe in first - it's a little bit like that with the cloud."
So where do you start?
The first step on the journey to the cloud is to convert your current infrastructure into a virtualised environment, says Peter.
"You need to know that the applications you want to run in the cloud are able to run in a virtualised environment."
The next step in the journey is to move your virtualised systems to a dedicated “private cloud” – where applications are hosted in a cloud-like environment accessed over a dedicated VPN link, used only by your organisation, says Peter.
But a dedicated private cloud environment, while an important step in building confidence and “proving” the model, is unlikely to deliver the economic benefits of a hosted service provider offering.
“To really utilise the economics of the cloud, you need to be in a leveraged or multi-tenanted environment.”
Once your virtualised world is working smoothly, it is time to consider moving some systems into an “external” cloud environment, says Peter.
“You can then make an informed decision about what parts of the infrastructure you want to shoot off to a private or public cloud and which applications are better left on-premise.”
Applications like payroll, CRM, accounting and even email, as well as testing and development environments, are proven as great candidates for cloud deployment.
Meanwhile, the most common concerns about cloud computing –
security, reliability and performance – can be overcome by choosing the right cloud provider – and doing some leg-work before signing up, says Peter.
“You should do some reference checks on the track record of the provider you are considering. You need to satisfy yourself that they have the reputation, experience and proper verifiable security, performance and reliability story in place.”
Peter also suggests you try before you buy.
“Do a pilot, trial or proof of concept and get to understand how the application is performing in the cloud,” he says.
“Cloud services should generally be optimised to perform really well, but there are plenty of reasons why they could potentially go wrong.”
The benefits
The benefits of cloud computing can be significant, especially for small to medium-sized organisations, says Peter.
“It really gives them the ability to move their IT from a problem to a commodity service that delivers value.”
Cloud services can give organisations access to technology faster, without the need for capital expenditure, as there is no need to invest in buying servers or software licenses.
“So you can avoid capital expenditure and convert those expenses to an operating expenditure.”
It also enables scarce IT resources to be focused on business needs.
“If you’ve got your own server sitting under a desk somewhere you have to have somebody that’s worrying about that server. You have to do all the management, so it’s a distraction. If you remove that and give it to somebody else then it frees you up to focus more on your business.”
Cloud services also offer a great disaster recovery capability, says Peter.
“Cloud services provide a level of surety around business continuity. It doesn’t matter what happens in your business, as long as you keep connected, the service is available.”
Overall, Peter recommends talking to a trusted ICT provider, such as Gen-i, with a proven record in helping clients navigate the journey to the cloud.
Gen-i launched its own cloud-based infrastructure-as-a-service offering, ReadyCloud Server, in March this year. ReadyCloud Server is hosted locally inside a data centre in an earthquake-proof Telecom phone exchange.
Knowing their data is kept on-shore reassures many clients, says Peter.
“Gen-i has 50 staff in our Security Operations Centre dedicated to managing its security services. Having local people and support gives our clients a high level of confidence.”
Gen-i launches cloud blogs
Did you know – Gen-i’s cloud computing champions are now sharing their insights and views in a new set of blogs? The blogs cover a wide range of cloud-related topics, including tips on how to navigate the journey to a cloud computing platform. Read the latest blogs here
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