Cloud computing transforms the way IT is delivered

Issued by Telkom Business
Johannesburg, 05 Nov 2010

Cloud computing has undoubtedly changed the way information technology is delivered, and South Africa's companies are slowly but surely embracing it, Grant Morgan, Managing Executive responsible for sales and marketing for Telkom's data centre - Cybernest, told delegates during his keynote address on Thursday, at the Cloud & Virtualisation Africa Summit 2010, which was held at the Hilton Hotel in Sandton. The two-day summit provided delegates with a platform to learn more about the benefits of cloud computing and exposed them to its fundamentals.

"It is a move into the right direction, I must say, and have noticed a positive aggression from those companies that are already adopting cloud computing."

However, in his presentation dubbed "transforming the way IT is delivered", Morgan cautions that there are crucial elements that clients must consider when choosing their preferred cloud service providers, and must be uncompromising about them.

One such crucial factor is security. "It is the biggest concern." A service provider, according to Morgan, should have a better data centre that the client can't provide itself and must demonstrate and prove that the client's data, once into cloud, will be secured.

Morgan adds that cloud service providers, Cybernest included, must have a world-class network, with their data centre located at the heart of their network. "In this way clients will be assured that cloud computing is at the core of their service providers' business. This should influence clients' decision to outsource their non-core IT-related functions to a particular service provider."

Buying power is another alarming factor, says Morgan. He advised that clients should choose a service provider who is in agreement with the best suppliers and manufacturers of data centre resources in the world that they can leverage on.

Enthused about the possibilities of transforming the way IT is delivered, Morgan mentioned to the delegates that Cybernest is rated level 3 in terms of Information Technology Infrastructure Library Capability Maturity Model (ITIL CMM) and that they are working hard towards moving up to level 5.

ITIL CMM focuses on software process maturity continuous improvement whereas ITIL helps us understand and develop all of the areas within our infrastructure. "Clients should take this into cognisance as well to understand who they are to trust with their data.

"Once the abovementioned crucial elements have been established and most importantly demonstrated then clients are geared towards enjoying real IT value for their businesses from their sourcing providers," he concludes.

Telkom

Telkom is a leading communications services provider in South Africa and on the African continent. It had consolidated normalised operating revenue from continuing operations of R37 billion and normalised profit for the year from continuing operations of Telkom of R2.3 billion in the year ended 31 March 2010. Total assets from continuing operations amounted to R56.8 billion and equity attributable to the owners of Telkom to R29.9 billion as of 31 March 2010. The group generated normalised free cash flow of R5.5 billion for the year ended 31 March 2010.

As of 31 March 2010, it had approximately 4.3 million telephone access lines in service and 99.9% of its telephone access lines were connected to digital exchanges. It offers business, residential and payphone customers a wide range of services and products, including:

* Fixed-line voice services, including subscriptions and connections services, local, long distance, fixed-to-other operators and international voice services, interconnection services, which includes hubbing communications services and international voice over Internet Protocol services, subscription-based value-added voice services and customer premises equipment rental and sales;

* Data and Internet services, including domestic and international data transmission services, such as point to point leased lines, ADSL services, managed packet-based services and W-CDMA data services, managed data networking services and Internet access and related information technology services;

* Fixed, mobile, data and international communications services in Nigeria through our Multi-Links subsidiary; and

* Other services, including directory services, through Trudon, wireless data services, through Swiftnet, Internet services outside South Africa, through Africa Online and MWEB Africa and provision of management services to ICT through Telkom Management Services.

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Cloud computing transforms the way IT is delivered

Clients are, however, cautioned to consider critical elements when choosing their preferred cloud service providers, and must be uncompromising about them.