Moving to cloud computing reduces the cost of managing and maintaining IT systems

Yogendra Singh, HEAD-IT/SAP, Barista Coffee Company

“The cloud offers the ability for rapid provisioning of computing resources and scaling those resources to align with changing business needs. Organizations can provision the infrastructure and computing resources they need, when needed and then scale back when they are no longer required. Cloud computing offers your business many benefits. It allows you to set up what is essentially a virtual office to give you the flexibility of connecting to your business anywhere, any time. With the growing number of web-enabled devices used in today's business environment (e.g. smartphones, tablets), access to your data is even easier.

Protecting your data and systems is an important part of business continuity planning. Whether you experience a natural disaster, power failure or other crisis, having your data stored in the cloud ensures it is backed up and protected in a secure and safe location. Being able to access your data again quickly allows you to conduct business as usual, minimising any downtime and loss of productivity.

Moving to cloud computing may reduce the cost of managing and maintaining your IT systems. Rather than purchasing expensive systems and equipment for your business, you can reduce your costs by using the highly experienced and educated resources of your cloud computing service provider. You may be able to reduce your operating costs.

Hybrid cloud refers to a mixed computing, storage, and services environment made up of on-premises infrastructure, private cloud services, and a public cloud with orchestration among the various platforms. Using a combination of public clouds, on-premises computing, and private clouds in your data canter means that you have a hybrid cloud infrastructure. The primary benefit of a hybrid cloud is agility. Not everything belongs to a public cloud, which is why so many organizations are choosing a hybrid cloud services. Hybrid clouds offer the benefits of both public and private clouds and take advantage of existing architecture in a data canter. The hybrid approach allows applications and components to interoperate across boundaries (for example, cloud versus on-premises).

Unless you have clear-cut needs fulfilled by only a public cloud solution or only a private cloud solution, why limit your options? Choose a hybrid cloud approach, and you can tap the advantages of both worlds simultaneously.”