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October 3, 2008
• Vol.30 Issue 40
Page(s) 26 in print issue
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Considering Cloud Computing
Assessing Your Network & Finding A Reliable Provider Are Key
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Jump to first occurrence of: [WEISMAN]
Cloud computing encompasses many things beyond the enterprise firewall, from SaaS applications to virtual storage and servers. Websense CIO Jim Haskin (www.websense.com) says that cloud computing enables enterprises to take advantage of capabilities and services on the fly without having either to invest in new infrastructure or to depend on current enterprise systems. As more Web 2.0 applications and services become enterprise-ready, it’s no wonder that the whole notion of cloud computing has garnered so much attention of late.
As with any new technology or trend, it makes sense to research the ways in which cloud computing might help (or hinder) your business. Here are a few tips to get you started.
 Determine What’s Already In The Cloud
Although cloud computing is a new paradigm that requires organizations of all sizes to rethink the role of traditional servers and storage, in fact, many enterprise operations are already in the cloud, says David Barley, CTO of digital archiving services provider Casdex (www.casdex.com).
If you take a look at your network, then, you may find that some portions are already cloud-based. For example, email in many cases resides in the cloud via services such as Gmail, and increasingly, more businesses are at least considering using Google Docs and Google Calendar, often as a replacement for Microsoft Office. Similarly, more and more companies have seen the wisdom of implementing offsite backup in the event of a disaster, says Barley: Not only is your data protected if your physical office is ransacked or destroyed, online cloud backup can save you a bundle on infrastructure and staff costs.
Find A Secure & Accountable Provider
Dominique Levin, executive vice president of marketing and strategy at logic data management and intelligence solutions provider LogLogic (www.loglogic.com), points out that any security breach on a cloud computing network has the potential of being much more severe than traditional computing networks, given that the data of many customers gets aggregated in the cloud. Therefore, you need to be assured that your potential cloud provider protects your sensitive data from potential security breaches.
“For example, can your provider see, in real-time and post-mortem, who is accessing systems with your customer data? In some cases, the people imprudently accessing your data might even be from your own company,” Levin says. Also, check with each provider you are evaluating to understand the checks and metaphorical surveillance cameras it has in place to monitor and protect your data in its cloud, Levin continues.
Make Sure Your Data Will Integrate Seamlessly
Chris Marino, CEO of open-source data and application integration solutions provider SnapLogic (www.snaplogic.com), says that only a handful of vendors offer technologies that enable easy integration between data from the cloud and data behind the organizational firewall. Nevertheless, difficulty with this type of data integration is a primary inhibitor in the adoption of SaaS and other cloud services.
“When considering implementing cloud computing in your enterprise, it’s important to have a prior understanding of your application and data storage architecture and how to implement your data integration solution,” Marino says. “You’ll likely need a data integration solution that can both operate in the cloud and connect to data sources in the cloud.”
Marino also suggests considering whether your data integration should be run in a virtual environment.
Ensure Clear Access To Your Data
"When considering cloud computing as an option for your networks, you need to be sure that you have clear access to your data when you want it and in the form that you want it," says George Symons, CEO of data backup solutions provider Yosemite Technologies (www.yosemitetech.com).
“For example, if you want to move off of one CRM system to another, you need to be able to download all of your customer data into some interchangeable format—even comma delimited form for spreadsheets normally works—and across all of your users,” Symons says. 
by Robyn Weisman
Bonus Tips
Go with a hybrid approach for data backup and recovery. As cloud computing-related backup, recovery, and other data protection services proliferate, you still must take into account the speed at which you can recover your data from the cloud, says George Symons, CEO of data backup solutions provider Yosemite Technologies (www.yosemitetech.com).
For example, if you need to recover hundreds of gigabytes of corrupted data, you may face hours or even days spent downloading it from your cloud service. For the best protection, Symons recommends a hybrid approach, in which you have local data protection on disks while using your service provider as your disaster or archival site for stored data.
Make sure you can see exactly how your customers are using your services in the cloud. Chet Kapoor, CEO of customerfacing Web services solutions provider Sonoa Systems (www.sonoasystems.com), says it is critical to have visibility into exactly who is using your service, what data is being exchanged, and how much.
“It’s easy for clients to take a perfectly good API and inadvertently write very inefficient code, accidentally impacting service across all customers,” says Kapoor. In addition, you must also understand what types of data are being exchanged during given processes. For example, if you know the types of data being exchanged for billing, you can upsell to a customer who is consuming large amounts of data to a higher service level, Kapoor says. |
Best Tip: Determine What Can & Cannot Be Kept In The Cloud
Jim Haskin, CIO of Web and desktop security software provider Websense (www.websense.com), warns that cloud computing is not without risks. "Organizations considering cloud computing must first identify which types of data and activities should take place in the cloud and outside the control of their own security perimeter,” Haskin says.
Most obviously, C-level executives shouldn’t put confidential financial statements or M&A material on Google Apps or some other Web-based application. “For many cloud computing companies, once data is under their umbrella, that data is subject to the vendor’s policies, as well, and may not be fully under the control of the originating enterprise,” Haskin says.
According to Haskin, source code, proprietary research, personally identifiable information, and other forms of sensitive data are best controlled by IT departments using server-based technologies. In addition, vertical markets such as healthcare and finance are subject to data privacy regulations and therefore must show they have policies in place to make sure their information is appropriately protected. |
Best Return On Investment: Make Sure Your Provider Has A Backup Plan
David Barley, CTO of digital archiving services provider Casdex (www.casdex.com), says to make sure any potential cloud computing provider has an effective, clear-cut backup plan in case it should happen to go out of business. “Most providers don’t plan for this, but some have six-month contingency plans in case they’re forced to shut their doors,” Barley says.
When evaluating vendors, research their respective financial positions. “If they are a public firm, everything is out in the open to review—revenue, profits, you name it—but private firms can be reviewed, as well,” says Barley. He suggests asking a private firm questions about its cash position, its investors, its management team, and its track record on the business side.
Finally, make sure any potential vendor offers a trust fund that keeps its service running, with staff, for at least six months. That way, if something unforeseen happens, you can retrieve your data and digital assets without a hitch—something that is not always a hard-and-fast rule within this industry, Barley says. |
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