Cloud computing trends in 2015

/in , , /by

According to a recent report by Gartner, cloud computing is one of the top 10 strategic technology trends for 2015. A strategic technology trend has "the potential for significant impact on the organization in the next three years."

David Cearley, vice president and Gartner Fellow, said there are three major themes within the tech trends for the new year: 

  • the merger of real and virtual worlds
  • technological impact of the digital business shift
  • the concept of intelligence everywhere

The last theme is related to a variety of the the trends predicted for 2015, including computing everywhere, smart machine learning and the Internet of Things. Cloud computing is a key element of all of those technologies.

The Gartner study suggested that in 2015, companies will begin to focus on promoting applications that are centrally coordinated and can port across multiple devices.

"Cloud is the new style of elastically scalable, self-service computing, and both internal applications and external applications will be built on this new style," said Cearley. "While network and bandwidth costs may continue to favor apps that use the intelligence and storage of the client device effectively, coordination and management will be based in the cloud."

The large scale shift to the cloud is undeniable, and many industry experts believe the technology will only become more popular in the new year. But what kinds of changes and improvements will be seen with the cloud in 2015? InformationWeek editor-at-large Charles Babcock made some predictions about what the next 12 months have in store for cloud computing. Below are some of the top predictions:

Enterprises will move an increased number of workloads to the cloud
While much has been made in the past about enterprise cloud adoption, it has mostly been talk up until this point. Now, companies are starting to actually implement the technology and this trend will continue into 2015. A recent study by IDG Enterprise revealed that 69 percent of organizations currently have a least part of their IT infrastructure hosted in the cloud, and investments in the technology have increased 19 percent in the last two years.

Software-defined security will become the new norm
With the rising success of software-defined networking technology, a growing number of providers are beginning to offer software-defined security. Babcock suggested that this method will become a bigger part of the software-defined data center and will be used to protect workloads in the cloud.

"In the software-defined data center, software mapping systems identify system perimeters and feed intelligence into a central monitoring system," Babcock explained. "That mapping capability must be extended to define the permissions and activities allowed to the software system, with a surveillance agent ensuring that it adheres to only those activities. Any exceptions must trigger an inspection and potential intervention. "

Greater use of public cloud infrastructures in business
As cloud environments have gotten safer, a rising number of CIOs have started using both public and private clouds in order to give business teams the tools they need to succeed quickly. While most organizations will likely always employ a private cloud environment for at least a portion of their businesses, many are starting to see the benefits of utilizing public platforms for less sensitive systems and processes.

IoT and big data platforms increase cloud use
As the Gartner study suggested earlier, the IoT will become even more popular in the new year; as it does, an increasing number of organizations will utilize the information created by the connected devices to benefit big data initiatives. Such a massive amount of data will have to be stored somewhere, and the cloud will see a major boost in enterprise investment as companies deploy Hadoop and other big data programs.

Protect against data center downtime with cloud disaster recovery

/in , , , /by

As technology becomes a bigger part of people's everyday lives, the systems and facilities that house the data we need are more important than ever. So when these things experience problems that cause downtime, the effects can be catastrophic.

Such was the case last week when the generator room of a Maryland State Police building had a small fire and caused an outage of the force's data center. According to the Baltimore Sun, the downtime denied state troopers access to central crime databases and caused the state police website to be offline for an afternoon. In an interview with the Sun, a police spokeswoman said that the outage made it impossible for police officers around the state to access shared documents, making it difficult for work to continue as normal.

The fire occurred while the data center was operating on generator power during a planned IT maintenance period. A small fire started in the generator room which caused the sprinklers to activate and the water shut the generator down.

While fires are a rather rare occurrence, they do still occur in data centers around the world. In 2013, Michigan's Macomb County lost IT services after its data center facility had a fire. More recently, a Samsung data center in South Korea experienced a fire in April that affected access to the network used by Samsung device users across the globe.

Severe weather biggest data center threat
Instead of a fire, most companies are more likely to experience data center connectivity problems due to severe weather conditions or unreliable power supplies. It doesn't matter what causes the downtime if a response plan isn't in place ahead of time. According to a recent federal IT survey by SolarWinds, more than 20 percent of participants admitted they didn't have a disaster preparedness strategy in their organization.

In order to avoid the downtime and mitigation costs that come along with a data center disruption, it is important for organizations to back up their information at a remote site or in the cloud to maintain access during an outage. Utilizing the cloud as a disaster recovery solution enables companies to access remote network management. This allows IT managers to remotely manage and fix the problems affecting a network so they don't have to brave the same storm that knocked out the data center in the first place.

Maintain winter business continuity with UC solutions

/in , /by

As the new year fast approaches, it will bring with it colder weather and snowier conditions. While many love some snow in the wintertime, it can spell trouble for commuters and make business continuity a major struggle. For example, according to a recent report by telecom provider Daisy Group, an estimated 3 million workers in the U.K. are prevented from completing their normal work duties each year due to adverse weather conditions.

With employees stuck in the house and clients unable to fly in from other cities, maintaining an easy and continuous method of contact is necessary to keep normal business operations running smoothly.

“Businesses [must] be ready to respond in any imaginable scenario-even when your systems get knocked offline or your staff is unable to get to the office due to inclement weather,” said telecom expert Lindsay Kintner, in a blog post. “The good news is that by taking proactive steps and putting a comprehensive in place prior to disaster striking, you ensure that your business is able to handle all client concerns.”

Beat the weather with UC solutions
While no one can control the weather, enterprises can control their responses to it. Modern companies operate in an environment that is increasingly utilizing IP-based tools, and they are the best defenses against the unpredictability that winter brings. Implementing unified communications tools within an organization enables workers to access a business communication solution that integrates voice, email, video, instant messaging and presence into a single interface. This way, work can continue from anywhere, whether it’s in the office or snowed in at home.

With cloud-based communications, employees are able to collaborate on necessary projects and receive responses from one another in real time. Conferencing tools allow large groups to gather together from multiple locations and discuss topics just as they would in an office, meaning no time is wasted and business isn’t halted.

Client inquiries can also be easily handled with the use of a UC suite. Calls to an office phone can easily be re-routed to a mobile device with distributed workforce functionality, meaning a client call will never be missed because an employee is working remotely. This attention to detail and level of service helps to increase client satisfaction and brand loyalty.

“In today’s ultra-competitive business world, you can’t afford to compromise on the caliber of the client service you deliver,” said Kirtner. “By planning ahead and leveraging modern communications tools, you guarantee that you’re able to respond to your clients immediately-even when the weather interferes.”

VoLTE service to increase in 2015

/in , /by

As 2014 comes to a close, it’s time to take a look into what the new year may hold. One trend that will likely earn a much larger foothold in the telecom industry during 2015 is voice-over-LTE. According to Network World contributor Larry Hettick, a majority of cloud providers experienced double-digit growth in their IP telephony and unified communications portfolios this year. This growth is expected to continue as an increasing number of providers offer the ability to connect to 4G LTE networks.

In a recently release report, industry market research firm Visiongain said it expected there to be more than 101 million active VoLTE subscribers around the world by the end of 2015.

Major carriers like AT&T and Verizon are working on plans for more widespread adoption of VoLTE in 2015 in the hopes of retiring their 3G voice networks. The employing of LTE service for Internet-based calling provides users with high-definition voice and enhanced interoperability with collaborative media like video and conferencing.

VoLTE improves call quality, efficiency 
According to PC Magazine contributor Sascha Segan, VoLTE service bumps up the quality of an incoming call from an 8kbps codec to a 13kbps codec that uses more modern compression methods. The new service offers operators the ability to optimize their spectrum efficiency, utilize their IMS infrastructure to the fullest extent and add value to their existing voice plans. Industry analysts have suggested that using LTE networks for voice services could help carriers achieve 40 percent more spectral efficiency compared to legacy systems.

Both Verizon and AT&T are hoping to replace their legacy switch networks for ones that are entirely IP-based in the coming years. AT&T is looking to retire its traditional infrastructures by 2020, giving a long timeline for carriers to make the switch before being left out in the cold.

Verizon and AT&T are also partnering to offer users interoperability between the two carriers, so any call between the two will remain on VoLTE the entire time.

“Interoperability of VoLTE between wireless carriers is crucial to a positive client experience,” said Krish Prabhu, president of AT&T Labs and chief technology officer at AT&T. “Clients expect to be able to connect anywhere, anytime – and as LTE technology continues to evolve, it’s imperative that we provide a seamless experience between carriers.”

As 2015 comes around the corner, VoLTE service will become more prominent in the industry as users discover the benefits it has to offer.

New York library systems launch Wi-Fi lending program

/in , /by

This holiday season was recently made a little happier for residents of New York who don't have consistent Internet access. Google donated $1 million to the New York Public Library to fund a program that enables residents to borrow Wi-Fi hot spot devices for their homes like they would a book. The goal is to provide residents with 10,000 4G LTE mobile hot spots from all three of the city's library systems, as well as 500 Chromebooks provided by Google specifically for use by children and teens in afterschool programs run by the library.

The program was tested at the branches in Staten Island and the Bronx over the summer. With the money provided by Google and a $500,000 grant from a variety of nonprofit organizations, the hot spot devices can now be checked out of libraries in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens as well. The initial pilot program included 100 families who were asked to complete a survey about their experiences. According to the results, almost all of those who participated spent more than three hours online each day and nearly 100 percent wanted to renew the devices when they were done.

Patrons of the New York Public Library – which servers the Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island – who are enrolled in one of the library's several programs will be allowed to borrow a device for six months at a time. Visitors to the Brooklyn Public Library will be lent devices for an entire year if they don't have access to broadband in their home and enroll in one of the library's programs for adult education. Members of the Queens Library's Adult Learning Program can check out a Wi-Fi device for one month with the possibility to renew three times.

Million of New Yorkers without Internet
According to a study conducted by the New York Public Library, more than half of the people who visit the library do so to use the Internet because they don't have access to it at home. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, New York Public Library president Tony Marx said that approximately 2.5 million of the city's residents don't have Internet in their homes, usually because the cost is too high.

"This program is a great movement that includes a lot of helpful services, giving opportunity and access to those who didn't have it before," said Ebony Woodburn, education coordinator at the Mott Haven Library, in an interview with The Bronx Times. "It especially helps low-income residents where there are barriers of access."

Lack of Internet access a barrier to education
According to officials from the New York Public Library, patrons will often sit outside branch locations before they open and after the building is closed in order to sustain a Wi-Fi connection, as it usually extends outside the library's walls.  Those who participated in the pilot program said having access at home was not only more convenient, but it helped their children to do better in school. Many reported their children moving up several grade levels in subjects like reading and math as a result of being able to complete practice assignments and get homework help online.

Google CIO Ben Fried said that the company was interested in backing the project because the ability to quickly and easily access the Internet increases education and makes America more competitive in the global marketplace.

"Far too many New Yorkers do not have regular access to the Internet, and as a result find themselves excluded from a wealth of education, employment, and community resources," said Fried. "This innovative program to loan hotspots to low-income households is a simple, effective way to help those who need broadband and technology the most."

Telecom predictions suggest cloud, IoT will be big in 2015

/in , , /by

As the new year quickly approaches, it’s a good time to look at the IT trends that 2015 will likely bring. A recent report by market research firm Ovum found that telecom budgets are likely to increase in the new year and will bring large investments in network infrastructure and asset optimization and improved service quality. Other big IT trends for 2015 include the Internet of Things, cloud computing and enterprise mobility, according to the study.

Mobility
With the transition to bring-your-own-device policies becoming more popular, mobility in the enterprise has mostly been fuelled by the consumer market. This is causing problems, leading to what Ovum predicted will become “mobility mismatch” – a situation in which the demands brought by employees aren’t able to be met by internal IT departments. To keep this from happening, or fix the issue if it already has, organizations will have to look beyond BYOD and employ a more managed approach to enterprise devices.

“The telecoms industry is witnessing a long-term shift in spend towards client-oriented systems and processes to improve client satisfaction,” said Peter Dykes, one of the authors of the study. “Investment will be geared towards telecoms infrastructure (cloud platforms and BSS/OSS systems to support LTE implementations) and online channels to support the move towards digital lifestyles.”

Internet of Things
The IoT is one of the biggest buzzwords in the industry right now. Everyone is talking about it, but not many have implemented it – yet. Ovum researchers predict that 2015 will be the year of the IoT, as it become a more permanent fixture in the enterprise with more devices connecting to one another in an ever-expanding network. The report suggested that enterprises will begin to leverage the existing systems that have to support IoT use cases.

Cloud
As mobility and IoT programs are used more frequently, cloud infrastructures will be even more important to the enterprise as a secure place to host the influx of data becomes necessary.

“Cloud-based IoT platforms will continue to gain traction and play a key role in the first wave of IoT adoption by enterprises,” the report stated.

Saurabh Sharma, one of the authors of the study, noted that adopting agile approaches to integration will become a bigger priority for organizations as the cloud, IoT and mobility play a larger role. Sharma predicted that large portions of next year’s IT budgets will be spent on modernizing existing infrastructure to support the new middleware necessary for mobile and IoT initiatives.

Predictions for the cloud in 2015

/in , , /by

While much of the tech talk surrounding 2014 was focused on the frequent data breaches that took place, the star of this year was really the cloud.  Many new cloud use cases emerged in 2014, and the technology continues to evolve to meet end-user needs. According to a recent cloud computing study by IDG, 69 percent of organizations currently host some amount of data in the cloud, an increase of 8 percent from 2013.

Cloud infrastructure and service providers have also grown a lot this year, gaining a better understanding of how to offer solutions more efficiently and cost effectively. With all of these improvements taking place this year, 2015 is poised to be another breakout year for cloud computing, with rates of adoption expected to rise dramatically.

Cloud security software provider Skyhigh Networks recently released some predictions for the future of the cloud in 2015. A key element of the predictions was the suggestion that consumer cloud services will begin to enter the enterprise sphere in the coming year. As demand increases for business users to be able to access their favorite consumer cloud applications in the enterprise, major players in the industry will likely establish a more visible presence in the space. This idea is backed up by research showing increased confidence in cloud-based enterprise services. A recent study conducted by Redshift Research found that companies are feeling more comfortable deploying Infrastructure-as-a-Service, and solutions like virtual desktop infrastructure and Data-as-a-Service are earning a greater foothold within businesses as workers demand mobility and bring-your-own-device policies.

Confidence grows as security increases 
​The SkyHigh Networks predictions also pointed out that companies are increasingly employing public cloud IaaS as confidence in the security capabilities of the platform has increased. As device security has proven very difficult, enterprises are beginning to focus more on securing actual data instead. Cloud service providers are becoming very adept at securing public environments, bringing new users to a section of the cloud previously thought unfit for business use. Nearly three-quarters of respondents in the IDG study reported that they were very or somewhat confident in the security of their assets hosted in the cloud.

SkyHigh researchers predicted that 2015 will be big for distributed data management across cloud services as big data analytics and the Internet of Things grow in popularity. Organizations looking to benefit from the business insights provided through the analysis of the information they create will increasingly employ the cloud to run analytics programs and store the raw data.

FCC votes to increase funding for E-Rate

/in , /by

Earlier this month the Federal Communications Commission approved a measure that would increase consumer wireless service fees in order to subsidize a greater amount of the cost of Internet connectivity for public schools and libraries.

The E-Rate program was created in 1996 as a part of the Telecommunications Act in order to pay for improvements to school and library telecommunication services in disadvantaged areas. Currently the program receives $2.25 billion each year to provide Internet access to underserved school districts and communities. The FCC voted to increase funding for the program by $1.5 billion, bringing the total to nearly $4 billion. This is a major step forward in making Internet access available to every student, as the program's budget hasn't increased in almost a decade.

According to FCC estimates, the increased fees will only result in an additional $1.90 per year for each phone line, which comes out to less than $6 per household annually. In a statement, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said that increasing funding for the E-Rate program comes down to a moral issue:  ensuring all children are provided with the same advantages when it comes to their education. Wheeler added that while he can understand why there has been some opposition to the fee increase, he was "aghast at the hostility" directed at the commission's plan to improve access to critical technology for underprivileged students.

Part of the funding increase is being earmarked for the expansion of Wi-Fi coverage over the next few years. Increasing the reach of Internet access in underserved areas enables less privileged schools to provide 1:1 programs to their students and allow students who would otherwise be isolated from the Internet. 

Easing program requirements, increasing access
Along with an increase in funding, the FCC also passed multiple minor rule changes that provide different options for IT infrastructure and enable more institutions to benefit from the program. Schools and other educational organizations can now purchase a dark fiber infrastructure that allows them to build their own high-speed networks if that is a more cost-effective option than traditional operations. Carriers subsidized under the program are also now required to offer educational institutions in high cost rural areas similar rates to their urban counterparts.

School and library officials have expressed concern in recent years that the software and devices necessary to provide students with a modern education now cost more than can be covered with the available funds from the E-Rate program. Increasing the budget and refocusing the program's mission will help close the technology gap between schools, according to supporters.

Partnering with a cloud service provider can calm security fears for enterprises

/in , , /by

A recent survey conducted by NaviSite and Time Warner Cable found that the majority of enterprises are interested in adopting cloud computing and bring-your-own-device initiatives but are encountering a variety of barriers to deployment, chief among them threats to security.

The study, which included responses from 250 companies in the U.S. and U.K., found that implementing cloud services and enabling a mobile workforce are two of the most important initiatives being considered by businesses today. While nearly 90 percent of participant organizations reported having plans to move business-critical applications to the cloud within the next year, 59 percent admitted to having concerns about security related to the technology.

According to the report, 94 percent of organizations are employing the cloud to create a more mobile workforce, but 68 percent of participating enterprises said they did not currently have a BYOD policy in place. This is because of a lack of IT professionals with the necessary skills to implement such a plan and concern from businesses that an influx of mobile devices will lead to security issues they are unequipped to defend against. Other emerging technology like the Internet of Things is also appealing to companies because of the business insights it can offer, but the trend brings along a variety of security concerns of its own.  

Third-party cloud providers offer relief from security threats
Recent data breaches involving cloud-based file sharing services like iCloud and Dropbox have cast doubt on the safety of the cloud for enterprise use, and the very real threat of mobile malware has dampened enthusiasm for BYOD initiatives. However, companies can experience the advantages of both by utilizing a third-party service provider to aid them in their migration. As shown by the study, the vast majority of businesses are looking to deploy a cloud platform and many groups are interested in BYOD, especially as the interest in wearables increases. With the knowledge and expertise of third-party providers, enterprises can realize the benefits of these programs while greatly reducing the risk of security incidents and data loss.

"Effective business leaders recognize that while they need to leverage virtual technologies to remain competitive, they also need to leverage their existing investments in traditional platforms," said Sean McAvan, managing director of NaviSite Europe, in an interview with Business Cloud News. "Those companies who most effectively leverage cloud and virtual technology often partner with a managed service provider, freeing them up to focus on their core competencies."

Take the guesswork out of cloud deployment with a third-party provider

/in , , , /by

While the government has made great strides in adopting modern technology platforms, it was recently revealed that the Department of Defense has fallen into a common technology mistake while implementing its new cloud environment.

According to a recent audit by the inspector general, a plan was created in July 2012 to transition to the cloud in an effort to experience the benefits and cost savings associated with the technology, but the entirety of the plan has yet to be implemented. The report found that elements of the cloud environment and guidance on specific roles of the platform have not been fully deployed two years after the program was introduced. By stalling on the implementation, the department is facing potential losses in cost savings, decreased effectiveness and lowered security.

The initial intent of the DoD's cloud program was to cut down on redundant efforts. Part of the issue currently causing delays is that the agency has yet to create an implementation plan to assign roles, responsibilities and goals for the transition, preventing a successful adoption.

"By failing to execute all elements identified in the cloud computing strategy, DoD may not realize the full benefits of cloud computing, which include cost savings, increased mission effectiveness, and increased cybersecurity," the report stated.

Be prepared for the cloud transition
While government agencies have more stringent requirements than most civilian organizations, a similar scenario could easily happen to an enterprise attempting to deploy a cloud platform without a clear strategy. Before migrating to a cloud environment, businesses must take stock of the systems and applications that will be moving to the cloud. Migration planning allows redundant programs to be detected and eliminated before they are transitioned, which increases cost savings in the long run. Assigning benchmarks and goals for implementation can be helpful to ensure expectations are met and the cloud platform is set up in a way that is most beneficial to a company. 

Utilizing the services of a third-party cloud provider can help make the transition to cloud computing simple and painless. Once an inventory has been taken of the necessary systems, a provider like ISG Technology can handle the transition as well as the maintenance of the environment. Working with a trusted, reliable third-party provider takes the hassle out of cloud deployment, allowing enterprises to experience only the benefits that come with use of the cloud.