The 'Cloud Computing' concept covers a wide range of IT services with the key feature that your data and applications are held on or delivered over the Internet, instead of being stored locally on your PC or network. Co-Operative Systems is at the forefront of these developments and has been exploring and setting up Cloud services to meet a number of needs.
Employing large scale to drive down costs, 'cloud' is essentially an outsourcing model and thus inevitably seeing increased take up. The cluster of advantages gained might be: reduced hardware and maintenance costs, increased flexibility, better cash flow, receiving automatic upgrades, easy deployment, simplifed disaster recovery, and lower environmental impact.
There are three types of provision:
The main uses currently divide into Software as a Service (SAAS), or "Infrastructure as a service" (IAAS).
Examples are Google Mail™; Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite™ (BPOS - which comprises hosted Exchange and Outlook email; among other applications), and Microsoft SharePoint™ collaboration. Also web-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) applications such as Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM and Salesforce™.
Examples are hosted servers at data centres running applications normally held on office-based servers; online storage for data backup; or virtual PBX IP phone systems.
Sometimes IAAS and SAAS combine, as in hosted virtual servers that provide Outlook/Exchange email to any staff member with Internet access via a handheld PDA, laptop, or anywhere there is a PC.
Cloud solutions will soon be part of every organisation's IT structure in some shape or form and we can help you understand and build yours.
Thinking Cloud? Contact us using the form below or via our Contact page.
You have always been so helpful and so supportive, I am really really grateful for your help. I would have lost months of work and large future projects and papers.
Dr Stephanie Levy
