It seems that everyone is talking about cloud computing these days. IT managers are enthusiastic about hosting their data and software on the internet, rather than on managed, dedicated servers, because it makes data more accessible, and easier and less expensive to update. The cloud can support any number of services or applications, and it removes the need to install or upgrade software. Moreover, the cost of acquiring and implementing web-based software is typically a lot lower.
Clearly, public sector organisations stand to benefit greatly from the cost savings and technological benefits that cloud computing offers. So why is it that public sector organisations are taking longer than others to adopt cloud computing?
One potential obstacle is that the market is relatively new, so many buyers lack confidence in their ability to choose the right solutions. With so many cloud-based products and services on the market, they want to make sure they have enough experience to make informed decisions. What should we look out for? What is or isn’t a good buy? How much should we pay, and what should we expect in return? An IT procurement team buying, say, laptops would already know the answers to these questions, but a team buying cloud solutions might not. It doesn’t make the decision-making process any easier that the product offerings are evolving so rapidly.
Naturally, knowledgeable suppliers of cloud-based products and services can help to explain the ins and outs of the market and give public sector organisations the frame of reference they need, educating and guiding them so that they can make choices that are appropriate for their needs. They can help them to define what their most important selection criteria are at a given point in time.
Here are some of the questions that public sector customers ask us most often:
What is the fastest way to achieve cost savings?
If near-term cost savings are the most important consideration, a good first step is to see what software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications are available through your cloud provider. Shifting to a SaaS cloud services model for specific applications almost always results in the most significant savings over existing in-house IT applications. This is because the provider’s development, maintenance and hosting costs are spread over many users. Some providers also offer ‘pay as you go’ payment models.
How can we reduce capex but still access our current IT?
Many public sector organisations want to avoid capital costs, but continue to use their existing software licenses and the applications they have developed internally. Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) providers can set them up with virtual machines, and storage and network services on which they can install their own software. They take a monthly payment to provide a complete infrastructure solution as a managed service, so that their customers no longer need to worry about procuring, maintaining and updating their own infrastructure.
The IaaS model is flexible in that it provides the infrastructure that an organisation requires but allows it to exceed normal demand for short periods when necessary.
How does data security affect my cloud decision?
Some organisations ask how secure cloud-based products and services are. This is understandable, given that users of cloud computing don’t actually know which servers will store their data, or even which country those servers are located in.
Among those in the know, these fears have evaporated. It is possible for two organisations to share space on the same server without sharing each other’s data or putting it at risk. Any IT department considering cloud computing can take comfort in the sheer number of reputable companies already using it to access and share data, and to use and deliver software.
Our experience is that some public sector organisations are more sensitive that others when it comes to the actual geographic location of their data but, to provide maximum market compatibility, we host our customers’ data singularly and securely in the UK.
All responsible managed service providers should receive a classification from Tier 1, which is a relatively simple level of physical security, to Tier 4, which is the most robust, mission critically secure level of security – the level favoured by the Ministry of Defence. Banks and legal services organisations find that the ultra-secure Tier 3 data centre that we operate and offer to our customers gives them the peace of mind they are looking for.
What if we have no training?
A good number of public organisations are not trained in virtualisation or cloud services management, and wonder how they can take advantage of cloud computing without these skills. It makes sense to ensure that cloud services provider can offer a level of service that is an appropriate fit for the organisation’s needs. Does the provider offers pre-sales support free of charge? Which managed services does the provider offer, and how? Does it have its own network operation centre? How will the provider monitor cloud solutions?
Positive answers to these questions should give organisations in the public sector the confidence they need to invest in and take advantage of cloud-based solutions.
