How cloud computing should move forward

Summary: CIOs ' confidence in cloud computing stems mainly from three areas: the industry's popularity in recent years over cloud computing, the potential for significant cost cuts in the grim economy, and the prospect of cloud computing in their respective industries. Of course, some people think it is more appropriate to be more curious than to say it is confidence.

Some CIOs have reservations about moving key applications and data into the cloud, but more and more people are deploying various cloud applications to replace non-strategic products and functions.

Those first-time cloud computing applications are focused on noncritical, generic Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems.

"Companies are moving some general-purpose applications out of the data center and replacing them with cloud-based applications and services because they don't have strong enterprise characteristics," says Dana Gardner, a senior analyst at Interarbor FX LLC, who believes that ERP, This is not the case for human management and sales applications. ”

Cloud computing has just started in the Enterprise Application field

For now, large companies have avoided using cloud services to replace custom color-dense applications or complex infrastructures. Many companies say they will eventually do this, but must have the following conditions: The cloud system will be able to fully flex these applications, secure the technology to make greater progress, the service provider's formal commitment to the economy.

Antonio Piraino, vice president and research director of TIER1RESEARCHLLC, explains: "CIOs have no objections to moving general-purpose applications (such as CRM, e-mail systems, and Web sites) out of their data centers." But when it comes to SAP or database, it can be difficult even for the top hosting providers. So CIOs are not going to use cloud computing in these areas, but to keep themselves in control. "As the enterprise's edge applications move into the cloud one after another, CIOs have to manage this hybrid environment with both local applications and cloud applications." As a result, monitoring software that can manage this environment is becoming another hot spot for cloud services.

Cloud kick, a provider of cloud services, was acquired by Rack Sapce last December. The Cloud kick service provides a unified application development interface that spans both local and cloud servers. The company's spokesman likened it to "the Swiss Army knife in IT management". This product includes fault discovery, data visualization and trend analysis, cloud or non-cloud server synergy. This software is delivered in the form of a service, making it easier and more stable for the user to obtain the corresponding function.

Eugenelee is the IT administrator of a large bank in South Carolina Charlotte: "We do not put some critical applications into the cloud or interact with cloud services because of government regulation and related regulations." But for the sake of cost considerations, we started to let some low-level applications to use cloud services, then the corresponding monitoring services become extremely important. ”

Cloud computing applications begin to rise in midsize enterprises

As with the cautious approach of big banks in cloud computing strategies, some small and medium-sized banks are taking a leap-forward path, one of which is the Sun National Bank in Vineland, New Jersey. Within 4 months, the bank provided mobile banking services to customers through cloud computing.

With smartphones and other mobile devices, customers can now connect to the bank's mobile site to access their accounts. Customers can also download other applications to implement one-click access.

With the cloud service model and choosing the right service provider, midsize banks such as the Sun National Bank can be the leader in the industry, as is the case with mobile services mentioned above. Angelo Valletta, the CIO and senior vice president of Sun National, believes this will help compete with big banks.

"There are industry giants like Google and Amazon that manage the infrastructure and midsize enterprises can become stronger and have more time to decide whether to build systems and apps," says Valletta. This will bring about a change in the rules of the game, as companies can be more relaxed and flexible, both in terms of product prospects and realistic conditions. ”

Despite Valletta's firm belief in the role of cloud computing in the business, Sun National maintained a hybrid architecture, just putting meaningful parts into the cloud. For example, if the CRM tool is moved out, the internal application (operating expenses, sales, annual revenue, etc.) that is closely interacting with it will be difficult to connect, so the bank has abandoned the intention of handing CRM application management to an external service provider.

"It is very difficult to move everything out and we lose the necessary control," he said. Valletta explained.

(Responsible editor: Lu Guang)