ITEX PREDICTS SURGE IN CLOUD COMPUTING IN 2009
The IT world will see an unprecedented rise in ‘cloud computing’ in 2009, according to the largest UK offshore IT service provider.
In the current economic climate, concerns for 2009 centre on the scale and depth of the downturn. With cost-saving therefore top of every company’s priorities, Itex believes this new way of operating will increase because it has such a huge cost-saving impact on IT processes.
Cloud computing is a way of working which is based on sharing computer resources instead of applications being handled by individual machines. Large groups of servers are networked together, which spreads data-processing chores between them. Processes take place at the same time for all machines on the network rather than individually on each machine linked to the network, increasing computing power and efficiency, and reducing cost, according to www.webopedia.com.
IT-related processes are provided as a service; that information is stored on internet-based servers. Cloud computing can be optimised by employment of a number of virtualisation techniques.
Because consumers purchase only what they use of a cloud service rather than owning the technology outright (a little bit like the Pay as you Go mobile phone concept), there is no capital expenditure. The more consumers are purchasing and using cloud services, the more speed increases and cost decreases.
The recent and pending introduction of additional high-speed bandwidth to the Channel Islands, from multiple carriers, further increases the attraction and affordability of the cloud computing concept to local companies.
Last August, IT research and advisory firm, Gartner, noted a significant rise in companies switching to external, ‘per use’ service products rather than traditional company-owned hardware. It predicts that by 2012, a fifth of global businesses will be using Microsoft Online Services for email purposes as an example.
Dr Ian Jauncey, Chairman of Itex, commented: “A number of vendors are selling cloud computing services now including Hewlett Packard - for which Itex is a Gold Partner, as well as Microsoft, SUN Microsystems, VM Ware and Citrix. Offerings cover the hardware, software and virtualisation arenas.
“The cloud idea was touched on during our recent ‘Technology for the Offshore World’ exhibition in Guernsey and it prompted a lot of questions from members of the audience interested in finding out how the concept can reduce cost and increase efficiency for their businesses. This is a big concern as we move into 2009.
“By constructing an ‘offshore cloud’ it is straightforward to combine data security with improved efficiency. We are already building such solutions and seeing real take-up in the local market. For these reasons alone, I think we’ll see a significant growth in cloud computing in 2009, and potentially an impact on more traditional ways of working. It’s going to be an interesting 12 months.”