Riding a cloud without falling to earth

Riding a particular cloud vendor may be computing heaven – yet is there a case for being supplier agnostic? What’s your Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) strategy?

The process of storing your data in the cloud. That is the practice of using remote servers through an internet connection rather than on your personal computer or office server, provides many benefits.

For a start-up or any cash flow poor firm, accessing the cloud doesn’t require large amounts of capital expenditure.

Is there a case for Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS)?

Why load up your balance sheet with expensive – and highly depreciable bits of kit?

Cloud computer vendors such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Microsoft’s Azure are all security compliant. That means you can be as sure as humanly possible that the security processes you go through to sign on are a secure as any system designed.

And all these vendors provide high availability, so it’s on darn near all the time. Mind, there’s no vendor that provides 100% availability – that’s a nigh-on impossibility.

So, you’re floating high on your AWS service and sky’s all around look Azure like blue, with no pun intended. We should not forget these are just two competing platforms, among others such as Google and Oracle, with very different business interests.

This says nothing of the issue of sovereignty which in these Brexit times looks increasingly likely to be an emerging issue facing firms.

Not open skies? What are the limits on the cloud horizon?

Given the different business interests of the cloud platforms expecting Google Platform to communicate freely with AWS is possible but difficult. How can we bridge this gap?

Well at the risk of appearing to further complicate the conversation, a firm can install another cloud service known as a router. A router provides a translator like service between the existing cloud platforms.

Another fix is to migrate your data to a database, such as Neo4j. This is like using a common language across the existing databases.

So these largely American corporations are only organisations with the sheer infrastructure bulk to make mass cloud computing a reality. It is reasonable to deduce that consumers may find their choices limited.

Is it not unreasonable to ask ourselves the question of whether Google would for example allow their competitors access to their infrastructure? Therefore allowing them access to a breakthrough worth billions in future revenue.

Remember how Steve Jobs and his team at Apple were able to snag Xerox’s idea of the mouse? That play will be forefront in the minds of those running today’s cloud platforms.

And if a firm wishes to place all their security eggs in Googles basket they should be mindful. Mindful of the company’s less than exemplary record on data breeches. Operation Aurora is one well documented example. Is it not reasonable to ask ourselves how we can reduce this potential risk.

To enjoy the opportunities of cloud computing it appears reasonable and less risky if we approach the issue agnostically. That is without any adherence to a particular platform.

Don’t have your head in the cloud when choosing a platform.

When taking advantage of the opportunites that the cloud computing afford we at Serviceteam IT would advise firm’s to seek the best available from every platform, depending on your needs and requirements.