Should you be in the Cloud?
17 AUGUST 11
To cloud or not to cloud? That is the question we are being asked by many of our customers at the moment. Making the move into the cloud is a strategic decision and there are a few things to think about along the way.
In this artilce we address many common questions about the cloud, how it could be incorporated into your business, and hopefully relieve some of your security fears.
WHAT IS THE CLOUD?
The cloud is simply another name for the Internet. The term "cloud" is used as a metaphor for the Internet, based on a cloud drawing used to represent the Internet in typical network diagrams.
Essentially "cloud computing" means to provide IT services via the Internet without the need to invest in new and costly infrastructure. There are however different types of cloud computing and below are a few cloud concepts to understand:
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING THE CLOUD?
For small to medium sized businesses the key benefit of utilising the cloud is that it can provide your business with access to enterprise-class services at a much smaller cost and with no compromises to availability, reliability or security. This means that you can run your business with state-of-the-art technology without having to spend thousands of dollars in capital investment. Other key benefits are decreased on-going maintenance costs, greater accessibility, increased flexibility, greater security and increased performance.
For greater detail on these business benefits visit our Cloud Services page.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The cloud is a relatively new concept and understandably many have questions and concerns about both its effectiveness and its security. All cloud services are different and each service should be researched appropriately. At Optimus Systems we address your concerns by comprehensively researching and vetting each of our cloud service partners based on the questions below such as security, availability and privacy. Once these key factors have been addressed you can be assured that your cloud service will operate efficiently and effectively.
Here are a few common FAQ's that may help to answer those niggly questions and relieve some of your fears.
Please note: The following answers are mostly based on the Software as a Service model.
Where is my data stored?
Instead of your software and data being stored on your computer or your server in your office, it is stored in a secure data centre and accessed via the Internet.
Is it secure?
All data centres have extremely comprehensive physical and data security procedures. Physical security measures are applied to the buildings, the servers and the people who facilitate them. Data security measures are applied through software, infrastructure and data-encryption.
What is the availability like?
Most cloud service providers offer a 99.9% uptime Service Level Agreement, meaning availability is almost faultless. Obviously, access to cloud services is via the Internet so availability will also be dependent on your Internet provider and the quality of the Internet in your area.
What about data privacy?
Access to cloud services is always through a user authorised and authenticated portal so that no-one outside of your business can access your information. Data is often encrypted using military-grade encryption, and is applied during both upload and download procedures.
If I host my data in the cloud, do I still have ultimate control and rights over my IP?
DISCLAIMER - Nothing written here constitutes nor represents legal advice.
Generally the answer is yes, but you should always check the terms and conditions for whatever service you are signing up to. In general, most cloud service providers make it clear that digital data generated by a customer while using their cloud software or data the customer transmits to the cloud is still OWNED by the customer. This is not always the case however - Facebook, for example, operates on a "dual ownership" basis, which means that you may own your data, but the social network has possession, legal rights to use it for its benefit and may even lack export options for you to get it back. When reading the terms and conditions for any cloud service you should be looking for the following items (if applicable):
WHAT SHOULD MY CLOUD STRATEGY BE?
When considering moving into the cloud you need to think about your entire IT infrastructure, what your critical services are, and how you want your data to be stored and accessed. Based on this information we would be able to come up with an appropriate strategy and migration plan.
The typical cloud solutions that we offer our customers are based on the Software as a Service concept (described above). We would typically still retain the use of the Server for access to files, but we move key services such as email into the cloud. We would then suggest a cloud backup solution to backup critical data and files. With key services being moved off your server your network will generally perform more effectively providing users with a much more efficient IT experience.
We've found the best aspects of your network to consider moving into the cloud include the following:
WHAT CLOUD SERVICES DOES OPTIMUS SYSTEMS OFFER?
Currently we offer cloud services for hosted exchange email, spam filtering and online backups. Click on the links below for more information about these services.
myoutlook - hosted exchange email
myspam - spam filtering
mybackups - online backups
As with any product, there may be some providers that aren't completely legitimate. We recommend contacting us to discuss your cloud requirements, or potential cloud partners so we can ensure your needs will be met, and pass on any helpful information we may have.
In this artilce we address many common questions about the cloud, how it could be incorporated into your business, and hopefully relieve some of your security fears.
WHAT IS THE CLOUD?
The cloud is simply another name for the Internet. The term "cloud" is used as a metaphor for the Internet, based on a cloud drawing used to represent the Internet in typical network diagrams.
Essentially "cloud computing" means to provide IT services via the Internet without the need to invest in new and costly infrastructure. There are however different types of cloud computing and below are a few cloud concepts to understand:
- Software as a Service (SaaS): This is a software delivery model in which software and its associated data are hosted centrally and customers access it via the Internet.
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): This is a provisioning model in which an organisation ourtsources the equipment used to support operations, including storage, hardware, servers and networking components. The service provider owns the equipment and is responsible for housing, running and maintaining it.
- Infrastructure Co-location (Co-lo): This is a model where an organisation moves their servers to a data centre rather than housing them at their premises. The customer owns the equipment and is responsible for running and maintaining it.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING THE CLOUD?
For small to medium sized businesses the key benefit of utilising the cloud is that it can provide your business with access to enterprise-class services at a much smaller cost and with no compromises to availability, reliability or security. This means that you can run your business with state-of-the-art technology without having to spend thousands of dollars in capital investment. Other key benefits are decreased on-going maintenance costs, greater accessibility, increased flexibility, greater security and increased performance.
For greater detail on these business benefits visit our Cloud Services page.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The cloud is a relatively new concept and understandably many have questions and concerns about both its effectiveness and its security. All cloud services are different and each service should be researched appropriately. At Optimus Systems we address your concerns by comprehensively researching and vetting each of our cloud service partners based on the questions below such as security, availability and privacy. Once these key factors have been addressed you can be assured that your cloud service will operate efficiently and effectively.
Here are a few common FAQ's that may help to answer those niggly questions and relieve some of your fears.
Please note: The following answers are mostly based on the Software as a Service model.
Where is my data stored?
Instead of your software and data being stored on your computer or your server in your office, it is stored in a secure data centre and accessed via the Internet.
Is it secure?
All data centres have extremely comprehensive physical and data security procedures. Physical security measures are applied to the buildings, the servers and the people who facilitate them. Data security measures are applied through software, infrastructure and data-encryption.
What is the availability like?
Most cloud service providers offer a 99.9% uptime Service Level Agreement, meaning availability is almost faultless. Obviously, access to cloud services is via the Internet so availability will also be dependent on your Internet provider and the quality of the Internet in your area.
What about data privacy?
Access to cloud services is always through a user authorised and authenticated portal so that no-one outside of your business can access your information. Data is often encrypted using military-grade encryption, and is applied during both upload and download procedures.
If I host my data in the cloud, do I still have ultimate control and rights over my IP?
DISCLAIMER - Nothing written here constitutes nor represents legal advice.
Generally the answer is yes, but you should always check the terms and conditions for whatever service you are signing up to. In general, most cloud service providers make it clear that digital data generated by a customer while using their cloud software or data the customer transmits to the cloud is still OWNED by the customer. This is not always the case however - Facebook, for example, operates on a "dual ownership" basis, which means that you may own your data, but the social network has possession, legal rights to use it for its benefit and may even lack export options for you to get it back. When reading the terms and conditions for any cloud service you should be looking for the following items (if applicable):
- Customer Data - Check the definition of 'customer data' e.g. "...means data, including email, provided, generated, transmitted or displayed via the Services by Customer or End Users..."
- Intellectual Property Rights - e.g. "except as expressly set forth herein, this Agreement does not grant either party any rights, implied or otherwise, to the other's content or any of the other's intellectual property. As between the parties, Customer owns all Intellectual Property Rights in Customer Data, and Service Provider owns all Intellectual Property Rights in the Services..."
- Effects of Termination - e.g. "if this Agreement terminates Service Provider will provide customer access to, and the ability to export, the Customer Data for a commercially reasonable period of time..."
WHAT SHOULD MY CLOUD STRATEGY BE?
When considering moving into the cloud you need to think about your entire IT infrastructure, what your critical services are, and how you want your data to be stored and accessed. Based on this information we would be able to come up with an appropriate strategy and migration plan.
The typical cloud solutions that we offer our customers are based on the Software as a Service concept (described above). We would typically still retain the use of the Server for access to files, but we move key services such as email into the cloud. We would then suggest a cloud backup solution to backup critical data and files. With key services being moved off your server your network will generally perform more effectively providing users with a much more efficient IT experience.
We've found the best aspects of your network to consider moving into the cloud include the following:
- Email systems (e.g. myoutlook)
- Accounting packages (e.g. Xero)
- Payroll (e.g. Flexitime)
- CRM (e.g. Microsoft Dynamics)
- Online backups (e.g. mybackups)
- Spam protection (such as myspam)
WHAT CLOUD SERVICES DOES OPTIMUS SYSTEMS OFFER?
Currently we offer cloud services for hosted exchange email, spam filtering and online backups. Click on the links below for more information about these services.
myoutlook - hosted exchange email
myspam - spam filtering
mybackups - online backups
As with any product, there may be some providers that aren't completely legitimate. We recommend contacting us to discuss your cloud requirements, or potential cloud partners so we can ensure your needs will be met, and pass on any helpful information we may have.
