Greg Montjoie, General Manager of Hosting Solutions at internet service provider Internet Solutions suggests that companies are not yet grasping the full benefits offered by cloud computing. Despite the fact that there has been a definite shift towards conducting business in the cloud, he feels that most businesses do not understand the true benefits of cloud computing, and are instead just “œcomputing in the cloud“.
Montjoie makes the distinction between accessing specific applications via the internet to perform computing tasks (computing in the cloud), and a setup that allows for seamless maintenance, migration and optimisation of hardware, regardless of geographic location (true cloud computing).
True cloud computing allows companies to make the best use of their infrastructure at all times, and to ensure that resources are allocated to business priorities. Such a system also has built-in redundancy ““ if a specific server is down or not running at optimal efficiency, processes can be diverted to another server without the user even noticing. Other key benefits mentioned by Montjoie include agility, reliability, performance and interoperability.
He cites the example of companies using cloud computing to ensure more efficient utilisation of their hardware and networks across different timezones. “œSo when it‘s daytime in London, for example, those servers are running at near full capacity, while those in Tokyo are running only the basics.“ Likewise when it is evening in London, capacity there will be cut to a minimum while Tokyo‘s servers are allowed to run at full steam. “œThe beauty of cloud computing in this instance is that it is a seamless, automated process that the user is completely unaware of.“
“œAs with any technology, companies really need to look at the full spectrum of features to ensure they maximise the benefits they derive from changing the way in which they operate,“ Montjoie concludes.
