The term 'cloud computing' is a broad one, but it
Page 45
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
always relates to using a service provided by a third party over the intemet, rather than relying on your own PC or network.
A remote server, or a 'cloud' of servers across multiple locations, does the actual processing. This can range from web-based email services to full-scale 'virtualization: The advantages of cloud computing are that it is flexible (you can access your data from many web-equipped devices). robust (you are not relying on a single vulnerable component to store your data) and scalable. If you need more power or more users, you just buy more of the service.
Cloud computing can save a lot of money and time on internal IT support, and it is relevant for any type of business — but it can prove especially beneficial for transport firms that have multiple sites and mobile workers. So what's in it for you?
Web mail
The most familiar form of cloud computing is a web-based email service — for example, Microsoft's Hotmail — for access to your mail from any internet-connected PC or phone. These services are popular with private users, but rarely offer the sort of service level agreements (SLAs) needed for business.
Cloud storage
The next step is cloud storage, where your data (documents, spreadsheets etc) is stored on remote servers belonging to a service provider, often with multiple redundancy — if one copy is damaged, another is always accessible.
The obvious use of this is backup — the documents on your PC are synchronised with the remote service at scheduled times, or continuously as you make changes. Cloud storage can also allow you access to your data from anywhere via a web browser, so you can work on documents from your home PC, laptop or smartphone.
Document sharing
A further development is online document sharing and collaboration. This allows a number of users to work on the same document at once. This usually involves a web application such as a word processing or spreadsheet program, which runs from the remote server rather than the user's PC.
Google Apps is pitched as a replacement for the traditional suite of office programs. The basic service is free, but is supported by advertising.
The full, business-orientated service costs £33 per user per year, and its SLA promises 99.9% email uptime.
Google says that two million businesses use Google Apps — one firm has 20,000 employees using the system. Microsoft already has a cloud storage service called Live Mesh, and will be launching web-based versions of its Office applications this year.
Software as a service (Saas) is slightly different. Here, an application is hosted remotely, and you pay for its use as you go. This is often used for specialist software such as customer relationship management (CRM) packages.
Hosting and virtualization
You can farm out almost all of your applications to an external service, accessing them via a browser.
The desktop looks like a conventional PC set-up, and you save documents to what looks like a local drive — but the operating system is `virtualized' on another server, hosted by a third party.
But why add this apparent layer of complication? Documents and applications can be insulated from harmful web attacks, and the operating system and programs are constantly updated and maintained by the service provider. The only hardware needed is a PC (or other device) with a web connection.
A virtualized system can run your existing applications — routeing and scheduling or warehouse management, for instance — and it is scalable. If you need to add more users, you just pay for more of the service.
Concerns
The most obvious concern with web-based services is what happens if your web connection goes down.
Plenty of broadband providers guarantee 99.9% uptiine, but you can also set up your system to lailover' safely, with a router that uses a 3G wireless dongle as backup.
The next concern is data security. Is the data storage service totally secure, or is there any chance of a competitor accessing your documents?
First, ensure your own internal security policy is sound. Cloud service providers all have safeguards in place, and should comply with data security standards such as IS011EC 27002.
There have been incidents: last year, storage provider Carbonite lost clients' data when hardware failed, while users of the Sidekick smartphone in the US lost contacts and calendar information.
And check where your data will be stored: some organisations (local authorities, for instance) will not permit their data to be kept outside the EU — so using a US-based cloud storage service is not an option — and you may not want your documents to be subject to overseas law.
But as our case study (see page 46) shows, if you do your research, web-based services and remote hosting can save cash and improve productivity. •