InBus_Win09_56-96:InBusiness 1-61 11/12/2009 10:45 Page 71
IT Efficiency | SPECIAL REPORT
On
Cloud Nine
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
In a troubled economy, companies are pushed to increase
their efficiency and eliminate waste. Research has shown that
investment in technological and business innovation can
greatly contribute to business and revenue growth while the
opposite can severely limit a company’s ability to stay
competitive. The good news is that cloud computing can
facilitate innovative activities while conserving cash.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES ARE transforming and cheaper, more powerful computing
business. From the manufacture and sale of technology, cloud computing is already
goods to energy conservation and financial supporting thousands of devices from mobile
services, business processes across the industry phones to cars. It is increasingly becoming an
are going digital, and with this we are seeing accepted service delivery model for the agile
unprecedented speed, capacity and intelligence. enterprise. In a cloud computing environment,
While such progress creates exciting new applications and services are not tethered to
business opportunities and paths toward specific hardware components. Instead,
competitive advantage, a company’s underlying processing is handled across a distributed,
IT delivery model must be resilient and flexible globally accessible network of resources, which
enough to support the associated and often are dispensed on demand as a service.
dramatic business changes. Cloud computing is Pol Mac Aonghusa, Manager of the IBM
one possible answer to the need for such European Cloud Computing Centre in Dublin,
flexibility, providing a highly automated, believes there are several benefits for SMEs in
dynamic alternative for the acquisition and Ireland through utilising cloud computing, “A
delivery of IT services. typical Irish SME can get an opportunity to look
Cloud computing offers an alternative to at how they’re using computers and servers and
current IT delivery models, as IT departments they may decide to outsource their emails. There
are being driven to create cost efficiencies while are also much richer opportunities that could be
providing an improved user experience. looked at in terms of outsourcing from a cloud
Energised by current economics, the computing supplier. What that immediately does
proliferation of high-speed Internet connections, is it looks at optimising your financial outlay and
InBusiness Winter 09 71
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