INDUSTRY NEWS COMMENT: CLOUD TALK David Ellis
“The ongoing importance of security should never be underestimated.”
IT’S NO secret that one of the biggest inhibitors to cloud adoption is concern over security. Findings from a recent 2010 IBM Global IT Risk Study showed that handing over sensitive data to a third party and the threat of data breach or loss were the two highest risks that enterprises associated with cloud computing. The idea of entrusting an organisation’s data to a third party is clearly a concern, so how can the channel and cloud providers change this view and build trust in, rather than fear of, the cloud.
In my experience the key to developing trust between a service provider and user is by defining clear service level agreements based on the particular needs of the organisation. By setting expectations up front and providing guarantees for meeting those criteria, service providers can gain the trust of their clients and quickly dispel any concerns over compliance and security. However, resellers looking to provide cloud services first need to overcome their own fears of cloud computing before engaging with customers. They need to work with trusted suppliers to ensure they are providing the best possible service with security a priority. Another issue that is often linked to data security in the cloud is client accessibility. End users want to know their data is safe and protected but they still need to have access to it at any given time. Support is key. If a user has trouble accessing their data there needs to be a technical support service on hand to help. More and more companies are putting their trust in the cloud, thanks to the openness and expertise of their channel partners. However, the ongoing importance of security should never be underestimated.
David Ellis, Director of New Technology & Services, Computerlinks
Eclipse hails open portal
ECLIPSE Internet has rolled out the first phase of its new Partner Portal, offering white label por- tals, multi-customer provision- ing, APIs and a range of account management features such as improved billing.
The move represents the first stage of a total overhaul of partner support and comes shortly after the launch of a DSL monitoring tool called Eclipse Sentinel, which enables partners to monitor all of their Eclipse connections, drilling down to individual exchanges and connections, meaning that they can instantly identify if a problem occurs.
Developed in-house, Eclipse Sentinel also alerts users to potential line problems. Partners will benefit from a free trial until the end of September. Commenting on the launch, Clodagh Murphy, Director of Eclipse Internet, said: “The more online flexibility we give resellers the more they will be able to do themselves, saving them both time and money.” Eclipse has reinvigorated its partner channel activity over recent months and its invest- ment in supporting partners is paying off with a 25% increase in orders during the past year.
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www.comms-dealer.com Clodagh Murphy
“The more online flexibility we give resellers the more they will be able to do themselves, saving them both time and money.”
Colin Painter, IT Manager at Pink Connect, is a proponent of Eclipse’ refreshed channel engagement campaign.
He commented: “Eclipse Sentinel offers an up to date pic- ture of our entire connectivity estate, revolutionising the sup- port we can offer our customers, increasing satisfaction levels across the board and enabling us to take a more proactive approach to support.”
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Computerlinks has been awarded EMEA Distributor of the Year by RSA, the Security Division of EMC. Stuart Brinicombe, Director, EMEA Alliances & Channels at RSA, said: “Understanding how our solutions address the security concerns of organisations is crucial to the value distribution adds to the channel. Computerlinks is able to do this effectively.”
Grandstream Networks and 3CX have completed interoperability for 3CX Phone System version 10 and Grandstream’s latest line of IP phones. Nick Galea, CEO of 3CX, said: “This means customers can have open standards while getting the same service and support expected from a vendor that delivers both the PBX and the phones.”
Nimans has added
interactive Panasonic white boards to its product range, bringing a new dimension to education and training. Multi-touch operation, a large screen display, built in stereo speakers and finger touch or electronic pen compatibility are just some of the key features of this educational tool.
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