editorial
New tricks T
his month NCN is focusing on a topic that it has only touched on briefly before, a topic that seems to be attracting attention from all
corners of the industry. This technology can no longer be ignored or dismissed as a passing fad.
As a publication that primarily focuses on the hardware utilised in the network, moving away from the physical infrastructure and delving into the world of cloud computing and virtualisation is akin to stepping foot on foreign ground for the very first time. That is not to say that the physical infrastructure does not play a large part - data centres inevitably require the very latest infrastructure products and systems to support cloud and virtualisation solutions. Virtualisation and cloud solutions are typically unseen - in many cases a service offering rather than a product. This offering, however, is very much a hot topic right now and IT managers up and
down the land will have heard the words ‘virtualisation’ and ‘cloud’ at increasingly regular intervals. So why is it attracting so much attention right now? Put simply - savings. Any IT manager worth his/her salt is forever on the lookout to lower spend and save money. Virtualising results in multiple systems running on a single physical host computer, meaning that the user will often require fewer servers. Switching to a cloud solution means only using programs and services when needed and outsourcing the financial burden that is often associated with maintenance. Before deciding on a cloud/
virtualisation solution it’s vital that the IT manager takes into account the needs of the business, both present and future. There is no universal solution and cloud or virtualisation are not a perfect fit for everyone. Taking time to examine the way data is used/stored in the company is the first place to start.
Do cloud and virtualisation really warrant the intense focus that they have
garnered over the last year? If truth be told, probably not - neither are new concepts and both have been around for some time. Even so, the ball is well and truly rolling on this and all industry predications point towards increased uptake. There is little doubt that you will hear significantly more about both over the next 12 months.
Let NCN know what you think about this or any other subject by emailing
editorial@terringtonltd.co.uk
Michael Crane Editor
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48