\\\ Manufacturing \\\ Interview
A clear view in the Cloud
Manufacturing & Logistics IT spoke with Epicor’s John Hiraoka, senior
vice president and chief marketing officer of worldwide marketing, and Erik
Johnson, senior director of product research, about the much discussed
Cloud Computing concept and the manifold benefits it can offer to
manufacturers and logistics professionals.
rganisations have for some software functionality made available through from ongoing Microsoft developments without
O
time looked to IT solutions to it is accessible anywhere in the world by having to purchase IT as a capital expense;
help manage business and authorised personnel within a user organisation,” such as a server facility, server room,
operational cost better, but now explained Epicor’s John Hiraoka. “The Cloud security, the cost of the hardware, the cost
more and more companies are is essentially ubiquitous; it’s always out there of the bandwidth, the pipes, etc. Also, he
realising that the actual way IT is accessed and this is quite a different concept to that points out that if users insist on taking the
and utilised can potentially be an effective whereby users rely on a premises-based capital expenditure option, they can end up
way of cost cutting in itself. It is at this point software solution, with functionality that is multiplying the outlay involved each time they
that the phrase Cloud Computing enters the static until it is physically upgraded on the need to roll out the software, hardware and
discussion. But what exactly is the Cloud and user’s server.” servers and data centre requirements to new
what are its key benefits for end users? In locations. Therefore Cloud Computing can
essence, the term Cloud is quite simply Hiraoka added that Cloud Computing allows make a lot more sense for companies with
another word for the Web and the term Cloud companies to leverage immediate benefits expansion plans. >>
Computing refers to Internet-based, highly
scalable software functionality. Users don’t
buy the software; rather they are a consumer
of its functionality.
Ubiquitous
“The idea of the Cloud is that it’s somebody
else’s; the owner manages the security of it
and the upgrades of it while ensuring that the
Leveraging the Cloud in rolling out
required IT functionality can
provide much more flexibility and a
much lower cost while allowing
companies to take advantage of
significantly increased computing
and storage power.
20
MANUFACTURING
&LOGISTICSIT March 2009
www.logisticsit.com
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