Sky’s the limit for cloud computing
Bluecube redesigns Assembly website
Ken Roulston and Stephen Gilles joint directors of cmi
SMART businesses in Northern Ireland are changing the way they manage and organise their digital information, part of a rising trend known as ʻcloud computingʼ, according to Belfast based IT company, cmi.
Cloud computing, a term coined to describe internet based computing where shared resources and software are provided remotely to users on demand, is a fundamental shift from the traditional way in which we use IT. Ken Roulston, managing director of cmi explained; “Cloud computing is the new big thing in the IT world and its use is becoming increasingly prevalent in businesses of all sizes. It all boils down to this – itʼs a way of saving them money.”
“Simply put, cloud computing means outsourcing elements of your IT, instead using web applications that you pay to access rather than software or hardware that you buy and install yourself.”
“So for example, a business might use it to access online accounting, rather than investing in the software itself. Or it might use online applications to save and back up documents which can then be easily accessed via the web, rather than hogging memory space on PCs.” “Negating the need to install dedicated software on your own computer and thus freeing up memory will reduce energy costs. ʻRentingʼ software when you need it rather than buying it will save your business money, and you can save time because you donʼt have to develop or maintain IT systems yourself,” Mr Roulston said. “World leaders in technology such as Microsoft and Google are rapidly gravitating towards this model,” he said. Other smaller providers are also popping up, all aiming to offer clients better, faster, more secure and importantly, cost effective options for cloud computing.”
“Cloud computing is not an instant solution,” Mr Roulston added. “A phased and supported approach over time is required for businesses to move into the cloud and towards ʻCloud Nineʼ, a complete virtually hosted IT environment.”
Mr Roulston added; “This is definitely a trend which shows no sign of slowing however there are still a number of issues to be resolved so each business needs to consider it carefully.”
InfoTech
www.businessfirstonline.co.uk 38
Bluecube Interactive in partnership with Ipsos MORI has recently been appointed to redesign the Northern Ireland Assembly website. In a hard fought tender competition Bluecube and Ipsos came out on top to win the coveted piece of business.
This is a truly momentous project for both the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission and Bluecube and is a landmark opportunity to play an essential role in bringing the work of the Assembly closer to the people of Northern Ireland.
The ambitious project will begin with a full research programme implemented and managed by Ipsos MORI to identify what the people of Northern Ireland want from their Assemblyʼs website. Bluecubeʼs award winning web design and development team will then be responsible for implementing the key findings of the research to produce a functional and effective design. Trevor Reaney, director general of the Northern Ireland Assembly said: “We are delighted to get this important project off the ground. People from Northern Ireland and beyond may never visit Parliament Buildings, contact their MLA or get involved in political life, but they will visit the website and it is important that they find it useful and engaging.
in association with
Gareth McGrath, director of Engagement for the Northern Ireland Assembly with Dana‑ Marie McCracken, deputy managing director of Bluecube Interactive
“We are looking forward to working on this project and believe that it will bring people closer to the Assembly and the important work it does for us all.”
£7.5M ‘global engine’ of future technology opens at Queen’s
A new £7.5 million international research hub which will bring major advances in computer hard drives, new and improved sensors and a host of advanced coatings has opened today at Queenʼs University Belfast. In partnership with Seagate Technology, the global leader in data storage solutions, new levels of information and data storage will be just one of the groundbreaking potential applications that will be created in new research hub ANSIN. By attracting a wide variety of international companies to ANSIN, it is expected that advances in new medical sensors, security devices and many other areas will also be made possible.
Seagate has provided £7.5 million worth of equipment to ANSIN which is based in the School of Mathematics and Physics at Queenʼs. Unparalleled in third‑level physics education in the United Kingdom, the ANSIN facility is one of the top ten industry‑linked university research centres in the world.
In ANSIN, researchers will work on new advanced materials from the micron scale, about fifty times smaller than the width of a human hair, all the way down to layers of materials just a few atoms thick. Explaining how work at ANSIN will impact positively on peopleʼs daily lives, Professor
Robert Bowman, Director of Queenʼs Centre for Nanostructured Media said: “Twenty‑five years ago my music collection filled many shelves, now Iʼve maybe one hundred times more music and it fits in my pocket. The science, technology and manufacturing required to make that happen has been revolutionary.
“Before the end of the decade you will have the ability to carry a vast digital library of text, images, music and HD movies with you in the same way. To make that possible will again require revolutionary developments of advanced materials and their exploitation in as yet unimagined ways. This is all only possible by understanding and exploiting fundamental physics and materials science questions. This is what we are aiming to do at ANSIN. “We are incredibly fortunate to have Seagate as a founding partner in ANSIN, for not only are they supporting our first major project, but most significantly they want to see other partners who join ANSIN use the equipment they have provided. We hope that new partners will bring their ideas into ANSIN and that by co‑ operatively working with other partners in the hub, new inventions will arise and products can be improved.”
Further information on ANSIN is available online at
www.ansin.eu
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