Spence Witten Vice President of Global Sales
Cloud Computing: Shouldering the Pillars of a Digital Revolution
Fromonesandzerostoanalyzingandimitatinghumanbehavioralpatterns,amachinecalled
’computer’hascomealongway,suchas,ithasbecomeoneofourbasicneeds.Thisevolution, throughitscourse,hashadboth,constructiveaswellasdestructiveconsequences.But,tosumup, theadvantagesthatacomputerdelivers,overweighsitsdrawbacks.Thecalculatedassumptionswhich consumersmakewhiledecipheringthewaysinwhichacomputerwouldeasetheirworkseldomincludes theknowledgeofitscapabilities.Theexploration,experimentation,andemancipationofthesecapabilities wouldonlyhavebeenpossiblethroughthe Internet.Beinganendlessandunfathomableuniverseofits own,theinternethasgivenbirthtoamyriadofdisruptivedigitalinnovations.Theblockchaintechnology isanaptexampleofsuchinnovations.
Oneotherinnovationwhichwasconceivedbyandfortheinternet,whichispresentlytheprimary componentoftechnologiesandplatformslikeIoT,ArtificialIntelligence,OnlineGaming,andSocial Mediaapps,is Cloud Computing.Theaccessibilityofnetworkswithhigh-capacity,inexpensivecomputers andstoragedevicesandtheextensiveimplementationofhardwarevirtualization,architecturewhichis service-oriented,andautonomicandutilitycomputinghasaidedthegrowthincloudcomputing.The evidenttransformationofITanditssurroundingaspectshasbeenbroughtaboutbycloudcomputing.As muchasithasturnedouttobebeneficialforthecommonpublic,ithasalsobecometheboostfor organizationswithtechnologyastheirniche.
ThecostofinstallingheavyITinfrastructurecanbecompletelyavoidedorreducedbyutilizingcloud computing.Theagilityoforganizationsiseffectivelyenhancedbycloudcomputingasitaidsusers’ flexibility,re-provisioningandexpansionoftechnologicalinfrastructureresources.Cloudcomputing deliversorganizationsthecapabilitytoscaleflexibly.Thismeans,itdeliversappropriateproportionsofIT resources,precisely,computingpower,storage,bandwidthetc.whenrequired,andfromtheright geographicallocation.Contemporarycloudprovidersdeliveracomprehensivesetofpolicies,technologies
andcontrolswhichstrengthentheoverallsecurityoforganizations.Thisassistsinsafeguardingdata, applicationsandinfrastructurefromprobablethreats.
Thecloudcomputingecosystemisdiversifiedintoamyriadofitsmodels,including,publiccloud, privatecloud,andhybridcloud.Moreover,cloudserviceshavebeencategorizedinto,Infrastructure asaService,PlatformasaService,ServerlessComputing,andSoftwareasaservice.Thedensityof organizationsofferingthesemodelsandserviceshasbeenrisingexponentially.Withaknackfor innovationanditsefficientdelivery,theseorganizationsaresettingbenchmarksintheglobalmarket. Withthepurposeofplacingthespotlightonsuchorganizations,InsightsSuccesshascomeupwitha listof“The10BestPerformingCloudSolutionProviders,2018/19.”
Inthisissue,featuringasourcoverstoryisLunarline,whichisaleadingcybersecurityandprivacy providertotheUSFederalGovernment,aswellasprivateindustries.Foundedin2004and headquarteredinArlington,Virginia,Lunarlinehelpsover500clientsfightbackagainstmodern cybercrime.Itsportfolioofproducts,services,managedservices,trainingandcertifications,power SolutionsBuiltonSecurity®forclientsintheIntelligence,Defense,FederalCivilianandprivate Sectors.
Lunarlinehasworkedceaselesslytobuildexceptionalcapabilitiesthatsolveeachpieceofthecyber puzzleforCloudServiceProviders(CSPs).Fromcompliancetocloudsecurityarchitecture& engineeringtoManagedSecurityServicesthataddressuniquecloudchallenges,theorganization’s jobistomaximizethesecureuseofcloudservices.
Othercommendableorganizationswhichhavebeenfeaturedinthislistare,Aerobyte,which providesCyberSecuritySolutionsthatarescalableinprotectinganythingtoeverythinginthe InternetofThings(IoT);DruvaInc.,whichisthefirstandonlycloud-first,DataManagement-as-aService(DMaaS)company,providingnewandinnovativetechnologysolutionsforover4,000 customersacrosstheglobe;InfrontConsultingGroup,whichisaprominentITconsultingfirm mainlyfocusingonimplementationandautomationofcoreMicrosoftinfrastructure;Reltio,whichis anativecloudplatformthatorganizesenterprisedataforcontinuousself-learning;UVision Technologyisatechnologyinnovationcompanyhelpingorganizationstotransform,innovate& growwithsmart,scalableandsecuresolutions;andVCloudGroup,whichisagloballeader, prominentlyprovidingcloudcomputingsolutionswithnogeographicalboundaries. Also,makesuretoflipthroughthearticleswrittenbyourin-houseeditorialteamandCXO standpointsofsomeoftheleadingindustryexpertstohaveabrieftasteofthesector
Bon Appetit!
Abhishaj Sajeev
Viewpoint:
Omnichannel Agent and Customer Engagement Solutions
Simplify and personalize the customer experience, empower agents and achieve business success with one workspace for all channel interactions, application integrations, and CX reporting.
Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal
Managing Editor
Anish Miller
Executive Editor Shubham Khampariya
Contributing Editors
Assistant Editors Bhushan Kadam
Jenny Fernandes
Kedar Kulkarni Ishan Mittal
Visualiser David King
Art & Design Director Amol Kamble
Associate Designer Sanket Zirpe
Co-designer Mayur Koli
Art & Picture Editors Belin Paul
Khanna Jayant
Senior Sales Manager Passi D.
Business Development Manager
Peter Collins
Marketing Manager John Matthew
Business Development Executives
Steve, Joe, Alan, Vishal
Sales Executives
David, Kevin, Mark, Manish
Technical Head Jacob Smile
Technical Specialists Amar, Pratiksha
Digital Marketing Manager Marry D’Souza
Online Marketing Strategists Alina Sege, Shubham, Anup
SME-SMO Executives
Prashant Chevale, Uma Dhenge, Gemson, Avdhut
Research Analyst Patrick James
Circulation Managers Robert, Tanaji
Database Management Stella Andrew
Technology Consultant David Stokes
sales@insightssuccess.com
Corporate Ofces: October, 2018
Insights Success Media Tech LLC 555 Metro Place North, Suite 100, Dublin, OH 43017, United States
Phone - (614)-602-1754
Email: info@insightssuccess.com For Subscription: www.insightssuccess.com
Insights Success Media and Technology Pvt. Ltd. Off. No. 513 & 510, 5th Flr., Rainbow Plaza, Shivar Chowk, Pimple Saudagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411017
Phone - India: +91 7410079881/ 82/ 83/ 84/ 85
Email: info@insightssuccess.in For Subscription: www.insightssuccess.in
Follow us on : www.facebook.com/insightssuccess/ www.twitter.com/insightssuccess We are also available
protection to Businesses Globally
We provide Solutions Built on ®Security to help over 500 clients fight back against modern cybercrime.
Spence Witten Vice President of Global Sales
Takingintoconsideration,the drivetotransformthecloud computingecosystem, devisingcontemporarycybercrime protectionstrategies,ascending globalprogress,andaknackfor innovation,Lunarline,Inchas beenrecognizedasthebest performingcloudsolution provider.Foundedin2004and headquarteredinArlington, Virginia,Lunarlinehelpsover500 clientsfightbackagainstmodern cybercrime.Itsportfolioofproducts, services,managedservices,training andcertifications,powerSolutions BuiltonSecurity®forclientsinthe Intelligence,Defense,FederalCivilian andprivateSectors.
We actively balance our client portfolio to ensure that we c over a broad array of clients and industries.
Lunarlinehasworkedceaselesslyto buildexceptionalcapabilitiesthatsolve eachpieceofthecyberpuzzlefor CloudServiceProviders(CSPs).From compliancetocloudsecurity architecture&engineeringtoManaged SecurityServicesthataddressunique cloudchallenges,theorganization’sjob istomaximizethesecureuseofcloud services.
InadditiontoLunarline’scompliance workasaFederalRiskand AuthorizationManagementProgram (FedRAMP)ThirdPartyAssessment Organization(3PAO),manyofits products,servicesandtraining solutionshaverapidlyemergedas marketleadersinthecloudspace.As anexample,theorganizationprovides asuiteofcyberintelligencetoolsand capabilities–suchas LunarGroundStationand LunarDownlink–thathelpCSPsand usersofcloudservicesinproactively addressingemergingcyberthreats impactingthecloud. Italsoprovidestrainingand certificationsthathelpcloudengineers improvesecurityposturewhilecosteffectivelymeetingcompliance
requirements.Lunarline’sManaged SecurityServicesarecloud-focused, helpingbothCSPsandclouduserstake secureadvantageofthecloudto optimizeperformance.
TheGuidingLight
ofInspiration
Lunarline’sfounderandCEO, WaylonKrushisaprovensecurity visionarywithaknackfor understandinghowtoapplyinnovation solutionstoachieverealresults.He’s relentlessinensuringthatthe organizationstays100%focusedon clientserviceandproblemsolving.He isalsofearless,andhastaken enormousriskstopushLunarlineinto somanydifferentdisciplinesin cybersecurity.
Thisfearlessinvestmenthasled Lunarlinetopossessthecapabilitiesto competewithanyoneinanycyber discipline,fromtrainingtocompliance toconsultingtomanagesecurity services.Hisexampleofrelentless clientserviceandfearlessinvestment inthefutureisreflectedinevery Lunarlineemployee–fromthemost juniortotheseniorexecutives–who
understandthattheyneedtobringthe sameintensityandfearlessnesstotheir ownjobs.
ComingtoSpenceWitten,the VicePresidentofLunarline’s GlobalSales,comesfroma federalserviceandsales background.Spenceispretty au fait withcomplexsystemsand technicalrequirements,massive RequestsforProposals, budgetarypuzzlesand procurementcyclesthatfunction ongeologicaltime.Heceaselessly workstoinstillthatsamepatient, relentlessattentiontotechnicaldetail neededtosupporttheGovernmentin thesalescultureatLunarline,tempered ofcoursebytheneedtomoveat privatesectorspeed.
Spencealsomakessurethatthe promisesextendedduringthesales processarereasonable,reflectedinany ensuingcontracts,ingrainedinproject plansandthenkeptthroughout execution.Inshortheviewssales,not justasarevenuegenerator,butasa criticalelementoftheprojectlifecycle, thatsetsthestageforprojectsuccess.
LunarlinehasfoundthatitsCSP clientsfinditsapproachtosales extremelyvaluable. “It is absolutely critical to move at the speed of modern business,” statesSpence. “However in the cloud we’re dealing with complex, high-consequence stuff. It pays huge dividends downstream when we use the sales process to come to a mutual understanding of requirements and fully articulate our proposed solution up front during contract negotiations. Then we hit the ground running with an actionable plan that yields enduring results,” headds.
ReformatoryServicemodels
OneofLunarline’sadvantagesasa
smallbusinessisessentiallyinfinite flexibilityintheservicesmodel(s)it canusetomeettheneedsofitscloud clients.Unlikelargebusinesses weddedtospecificapproaches,the companycanadapttoclients’ budgetaryandcontractual requirements.
Fromtraditionalconsultingtype arrangementstostaffaugmentationto comprehensiveoutsourcedsecurity-asa-service,Lunarlinehelpschoosethe modelthatbestfitsclients’presentand projectedneeds.Italsousesawiderangeofpricingmodels,from subscriptionandperformance-based approachestovarioushourlyandfirm fixedpricearrangements,dependingon clientpreference.
Lunarlinehaswitnessedasignificant increaseinthenumberofCSPsand clouduserslookingforManaged SecurityServicestosecurethecloud. ItsMSSplatformhelpsCSPs lockdowntheirinfrastructure,butit alsohelpsotherorganizationssecurely maximizetheiruseofthecloud.The organizationhelpstheseorganizations developcloudmigrationplansandthen securetheirdatathroughtransitionand beyond.
Anotheroneoftheadvantagesofthe MSSmodelisthatit’sextremely easytotailorservicepackagesto specificrequirements.Withan underlyingsubscriptionmodel Lunarlineflexiblyallocates servicesand/orsurgesupport torequirementsasneeded. Thisletsitquicklydeployits diverseproducts,servicesand trainingtoaddressany securitychallenge.
BeingCustomerCentric
Lunarlinereceiveditsstartasa servicescompany.Whileithasgrown
toofferabroadarrayofproducts, managedservices,trainingand certifications,aservices-oriented approachremainsacorepartofthe organization’scorporateDNA.
“While my title is VP of Sales they make me do real work too. We don’t have dedicated sales folks. Everyone who interacts with prospective clients is a recognized cybersecurity expert in a relevant discipline,” Spence expresses.
It is absolutely critical to move at the speed of modern business.
Lunarlinecomprehendsthatcloud securityiscomplex,high-consequence stuff,withamajorimpacton organizationalsuccess.Thusitusesthe salesprocessthewayit’ssupposedto beused–tocometoamutual understandingofrequirementssothat itcanassemblethebestpossible solutionspackagethatmeetsclients’ specificneeds.
Theorganizationtakesthatsamehightouchphilosophywithitintoproject execution.Asanexample,itsManaged Securityclientshaveinstant,’round theclockaccesstoanexpertinits SecurityOperationsCentertodiscuss, anything.
Lunarlinealsoholdsweeklymeetings whereseniorandmiddlemanagement todiscussactionableinitiativeswhich itcanexecuteacrossthecompanyto improveperformanceforitsclients. TheSuccessinachievingthese initiativesistrackedthroughKey PerformanceIndicatorsforall personnel,toalignperformance incentivestoitsabilitytostayfocused onsolvingclientchallenges.
SurpassingAdversities
Havingbeeninbusinesssince2004, Lunarlinehassurvivedafewupsand downs.ItweatheredtheGreat Recession,theUSGovernment shutdownandsequestrationanda constantlyshifting,disruptive technicallandscape.Amajorlesson learnedbytheorganizationisthe valueofdiversification.Thusit activelybalancesitsclientportfolio toensurethatitcoversabroadarray ofclientsandindustries.
ThisprotectsLunarlinefinancially, andalsoensuresthatitspersonnelcan drawontechnicalsolutionsandbest practicesfromacrosstheIntelligence, Defense,FederalCivilianandprivate
sectorstoprovidethebestpossible solutionstoitsclients’cyber challenges.
Lunarlinehasalsolearnedthat cyberprofessionalsare extremelyhardtocomeby. Oneofthereasonsitfounded theLunarlineSchoolof Cybersecurityistoprovide elitecybersecuritytraining andcertificationstoitsown personnel,inadditiontothe thousandsofexternalfolksit supportseachyear.The organizationidentifiespromising cyberprofessionalsfromallwalksof lifeandequipsthemwiththeskills, certificationsandmentoringtheyneed toexcelincivilianlife.
ConfrontingChallenges
We don't have dedicated sales folks. Everyone who interacts with prospective clients is a recognized cybersecurity expert in a relevant discipline.
Lunarlineinvestsanenormous amountoftimeandmoneyincyber intelligence,tostayontopof emergingthreats,andintraining, toensurethatitspersonnel possesstheskillsnecessaryto defeatthosethreats.
“The CSP threat landscape is constantly changing as are the tools and techniques necessary to fight back. Our cyber intelligence teams inform our training efforts to keep our frontline engineers and consultants prepared for whatever’s next,”Spenceasserts.
AccordingtoLunarline,animmediate challengefacingitsfederalclientsis theneedtosignificantlyimprovethe abilityofCSPstorapidlyand sustainablyachieveFedRAMP accreditation.“The US Federal Government needs access to secure, compliant cloud services, but CSPs need to clear the demanding security bar set by FedRAMP before the government can access their solutions. In response we’re developing a package of products, services and training that help CSPs get up the FedRAMP curve faster and more effectively,”Spenceexpresses.
Onthetechnicalfront,Lunarlinehas alsonoticedanincreasingnumberof attackstargetingaccesscontroland APIsecurity.Lunarlineunderstands thatCSPsingeneralarefantasticat securingtheirinfrastructureand Software-as-a-Serviceofferings,but interfacesbetweenCSPsandusersare becominghackerplaygrounds.
Inresponsetheorganizationhas significantlyenhanceditssoftware
assurancecapabilitiesandfocused penetrationtestingteamson exhaustivelytestingaccesscontrol systemsandinterfacestomoreclosely replicatereal-worldattacks.Ithasalso increaseditscyberintelligence collectioneffortsinthisarea,tohelp CSPsstayaheadofemergingthreats.
AnobviousproblemforLunarlineis justhowchallengingitistofind qualifiedcloudsecurityengineers.
“Simply, finding general security people has gotten extremely difficult. It’s an order of magnitude more challenging to find great security folks who also know the cloud. That’s because they don’t exist. You have to train them,”statesSpence.
SoLunarlineidentifiespromising securitypersonnelfromwithinitsown ranks,equipthemwithtrainingand certificationsandthenpairthemwith cloudsecuritymentors.Thisisbecause thecompanycomprehendsthatonly aftercompletinganapprenticeship programcanthepersonnelbecome cloudsecurityengineersand consultants.
Lunarlinehasthein-housecapabilities totackleeverypieceofthecloud securitypuzzlewhileequippingclients withthereal-time,actionablecyber intelligencetheyneedtostayaheadof emergingthreats.
BeholdingtheFuture
Thereisnootherpureplaysecurity companyinthisspacethatoffers Lunarline’sbreadthofproducts, services,managedservices,training andcertifications.Theorganizations goalistocontinuouslyimproveits abilitytobringthesecapabilitiesinto unifiedsolutionstoclients’security challenges.
Asapartofthisprocessitinvests heavilyinsecurityautomation capabilitiesthatautomatemonitoring, compliance,securitytesting,cyber intelligenceanddevicehardening.This helpskeepLunarline’semployees focusedonproactivelydriving continuousimprovementinitsclients’ securityposture.
CompanyName
Aerobyte aerobytesecurity.com
Management
HowardHellman Founder
BluehostIn searce.com
MattHeaton President&CEO
CloudHesive cloudhesive.com
JamesH.Walker CEO
DruvaInc. druva.com
JaspreetSingh CEO&Founder
InfrontConsultingGroup infrontconsulting.com
RoryMcCaw CEO
Brief
AerobyteprovidesCyberSecuritySolutionswhicharescalable inprotectinganythingtoeverythingintheInternet ofThings(IoT).
Withastrongbeliefthat‘BestPracticesareOverrated’,Searce assemblesasmall,highlyempoweredteamoftopperforming engineersandgeekswhoworktoidentifybetterwaysof doingthings.
CloudHesivehelpsbusinessesreducetheiroperatingcostsandincrease productivitywhileimprovingtheircloudsecurityposturebymigrating andsecuringmission-criticalworkloadsontoAmazonWebService (AWS)andothercloudpartnerssuchasMicrosoftAzure.
Druvaisthefirstandonlycloud-first,DataManagement-as-aService(DMaaS)company,providingnewandinnovative technologysolutionsforover4,000customersworldwide.
InfrontConsultingGroupisaprominentITconsultingfirm mainlyfocusingonimplementationandautomationofcore Microsoftinfrastructure.
Lunarline lunarline.com
SpenceWitten VicePresident GlobalSales Matrix matrix-ibs.com
RELTIO reltio.com
UVISION TECHNOLOGIES uvision.co
VcloudGroup vcloudau.com
NeelyLoring President
ManishSood CEO&Founder
Lunarlineisaleadingcybersecurityandprivacyprovidertothe USFederalGovernment,aswellasprivateindustries.
ThemissionatMatrixistoprovidebusinessesamoresecureand robustITexperiencebyprovidingandmanagingasuiteofcosteffective,enterprise-gradebusinesscomputingsolutionoptions.
Reltioisanativecloudplatformthatorganizesenterprisedatafor continuousself-learning.
OmarUddin CEO&Founder
TrevorMifsud CEO
Uvisionisatechnologyinnovationcompanyhelping organizationstotransform,innovateandgrowwithsmart, scalableandsecuresolutions.
vCloudGroupisagloballeaderprominentlyprovidingcloud computingsolutionswithnogeographicalboundaries.
Using AI to Automatically Optimize Cloud costs
TheBirthofCloudComputing
Backintheearlydaysofcloudcomputing,ifwewould tellyouthateverybusinessandconsumerwould eventuallyberunningtheirentirecomputeandstorage infrastructuredigitally,wewouldsoundcrazy.Butjust 17yearslater,itseemsinevitablethattheoldworldof datacentersandon-premiseserverswillgothewayof thephysicalnewspaperandradio.
Indeed,evenAndyJassy,CEOofAWS,didn’tenvision thisfuturebackin2000.Atthetime,Amazonwas simplystrugglingtoscaledespitehiringalotofnew developers.Jassy,whowasAmazon’sChiefofStaffat thetime,doveintotheproblemtodiscoverthatthe hardwareandinfrastructuralneedssimplywerenot beingmetfastenough.Jassysetouttospeedupthis processinternally,allowingtheinternalR&Dteamto accessapoolofcommoncomputeandstorageresources, makingiteasierforeachtolaunchtheirownprojects withoutneedingtodealwiththeunderlying infrastructure.Eventually,atateamsummitin2003, theyrealizedthiswasaneedforeveryothercompanyon theplanet,andsoAWSwasborn.
ThebirthofSpotinst:Risingcloudcosts
Today,thereisasimilarrevolutionbeginninginthe worldofcloudcomputing.Onestillinitsearlystages, butseeminglydestinedtogrowjustasquicklyasAWS. “Spotinstaimstobethelargestproviderofcloud infrastructurewithoutrunninganyservers,”says AmiramShachar,CEO&FounderofSpotinst.The statementisboldonitsown,butwhenyoudiveabit deeper,notmuchbolderaclaimthanhadyouasked AndyJassythesamebackin2003.
JustasJassyfoundaninternalstruggletoday,Spotinst beganwithShachar’sidentificationofaproblemathis company,thenLycosGlobalGroup.AsDirectorof DevOps,Shacharwaspressedwiththetaskofmigrating allLycos’serverstothecloud,butcostsquicklyjumped.
“Withinacoupleofmonthsofmovingtothecloud,our costshadactuallyrisendramatically,waybeyondany calculatorthatweusedtopredictit”continuedShachar. “Tothepointwherewewereactuallyplanningtomove everythingbacktoon-premise.”
Justaroundthattime,Shacharencounteredtherelatively unusedofferingatAWS,calledSpotInstances.Spot
About the CEO
Amiram Shachar is CEO & Founder of Spotinst, which leverages excess cloud capacity to help customers save ~80% on cloud costs. Before Spotinst, he was Director of DevOps at Ybrant Media and led the Israeli Defense Forces migration to the cloud.
Amiram Shachar Chief Executive Officer
InstanceswerespareservercapacityatAWS,cleverly packagedtoenablemonetizationoftheseservers.AWS offeredtheseidleserversformassive90%discounts withonemajorcaveat-they’llkickyouoffoncea customerwantstopayfullpriceforthoseservers.
Shacharsmelledopportunity.“Bybuildingalgorithms thatcouldpredictthesparecapacityterminationsin advance,wecouldthenmigratetoanotherspareserver beforehand,savingus80%onourcloudcosts.”Aftera fewmonths,Shacharandhisteamwererunningnearly 75%oftheircomputepoweronAWSsparecapacity.Just likeJassybackin2003,thelightbulbeventuallywentoff -therewasafarlargeropportunityathandhere.
Thevirtualcloud:runcodewithoutdealingwith cloudproviders
“Allcompaniesrunningoncloudstruggletokeepcosts down,”Shacharsays.“Butwithalonglistofpriorities includingsecurityandmaintainingsitereliability, DevOpsteamsoftendon’thavethetimetodoallofthe workrequiredtooptimizecost.”ButwhileSpotinst’s firstproductwasaimedathelpingcompaniesreliably leveragesparecapacitytoreducecosts,Shacharandhis co-founders,LiranPolakandAharonTwizer,hada biggervision.
Today,managingcloudinfrastructurehasbecomejustas complexasrunningon-premises.Withaplethoraofnew AWS,Google,andAzureofferingslaunchingevery month,alongwithanincreasinglyvastlistofcompanies thatbuildofftheseofferings,figuringoutthebalance betweencostandperformanceisamajorchallenge. But, Shacharenvisionsaworldwhereyoudon’thaveto.
Thepromiseofthevirtualcloud
ThepromiseofShachar’svisionissimpleatheart-a virtualcloud.Spotinstwillleveragemachinelearningto
ensurethatyourapplicationsarealwaysrunningonthe mostcost-effectiveservers,givenyourperformance requirements.Insteadofexploringthelonglistof alternativeswithinandacrossthedifferentcloud providers,Spotinstwilltakecareofitallunderthehood. Today,theirplatformrecognizesanyworkloadthatcould berunonacheaperserver.Justputthoseworkloads underSpotinst’scontrolandtheiralgorithmswilltake careoftherest-thoseworkloadswillforeverrunonthe cheapestserversavailable.Allwithoutcompromising performanceoravailability.
UsinganewServerlessoffering,wheredeveloperscan simplywritecodewithoutdealingwithanyofthe underlyinginfrastructure,Spotinstaimstodeliveronthis promiseinamajorway.“Allyoushouldeverhavetodo iswritecode,”saysShachar.“Ouralgorithmswillmake sureitisalwaysrunningonthemostcost-effective infrastructure,acrossallcloudproviders,foryour performanceandavailabilityneeds.”Inotherwords,just writethecode,andSpotinstwillmakesureitalways runsatthelowestcostpossibleforyourperformance needs.
AsShacharsays,“in10years,justaseveryoneis makingtheshifttocloudtoday,theywillbemakingthe shifttoServerlesscomputing.OnlywithSpotinst,they’ll beabletoalsoensuretheyarepayingthebestpossible price,allwithoutdoinganything.”Thepromiseof companiesallrunningaperfectlyoptimizedcloud withouteverdealingwiththeinfrastructureseemsbold. ButaswelearnedfromJassyandAWS,inanother10-15 years,itmayjustbeaninevitability.
Providers 2018/2019
Aerobyte: Next Generation Cloud Security
CloudComputingisoneofthemanytrendsinIT industryandthereasonisitsgrowingpopularity inthemarket.Itoffersvaluableserviceslike mobility,flexibilityandcostsavingtoorganizations.The mostvaluableofallissecurity,as94%ofbusinesses haveseenimprovementinsecurityafterswitchingtothe cloud.
Aerobyteisoneoftheleadingcloudsolutionproviders. Foundedin2010,ithascommitteditselfinhelping enterpriseorganizationssolvecriticalproblemsby addressingsecurityandcomplianceconcerns.Inan InterviewwithInsightsSuccess,HowardHellman,the FounderofAerobyte,shareshisexperiencesonleading thecompany.
Belowarethehighlightsfromtheinterviewconducted betweenHowardandInsightsSuccess:
Describethewaysinwhichyourcloudsolutionsare focusedonbeingcustomercentric.
Howard:Aerobytereducesthecomplexityand trepidationofworkingwithanycloudproviderin ensuringtheirdataandcommunicationsareprotected throughsoftwarevs.buyingexpensiveappliance upgradesthatmostcloudprovidersoffer.Ourdashboard givesourcustomerstheconvenienceandanalyticsto ensuretheircloudsystemsareprotectedfromanattack.
Describetheexperiences,achievementsorlessons learntthathaveshapedthejourneyofthecompany.
Howard:Aerobytehaslearntovertheyearsthatlessis more.Whenwestartedthisjourneywewereoffering6 differentproductstoaccomplishwhatoneclientserver productcando.Thankstoadvancementsinserverand networktechnologies,wecaneasilyhandlelarge workloadsutilizingahandfulofserversvs.buying expensivesecurityappliances.
Whatarethecompany’sstrategiestoevolvewiththe volatiletrendsoftheindustry?
Howard:Oursolutionallowsorganizationstocutdown onthenumberofsecurityvendorsandproductsthatare usedtoprotectorganizationsthroughinefficient perimeterdefensestrategies.OurAPIintegrationallows ourCyberDefenseFrameworktointegratewithbestof breedproductswhilereducingthenumberofresources andfalsepositivestomanageasecureinfrastructure.
WheredoesAerobyteseeitselfinthelongrunand/or whatareitsfuturegoals?
Howard:OnceourCyberDefenseFrameworkis deployedglobally,AerobyteliterallywilltaketheWild WestoutoftheWorldWideWeb.Aninternetbasedon trustandcompleteprivacyopensthedoorstonew innovationsofwhatcanbedoneinthecloudthat previouslycannotbedone.Itisourobjectivetotakethis solutionandaddconsumerswhichopensthedoorto unlimitedpossibilitiesonhowweconductbusinesson thewebtoday.
‘‘
We present a different approach to security, one that limits complexity by reducing the number of products and vendors once needed to operate a secure infrastructure. ‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘
ConsideringtheescalatingnumberofCloudSolution providers,howdoesAerobytestandoutfromits competitors?
Howard:Aerobytedrivesdownthecostandcomplexity ofsecuringboththecloudandon-premisesystems.Our simpleapproachallowsorganizationstofocuson protectingwhatmattersandwhohasaccesstothecloud throughourmultipointtrustmethodologyanddataflow protectionineverydirection.
AbouttheFounder
HowardHellmanistheFounderofAerobytesince 2010.Currently,heisresponsibleforhandlingthe productdevelopmentteaminthecompany.Througha combinationoftechnicalknow-howandan understandingofhowtechnologyinfluencesthewaythe companyworks,themanagementteamhasdevelopeda rareperspectiveinanindustrythatalltoofrequently emphasizesunnecessaryfeaturesoverpracticalbenefits. Bytemperingtheknowledgeofwhatcanbedonewith anappreciationforwhatshouldbedone,Howardhas beenabletoguideeffortstowardsthedevelopmentof productsandservicesthatstandapartasunique, innovative,and mostofallgenuinelyuseful.
BeforeAerobyte,hehasbeenapartofthebusiness developmentteamofOptionsMediaGroup.Hehasalso workedforvariousenterprisesincludingScriptlogic, whereheworkedasaccountexecutiveandData
Howard
Hellman Founder
ResourcesgroupwherehehasbeentheVicePresident SalesandworkedasSeniorAccountexecutivealso.
AboutTheCompany
Aerobyte’sCyberDefenseFrameworkhelps organizationsreducethecostandcomplexityoftheir SecurityInfrastructure.ItsSoftwareDefinedSecurity (SdS)allowsorganizationstomoveawayfromtheir perimeterdefensesandprotectdataflow,systemsand usersfromtheinsideout.Itssolutioniscomprisedofan encryptioncommunicationsbrokerthatorchestrates securitythroughouttheenterpriseanditsedge interconnectswhichcanbedeployedonanyServer,VM, Workstation,MobileandIoTdevice.
AerobytehelpscustomersidentifyareasoftheCore Infrastructureandanalyzetotalcostofexpendituresthat arespentprotectingtheircriticalapplicationsand communications.Itdemonstratestoitsclientshowand wheresignificantcostsavingscanbemadeinorderto increasetheprotectionoftheirorganizationwhilesaving theirmoneyfromtheirsecuritybudgets.
Data Center Security:
Controlling Possible Threats
Theriseincyber-crimesisoneofthemaincausesof Datacenteroutages.Aspertherecentsurvey conductedbyindustryinsiders,cyber-crimecaused 22percentdatacenteroutagesin2015opposedto2percent outagesin2010.Addingtoallthese,nowmostofthedata centersarere-evaluatingtheirsecuritypoliciesafterthe recentWannaCryransomwareattack.
Datacenteroutagescausecompaniestolossrevenuein manyways.However,thecostliestlossisservice interruptionandlossofITproductivity.So,the organizationsarenowrealizingthattraditionalsecurityis nolongersecureenoughtosecureanydatacenter.Arecent studyhasfoundthat83percentoftraffictravelseast/west withinthedatacenter,whichstaysundetectedbythe perimetersecurity.Inthisenvironment,whenanattacker infiltratestheperimeterfirewall,thencanjumpacrossthe systemwithease,extractinformationandcompromise valuabledata.Additionally,datacenterscanfaildueto trespassersoraterroristattackorbynaturalcalamities.
So,howcanonesecureadatacenterinthebestway possiblefromanykindofcyberthreat?Don’tworrywe’ve gotyoucovered,withthepointsbelow.
Asthefirststep,oneshouldMaptheDataCenterandflag thehackerswithinthevirtualandphysicalinfrastructure. TheCSOsandCIOswithasystemmapoftheirsystems canreacttoanysuspiciousactivityandtakestepstostop databreaches.Beingabletovisualizedifferenttraffic patternswithinanetworkhelpstounderstandthreats,that eventuallyelevatesthelevelofsecurity.
Understandingandmeasurementoftrafficflowwithin thedatacenterboundaryareveryimportant.Inthecaseof
anyinterruptionintrafficacrosseast/westvsnorth/south, protectedvsunprotectedonecangettoknowaboutathreat. Additionally,vulnerablezonesandunprotectedtrafficneed tobemonitoredforabetterresult.
Firewallrulesneedtobedefinedandimplementedasper requirements.Additionally,oneshouldallowtrafficonly afterthoroughverificationandselectivelyallow communicationtoensuremaximumprotection.Thekeyis toidentify,what;slegalandsecuredandwhatcanbe blockedtoenhancesecurity.
OneneedstoBuildaTeamwithexecutiveswho understandhowtrafficflowswithinthepremisesandcan access&secureinformation,takenecessarymeasuresto secureimportantassetsalongwiththeimplementationof roadblocksfortheattackers.
Securitymustmoveasfastasadatacenter’stechnology adoption andintegration.SecurityStrategyShouldChange AlongsidetheTechnologyanditshouldnotbetreatedas anadd-onoption.Additionally,businessesalsoshould ensurethattheirvirusprotection,signaturesother protectionfeaturesareuptodateforbetterprotection.
BusinessesshouldIdentifyandPlaceControlsoverhighvalueassets,whichwillhelptoreducerisk.However,older securitysolutionsarecompletelyblindtonewthreats,new securitycompanieshaveproducedlatestsolutionsthat protectdatainthevirtualworld.
AccessRestrictionalsoneedstobeimposed.Every businessshouldthoroughlycheckaperson’sbackground beforegivingtheaccesstoaprizedpossession.Accessto themainsiteandtheloadingbaymustbelimited,
additionally,two-factorauthenticationsandfortifiedinteriorswithsecurityguardsandrovingpatrolswouldhelpto safeguardtheemployeesandthedatacenter.
InstallingSurveillanceCamerasaroundthedatacenter,alongsideremovingsignswhichmayprovidecluestoitsfunction helpstolocateanintruder.Abufferzonebetweenthedatacenterandalltheentrypointswilllimitunlawfultrespassingtoa greatextent.Additionally,thedatacenterneedstobefarawayfromthemainroadanditshouldnothaveanywindowsother thanadministrativepurposesforbettersecurity.
AdatacentershouldCheckTestBack-UpSystemsregularlyasprescribedbythemanufacturer.Itshouldalsoensureto makealistandofDo’sandDon’tsintheeventofanattack.Recoveryplansandsecurityplansalsoneedtobechecked thoroughly.
DatacentersarealwaysaSoftTargetforTheTerrorists,asanattackonthemcandisruptanddamagemajorbusinessand communicationinfrastructure.So,securityneedstobetakenseriouslyandtodothatproactivestepsshouldbetakentolimit theimpactofaterroristattack.
TrainedSecurityGuardsneedstobepostedinsideadatacenterandtheyshouldbewelltrained.Securityofficersmust undergostrictsite-specifictrainingtomonitorsurveillancefootage.Dependingonthesizeofdatacenterandthenumberof securitycamerasmultiplesecurityofficersmayberequiredonduty. Securityofficersdedicatedtoinspectingsurveillance footagehelpswhenitcomestosecuringadatacenter.
DisasterRecoveryisverymuchimportant,thatmustbeinplace.Ifthedatacenterstopsfunctioningafteranattackor naturalcalamity,itmusthaveawaytorestoreoperationsassoonaspossible.Tobereadyforadisasterandtoevaluatethe disasterrecoveryplan,it’snecessarytotrainstaffswellandexperiencesimulateddisasters.
Toavoidtheseobstacles,oneneedsafairbitofknowledgeofnewsecuritysystems,solidplans,andcomprehensive visibility.Themoreworkadatacentercandoupfrontintheabove-mentionedareasthebetterthechancesofsuccesswith lesseroutages.
Druva: Pioneering Data Management and Protection Solutions for the Cloud
Manycompaniesareoverwhelmedfrom managinggrowingamountsofdatathatare beingstoredinmanydifferentareas--from laptopstodatacenterstocloudservices.Thecomplexity, amountoftimeandcostsforbusinessestoprotect,govern andmanagetheirdatalifecycleisincreasingdramatically. DruvaoffersaSoftware-as-a-Service(SaaS)solutionthat enablesorganizationstoaddresstheseneedsinacost efficient,centralizedandeasytomanagemannernomatter whereenterprisedataislocated.Itssolutionsincludecloud dataprotectionaswellasdatagovernanceanddata intelligence,allfromasingle,unifiedplatform,and addressesthesepreviouslymentionedchallengestosecurea leadershippositioninthemarket.
Foundedin2008,thecompanyoffersthe Druva Cloud Platform,aSaaSsolutionthatprovideshighperformance, directtocloud,dataprotectionandmanagementacross servers,endpoints,cloudSaaSservices(e.g.Office365, Salesforce,Google),andcloudnativeworkloads.Indoing soenterprisesachieveacentralizedwaytoprotectand managetheirdata,significantlyreducethecostof infrastructure,andincreaseoveralldatavisibilityto mitigatetheinherentdatariskscausedbyunmanageddata sprawl.
AnEmpoweringLeader
JaspreetSingh,theFounderandCEOofDruva,bringsa combinationofproductvisionandbusinessexperiencethat hasallowedthecompanytobeoneofthefastest-growing companiesinthe$28Bdataprotectionandmanagement market.Druvaraisednearly$200Minventurefunding, withitsmostrecentroundof$80Min2017.
Jaspreet’smarketandtechnologyinsightshaveledhimto create the first and only cloud-first,DataManagement-as-aService(DMaaS)company,providingnewandinnovative technologysolutions,aswellasforward-thinkingeconomic modelsforover4,000customersworldwide.Priorto startingDruva,Jaspreethasheldfoundationalrolesat Veritas.JaspreethasaB.S.inComputerSciencefromthe IndianInstituteofTechnology,Guwahati.
Jaspreetasksallemployeesofthecompanytoviewtheir jobsasameansofpersonalgrowthandjourney.He encouragesthemtobedisciplinedandreadytotake advantageofanyandallopportunitiesthatcomealong,to leanforwardandtakecharge,tobecautiousbutnotafraid, tobecourageous,andbehonestandshowintegrityinall thatonesaysanddoes.
RedefiningInnovation
Druvafocusesonbeingcustomer-centricbyunderstanding thepainpointsitscustomersface,thendevelopingsolutions tosolvetheseproblems. “What we’ve learned is that the digital transformation catalyzed by modern technologies, is rapidly changing today’s organizations of all sizes, as a variety of data is being generated continuously and exponentially at a high-volume and incredible velocity,” assertsJaspreet.
Businessesofallsizesarestrugglingtocontain,manage, andprotectdataamidthecomplexitiesandlimitationsof today’scloudcomputingenvironment.Druvaofferseasyto usesoftwaretomanageandprotectthisdatafromasingle, unifiedplatform,akeytosecuringitsleadershippositionin themarket.
‘‘
We are a global leader in Cloud Data Protection and Management, delivering the industryʼs first data management-as-a-service solution. ‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘
“Our first product was modestly successful from a revenue perspective but helped us to see that we were on the right path. It also provided the motivation to always be customerfocused and to continuously look for ways to add value to our customers,” Jaspreetstates.
DistinctiveAspects
Druvahasgrownitscustomerbasetoover4000inlessthan 10years.Thefactorsthatdistinguishesthecompanyfrom therestofthemarketincludesregularlyengagingits customersforfeedbackandthenunderstandingthemand applyingthem;lookingatthingsfromthecustomers’ perspectiveandnotjustthecompany’s;havingempathy andunderstandingtheirpainpoints,motivationsandneeds ofthecustomers.
Druva’smissionistobeanenduringcompany,onethat laststhroughdecades.Toaccomplishthis,itfocuseson developingaplatformwhichisnotjustacollectionof productsbutanintegratedlinethatdeliversvaluetoits customernetwork.ThecompanyisaSaaScompanyand adherestoacorporatephilosophythathasthreekey fundamentals:therightmissionandculture,therightteam, andalwaysofferingvaluetothecustomer.
OutclassingBenchmarks
Tosuccessfullycompeteinafastgrowing,highly competitiveindustry,Jaspreetsays, “We are a cloud-based software company that must out-innovate our competitors by providing cloud native software that takes full advantage of the benefits of the cloud.
Singh Founder & CEO
“We believe that leveraging the cloud is the only way to manage and protect the vast amounts of data that each organization is responsible for, in a simple, scalable and cost-effective manner,” addsJaspreet.
TestimonialsofProficiency
ThefollowingreviewsaretakenfromGartnerPeer Insights:
“Great Product - Great Support: Druva Nailing Cloud Backups”
- FromaCloudArchitectintheEnergy&Utilities industry.
“Great Product, Better Service!”
- FromaSystemsEngineer,healthcareindustry.
“Exceeded Expectations”
- FromaDirectorofIT,Infrastructureand Operations,manufacturingindustry.
Jaspreet
TChallenges in Cloud Computing
Challenges in Cloud Computing
heCloudskeeprollinginforenterprises.Inthe 2018StateoftheCloudSurveyperformedby RightScale,theyfoundthat96%ofrespondents nowusethepublic,private,hybrid,oramixofcloud computingmodels.Toaddsomeadditionalcomplexityto themix,fromthesamesurvey,organizationsarealready runningapplicationsin3.1cloudsandexperimentingwith 1.7moreforatotalof4.8clouds.
Businessesreportthekeyadvantagesofmovingworkloads totheCloudareflexibility,agility,easyaccessto information,andcostsavings.Allofthesegreatadvantages thoughcomewithaprice.Justlikeanymigrationproject, therearealotofmovingpiecesandalotofplacesa companycanrunintoissues.
Therearereallythreesilosofchallengesthatbothcloud migrationsandoperatingintheCloudfallinto.
1 Planning–Withoutawellthoughtoutplan,your migrationisdestinedtohavearockyroadtooperational readiness.
2 RiskMitigation–Itiskeytounderstandalltherisks, technologyandbusiness,thatmovingandoperatingin theCloudcreates.Addingriskmitigationtoyourinitial planwillhelpeasethetransitionandmakeasurprise freeenvironmentwhenservicesgointoproductionin theCloud.
3 Governance(CostandSecurity)–Theeaseofuse, agility,andelasticityoftheCloudaregreatbenefits,but, theycanalsoleadtorunawaycostsandalackof adherencetosecuritybestpractices.
AtCCSIwebreakthemigrationandoperationintheCloud into5keyareas.
1 Discovery Itisacriticalstartwithafullunderstandingofwhat existsintheenvironmenttoday.Allapplications, services,andsupportinginfrastructureshouldbe inventoriedanddocumented.Thiswillensurenothing getsleftbehindandthatthereisaclearunderstandingof thecurrentsteadystateinfrastructure.
2 Assessment
Onceacompleteinventoryiscreated,eachapplication andservicecanbeevaluatedtodetermineifitshouldbe movedtotheCloud.Ifitistomove,isitbestsuitedfor public,private,orhybriddeploymentorwoulditbe bettertomovetoaSaaS(SoftwareasaService) solution.Perhapsitcanbedecommissionedbecause thereareduplicateservices,oritisnotbeingused anymore.Itmayalsobedeterminedthattheapplication orserviceisnotagoodtargettomove.Perhapsitisa legacyapplicationthatcan’tsupportmoremodern infrastructures.
ThisisalsoagoodtimetostartreviewingCloudservice providersthatmayfittherequirementsofyour applications,yourinfrastructure,andyourbudget.
3 MigrationPlanning
Nowthatweknowwhatwearemovingandwhereitis moving,wecanstarttoputtogetheraplan.Duringthe migrationplanningphaseworkloadsareprioritizedfor theordertheyaregoingtobemoved,abudgetisput together,abusinesscaseismadeforeachworkloadthat istobemoved,andpilotmigrationsareperformed wherefurtherdesign,performance,orreliabilitytesting isneeded.Oncethisstageiscomplete,afullmigration roadmapalongwithbuyinfromalltheinterested partieswithintheorganizationshouldbesecured.
4 MigrationandTesting
Onceaworkloadismigrated,fulltestingshouldtake place.Testingforperformance,load,security,resiliency andreliabilityshouldbeperformed.Thisisoneofthe mostcriticalsteps.Itismucheasiertomitigateissues BEFOREgoingintoproduction.
5 GoLive
Thisisprobablytheshortestbutscariestpartofthe process.Afterallthehardwork,theplugispulledon theoriginalsystemandthenewsystemintheCloud goeslive.Allsupportprocessesshouldbetransitioned tosupportthenewcloudinfrastructureandall documentationshouldbeupdated.Afteranyissuesare
About the Author
Joe Goldberg is the Senior Cloud Program Manager at CCSI. Over the past 15+ years, Joe has helped companies to design, build out, and optimize their network and data center infrastructure. Joe is also ITIL certified. Joe can be contacted via Twitter handle
@DevOps_Dad or by email jgoldberg@ccsinet.com.
ironedout,apostmigrationreviewis alwaysvaluabletoseeifthereareanyways toimprovethemigrationprocessforthenext workload.
Nowthatyourorganizationisofficially“intheCloud”,the challengeofgovernancebegins.Foreffectivecostcontrol incloudcomputingservices,itisimportanttounderstand thedifferentfactorsthatimpactanorganization’scost. Cloudcostmanagementtoolsshouldbeusedtohelp discoverthesourceoftheseinefficiencies.Unplannedcosts areoftenduetoalackofvisibilityofcurrentconsumption andpasttrends.Whenorganizationsusedonpremise infrastructure,theyfinanceditwithfixedupfrontCAPEX investments.CloudconsumptionisanOPEXsubscription modelbasedonutilization.Ashiftintheapproachto operationalmanagementisnowneeded.Optimizingfor costisasimportantasoptimizingforperformance.
Cloud-basedgovernancetoolscantrackusageandcosts thenalertadministratorswhencostsaregreaterthan budgeted.Thesesametoolscanbeusedtoensurecorporate securitypoliciesarebeingappliedtoallworkloadsandthat bestpracticesecurityframeworkslikeCenterforInternet Security(CIS)arebeingapplied.
Ascloudservicesmovedeeperintotheorganization,it’sas importantaseverthattechnologyleadersmakeinformed
decisionsabout whichproducts, services,andpayment modelsdeliverthebestresults andhaveadequateplanningin place-butit’snoteasy.
AboutCCSI
Formorethan40years,ContemporaryComputer ServicesInc.(CCSI)missionhasbeentohelpsolvemodern businesschallengeswithtechnologysolutionsthatoptimize cost,reducerisk,simplifyoperations,andincrease performance.CCSIprovidesthehighestqualityofservice intheindustryforthefullspectrumoftechnologies–from containerstoPCs,networkinfrastructures,managed services,IPtelephony,cybersecurity,cloudservices,SDWAN,tostoragesolutions.AtCCSI,webelievethat technologyexiststomakeourlives-andourbusinessessimpler,moreproductive,secure,andultimatelymore profitable.Let’sGrowTogether.Learnmoreat www.ccsinet.com.
Joe Goldberg Cloud Program Manager CCSI
Infront Consulting Group: Helping Enterprises Implement and Automate Microsoft Solutions
InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess,RoryMcCaw, CEOofInfrontConsultingGroupInc.shareshis insightregardingtheenterpriseITjourneyand Infront’sspecializedsolutionsandservices.Hediscusses thecompany’scorecompetenciesthecompany’sglobal market.
Giveabriefoverviewofthecompany,itssolutions,and itsservices.
Infrontspecializesindatacentermodernization,automated Windows10andO365deploymentsaswellascloud solutiondesign,automation,anddeployment.Infronthas helpedenterpriseclientsmoveawayfromlegacy applicationsandinfrastructureandadoptacloud-first strategy.InfrontprovidesmanagedservicesforAzureand AWSworkloads,andcanhelpenterprisesadoptahybrid model.
Infront’steamsofconsultantswhodeliverEnterprise AdvisoryServicesexcelinavarietyoftechnologies including:
SystemCenter:OperationsManager(SCOM);Service Manager(SCSM);ConfigurationManager(SCCM); Orchestrator;(SCOrch);VirtualMachineManage(VMM); Hyper-V;ApplicationPerformanceManagement(APM); DataProtectionManager(DPM).
Windows10Skillset:MicrosoftSecurityStackAll-Up; DeploymentandServicing(WaaS);BitlockerandMBAM; DeviceGuard&CredentialGuard;WIPandHello;SCCM forClients;MDTandWICD;SurfaceProducts;Win10and EnterpriseMobility.
Cloud:Office365(O365);AzureActiveDirectory(AAD); EnterpriseManagementSuite(EMS);Operations ManagementSuite(OMS);PlatformasaService(PaaS); InfrastructureasaService(IaaS);AzureSiteRecovery (ASR).
Infrastructure:WindowsServer2003/2008/2008R2 throughtoWindowsServer2016;PublicKeyInfrastructure (PKI);ActiveDirectoryFederationServices(ADFS).
OtherTechnologies:ManagementPackDevelopment; Powershell;App-V;SimpleCertificateEnrollmentProtocol (SCEP);VirtualDesktopInfrastructure(VDI);Operating SystemDeployment(OSD);Linux;VMwareVsphere; AWS;Blockchain.
Describethewaysinwhichyourcloudsolutionsare focusedonbeingcustomercentric.
Clientfeedbackspeaksforitself,witha95.3%customer satisfactionratingthatspeakstotheprojectteamdelivering theresultsandqualitypromised.Ourpriorityistoautomate whereverpossible,whichisakeytoscalability, manageabilityandcostefficiencyinthecloud.Nowthat cloudtechnologiesarematuring,Infront’sclients’concerns arefocusedongovernance,security,compliance,and efficiency—bothhumanandfinancial.
ClientsinvestinginAzureIaaSarelookingforcompetitive pricingandcostsavingsfromcloud.Infront’sIaaS Automationprovidescustomerstheabilitytoautomatethe switchtoHUBlicensing,reservedinstances,orthe changingofVMtypes.
AzureSelfServicePortalisaself-serviceinterfacefor virtualmachineaccessandprovisioningwithbuilt-in approvals,providingeaseofuseandgovernance.
Describetheexperiences,achievementsorlessonslearnt thathaveshapedthejourneyofthecompany.
AtInfrontourcorevaluesareAgility,Passion,Ownership, Commitment,andCustomerFocus.Welovehelpingour customersincreaseefficiencyandderivegreatervaluefrom theirITinvestmentsthroughourexpertiseinautomation andproductivity.
‘‘
Need Expertise implementing Microsoft technologies? Infront is here to help. ‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘
FoundedbyRoryMcCawin2001inToronto,Infrontwas originallyaMicrosofttrainingcompany.By2007,basedon demandandreputation,theorganizationexpandedintothe UnitedStates.Overtime,Infronthasdevelopedaseriesof ManagementPackstohelpclientsproactivelymonitor RightFax,Orchestrator,McAfee,andIsilon.
Whatareyourcompany’sstrategiestoevolvewiththe volatiletrendsoftheindustry?
Infront’sstrategyistostaycurrentwiththeneedsofour customerstobeabletohelpthemcontinuetosolve businessproblemswithtechnology.Infrontbelievesthat thereisagreatdealofopportunityintheautomationofIT operationaltasks,particularlywithcloudfocused organizations.Movingworkloadtothecloudisthefirststep butthereismuchmoreautomationrequiredtoachievethe benefitsofcloud.
WheredoesInfrontConsultingGroupseeitselfinthe longrunand/orwhatareitsfuturegoals?
InfrontisproudtobeahighlyrecognizedMicrosoftpartner andwillcontinuetobewhilecontinuingtofocusonhelping enterprisecustomerssuccessfullyimplementandadopt Microsoftcloudtechnology.Infrontwillcontinuetohire expertsthatarepassionateabouttechnologyandwhoare customerfocused.Astechnologychanges,sotoowillthe skillsetsoftheteambutthepassionforsuccessandsolving complexproblemswillremain.
ConsideringtheescalatingnumberofCloudSolution providers,howdoesInfrontConsultingGroupstandout fromitscompetitors?
Outofmorethan496,000firmsglobally,Infronthasbeena winnerorfinalistforMicrosoftPartneroftheYear,sixout ofthelastsevenyearsinarow.
Infrontcandomoreinlesstimewithfewerresourcesthan anyofourcompetitors,forexample
Rory McCaw CEO
Ÿ WeemployfivefulltimeMicrosoftMVPsandone RegionalDirector.
Ÿ Ourclientsrepeatedlytelluswehiresmartconsultants whoareagile,passionate,customerfocused,and committedtosolvingcustomerproblemsastheywould theirown.
Ÿ TheInfrontconsultantstakeownershipofthesituation togetissuesresolved. Giveusafewtestimonialsofyourclientsthataccurately highlightInfrontConsultingGroup’spositioninthe market.
“Before Infront’s Isilon MP, we stood around pointing fingers and wondering where to start; now, we see a potential performance challenge before it is critical and address it.”
“We were able to ensure PCI compliance monthly across 4,400+ restaurants while managing the solution centrally and maintaining control of the patching process.”
AbouttheCEO
RoryMcCawbringsbothabusinessandtechnical backgroundtothecompany.RorywasaMicrosoftMost ValuedProfessional(MVP)formorethan10yearsandwas fortunatetomeetmanyothersmart,passionateIT professionals,someofwhomworkedforInfrontoverthe years.ThesuccessoftheInfrontisdefinedbystrong businessleadershipandateamofincredible,passionateIT professionalsthatexceedourcustomer’sexpectations.
The New Mobility on Cloud Way Of Business-
Theradicalchangeintheinnovativetechnology,ischangingthebasicsoftheenterprisesfunction.The
wayofthebusinessestodayisverymuchaffectedbytheconvergenceofenterprisemobilitywithCloud Computing,BigDataAnalyticsandSocialMedia.Themantraforasuccessfulbusinesstodayisto observeandadoptthewayemployees,partnersandcustomersconnectandenergeticallyengageinfulfilling businessobjectivesandattainingtheenterprisegoalsinrecordtime.Thisisthereason,thattheenterprisesof todayhavetofollowthecurrenttrendsintherealtime. ThereisonemoreparadigmshifttheITindustryisobserving,andthatistheentranceofEnterpriseMobilityinthe business.With the use of it now critical business data, complex analytics and reports are getting available to the decision makers and executives in no time. The vast acceptance of the Mobile Phones and Tablets burgeon the businesses.
Withanytime-anywhereaccesstothebusinessdataforswiftdecisionmakingandimprovedcustomerservice,is onlygettingpossiblewiththeuseofEnterpriseMobileDeviceManagement(MDM).InthiswayMobilityonCloud ishelpingSME’stogetbenefitedbythetechnologicaladvances.
Approximately, 70% of the North American workforce is now mobile, cloud-based environments require a transparentmobilepolicymanagementstrategy.Asisobserved,moreandmoredataofthecompanies,nowadaysis residingonmobiledevicesandisdistributedonoff-siteservers,protectingthatdataisbecomingamission-critical priority.Thatisthereasonthatsecurityconcernedenterprisesaremoreconcentratingonthethreecriticalmobility factorsastheyevaluateanddeploycloudcomputing.Thethreeimportantfactorsare:
Easyaccesstocloud-baseddataandapplicationsfromanywhereatanytime Theavailabilityoftheflexibilityofthemobileworkforceisonlypossiblewiththeenablementofeasyaccesstothe cloud-baseddataandapplicationsfromanywhereatanytime.Theworkerstodayhavetotravelfromoneplaceto another switching between various public, private, wired and wireless networks in order to get access to the corporate applications. Mobile workers have to manually select and connect to the best available network in the givenlocationbecauseofthis.Thiscreatesaconfusioninbetweentheworkerswhatnetworktoselect,whatpolicies toapplyandetc.justbecauseoftheconnectivityprocessisleftontheend-users.Thiswholeprocessisthereasonof lessproductivityonthepartofthemobileworkers.
UnnecessaryAccessCosts
Wi-Fiand3Gliketechnologiesaregettingusedtoaccesscloud-baseddataandapplicationsbythemobileworkers today,fromanywhere,ontheroad,fromahotelorahomeoffice.Thisisbecomingareasonofextracost,whenyou aresupposedtogainfromthecloudcomputingenvironment.Mostofthetimethiscostbecomesunnecessary,like payingforLANorWi-Fifeeswhenamobileworkerisinanareacoveredbyhispaid3Gsubscription,using3G whenroaminginternationallyorusing3Gwhenafreeorlow-costWi-FiorLANoptionisavailable.
SecurityConcern
Today,manyenterprisesareinvestingonendpointsecuritysolutionsandcorporateVPNs,datacompromiseisstilla bigthreatforenterprisesbecauseofavarietyofthreatsthatstemfromnetworkbridging,visitstomaliciousWeb sites, download of malicious software, and use of open and unencrypted networks.The process of connecting to wired and wireless networks is a manual, user-driven process makes the risk high. Despite these high risks, enterprisescanmaintainitselfagainsttheseriskswiththeMobilePolicyManagement(MPM): Thecriticalmobilityfactorsofcostcontrol,securityandend-userconnectivityforcloud-basedenterprises,comes underaterm,‘MobilePolicyManagement(MPM)’.MPMaddstotheoverallreturnoninvestmentofcloud-based initiativesthroughreducedcostsandimprovedsecurity.
MPMhelpsenterprisesto:
Pre-definenetworkprioritizationpolicies
MPMhelpsITtopre-definenetworkprioritizationpoliciesandassignspecificmobilepoliciestoagivennetworkfor cloudandnon-clouddataandapplicationaccess.Byautomatingnetworkselectionandmobileaccesspolicies,MPM boosts the mobile workforce productivity. Additionally, MPM helps IT to pre-define network selection rules and assign mobile policies to each type of network. MPM solution automatically selects the best available network as definedbyIT,connectstheuserandappliestherelevantmobilepolicies,whilethemobileworkersroamaround.This givestheworkeraremoteaccessandconnectivitytransparenttoend-users,savingtheirvaluabletimewhenaccessing cloudandnon-clouddataandapplications.
Enablestocost-optimizingnetworkselection
MPM enables an option of ‘cost-optimizing network selection’to reduce the cost of mobile data usage by costoptimizingnetworkselection.Leavingnetworkselectionuptotheend-usercandrivedatacostsfaroverbudgetand create significant cost liabilities, for the enterprises. For an instantance, a mobile worker with an unlimited 3G subscriptionshouldavoidconnectingto,payingforandexpensinghotelWi-Fiwheninanareacoveredbya3Glocal provider.Fortheenterprisesbenefit,MPMplatformavoidsunbudgeteddatacostsbyhelpingITtodefineandenforce anetworkwhitelist,preventingusersfromaddingunsanctionedlaptopcommunicationsoptionstotheirmobilePcs.
AvoidscommonData-SecurityThreats
Thedatasecuritythreatsoccuronlybecauseoftherogueaccesspointsornetworksthatareinplacetoluremobile workers onto them in order for hackers to gain access to corporate data like publicWi-Fi access points in airports labeled “free Wi-Fi” or rogue Wi-Fi placed in proximity to corporate offices. Though there are security solutions workingforthesame,butofnouse.WhenamobileworkerisworkingandvisitingvariousplacesanMPMplatform enablesITtodynamicallyautomateandenforcenetwork-specificsecuritypolicies.
Enterprises who are deploying cloud computing are influencing Mobile Policy Management to gain organizationwidevisibilityandcontrolovertheirmobileworkforce.
Reltio: Organizing Data for Self-learning Enterprises
Intoday’sdigitaleconomy,themostsuccessful companiesknowhowtoharnesstheirdataandlearn fromit.BeitGoogle,Netflix,orAmazon,successful companiesinthedigitaleconomyareleadingtheindustry withnewrevenuemodelsandbetter,personalizedcustomer experience.Reltio,aprivatelyheldcompanyheadquartered inRedwoodShores,Californiawiththemissiontohelp enterpriseusers‘BeRightFaster’callsthemself-learning enterprises.
Whatsetstheseenterprisesapartfromothersishowthey haveadoptedtheuseofdatatoimproveoperationsand businessoutcomes.Aself-learningenterprisebuildsa holisticdatastrategyandisdata-driveninallaspectsof theirbusiness.ReltioCloud,adataorganizationsolution createdbyReltio,isenablingenterprisestoleveragedatato itsfullestpotentialandstartaself-learningjourney. ReltioCloud,developednativelyinthecloud,organizes enterprisedataforcontinuousself-learning.WithReltio, businessescannowmanagedatalikeleadingcloud companies,leveragingcontinuousdataorganizationand recommendedactionstomeasureandimprovetheir operations.Reltioorganizesdatafromallsourcesand formats,creatingaunifieddatasetwithunlimited personalizedviewsforusersacrosssales,marketing,and compliance.Withmachinelearning,Reltiothen recommendsactions,andfinallymeasuresandcorrelates theimpactonthebusiness.
ReltioCloudhelpsenterprisestoachievethefollowing:
Makedatatheheartofeverydecision
Self-learningenterprisesaredata-driven.Reltioenables enterprisestoleveragedataasacompetitiveadvantageand useitforbettercustomerexperienceaswellasfor regulatorycompliancesuchasGDPR.Reltiohelps enterprisesdesigntherightproductfortherightcustomer andofferitattherighttimeviathecommunicationchannel oftheirchoice.
Organizedataofalltypesatunlimitedscale ReltioCloudhelpscollectandorganizedatafromall
internal,external,socialandthird-partysources.Companies cancorrelatevarioustypesofdata,connecttransactions, omnichannelinteractions,masterdata,andreferencedatato createacompletepictureofcustomers,products,suppliers oremployeesthathelpthemmaketherightdecisions, faster.It’snotjustaboutcollectinglargevolumesofdatain datalakes;it’saboutorganizingitinaformthatcanbeused fordecisionmanagement.
Unifydatasetstodeliverpersonalizedviews
Reltiohelpscreateaconsistentsingle-source-of-truthof dataacrossapplications,systems,andfunctionalgroups. Eachuserofdataneedstheinformationinthecontextof theirbusinessroleandobjective.Reltiodeliversdata-driven applicationspersonalizedandcontextualtosales, marketing,customerservice,fieldservice,compliance,and callcentersgroupswithdataprovidedfromasinglesource oftruth.
Infuseanalyticsintoeverybusinessprocess
Self-learningenterprisesbringtogetheralldatatheyneed foranalyticsandmachinelearninginoneplace,accessible inreal-time.Reliabledatafrominteractions,transactions, masterprofiles,third-partysubscriptions,publicandsocial mediasourcesisconsolidatedforamorein-depthanalytics. ReltioCloudenablesthatseamlessly.Analyticsrunningon areliabledatafoundationensuresorganizationscanmake betterandinformeddecisions.
Continuouslylearnaboutcustomers,productsandtheir relationships
Self-learningenterprisescorrelateandmeasureinsightsand recommendationswithactualoutcomesthroughaclosedloopcycleandkeepimproving.Bringingtogetheranalytics andoperationalexecutionhelpswithcontinuous measurementofresultscomparedwithprojections,and identifyingareasofimprovement.Self-learningenterprises continuallylearnaboutcustomers,suppliers,andproducts. Withimprovedknowledgeaboutcustomerbehaviorsand preferences,theyofferincreasinglyrelevantproductsand services.
‘‘
Be right faster with the leading cloud master data management platform. ‘‘
‘‘ ‘‘
Thisself-learningcycleempowerscompaniestoputdataat theheartofeverydecision,buildanalyticsintooperational businessprocessesandcontinuouslylearnaboutcustomers, productsandtheirrelationships.LeadingGlobal2000and companiesofallsizesandindustriesrelyonReltioto becomeSelf-LearningEnterprises.
AReformatoryLeader
ReltiowasfoundedbyManishSood,anentrepreneurwith apassionforinnovation.Hepreviouslyco-authoredthe patentthatrevolutionizedMasterDataManagement (MDM)throughaglobalbusinessidentifierandservedas theprimaryarchitectofsomeofthemostwidelyuseddata managementsolutionsinusebyFortune100companies today.
Manishwaspreviouslypartoftheteamthatintroduceda leadingMasterDataManagementplatforminthemarket. Butdespitethatsuccessandthematurationofa$1B+ softwareandservicesmarketforMDM,severalfactors alignedtoformanopportunitytotransformtheindustry.
First,fromatechnologicalevolutionperspective,the commercialavailabilityofbigdatatechnologiesandelastic cloudcomputingshowedhowtraditionalheavyweight,onpremise,ERP-classdatamanagementwasinefficientand costly.Second,thetime-to-valuedidnotalignwiththe expectationsoffrontlinebusinessusers,whointheir frustrationwerepouringbillionsofdollarsoftheirowninto self-servicead-hocbusinessintelligenceoranalyticstools.
Withthisperspectiveandapassionforchange,Manish foundedReltioin2011.Andwithinafewyearsofthe formalproductlaunch,Reltiobecamealeaderinthedata managementspace.Toptechnologyindustryanalystform, ForresterResearch,namedReltioaleaderand“most visionary”initsForresterWaveonMasterData Management.
Manish Sood CEO & Founder
GlobalRecognition
Today,theReltioplatformisaggressivelytakingmarket sharefromlegacyincumbents.Reltio’sinnovativevision hasdeliveredaSelf-LearningDataPlatformtoenterprises, helpingthemsolvetheirmostcomplexbusinessproblems andenablingdigitaltransformationacrossindustries.Reltio countsascustomers8ofthetop10pharmaceutical companiesintheworld,2ofthetop10globaltechnology companies,2ofthetop10globalcosmeticscompaniesand oneofthelargestcasualtyandpropertyinsurersintheU.S.
TheindustryhastakennoticeofReltio’sinnovationsand fastcompanygrowth.ThecompanyrankedintheInc.5000 listofAmerica’sfastest-growingprivatecompaniestwo yearsinarow.Recently,itwasalsonamedaleaderforthe secondtimebyForresterResearchinitsMachineLearning DataCatalogsWave.Technologychannelnewsleader, CRN,namedReltioaTop20CoolestCloudSoftware Vendorof2018.
Forthelastthreeyears,topdatanewspublication,Database Trends&ApplicationshasfeaturedReltioinitsDBTA100, alistofthecompaniesthatmattermostindata. Additionally,Reltiohasbeenranked#1inFortune’sBest Small&MediumCompaniestoWorkFor,andranked amongthepublication’sTop30BestWorkplacesin Technology.Forbeshasalsorecognizedthecompanyforits excellentworkplaceculture,namingReltiooneoftheBest BigDataCompaniestoWorkForin2018,aswellasoneof theBestCloudCompaniestoWorkFor.
Rising Mobile Workforce and its Challenges in the Mobile-Cloud Era:
Mathivanan V Vice President ManageEngine
Data & Endpoint Management
Mobilityandcloud computingarerapidly becomingthenormfor enterprisesaroundtheworld.Inturn, enterpriseITdepartmentsarefacing newmanagementandsecurity challengesastheamountofbusiness datasoarsandthenumberof endpointsexplodes.Thequestion thatisdoingtheroundsiswhatIT teamsneedtoconsidertomanage andsecuretheirbusinessesinthis newera.
Industryanalystspredictdeep penetrationofenterprise mobilitybytheyear2020. IDC,forinstance,forecasts
thatmobileworkerswillaccountfor almost75percentofthetotal workforceintheU.S.Meanwhile, StrategyAnalyticsprojectsthatthe globalmobileworkforcewillreach 1.75billionusersandaccountfor42 percentoftheglobalworkforce overall.
Theeconomicperspectiveisjustas brightasabutton.Theglobal enterprisemobilitymarketwillbe worthasmuchas$140billion, predictstheNationalAssociationof SoftwareandServicesCompanies
Andtheinvestmentsarepayingoff. Todate,84percentofallcompanies whoconsiderthemselvesonthe cuttingedgeofmobilityreportan increaseinoverallproductivityasa directresultofincorporatingmobile appsintotheirbusiness,accordingto asurveybyAppsFreedom.
Likewise,enterprisesareexpectedto continuerelentlesslyadoptingcloud technologies.By2020,Gartner forecaststhepubliccloudservices marketwillreach$383billion.This includesspendingoncloudbusiness processservices,cloudapplication infrastructureservices,cloud applicationservices,cloud managementandsecurityservices, cloudsysteminfrastructureservices, andofcourse,cloudadvertising.
Theflipsideofincreasingenterprise mobilityandcloudusageisthe increasingrisktoenterprisesecurity. Today,mostusershaveatleasttwo endpoints–alaptopandmobile device–and80percentofnetwork devicesarebeendpointsthatare constantlyconnectedtotheinternet andexposedtoitsthreatssuchas Meltdown,Spectre,Wannacry,and Petya.
Moretroubling,thetypicalenduser haslittleknowledgeofthosethreats ortheirramifications.Theresultis moreusersaremorelikelytoleak enterprisedatabyusing compromisedwebsitesandrogue onlineservices.TheCVElisted 14,712cybersecurityvulnerabilities for2017andhasalreadylisted2,848 forthefirsttwomonthsof2018.In response,vendorslargeandsmallare releasingpatchesonadailybasis. EnterpriseITteamsclearlyneedto focusonendpointsecurity managementtoensurebusiness successinthemobile-cloudera.
Endpointsecuritychallenges
Keepingendpointsuptodatewith thelatestversionsoftheirOSesand applicationshasbecomeafull-time job,onethatisgettingharderto performinthemobileenterprise.A growingchallengeisthediversityof endpointoperatingsystemsthatmust bemanaged,includingAndroid,iOS, MacOS,Windows,Linux,and ChromeOS.Foreach,theITteam mustlearnthatOSalongwithits correspondingpatchingtechnique. Likewise,applicationsacquiredfrom thevariousappstoresaremanaged withdifferenttechniquesthatmustbe learnedandmasteredsothattheteam cansecuretheendpoints.
Anotherchallengeismanagingthe endpointsfromdayone,especially mobiledevices.Whileit’sbeen relativelyeasyforITadminsto installagentsoftwareondesktops andlaptops,smartphonesandother mobiledevicesmakelifeharderfor theadminsbecausethedevicesare rarelyifeverconnectedtothe corporatenetwork.Consequently, devicesmustbeprovisionedwiththe
necessarymobiledevice managementsoftwarebeforetheyare giventoendusers.Devicesthatare notappropriatelymanagedare securityrisks,sonobusiness applicationshouldbeinstalledorrun onthem.
Relatedtotheday-onemanagement challengeisupdatingendpointsthat areonthego,anytimeandanywhere. ITteamsmustbeabletoinstall criticalpatcheswhileemployeesare traveling,commuting,orotherwise offsite.
Dataleakagepresentsyetanother securitychallengeforITteamsto overcome.Dataleakagecanhappen withorwithouttheusers’knowledge. Forinstance,usersmayknowingly copybusinessdatatoaUSBdevice oruploadittoacloudstorage service.Theymayalsounknowingly exposethatdatatoapubliccloud servicewhenusingthird-partyapps suchasdocumentviewersand predictivekeyboardapps.Suchapps maycompromiseuserIDsand passwords,accountnumbers,and othersensitiveenterprisedataby exposingittopubliccloudservices.
Whenauser’sdeviceislostor stolen,theITteammustbeableto trackandrecoverthedeviceorwipe thedataifthedeviceisn’trecovered. Tomaintaintheuser’sprivacy, however,theITteamcannot continuouslytrackthelocationofthe user’sdevice.
BYODpresentsanotherprivacyvs securitychallenge:Whenusersuse theirowndevicesforbusiness purposes,privacyneedstobe maintained.Photos,contacts,and otherpersonaldatashouldnotbe
managedbycompany’smobiledevicemanagementapp. Ontheotherhand,securityneedstobemaintained,too. Tothatend,theITteamshouldcreateacontaineronthe user’spersonaldevice–asecure,managedareathat isolatesbusinessemail,CRM,andotherenterpriseapps anddatafromtherestofuser’spersonalapps/data.
Toestablishstrongendpointsecurityandprevent unwantedattacks,ITteamsmustapplystrictsecurity policiesontheirendpoints.Laptops,forinstance,should alwaysrunafirewall,preventthecreationofunwanted networkshares,andencryptdataviaBitLockeror FileVault.Suchsecuritypoliciescanprotectenterprises fromthesecurityrisksposedbymobility.
Predictingthedevelopmentofdataandendpoint management
Goingforward,machinelearningandAIwillhelpmake dataandendpointmanagementaproactive,ratherthana reactiveprocess.Forinstance,thesetechnologiescould preventdatatheftbydetectinganomaliessuchas unusualloginactivitiesoranunusuallylargenumberof documentsbeinguploadedtothecloud.Theycould analyzetherootcauseofpatchdeploymentfailuresand suggestfixes.Theycouldalsodetectsystemidletimes–duringlunchhours,forinstance–todeploypatchesas
soonaspossibleratherwaituntilafterhoursor weekends,whichcanleavesystemsunnecessarily vulnerable.
Meanwhile,theinternetofthings(IoT)willintroduce manyorganizationstoanewbreedofendpointsand connecteddevices.UnliketheiriOS-andAndroidpoweredpredecessors,IoTdeviceswillberunningmany differentOSesandapplications,allofwhichmaybe vulnerableyetmustbemanagedandsecured.
Finally,mostbusinessapplicationsaremovingtothe cloudandaccessedviabrowser,effectivelymakingthe browseranendpoint.Thatmeanstodefendagainst attacks,ITteamsneedtomanagebrowsersandperform allsecurityoperationsforthemjustasiftheywere desktops,laptops,oranyotherdevice.
Asorganizationscontinuetoadoptmobilityandthe cloud,theymustalsoadoptthepracticesnecessaryto supportthisnewreality.Dataandendpointsecurityand managementarepriorityoneinITdepartments.Forthe vastmajorityofcompaniesaroundtheworld,theirfuture successdependsonrecognizingandcommittingtothat priority.
Providers 2018/2019
vCloud Group: Virtual Networking Made Simple Soluti n
Thelastfewyearshavebeenmarkedbya phenomenalincreaseintheadoptionofcloud computing.Moreorganizationsarerealizingthat cloudtechnologygivesthemthepowertostreamlinetheir operations,theflexibilitytoaccessdataatanytimeand place,andthefreedomtobreakfreeofthetraditional limitationsofbusinesscommunications.
Thispotenttrifectaofpower,flexibility,andfreedomisat thecenterofeverysolutionthatMelbourne-basedcloud computingspecialist,vCloudGroupcreatesforitsclients.
AStrongFoundation
Theriseofcloudcomputingasthepreferredsolutionfor businesshasfueledacorrespondingsurgeinthenumberof cloudsolutionproviders.Inthisincreasinglycrowdedand competitiveenvironment,vCloudGroupsetsitselfapart withathree-prongedfoundationtoclientsatisfaction. Thefirstoftheseisanunwaveringcommitmentto providingacompletelyintegratedsolution.vCloudGroup doesnotoutsourceanyofitsservices–itsclientscan oversee,manage,andmodifytheircloudinfrastructure throughasinglepointofcontact.Thissimplified philosophyimprovestransparencyandenableseveryclient tomakebetterbusinessdecisions.
ThesecondprongofvCloudGroup’sservicestrategyis theircomprehensivesupportframework.Apartfromthe standardphone,web,andemailhelpoptions,clientscan alsoallowremoteaccesstospecialistsusinganydevice throughWindows,MacOS,Linux,Android,iOS, ChromeOS,orBlackBerryoperatingsystems. vCloudGroup’sthirdprongisperhapsitsmostpowerful–pricing.Byprovidingtheiradvancedexpertise,industry-
leadinginternalR&Ddevelopments,andproactivesupport atcompetitiveprices,thecompanyhasleveledtheplaying fieldforbusinessesofallsizes.
Thismeansthatmanytraditionallimitationsnolonger apply;theirclientshaveaccesstotechnologythatis otherwisesolelywithinthereachoflargeenterprises.These threefactorsaresupportedbyvCloudGroup’ssoftware, whichisbasedonVMware.Theindustry’stopengineers ensurepeakperformanceandhighspeedthroughan advancednetworkthatallowsclientstoaccesstheir resourcesinstantlyfromanydeviceandanylocation.
MeetingChallengesHead-on
Asisthecasewithanytechnologyinthefirststagesof implementation,thecloudcomputingworldisstill susceptibletosignificantparadigmshifts.Thisvolatilityhas thepotentialtowreakhavoconprovidersthatdonothavea strategytodampentheeffectsofsuchchanges. vCloudGroupdoes,andcentraltothecompany’seffortsis itsResearch&Developmentdepartment.In-houseR&D allowsvCloudGrouptointernalizetechnologicalprogress inawaythatitscompetitorscannot.Itgivesthemthe foresighttoanticipateshiftsandadjusttheirplatformand strategytoalignwiththeprojectedchanges.
Fortheirclients,thistranslatestouninterrupted connectivity,seamlessworkflow,andaccesstothemost advancedandeffectivecloudtechnologysolutionsbefore anyoftheircompetitors.
vCloudGroupisnolongerjustanothercloudservices provider.Thecompanyhasevolvedtobeattheforefrontof ITtechnology,shapingthefutureoftheindustry,and pavingthewaythatotherswillfollowforyears.
‘‘
Providing a revolutionary cloud platform combined with excellent customer service. ‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘
ProactiveManagement
Strongandinformedleadershipiscriticaltoanyindustryleadingcompany.Chartingthecompany’sgroundbreaking courseisvCloudGroup’sfounderandCEO,Trevor Mifsud
Anaccomplishedcomputersystemsengineer,Trevorhas spentalmostthreedecadesintheITindustry.Hisleadership extendsbeyondvCloudGroup;heisalsothefounderof managedservicesprovider,AssociatedComputerEngineers (ACEIT).
vCloudGroupfirstmadeanameforitselfinsoftware developmentandITnetworking.Thisgavethecompany penetrativeinsightintothelimitationsofcentral repositoriesofinformation,likephysicalservers.Trevor initiallyfocusedonbackup,securitysystems,software developmentandbusinesscontinuity.Thischangedwiththe surgeindemandforcloudsolutions.
Thequickchangeoftacktowardscloudtechnologyalludes tooneofTrevor’skeystrengths-hisholisticunderstanding oftheworldofIT.Thisabilityhaselevatedhimfrombeing justaparticipantintheindustrytothestatusofathought leader.HistalentforfarsightedplanninggivesvCloud Grouptheedgeitneedstomaintainaleadoverits competitors.
Thisadvantagewasdemonstratedtotheworldwhenthe companyincorporatedSDWAN(SoftwareDefinedWide AreaNetwork)basedonMPLSnetworkingmonthsbefore therestoftheindustry.
Trevor Mifsud Founder & CEO
MoldingtheFuture
Fewpeopledoubt,thatcloudITservicesarethefutureof computing,particularlyintheworldofbusiness.While vCloudGrouphasalreadyestablisheditselfasoneofthe mostinnovativeandreliableplayersintheindustry, Trevor’sleadershipensuresthatcomplacencydoesnotset in.HeplacesextraordinaryemphasisontheR&Daspectof theirabilities,andthishasalreadyproventobeinvaluable.
Trevorisquicktopointoutthatthefocusoftheirresearch isnotsolelyoncloudcomputing.Instead,theyaredrivento developtechnologicalsolutionsthatallowtheirclientsto succeed,withoutlimitingthemselvestoanyspecificfield. vCloudGroup’sclientsmaycomefromarangeof industriesbuttheyhaveonethingincommon–theynever compromisewithbusinessprocessesandcommunications.
Today,vCloudGrouphasformedlong-termbusiness partnershipswithmorethan20companiesacrossAustralia. Itisalsosurgingaheadwithnewcollaborationsbothwithin Australiaandacrosstheworld.
www.vcloudgroup.net
