Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/248536
48 Information Technology maltatoday, SUNDAY, 26 JANUARY 2014 Enterprise Cloud solutions: public, private or hybrid? ANDREA MUSCAT CLOUD is the latest catchphrase in the world of information technology, referring to the next stage of the internet revolution. It is a way how business' can increase capabilities and increase capacity without incurring great costs such as hardware, user training and software licenses. Over the years we have gradually embraced cloud technology without really being fully aware of it. It started when we created our Hotmail and Yahoo email accounts and evolved further when we started to access our bank accounts online through online banking. More recently, our use of cloud technology intensified through the use of social media, through services such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. Today, we not only store and access our emails and bank transactions online through the cloud, but we also share our latest relationship status and family vacation photos. In the enterprise world, the level of trust in such technology can be seen on two main models; these are commonly referred to us a public cloud and a private cloud. There is a third option, the hybrid cloud, which is still relatively new to enterprises, and involves mixing the two together. Finding the right mix of cloud models is the key starting point for such enterprises looking to invest in cloud. A private cloud, on one hand, is a single-tenant environment where the hardware, storage and network are dedicated to a single client or company. In our case, Alert Group can offer hosted solutions in our own data centre. The public cloud, on the other hand, is a multi-tenant environment, where one buys a "server slice" or an "application slice" in a cloud-computing environment that is shared with a number of other clients or tenants. This would be hosted more often than not by the vendor, such as SAP. Whether private or public, all solutions would be accessed via the internet. Why private cloud? The main driver for investing in a private cloud would be control. This is brought about by the need to tailor your solution to accurately map your business processes. Alert and SAP can offer a managed solu- Making use of a private cloud solution can help overcome skill shortages in an organisation's IT departments tion in a controlled environment, also using the latest in-memory technology (SAP HANA Cloud platform). SAP already has many clients running core solutions on a private cloud, which illustrates the robustness of such solutions. Making use of a private cloud solution can also help overcome skill shortages in an organisation's IT departments. The question therefore arises; is private cloud better than public cloud? The answer is not what is better or worse, it is about your business, and what is right and cost effective for your business. A public cloud service makes more sense when you want to change or adapt your business quickly. One must ensure best practices are implemented in this scenario. Despite this, one must try adapt to these best practices as quickly as possible for maximum success. SAP can also offer a private cloud service which is tailored to your needs and owned by your IT department. This can be combined with a public cloud to enable rapid change, to those business areas which you deem necessary. Such a solution can be based on the latest SAP HANA platform, where the latest in-memory technology offers organisations the option to go that extra mile, by configuring or extending their needs such as workflows or enhancements. Whatever the solution, the SAP platform guarantees data integration. Irrespective of the solutions, whether public, private or hybrid SAP has the resources to ensure effective security as one of the solution's main priorities. This means, one can be assured that whatever the cloud, SAP's security measures are of the very best. Essentially, cloud technology will bring innovation and ultimately responsiveness to an enterprise. Business will be transformed, and as a result, it will bring benefits of cloud technology such as minimizing infrastructure costs (such as servers), risk reductions and most importantly freeing up internal resources to focus more on the company's core business. Andrea Muscat is the Business Development Executive for Alert Solutions. Alert Solutions is the sole Value-Added Resellers of SAP in Malta as well as VAR partner in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region For more information on SAP and Alert cloud solutions; contact us on: info@alert.com.mt Vodafone crowns the 'best geek' VODAFONE Malta, in collaboration with Gadgets, has once again hosted a Geek Friday Event at Cafe Cuba, where a number of techies were invited to test and review the latest gadgets on the market including the Samsung S4, the iPhone 5S, the Vodafone Smart 4G and the Nokia 625. "We are very happy with our phone and tablets portfolio but are always looking for new feedback from our clients," said Karl Galea at Vodafone Malta. "Geek Friday brings together our most techy customers without phone portfolio plans. The feedback we get is useful to maintain Vodafone's reputation as the Home of the Smartphone. This is the reason why we came up with Geek Fridays." Geeks were invited for the third edition of Geek Fridays at Cafe Cuba to test the latest devices taking 4G on offer at Vodafone. After using all the phones available, techies had to vote for the phone they thought was best. "Geek Fridays is the best event ever," remarked one of the attendees. "There is no other such event on the Maltese Islands and I am sure that many people are interested in what devices are coming out and to get a feel of these devices. Thanks to Vodafone Malta, events like these are now possible!" For further information on the latest gadgets available at Vodafone, visit one of Vodafone's store across Malta and Gozo, call 247 from a Vodafone line or 9999 9247 from any other line or log onto www. vodafone.com.mt