In a post-Snowden world where data security has become a top priority for most enterprises, there is a growing need to make computer networks more resilient than before.
In fact, large companies are already tapping different cloud services to minimise data loss when a cloud service fails. A multi-cloud strategy will also help global companies comply with various data protection regimes across the world.
In March this year, Cisco unveiled its connective glue to link various cloud services in the form of Intercloud Fabric, an OpenStack-based technology that lets organisations move their business applications from one cloud service to another, along with accompanying IT policies, based on a set of business rules.
Speaking to media and analysts on the sidelines of Cloud Asia 2014, Nick Earle, senior vice president of global cloud and managed services said with Intercloud Fabric, enterprises have the flexibility to move from cloud to cloud to mitigate security risks or control costs.
“The number one reason for using Amazon Web Services is that it’s cheap, but the number one reason for not using Amazon is that it’s expensive because of its linear pricing as you scale. So, you may decide that you’re spending too much,” he said.
Intercloud Fabric’s support for data virtualisation also means enterprises can perform big data queries of large datasets without moving data, Earle said. This will alleviate the strain on computer networks, which are expected to carry massive amounts of data generated by sensors in the Internet of Things.
For a start, Cisco expects to invest US$1 billion to help partners and customers tap on Intercloud Fabric technology, which has been adopted by telcos and cloud service providers including BT, Telstra and Deutsche Telekom, as well as data centre provider Equinix. In September, Cisco added 30 new partners who run 250 data centres in 50 countries.
On prices that businesses can expect to pay to use cloud services through the Intercloud network, Earle said: “The more people connect to Intercloud, the more market forces will be at play. If it’s public and visible and easy to put things in, prices will harmonise”.
Asked about how telcos and cloud service providers can differentiate themselves through Intercloud and not end up in a price war, Ruth Rowan, BT’s chief marketing officer for Asia, Middle East and Africa, noted that enterprises typically consider factors such as security, service levels and IT integration capabilities rather than price in choosing a vendor.
She said: “It’s rarely about price per user per month, and we hope we don’t end up there”.
By early next year, Cisco will also launch an app marketplace for Intercloud Fabric, allowing enterprises to easily buy an application and decide which cloud service they wish to host it on. “Today, it’s about connectivity; tomorrow it will be about commerce,” Earle said.
