White Paper on Cloud Storage - Essay Example

Memo: White Paper on Cloud Storage MEMO Introduction Times “R” Us is currently using Rack-Space for its archiving services. Since the inception, the information storage services used by the firm have evolved from local computer hard drives to outsourced services, and these have adequately covered the requirements of the company. Recently though, the company has realized the need to enlarge and expand its operations, and this only means that more space shall be required for data storage, a factor that introduces the aspect of cloud storage. Cloud storage and cloud computing refer to the act of saving data and information to a storage system that is situated in an off-site location maintained by a third party. As opposed to storing information to the hard drive of a personal computer, or some other localised device, it is stored in a remote database, with the internet acting as the link/ connection between the said database and the computer/ device. Cloud storage has in the recent part become an essential part of contemporary modern lifestyles. Services such as iCloud, Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox all scramble for the opportunity to hold important data for their clients on their servers, and this leaves companies with the task of deciding on the product that best suits their current needs. More individuals, groups and organizations increasingly own computing devices in the form of smart-phones, tablets and laptops and the thought of storing data in a traditional desktop PC often seems antiquated. Cloud storage takes charge of this by ensuring that any necessary information in the form of data or files is accessible when needed, and from whichever location. Individuals and organizations may sign up to an array of services that offer to automatically upload photos from smart-phone onto the cloud, sync documents across a number of devices, when also enabling them to work collaboratively on the web. Sharing of large files with colleagues and friends is made easier with cloud bouncing back of files due to inadequate storage space or limitations imposed by email servers is eliminated. In essence, cloud storage only requires a person to share links to files that are stored within the particular cloud service with colleagues or friends, and when they follow the links, they gain immediate access. The introduction of cloud servers and storage has made it simpler for individuals and organizations to back up important information. It is due to the fact it increases the flexibility of accessing them from any corner of the world. While at the same time there exists the benefit of confidence in that all crucial videos, pictures, music, documents, files, and all other data and programs stored securely and that they are available at all times. Problem The problem being faced by Times “R” Us relates to transitioning from the current company size to the intended increased company size. As it is, the company is also facing some issues with the management of their current data centre, and coupled with the planned expansion, the requirement for additional storage capacity cannot be overemphasized. The question is whether they could make use of Cloud Computing to assist in making the transition from their current small sized firm to a more enlarged organization smoother. Being in the retail industry, Times “R” Us also faces a number of challenges in regards to IT. For starters, there is the massive requirement for IT services that are customer-facing in nature. These include websites which customers can have access to for information regarding the company. Retail outlets also experience significant differences in their computing capacities for their normal workloads and peak workloads. Other issues which present challenges for the firms include; rigid budgets which have to absorb new capacities and development within the organization; limited or non-existent internal expertise; the consolidation of systems, hardware and software management; and the efficient reuse of investments in hardware. Solution Jokes are often made about how humans spend substantial amounts of time accumulating things, and then later spend more time striving to device mechanisms of storing them. The same phenomenon applies to data as new and increasingly sophisticated methods of data storage are discovered from time to time. Cloud computing mainly focuses on automated provision of services, elastic scaling of power, virtualization of services and infrastructure and increase of connectivity or accessibility with end users. It can be implemented either in public, private or hybrid forms, all of which are phenomenal in assisting retailers in managing computing costs, and application growth. Times “R” Us has a number of options to choose from, and these should be based on some criteria. Before settling on the service provider, the following factors should be considered. The first factor should be based on cost, whereby the firm makes a cost-benefit analysis. It is important to note that the one offering the most affordable rates offers the best value for money so it is crucial to compare the superiority features of services offered, storage space as well as the reliability of the firm to enable the user to access information when they need and from where they are at a particular time. Cloud storage systems consist of two major sections being; storing data to the cloud; and accessing the data. A good service provider ensures that these two sections run smoothly, though they must be supported by great and sufficient speed; ability for user friendliness; accountability and reliability; and value for money. Cloud Computing in Retail Business Retailing is in dire need of cloud computing for purposes of cost reduction, speed to market as well as quality benefits. Adoption of cloud computing services should be carried out in a simple and uncomplicated way, as opposed to assuming a “boil the ocean” approach whereby all sectors are incorporated into the system at once. A firm needs to establish the precise retail capabilities that will benefit from cloud computing, and thereafter shift specific workloads. Some of the retail functions that could be shifted to cloud computing include merchandise analytical functions, back office storage functions, processing of card based payment systems, and developing/ testing of retail functions. The analytical functions of inventory requiring significantly varying computing power are most suitable for cloud computing, and this is because they are in a better position to gain from storage and server virtualization. Also, the back office store functions that are run on desktops also get to benefit from desktop virtualization. The function of processing card-based payments may be moved to a shared public cloud to allow for enhanced privacy and PCI-DSS compliance. Finally, the function of developing and testing of applications used in the retail outlet could largely benefit from an infrastructure as a service cloud. The most appropriate way to kick-start the use of cloud computing is by moving noncritical services first. With time, confidence of the various stakeholders increases, and with this development, some of the more critical aspects may then become incorporated as part of the cloud. Other services that could qualify as good candidates for the cloud include test and development of functions, electronic commerce, and distributed business analytics. For this reason, electronic commerce could be termed as natural fit for cloud due to the fact that it is able to provide the capacity for computing on demand, as well as pro-vision services for the ever-present access. In addition, retailers tend to deal with considerably different capacities between peak and off-peak load. These are managed more appropriately and efficiently in a cloud environment. Staff management during the transition is also a crucial aspect to be considered. Cloud computing has been perceived as a method of reducing the organizations workload in matters of information technology (IT). For this reason, it is normally associated with dismissal of IT personnel from the organization, though this is not entirely the case. However, there exists the potential to lose some of the staff members in the IT department, though in essence, all a firm needs is IT to learn those skills. On the other hand, if the organization is implementing the use of cloud computing due to growth and expansion, chances are that the need for hiring additional staff outweighs that of dismissing those in IT for redundancy. Conclusion From the content above, implementation of cloud computing comes in handy for the firm and will go a long way in reaping the benefits that have been laid down. It is also clear that the IT problems being experienced by the firm shall be minimised with the introduction of cloud computing. References IBM Global. Cloud Computing for Retail. Retrieved on 20th May 2014 from http://public.dhe.ibm.com/common/ssi/rep_wh/n/LBW03004USEN/LBW03004USEN.PDF Read More