The UK Cloud Awards 2018 judging process has now finished and the shortlist of contenders for the accolades have been unveiled.

The awards, which are designed to recognise talent, achievement and innovation in the UK cloud industry, are now in their fifth year.

Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony, which will take place at County Hall, London on 16 May.

Alex Hilton, CEO of CIF, said: «This is the fifth year we have run the UK Cloud Awards and we are delighted to announce that we had a record number of entries this year, confirming our belief that the UK Cloud Awards are now a recognised feature of the technology industry’s awards calendar.

«Over the past decade we have witnessed phenomenal innovation and the truly transformational use of cloud services. The depth, strength and maturity of the cloud industry in the UK is apparent. It’s going to be extremely difficult to pick the winners in each and every category and we would like to congratulate everyone that has got this far. I would like to take the opportunity to wish everyone that has made the cut the best of luck on the night.»

The shortlist for the UK Cloud Awards 2018 is as follows:

BEST IN CLASS

Security Solution of the Year

Alienvault USM Anywhere by Alienvault
Amazon GuardDuty by AWS
CipherTrust Cloud Key Manager by Thales eSecurity
Darktrace Cloud by Darktrace
Verify by Aspect Software

Storage Solution of the Year

Ceph Storage 3 by Red Hat
FlashBlade by Pure Storage
Rubrik
Scality RING7 by Scality

Collaboration Solution of the Year

BlueJeans with Dolby Voice
Freshdesk
Lifesize App by Lifesize

Business Continuity Solution of the Year

Druva Cloud Platform
iland Secure DRaaS by iland Cloud
SolarWinds Backup by Solarwinds MSP

Most Innovative Enterprise Product

Adaptive Insights Business Planning Cloud
Apttus »Max» by Apttus
Boomi by DELL
Interoute Edge by Interoute
iPortalis Control Portal
New Relic by New Relic
Rubrik
Silver Peak Unity EdgeConnect SD-WAN solution

Most Innovative SMB Product

Advanced Voice Services by Natterbox
CloudMigrator Go by Cloud Technology Solutions
GoSimpleTax by GoSimple Software Limited

Unified Communications Product of the Year

Advanced Voice Services by Natterbox
Global Office by RingCentral
storm DTA by Content Guru

Fintech Solution of the Year

AccountsIQ
Expenses by Selenity
FreeAgent
GoSimple Tax by GoSimple Software Limited
Mambu
Sage Business Cloud Financials (formerly known as Sage Live

Cloud Platform Solution of the Year

Anypoint Platform
Crowd Release by MuleSoft
Boomi by DELL
Cloud Platform Solution by Box
Cloud Protection Manager by N2W Software
OpenShift Container Platform 3.7 by Red Hat
Spotinst
ThousandEyes

BEST DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION PROJECTS

Best Public Sector Project

CityVerve supported by Chime-Tech
Health and Social Care digital meal planning with Kafoodle Kare
Manchester City Council supported by Cloud Technology Solutions
NHS in association with Kahootz
storm® Citizen Engagement Hub with Content Guru

Best Private Sector Project (SMB)

Brother International Europe supported by Ensono
Stephen James Group supported by Charterhouse Voice & Data

Best Private Sector Project(Enterprise)

Big Data European Concept Platform (UK) supported by ANS
Nuffield Health supported by Silver Peak
The Lidl UK Winebot supported by Aspect Software
SYNLAB Laboratory Services and Ancoris
Ubisoft supported by Aspect

Most Innovative Emerging Technology

Project Freq by Amido
Pulse by FinancialForce

CLOUD SERVICE PROVIDER

Best Cloud Managed Service Provider (MSP)

4D Data Centres
CenturyLink
Claranet
Databarracks
Ensono

Best Cloud Service Provider (CSP)

CSI Limited
Content Guru
Ingram Micro Cloud
Interoute
Sesui Ltd
TechQuarters
UKCloud Ltd

Best G-Cloud Public Sector Provider

Kahootz
UKCloud Ltd

ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Cloud Visionary of the Year

Apay Obang-Oyway,Ingram Micro
Craig Joseph,intY
Simon Ratcliffe,Ensono

Cloud Entrepreneur of the Year

Geoffroy De Cooman, Proxyclick
Mitchell Feldman, RedPixie
Simon Hansford, UKCloud Ltd

What does cloud mean to you and what benefits do you think it brings to businesses?

The interesting thing about cloud doesn’t really have anything to do with the technology, but what it enables you to do. At its heart, it’s about business transformation. It gives organisations the flexibility to react to changing conditions and frees up resources to focus on innovation – rather than on just treading water and keeping the lights on.

Do you think the UK cloud industry has an advantage over other geographies? Are we excelling?

The UK has a deep heritage of technological innovation, and I think we’re leading the way towards the fourth industrial revolution, in relation to cloud, but also a host of other next-generation technologies.

Last year was a record for UK tech investment and London is the technology capital of Europe, but it’s clear the capital doesn’t have a monopoly on tech innovation. We work with innovative technology companies throughout the breadth of the UK, and I think that’s what makes the UK cloud industry so dynamic, but also so sustainable.

What else do you think needs to be done to champion innovation in the UK cloud industry?

There are broadly two elements that need to be looked at to further champion innovation in the UK. The first is digital transformation in the industry, ensuring organisations across all industries have a strategy that they are executing.

The second is centred on building a diverse and vibrant technology talent pool. We have a lot of homegrown talent, but there’s a looming skills shortage in the UK that could stunt innovation in all parts of the industry. This will need to be addressed if we are to stay at the top of our game.

As a country, we need to do more to focus on STEM skills from an earlier age and encourage participation from all parts of society to build a more diverse tech workforce. Additionally, businesses need to invest in upskilling the existing workforce by improving access to dedicated cloud training.

Fresh blood is also important to the on-going health of the industry, so it’s important that we can continue to attract the best possible talent internationally.

Please can you provide a bit more detail for those not familiar with your company?

Ingram Micro Cloud works with thousands of partners in the UK to help them responsibly transform their business through specialism, diversity, and innovation while helping end-users accelerate business outcomes from their technology investments. We’ve got partnerships with the leading innovative technology vendors in the industry, whose services we offer through the Ingram Micro Ecosystem of cloud, which provides partners with the ideal platform to deliver premium cloud solutions to their end customers.

The channel is an integral part of the Ingram Micro ecosystem of cloud and we recognise that we can only succeed as a business if we help our partners succeed. That’s why we invest heavily in our partners, giving them the tools, capabilities, and knowledge they need to deliver transformative cloud solutions to the market.

Why have you decided to get involved with the UK Cloud Awards 2018?

This is the third time we’ve sponsored the UK Cloud Awards and we’ve been big supporters of the event since it was established for the simple reason that, as an industry, we’ve got a lot to celebrate!

What key trends/challenges are you seeing with your customers around cloud?

It’s difficult to generalise. Some end users are already on their second and third wave cloud adoptions and are using cloud to springboard into next-generation technologies, like IoT, AI and Big Data. But many businesses are right in the infancy of their could migration journeys and need more assistance.

The same applies to the channel in some respects, and while some channel partners are leading the way in terms of innovation with a “cloud-first” motion, there’s still a certain amount of education needed to get all partners on the same page.

How is your company helping customers address these challenges?

As a business, it’s important that we can support our partners regardless of their stage of cloud maturity. We help our partners through envisioning, enablement, skills and a leading portfolio of cloud solutions offering within the Ingram Micro Ecosystem of cloud, all of which helps them to succeed. 

How do you think the cloud landscape has evolved in the past five years? 

Acceptance of cloud has grown exponentially, and for many end users, it’s just another way that they do IT. There’s been an enormous uplift in demand for cloud services from end users, which is great, but it’s been a bit of a scramble for the channel to satisfy this growing demand. 

Selling IT-as-a-service is a very different proposition to selling it as an asset, and partners have had to make some significant changes to the way that they operate to accommodate it, changing things like commission structures and upskilling staff to be able to support cloud services.

We’re seeing the partners that have embraced this change doing really well, but it’s going to be increasingly difficult for those in the channel haven’t gone to the cloud – you’ve got to go where your customers are! Ultimately, partners have to understand they are in a services world.

What do you think has driven this shift?

The industry itself has definitely matured, which has helped to drive end-user acceptance, but I think there’s also greater awareness of the business benefits that cloud can deliver. Technology is a key differentiator today, much more so than it was just five years ago, and businesses are starting to recognise that they can’t thrive in the age of disruption by managing their IT in the way that they always have done.

The workforce is increasingly technologically savvy at all levels, and this will continue to contribute to the speed of cloud adoption. Flexibility and agility are the orders of the day in uncertain times, which is exactly what cloud provides. 

What other trends and patterns do you see around cloud computing and related technologies?

Cloud is the gateway to a whole host of other technologies, and you can’t begin to explore things like IoT and Big Data in a way that is economically viable without cloud. We have been speaking about the IoT and Big Data for quite some time but, up until very recently, they have been the reserve of only the largest enterprises with enough available capital to invest in the computing resources needed to power them.

Cloud infrastructure, which offers the opportunity to successfully rent these flexible and scalable resources, effectively democratises the IoT and Big Data and lowers the barriers to entry for all organisations looking to exploit these technologies.

What role do you see cloud playing in business life a year or five years from now?

All of the upcoming technologies – AI, machine learning, quantum computing progress, the IoT, chatbots, robotics – will grow and develop, with cloud driving them. The channel absolutely needs to understand their role in the next generation of key technologies and to identify and realise the opportunities available to them. 

There are some businesses that are quite comfortable with where they are, and others who know they want to accelerate with the cloud. But only those who recognise how important it is to play a role in the future intelligence of cloud will truly thrive.

Entries are now closed for this year’s UK Cloud Awards and the judges are busy looking through a bumper crop of submissions. But that doesn’t mean things have gone quiet, as we have another exciting announcement to make…

We’re pleased to confirm that Ingram Micro Cloud has come on board as exclusive headline sponsor of the UK Cloud Awards, which are now in their fifth year of operation. 

“The UK has emerged as one of the leading players in the cloud arena, so we have a lot to shout about. We have cultivated a lot of homegrown talent and a rapidly-growing list of world-class cloud companies that are driving innovation and transforming businesses,» said Apay Obang-Oyway, director of cloud and software for the UK & Ireland at Ingram Micro.

«Channel partners, in particular, have risen to the cloud challenge and have been working hard to evolve their operating models to seize the opportunities presented by delivery model. The UK Cloud Awards offer the important opportunity to celebrate these successes and we are very pleased to be able to lend them our support.»

Brought to you by Cloud Pro in association with the Cloud Industry Forum (CIF) and now the additional support of Ingram Micro Cloud, the awards will take place on 16 May 2018 at the prestigious County Hall in London. The awards aim to bring together the great and the good of the UK cloud industry to celebrate achievements and innovation in this space. 

This year’s judging panel consists of Max Cooter, former Cloud Pro editor, Maggie Holland, our editorial director, and other industry luminaries under the guidance of judging chair Frank Bennett.  

Alex Hilton, CEO of the Cloud Industry Forum, added: “Ingram Micro Cloud is playing a pivotal role in the ongoing transformation of the channel and the wider cloud industry, enabling end users to realise the transformational benefits of cloud. We are therefore delighted that they have lent their support to what is shaping up to be the best and biggest UK Cloud Awards yet. We received a record number of entries this year, and the standard of those entries has never been higher. This is making judging a real challenge, but I look forward to celebrating with the team from Ingram and winners on the night itself!”

Cloud computing has come a long way since the early days of being the newest kid on the IT block. Since then, the market has evolved and organisations have improved their understanding of what the various cloud models are and what each can do for them.

Hybrid cloud in particular can be a tough nut to crack. The benefits are plentiful – although some are more obvious than others – but businesses often struggle to know where to start or what to do next.

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40% of organisations are planning to deploy a hybrid cloud storage model within the next year. Read the full survey in ‘Hybrid cloud storage adoption trends’.

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The growth of hybrid cloud itself is an acknowledgement that a zero-cloud approach is increasingly untenable, according to Kevin Casey at The Enterprisers Project. It also indicates that CIOs and their team need to retain control over their data, and a hybrid cloud environment increasingly provides the flexibility needed for workloads.

Enterprises now need to be able to quickly, seamlessly and – importantly – securely move workloads, including those that are mission-critical, to and from the public cloud.

Modern enterprises are time-poor, yet information-rich with plenty of demands to fulfill. As such, they have limited resources and must continuously balance today’s business needs with tomorrow’s exacting demands and changing market landscape.

With true hybrid cloud, organisations are freed from the shackles of the mundane and complex so they can focus on their core business objectives and move from the daily grind to innovating for future success.

Organisations can extend their data centres’ reach and gain many benefits with hybrid cloud, including but not limited to:

• The ability to build new enterprise applications and host them in Java-based architectures as well as being primed to benefit from next-generation rather than just traditional apps.
• Develop and test more efficiently. This frees up precious on-premise resources, but also ensures businesses can move forward and react to changing industry demands.
• Ensure disaster recovery is in place for third-party backups, test environments, seasonal activity and other locations.
• Take advantage of next-gen capabilities from key vendors’ packaged apps and host in the hybrid cloud.

So how, then do you get from A to B when it comes to realising those benefits?

Given all the benefits available, it’s no surprise that hybrid cloud is predicted to be the dominant model used in the future. More than 90% of organisations will have deployed some form of hybrid cloud infrastructure by the end of 2020, according to analyst firm Gartner.

IDC concurs, estimating that the hybrid cloud market will grow by 20.5% by 2021, strengthened by growth in security and compliance data services.

However, there are still barriers to overcome, particularly when it comes to ensuring that the needs of the business and IT continue to be aligned. This has been a battleground in the historic tech landscape, with lines of business and technology personnel at odds and speaking different languages. For hybrid cloud deployments, in order to truly reap the benefits, there needs to be a meeting of minds.

“Hybrid cloud helps give each group what it wants: security and control for IT operations and speed and agility for line-of-business operations,” IDC said, suggesting the model is a way of bridging the gap between the tech side and line of business stakeholders.

The research house continued: “To the extent that IT can incorporate external public cloud services into formalised IT procurement, implementation, and governance processes, IT becomes a facilitator of rather than a roadblock to more dynamic business-ready IT.”

Milind Govekar, chief of research at Gartner, echoed these thoughts, saying: “Many lines of business buy external cloud services without the initial involvement of, or oversight from, IT leaders. To implement hybrid cloud services successfully, IT leaders need to introduce an internal cloud services brokerage (CSB) role responsible for the governance, demand management and delivery of cloud services.”

He added: “Those who do not think and act like an external service provider or evolve into a CSB role will gradually lose the trust of business managers, who will circumvent the IT organisation in order to access the IT services they need. This will result in more disaggregation of IT services and reduced value from the remaining shared IT services.”

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Learn more about the concerns expressed around data storage and compliance, and the actions businesses are planning to take to combat it in Cloudian’s survey.

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With this in mind, enterprises should be asking a number of questions prior to making the move to hybrid cloud. These include:

• Who needs to be involved in the decision making process?
• Once stakeholders are established, what will our decision-making criterion include?
• What are the limitations and opportunities with our current IT and business setup?
• What costs are involved (both overheads and savings)? What is the ROI?
• Will it free up resources (tech and people) to add value elsewhere in the business?
• What workloads can and should I move and when?
• Which service provider should I partner with and will they still be in business a year from now?
• Where will my data be located?
• What about security and unauthorised access? Am I protected?
• What are the SLAs?
• Will I be locked in or do I have long-term flexibility?
• Will it make business life better than it is today?

Many organisations have already successfully navigated their way through the maze of questions and possible answers to enjoy the benefits of hybrid cloud and hybrid IT.

Overall, the move to hybrid cloud won’t be an overnight success story for everyone, but businesses can expect to see cost savings and increased operational efficiency when it is deployed properly.