Category Archives: News & Analysis

CGI, Datacentre, Keith Jefferies, Ministry of Defence, News & Analysis, Private Cloud, Steve Smart

UK MoD launches dedicated private cloud for internal apps

The UK MoD is using a hosted private cloud for internal shared services apps

The UK MoD is using a hosted private cloud for internal shared services apps

The UK’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) Information Systems and Services (ISS) has deployed a private cloud based in CGI’s South  Wales datacentre which is being used to host internal applications for the public sector authority.

The ISS said it received Approval to Operate for the new Foundation Application Hosting Environment (FAHE), which is hosted as a private cloud instance in CGI’s facilities, and that the first applications have successfully transitioned onto the new platform.

The hosting environment was procured through the G-Cloud framework, the UK government’s cloud-centric procurement framework, and the contract will run for at least two years.

“FAHE provides the foundation of our Applications Services approach and a future-proofed platform for secure application hosting. Our vision is that ISS will be the Defence provider of choice for applications development, hosting, and management,” said Keith Jefferies, ISS Programmes, EMPORIUM deputy head, UK Ministry of Defence.

“FAHE is the first delivery contract under the broader banner of the Applications Programme and we have selected CGI on their ability to deliver a secure environment coupled with a flexible commercial model that allows us to rapidly up and down-scale in line with future demand,” Jefferies said.

Steve Smart, UK vice president of space, defence, national and cyber security at CGI said: “MOD ISS is taking an important step towards delivering the Government’s vision of using  flexible cloud services. The CGI platform is compliant to Defence and pan-Government ICT strategies and architectures. It will provide multi-discipline services from the most appropriate source with the agility and cost of industry best practice.”

The move comes just a few months after the MoD contracted with Ark to design a new state-of-the art datacentre in Corsham, Wiltshire, a move that will allow the department to decommission its Bath facility and save on energy and operations costs.

Enterprise IT, Newfield Exploration Company, News & Analysis, oil and gas, Oracle, site connectivity, Thomas Smouse

E&P firm sends HR function to the cloud

Newfield Exploration Company is moving its HR operations to the cloud

Newfield Exploration Company is moving its HR operations to the cloud

Newfield Exploration Company, an independent oil and gas exploration and production company has adopted Oracle Human Capital Management Cloud (Oracle HCM Cloud) in a bid to streamline global HR operations and make them more mobile-friendly.

The company, which has E&P operations in the US and China, said it wanted to improve employee access to central HR resources (corporate profiles, previous interactions, staff photos) in order to improve global collaboration.

It said moving its HR systems to the cloud will also reduce maintenance costs and help its IT department focus on end-user delivery and adoption.

Newfield will also deploy Oracle HCM Cloud Mobile as the mobile interface its 1,500 employees will use when application launches later this year.

“Advanced technologies like Oracle HCM Cloud are critical to our success as a company that thrives on discovering and working in uncharted territories,” said Thomas Smouse, vice president of administration and human resources, Newfield Exploration Company.

“With Oracle HCM Cloud, we are transforming the way we communicate our goals throughout the organization, creating a more transparent environment. The increased clarity around goals has led to better collaboration and more productive employees focused on common milestones, which inevitably results in better business outcomes,” Smouse said.

While E&P firms are traditionally more conservative in terms of moving their IT systems to the cloud, there is a trend that sees some independents – that don’t have the capability to build or deploy their own private datacentres – moving some of these systems. Many E&P firms have diverse operations spread around the world, which can make accessing these systems quite challenging (of course, once these systems are centralised in the cloud, site connectivity becomes pivotal).

Cisco, Day1, Funding, Grand View Research, Infrastructure as a Service, InterCloud, Logic Method IT, Luis Benavides, Managed services, NetApp, News & Analysis

Cloud service integrator Day1 secures $2m

Day1 offers cloud system integration services

Day1 offers cloud system integration services

Cloud services integrator and provider Day1 Solutions has closed a $2m funding round the company said will be used to expand its technical services and sales team.

Day1 was founded in 2012 and provides NetApp cloud storage and Cisco Intercloud-based services to a range of public and private sector clients, and offers system integration services for clients deploying cloud services on Amazon’s cloud infrastructure.

It also offers a white label managed services platform to MSPs, an offering that grew out of its acquisition of Logic Method IT (LMIT) in November last year.

“Day1 Solutions is on a hyper-growth trajectory, and last year experienced a year-over-year revenue increase in excess of 1600 percent,” said Luis Benavides, founder and chief executive officer of Day1 Solutions.

“This funding is a testament to our investors’ confidence in Day1 Solutions’ leadership team, business model and ability to consistently deliver an exceptional cloud experience to a rapidly growing base of enterprise customers moving mission critical IT operations to the cloud.”

Day1’s specialisation is largely in the service integration piece, and many analyst houses expect cloud system integration to play an increasingly prominent role – particularly in the infrastructure integration segment – as enterprises increasingly hybridise their IT landscapes with a mix of multi-cloud, cloud and on-premise systems.

According to Grand View Research the global system integration market is expected to reach $393bn by 2020, with infrastructure integration accounting for about 35 per cent of that market.

Ajay Chitkara, AWS, Bharti Airtel, Bikram singh Bedi, Infrastructure as a Service, News & Analysis, Telco Cloud

Bharti Airtel joins AWS Partner Network service to bolster cloud connectivity

Bharti Airtel will offer enterprise customers private links directly to AWS' cloud

Bharti Airtel will offer enterprise customers private links directly to AWS’ cloud

Bharti Airtel has joined Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) Partner Network in a move that will see the Indian telco offer private network services for enterprise customers using the AWS cloud.

Airtel said the move would help enterprise customers across the globe leverage AWS Direct Connect to establish a dedicated network connection between customers’ premises and Amazon’s datacentres globally, and potentially reduce network costs and offer more consistent network performance.

AWS Direct Connect allows enterprise customers to establish a dedicated network connection between their network and any AWS Direct Connect locations using 802.1q VLANs.

“Today, we are seeing more and more organizations embrace the benefits of hybrid network architectures and on-premise environments across the globe. In line with this market adoption, we are excited to strengthen Airtel’s cloud services portfolio by adding AWS to our growing list of cloud services providers,” said Ajay Chitkara, chief executive officer – global business, Bharti Airtel.

“We are confident that this will help our global customers truly leverage the benefits of cloud, and further Airtel’s long-term commitment towards delivering the best technological capabilities for its customers,” Chitkara added.

In canned remarks, Bikram singh Bedi, head of Amazon Web Services India said: “We are excited to be working with Airtel to bring the security and reliability of AWS Direct Connect to Amazon Web Services customers across India. By utilizing AWS Direct Connect, AWS customers are able to reduce network costs, increase bandwidth throughput and provide a more consistent network experience, helping Indian businesses of all sizes to rapidly expand their organisations.”

A number of large telcos have partnered with AWS in a bid to bolster their appeal to their own enterprise customers, and attract large multinational firms – which tend to have a strong interest in harmonising their IT estates globally.

Ajay Chitkara, AWS, Bharti Airtel, Bikram singh Bedi, Infrastructure as a Service, News & Analysis, Telco Cloud

Bharti Airtel joins AWS Partner Network service to bolster cloud connectivity

Bharti Airtel will offer enterprise customers private links directly to AWS' cloud

Bharti Airtel will offer enterprise customers private links directly to AWS’ cloud

Bharti Airtel has joined Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) Partner Network in a move that will see the Indian telco offer private network services for enterprise customers using the AWS cloud.

Airtel said the move would help enterprise customers across the globe leverage AWS Direct Connect to establish a dedicated network connection between customers’ premises and Amazon’s datacentres globally, and potentially reduce network costs and offer more consistent network performance.

AWS Direct Connect allows enterprise customers to establish a dedicated network connection between their network and any AWS Direct Connect locations using 802.1q VLANs.

“Today, we are seeing more and more organizations embrace the benefits of hybrid network architectures and on-premise environments across the globe. In line with this market adoption, we are excited to strengthen Airtel’s cloud services portfolio by adding AWS to our growing list of cloud services providers,” said Ajay Chitkara, chief executive officer – global business, Bharti Airtel.

“We are confident that this will help our global customers truly leverage the benefits of cloud, and further Airtel’s long-term commitment towards delivering the best technological capabilities for its customers,” Chitkara added.

In canned remarks, Bikram singh Bedi, head of Amazon Web Services India said: “We are excited to be working with Airtel to bring the security and reliability of AWS Direct Connect to Amazon Web Services customers across India. By utilizing AWS Direct Connect, AWS customers are able to reduce network costs, increase bandwidth throughput and provide a more consistent network experience, helping Indian businesses of all sizes to rapidly expand their organisations.”

A number of large telcos have partnered with AWS in a bid to bolster their appeal to their own enterprise customers, and attract large multinational firms – which tend to have a strong interest in harmonising their IT estates globally.

Alan Kessler, Andrew Kellett, cloud security, encryption, Enterprise IT, News & Analysis, ovum, Vormetric

Ovum: Cloud service providers need to double down on security

Enterprises would be more willing to use cloud if providers focused more on security, compliance

Enterprises would be more willing to use cloud if providers focused more on security, compliance

A recently published Vormetric survey suggests over half of enterprises globally are using cloud-based services to store sensitive data, and many of the IT decision makers polled by the firm said they felt pressured into using cloud services over legacy alternatives. But respondents also showed an overwhelming willingness to use cloud services to store or analyse sensitive data if service providers could guarantee some essential security and information governance capabilities and measures.

Vormetric, which worked with Ovum to petition 818 ITDMs globally on their use of cloud and big data platforms, said about 54 per cent of respondents globally were keeping sensitive information in the cloud. Interestingly, 46 per cent of all respondents expressed concerns that market pressures are forcing them to use cloud services.

And though databases and file servers were typically rated by respondents as top risks for storage of sensitive information, they are now also joined by big data environments – with big data (31 per cent) seen by ITDMs as slightly more at risk than file servers (29 per cent).

In the US specifically, respondents seemed most concerned about lack of control over the location of data (82 per cent), increased vulnerability of shared infrastructure (79 per cent), and “privileged user” abuse of the cloud service provider (78 per cent).

“The data shows that US IT decision makers are conflicted about their cloud deployments,” said Alan Kessler, chief executive officer of Vormetric. “Market pressures and the benefits of cloud service use are strong, but enterprises have serious security concerns around these environments. There is enormous anxiety over how sensitive data and systems can best be protected, with lack of control listed as the number one worry among US respondents.”

“For cloud service providers to increase their footprint in the enterprise, they must address enterprise requirements around security, data protection and data management. More specifically, cloud service providers need to provide better protection and visibility to their customers,” Kessler said.

Andrew Kellett, lead analyst for Ovum and author of the 2015 Vormetric Insider Threat Report said the results demonstrate “both hope and fear” when it comes to cloud and big data technologies, which could slow the pace at which enterprises refresh their technology platforms.

“But, there are steps enterprises can take and changes providers can make that will increase adoption. For example, more than half of global respondents would be more willing to use cloud services if the provider offers data encryption with key access control,” he said.

About 52 per cent also said they would be more likely to use cloud services if service level commitments and liability terms for a data breach were established, 48 per cent said the same if explicit security descriptions and compliance commitment were established.

Alan Kessler, Andrew Kellett, cloud security, encryption, Enterprise IT, News & Analysis, ovum, Vormetric

Ovum: Cloud service providers need to double down on security

Enterprises would be more willing to use cloud if providers focused more on security, compliance

Enterprises would be more willing to use cloud if providers focused more on security, compliance

A recently published Vormetric survey suggests over half of enterprises globally are using cloud-based services to store sensitive data, and many of the IT decision makers polled by the firm said they felt pressured into using cloud services over legacy alternatives. But respondents also showed an overwhelming willingness to use cloud services to store or analyse sensitive data if service providers could guarantee some essential security and information governance capabilities and measures.

Vormetric, which worked with Ovum to petition 818 ITDMs globally on their use of cloud and big data platforms, said about 54 per cent of respondents globally were keeping sensitive information in the cloud. Interestingly, 46 per cent of all respondents expressed concerns that market pressures are forcing them to use cloud services.

And though databases and file servers were typically rated by respondents as top risks for storage of sensitive information, they are now also joined by big data environments – with big data (31 per cent) seen by ITDMs as slightly more at risk than file servers (29 per cent).

In the US specifically, respondents seemed most concerned about lack of control over the location of data (82 per cent), increased vulnerability of shared infrastructure (79 per cent), and “privileged user” abuse of the cloud service provider (78 per cent).

“The data shows that US IT decision makers are conflicted about their cloud deployments,” said Alan Kessler, chief executive officer of Vormetric. “Market pressures and the benefits of cloud service use are strong, but enterprises have serious security concerns around these environments. There is enormous anxiety over how sensitive data and systems can best be protected, with lack of control listed as the number one worry among US respondents.”

“For cloud service providers to increase their footprint in the enterprise, they must address enterprise requirements around security, data protection and data management. More specifically, cloud service providers need to provide better protection and visibility to their customers,” Kessler said.

Andrew Kellett, lead analyst for Ovum and author of the 2015 Vormetric Insider Threat Report said the results demonstrate “both hope and fear” when it comes to cloud and big data technologies, which could slow the pace at which enterprises refresh their technology platforms.

“But, there are steps enterprises can take and changes providers can make that will increase adoption. For example, more than half of global respondents would be more willing to use cloud services if the provider offers data encryption with key access control,” he said.

About 52 per cent also said they would be more likely to use cloud services if service level commitments and liability terms for a data breach were established, 48 per cent said the same if explicit security descriptions and compliance commitment were established.

Dan Pitt, network function virtualisation, News & Analysis, NFV, ONF, SDN, Software Defined Networking

Open Networking Foundation wary of ‘big vendor’ influence on SDN

Pitt said networking has remained too proprietary for too long

Pitt said networking has remained too proprietary for too long

Dan Pitt, executive director of the Open Networking Foundation (ONF), has warned of the dangers of allowing the big networking vendors to have too much influence over the development of SDN, arguing they have a strong interest in maintaining the proprietary status quo.

In an exclusive interview with Telecoms.com, Pitt recalled the non-profit ONF was born of frustration at the proprietary nature of the networking industry. “We came out of research that was done at Stanford University and UC Berkeley that was trying to figure out why networking equipment isn’t programmable,” he said.

The networking industry has been back in the mainframe days; you buy a piece of equipment from one company and its hardware, chips, operating system are all proprietary. The computing industry got over that a long time ago – basically when the PC came out – but the networking industry hasn’t.

“So out of frustration at not being able to programme the switches and with faculties wanting to experiment with protocols beyond IP, they decided to break open the switching equipment and have a central place that sees the whole network, figures out how the traffic should be routed and tells the switches what to do.”

Disruptive change, by definition, is bound to threaten a lot of incumbents and Pitt identifies this as a major reason why Networking stayed in the proprietary era for so long. “Originally we were a bunch of people that had been meeting on Tuesday afternoons to work out this OpenFlow protocol and we said we should make it an industrial strength standard,” said Pitt. “But if we give it to the IETF they’re dominated by a small number of very large switching and routing companies and they will kill it.”

“This is very disruptive to some of the traditional vendors that have liked to maintain a proprietary system and lock in their customers to end-to-end solutions you have to buy from them. Some have jumped on it, but some of the big guys have held back. They’ve opened their own interfaces but they still define the interface and can make it so you still need their equipment. We’re very much the advocates of open SDN, where you don’t have a single party or little cabal that owns and controls something to disadvantage their competitors.”

Ultimately it’s hard to argue against open standards as they increase the size of the industry for everyone. But equally it’s not necessarily in the short term interest of companies already in a strong position in a sector to encourage its evolution. What is becoming increasingly clear, however, is that the software genie is out of the bottle in the networking space and the signs are that it’s a positive trend for all concerned.

API, Apigee, BlackRock, Funding, News & Analysis, Norwest Ventures, Platform as a service, SAP Ventures

API and cloud app specialist Apigee to go public

Apigee helps enterprises re-architect their apps to make them suitable for cloud, big data and IoT

Apigee helps enterprises re-architect their apps to make them suitable for cloud, big data and IoT

Apigee, an API software platform provider that helps enterprises build and scale apps, is the latest cloud provider to propose an initial public offering of shares of its common stock.

The firm, backed by notable technology investment firms including BlackRock, SAP Ventures and Norwest Ventures, has enlisted Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse Securities to help manage the process of going public.

The company hopes to raise a modest $87m through the IPO according to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

While Apigee claims some of the most reputable firms in the world as customers (eBay, the BBC, Orange, Equinix) and secured close to $200m in seven funding rounds since it was founded in 2004, the company’s financials raise some questions about the company’s viability in the long term.

Like Box, the pure-play cloud storage and collaboration provider that also recently went public (raising over three times when Apigee is seeking), the company has accrued a notable amount of debt compared with what it intends to raise through the IPO.

The company’s gross billings were $36.7m, $43.1m and $63.8m in fiscal 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively. But it incurred net losses of $8.3m, $25.9m and $60.8m in 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively. It racked up losses of $26.8m in the six months ended January 31, 2015.

Nevertheless, it’s clear enterprise app development is becoming API-centric, as an increasing number of IT services are being joined up.

“We believe that application programming interfaces, or APIs, are a critical enabling technology for the shifts in mobile, cloud computing, big data and the IoT and that APIs are a foundational technology on which digital business operates. We believe that a new and expansive market opportunity exists to help enterprises adopt digital strategies and navigate the digitally driven economy,” the company said in its SEC S-1 filing.

“Today, it is difficult for many businesses to fully participate and innovate in the digital world because traditional enterprise software is not designed to interact with and connect to the rapidly evolving digital economy. The IT architectures deployed at most businesses are based on thousands of application servers communicating with databases, other applications and numerous middleware layers, each using thousands of custom integrations and connectors. These legacy architectures generally cannot publish APIs in a way that can be used by application developers.”

Anthony Yeh, containers, Database, Google, Infrastructure as a Service, MySQL, News & Analysis, Open Source, YouTube

YouTube brings Vitess MySQL scaling magic to Kubernetes

YouTube is working to integrate a beefed up version of MySQL with Kubernetes

YouTube is working to integrate a beefed up version of MySQL with Kubernetes

YouTube is working to integrate Vitess, which improves the ability of MySQL databases to scale in containerised environments, with Kubernetes, an open source container deployment and management tool.

Vitess, which is available as an open source project and pitched as a high-concurrency alternative to NoSQL and vanilla MySQL databases, uses a BSON-based protocol which creates very lightweight connections (around 32KB), and its pooling feature uses Go’s concurrency support to map these lightweight connections to a small pool of MySQL connections; Vitess can handle thousands of connections.

It also handles horizontal and vertical sharding, and can dynamically re-write queries that could impede the database performance.

Anthony Yeh, a software engineer at YouTube said the company is currently using the service to handle metadata for the company’s video service, which handles billions of daily video views and 300 hours of new video uploads per minute.

“Your new website is growing exponentially. After a few rounds of high fives, you start scaling to meet this unexpected demand. While you can always add more front-end servers, eventually your database becomes a bottleneck.”

“Vitess is available as an open source project and runs best in a containerized environment. With Kubernetes and Google Container Engine as your container cluster manager, it’s now a lot easier to get started. We’ve created a single deployment configuration for Vitess that works on any platform that Kubernetes supports,” he explained in a blog post on the Google Cloud Platform website. “In this environment, Vitess provides a MySQL storage layer with improved durability, scalability, and manageability.”

Yeh said the company is just getting started with the Kubernetes integration, but once users will be able to deploy Vitess in containers with Kubernetes on any cloud platform supported by it.