DOHA: There is a need for a total revamp of existing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) systems of companies in Qatar and in the entire region to successfully get an advantage of the cloud computing services offered by Microsoft Gulf.
"I think the biggest challenge is the perception that cloud computing represents a wholesale replacement for existing ICT systems," said Goksel Topbas, a top executive of Microsoft Gulf.
He however assure Microsoft is making a significant push and drive around the Private Cloud in the Qatar through joint initiatives with HP and Citrix. As part of the Hyper-V Cloud Fast Track program, HP and Microsoft have jointly developed HP Cloud Foundation for Hyper-V, a reference architecture that combines HP BladeSystem Matrix, Microsoft System Center and Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V to provide customers with a proven foundation for running business applications within a private cloud computing environment.
Topbas said there are now many customers in the region that implemented private cloud successfully and already getting the advantage of cloud on premise and the will have a much accelerated curve for utilizing public cloud for their selected services.
He said businesses today look to the cloud as a cost-saving alternative, reducing in-house servers and management staff. He explained while some applications are well-suited for the cloud, it is important to evaluate which workloads need to connect to other workloads and applications, and how IT departments can best manage security, compliance and regulation.
Companies will need to determine which workloads run best locally and which skills, tools and assets transfer best to the cloud. In the end, it's about companies delivering the best user experience to their customers that transcend a single device.
Microsoft's partnership with HP resulted to a great platform to engage with CIOs and let them know how the company is improving the customer experience for developing, deploying and managing IT environments.
"Our agreement is now truly enabling business customers from across the region to optimize performance at the lowest-possible total cost of ownership with a simplified set of solutions across hardware, software and services," Topbas said.
© The Peninsula 2011
