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Sep 19
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Cloud Computing in the Post-Pandemic Era

By Cloud No Comments

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global business landscape underwent a seismic shift towards remote work and digital transformation. Central to this evolution has been the accelerated adoption of cloud computing solutions, marking a pivotal moment in the history of IT infrastructure. 

The Rise of Cloud Computing: A Paradigm Shift in Business Operations

Cloud computing has transcended its role as a technological convenience to become an indispensable tool for modern enterprises. As organizations grappled with the need for agility, scalability, and remote accessibility during the pandemic, cloud platforms emerged as a lifeline, enabling seamless continuity of operations and empowering distributed workforces. 

Enabling Business Resilience and Adaptability 

The pandemic underscored the critical importance of business resilience. Cloud computing proved instrumental in helping organizations adapt swiftly to disruptions, ensuring that operations could continue uninterrupted despite physical constraints. By decentralizing IT infrastructure and enabling remote access to critical applications and data, cloud solutions played a crucial role in maintaining productivity and competitiveness. 

Security and Compliance: Addressing Challenges in a Digital-first World

Alongside its benefits, cloud computing posed new challenges, particularly concerning data security and regulatory compliance. Organizations had to navigate stringent data protection laws and mitigate cybersecurity risks associated with cloud adoption. However, advancements in cloud security protocols, including encryption technologies and robust authentication mechanisms, have bolstered confidence in the cloud’s ability to safeguard sensitive information. 

Driving Innovation and Efficiency 

Beyond crisis management, cloud computing has catalyzed innovation across industries. By eliminating the constraints of physical infrastructure and enabling scalable computing resources on-demand, cloud platforms have empowered businesses to innovate rapidly, launch new services, and optimize operational efficiency. From AI-driven analytics to IoT applications, cloud technologies continue to unlock new possibilities for growth and differentiation. 

The Path Forward: Embracing a Cloud-first Strategy 

As we navigate the post-pandemic era, the trajectory towards cloud-first strategies is set to accelerate. Organizations are increasingly recognizing the strategic advantages of cloud computing, from cost savings and scalability to enhanced collaboration and customer experience. Embracing a cloud-first approach not only future-proofs IT infrastructure but also positions businesses to capitalize on emerging technologies and market opportunities. 

Conclusion: Harnessing the Power of Cloud Computing

In conclusion, the post-pandemic landscape has reshaped the role of cloud computing as a cornerstone of modern business resilience and innovation. By enabling flexibility, scalability, and security in a digital-first world, cloud platforms have proven instrumental in driving sustainable growth and competitive advantage. As businesses continue to adapt to evolving market dynamics and customer expectations, embracing cloud computing will remain imperative in shaping a resilient and thriving future. 

 

May 02
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Application Virtualization: Bridging Software and Cloud.

By Cloud No Comments

In our ever-evolving tech landscape, application virtualization stands out as a transformative force. It enables software to transcend local installations, accessing users via external servers or cloud platforms. Here’s the essence of this innovative concept: 

  1. Digital Illusion: Virtualization allows apps to interact with a user’s OS via a seamless layer, creating an illusion of direct installation.
  2. Unified Artifact: The virtualization process consolidates app processes into a single executable file, facilitating seamless cross-device functionality.
  3. Desktop Virtualization: This pairs with desktop virtualization, relocating the desktop environment to a data centre for streamlined updates and enhanced security.

Advantages of Application Virtualization 

  1. Legacy App Revival: Outdated software can be resurrected, eliminating compatibility issues.
  2. Cross-Platform Compatibility: Virtualized apps function harmoniously across various OS platforms.
  3. Conflict Mediation: Virtualized apps act as conductors, ensuring smooth coexistence with other software.
  4. Multiplicity: Users can run multiple app versions concurrently, boosting productivity.
  5. Security and Compliance: Data security standards are upheld, even on compromised devices.

Spotlight on CloudWare: Elevating App Accessibility 

CloudWare revolutionises Windows app publishing with its efficient, user-friendly approach: 

  1. Cloud Compatibility: Seamlessly integrates with major cloud platforms.
  2. Performance Benefits: Enhanced scalability and reduced support demands make CloudWare a standout choice.

In this transformative era, application virtualization, led by innovators like CloudWare, promises a future of efficient, secure, and user-centric app delivery. 

Sep 11
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Empowering Remote Work in South Africa with Cloudware

By Blog, Cloud No Comments

The global pandemic has accelerated the adoption of remote work, and South Africa is no exception to this trend. With the workforce shifting to remote arrangements, CloudWare has emerged as a pivotal tool for facilitating remote work in the region.

CloudWare provides instant access to your company’s legacy and centralized business applications, seamlessly bridging the gap across tablets, smartphones, desktops, and laptops. It swiftly installs, ensuring compatibility with all end-user devices. This newfound accessibility empowers employees to engage with their tasks from any corner of the world, at any time, and on any device.

CloudWare boasts minimal bandwidth overheads, enhancing the speed and reducing latency in application access. This ensures that remote workers can swiftly and efficiently tap into their essential applications, even when connected over GSM networks, simplifying the remote work experience.

Critical business applications find their home in a centralized private or public environment with CloudWare, where they receive comprehensive support and maintenance accessible to all users. This approach lightens the load on IT teams and guarantees that employees always have access to current, fully supported applications.

In today’s modern workplace, cloud-based collaboration tools are indispensable. South African businesses can leverage CloudWare to foster remote work, facilitate team collaboration, and streamline communication across departments and geographical locations.

In summation, CloudWare stands at the forefront of the remote work revolution in South Africa. By delivering seamless access to business applications, optimizing speed and latency, ensuring secure remote connectivity, centralizing support and maintenance, and enabling collaboration, CloudWare equips businesses to navigate the challenges of the new normal with ease.

 

Apr 11
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Say Goodbye to Desktop PCs: How CloudGate is Revolutionizing the Workplace

By Cloud No Comments

Desktop PCs were once a popular choice for organisations but have become a massive drain on IT resources. According to Nadia Jacobs, Sales Specialist at Cloudware, an IT department’s primary function is to deliver applications to end-users. Therefore, everything else, such as security, uptime, backups, support and maintenance, is important but secondary to the primary function. Jacobs suggests that a new model exists to reduce the complexity and costs associated with desktop PCs.

CloudGate is a hand-sized device that replaces the traditional desktop PC and can be obtained for a fraction of the cost. The device operates by unplugging the screen, mouse, and keyboard from the old PC and plugging it into the CloudGate device. Users can then securely access the entire corporate Windows environment and an Android desktop. The core innovation that makes this possible is Cloudware, a South African-developed application delivery solution that manages all of a company’s applications and data from the data centre. With Cloudware, the only thing that leaves that secure environment is a set of instructions for what to display on the screen.

CloudGate users have a single Cloudware icon on their Android desktop that gives them access to all their company applications, files, and data, making it completely secure. According to Jacobs, information from the central server cannot be shared with the device, not even by copying and pasting. However, this option can be turned on if necessary, but the default setting is that the two environments are entirely separate.

CloudGate eliminates the need for desktop-level support and maintenance, and any issues can be resolved by resetting everything to the factory defaults and erasing the device, as there is no company data on it.

Jacobs explains that CloudGate is an effective solution as the desktop PC is outdated and makes no economic or management sense to put all that processing power and storage into a standalone machine that will never run at more than a fraction of its capacity. The primary physical reason for not moving everything to the data centre has been slow network connections, but Cloudware solves that problem. Within a few years, the desktop PC as we know it will seem outdated, and organisations will continue to shift towards more efficient, cost-effective solutions like CloudGate.

Aug 20
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cloud commputing applications on tablet

Cloud Computing for your business: what you need to know

By Cloud No Comments

Cloud computing has been around since the concept of the internet started, but only in the past decade has it become a household time. Whenever we access a data-heavy platform like Gmail, Facebook or Outlook, we are accessing data in the cloud. The general public has been quicker to adopt the cloud than businesses mostly because of the sensitivity of business data.

The growth in business cloud adoption has been slower with an estimated 50% of global enterprises relying on the cloud in 2018 and this number only expected to grow.

Businesses are migrating to cloud at this increasing rate for a few reasons. Namely:

  • Security
  • Affordability
  • Scalability
  • Customization to business needs
  • Low risk of data loss
  • Immediate upgrade
  • Accessibility

While the benefits are well advertised by Cloud resellers and vendors, many businesses don’t know the different types of models of cloud computing and how each can work for their business. In this instance you get the following:

  • Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): IaaS providers offer configured hardware and software through a virtual interface. Servers, storage, networking, and security features are the basic services IaaS provides.
  • Platform as a Service (PaaS): PaaS provides an environment that allows users to build internet applications and services, from simple apps to sophisticated enterprise applications. PaaS offers all the same services like IaaS, with an additional layer of middleware, development tools, business intelligence services and database management
  • Software as a Service (SaaS): Email, calendars, web conferencing tools, project tracking and office tools such as Microsoft Office 365 are all examples of SaaS services.
  • Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS): DRaaS uses cloud resources to safeguard and protect applications from disruption and loss.

Knowing the above, how do you choose a cloud service for your business? As more IT systems are outsourced, choosing the right provider is critical for business growth.

  1. Develop a cloud strategy that is focused on what your business does and select a cloud provider based on this.
  2. Go for providers that offer SLA’s that can make your IT budget manageable and keep service fast and efficient.
  3. Check the security of the provider.
  4. Monitor their service – for your business goals to be achieved their service needs to be 100%, all the time.
Jul 17
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Cloud Applications on Mobile Phone

How cloud applications are transforming IT

By Cloud No Comments

Since the early 2000s software has evolved rapidly and these non-stop changes have greatly upset the balance of power in computing.

For something like a Content Management System (CMS) to be cloud-native, the entire system must exist in the cloud. It needs to be developed, tested, deployed, debugged and updated on the cloud. The system would not be installed on an on-premise server for permanent residency nor is it converted to a virtual machine image to make it available across servers. Systems like these are designed for the cloud, which requires fundamental changes to a business’s architecture and the IT economy that supports it.

A cloud-native application is made for the systems that host it, rather than having to be converted or staged in a virtual environment that hides the nature of the cloud from it. Since the beginning of computing, software has been designed for the machines destined to run it. Dartmouth’s John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz essentially invented modern computing by devising a language meant to withstand trial-and-error programming: BASIC. The principle of BASIC is that software can make the best use of the machine it runs on and should be nurtured and developed inside said machines rather than compiled separately. Cloud-native computing uses the same principle, extended to include cloud platforms.

Since the start of software developers and high-level programming, software became less reliant on the hardware it needed to be designed for. Hardware is now designing itself for software and we can’t go back.

“The cloud” (which is way too late to rename) is a machine, notwithstanding one that spans the planet. A cloud may be any combination of resources, located anywhere on Earth, whose network connectivity enables them to function in concert as a single assembly of servers. A business could own its cloud in its entirety, or rely on the likes of Microsoft, Amazon, and Google to have a cloud-native environment, or use both it’s own and cloud suppliers “cloud”. So when we say an application is “native” to this type of cloud, what we mean is not only that it was constructed for deployment there, but that it is portable throughout any part of the space that this cloud encompasses.

A cloud-native application is designed for the cloud platform it is intended to run on. Its life is in this cloud platform. It changes the computing landscape for 2 reasons:

  • “Version” means something different than it did 10 years ago – anyone who knows Windows understands this. There probably won’t be a Windows 10 – but there was a Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and 8.1. all before 10. A true cloud-native application will evolve as smartphones do – you didn’t need to pay to update your Android from Oreo to Pie.
  • The is no clear reason as to why any application needs to be installed on a PC – except in instances of no connectivity

Soon the very phrase “cloud-native” may fall into disuse, like the tag on the 1990s and early 2000s TV shows that read, “Filmed in high definition!”

May 14
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Cloud Business AWS

How was 2018 for the SaaS market?

By Cloud No Comments

You might not know it but almost every business relies on SaaS (Software as a Service) to operate. According to Business Wire, the SaaS market is expected to grow at an annual rate of 21.2%. 2018 was a milestone year for SaaS as it saw a couple of SaaS companies go public. The cloud market drives the overall SaaS market because the cloud makes SaaS a reality. That is why this article includes cloud market statistics as well as SaaS statistics.

Cloud Driving the Bottom Line

Recently, Gartner forecasted a 17.3 % growth in the cloud market. Cloud system infrastructure services (the fastest growing segment of Infrastructure as a Service) is expected to grow by 27.6% in 2019. With this in mind, it is surprising to find that Amazon is not primarily an e-commerce platform anymore. Amazon has shifted its focus in recent years to its B2B service called Amazon Web Services (AWS). The total revenue contribution of AWS in the companies balance sheet amounted to $6.1 billion in 2018.

While AWS has a 41.5% market share in the public cloud, competitor, Microsoft Azure, is catching up. In their latest earnings report, Microsoft reported that Azure grew at 89% over the 2018 year. This is a growth rate almost double that of AWS.

Cloud Business AWS

The shift from On-Prem

Microsoft Azure currently shares 29.4 % of the market whilst Google has a minor 3%. Other players such as IBM and Rackspace make up the remaining 25% of the market.

Despite Azure’s growth, Amazon is still the preferred cloud platform with 80% of enterprises that are running or experimenting with AWS preferring it. Both Microsoft and Amazon had increased adoption rates, proving that enterprises and businesses are gradually shifting their data to the cloud. Possibly due to CIO’s and business leaders understanding the transformational aspect cloud computing has on their business.

Some examples of enterprises moving to the cloud include:

  • Capital One (an American Bank) hosts its mobile app on AWS
  • GE Oil & Gas is migrating most of its computing and storage capacity to the public cloud to reduce risk and optimize cost
  • Maersk is migrating legacy systems to the cloud to optimize processes whilst enabling business intelligence and AI to streamline its operations.

The biggest growth in SaaS yet

Microsoft leads the SaaS market with a 17% market share and an annual growth of 45%. The total enterprise SaaS market is presently generating $20 billion in quarterly revenue.

According to Synergy Research Group, Salesforce has majority market share when it comes to CRM. However, the CRM segment is growling relatively slowly in comparison to other segments.

If we look at SaaS based on industry verticals, majority of cloud adoption lives in the financial services industry with an adoption rate 19%, this is commendable when compared to other verticals such as insurance and healthcare. However, enterprise cloud adoption remains low at 20%.

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