Cloud Computing – Now Mainstream?

MEDIA RELEASE
20 March 2013

Cloud Computing – Now Mainstream?

The recent releases of the Privacy Commissioner’s cloud computing guide and the New Zealand cloud code are welcome additions to assist businesses to navigate their way through a landscape many are still unfamiliar with.

Cloud computing is a burgeoning industry and where in only the recent past this technology might have been viewed as niche or risky, it is now forming an integral part of daily business operations.

Just last month, a recent Gartner survey of 2000 CIOs globally ranked cloud computing as third on their top 10 technology priorities (http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2304615).

Bruce Aylward, CEO of leading edge Cloud software provider Psoda, says the reasons for the explosion in Cloud computing businesses and software worldwide come back to the basic issues of transparency, efficiency and cost.

“What we have seen, and what more people are realising, is that there are unprecedented opportunities for organisations of any size to access enterprise grade technology for a fraction of the cost of traditional software.

“The cost advantage is significant and when you couple that with a greater understanding that it removes the hassle of physically storing data onsite, the growth in this industry is expected to accelerate further.”

Mr Aylward says more and more businesses are opting to move to the cloud and with this a plethora of businesses are developing to support them.

“When we first started out one of the biggest customer concerns was around the ability to get their data back. We had to constantly reassure customers that they were able to extract their data at any time using the XML export function – often having to demonstrate one more than one occasion during the sales process with the same client.

“The questions on data storage haven’t disappeared completely, but they have certainly reduced. This is obviously understandable after the recent high profile cases of hacking and the ongoing Megaupload saga.

“Right from the start, we made a strategic decision to keep all of the Psoda data locally in New Zealand so customers don't have to worry about any data sovereignty issues.

"What we have seen in New Zealand is that organisations are concerned about moving their business data onto the cloud because they don’t know where their data will be stored and what the risks are.

“Cloud businesses need to be able to address these concerns and perceptions and ultimately prove they have the security in place to protect customer data. They should also be undergoing regular external security audits, as we do.

“By utilising the cost and scalability advantages of cloud solutions, and coupling them with secure data access, we’re looking forward to continued growth in products such as Psoda’s Portfolio, Programme & Project Management solutions.”

www.psoda.com

ENDS

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