Cloud adoption's rise is good reason to reconsider your data center's infrastructure
By Donna DonnowitzApril 24, 2015
Despite a wide range of reports regarding security concerns, it seems that nothing will stand in the way from the momentum behind cloud adoption. Businesses managing data centers are always looking for ways to manage their growing storage loads and run increasingly complex applications more cost effectively, so the perks of the cloud are hard to pass up. That's why it's no surprise that over 75 percent of respondents to an eWeek survey reported that their organizations have already moved forward with their cloud adoption strategies.
"IT professionals should consider what they can gain the cloud."
Forbes reported that over 80 percent of the new wave of cloud adopters are interested in Infrastructure-as-a-Service, a solution for those facilities with the need for greater data center capacity but don't have the resources to manage the addition. The rise in demand for the cloud is creating unique market opportunities for facilities looking for a way to adjust the load on their data center, making this a good time for IT professionals to consider what their company could gain from moving toward the cloud.
Amazon's price drop may signal the next surge of adoption
The big public cloud providers like Microsoft, Amazon and Google are in a constant tug-of-war for an edge in the competitive storage market, and this competition has been a boon for companies considering the cloud. Amazon recently announced that its AWS will now be offering an unlimited storage plan, and InfoWorld noted that the plan is designed to significantly expand the company's customer base by offering a sizzling deal of $60 a year for all types of files. It's likely Amazon's rivals will follow suit with a price drop of their own, a natural trend considering how data storage's evolution into an absolute necessity throughout a growing spectrum of industries.
Smartphone adoption will drive new markets for cloud storage
Another, lesser reported trend that could become a big factor in cloud adoption in the near future is smartphone use. Over 75 percent of mobile users now uses smartphones, and more and more businesses are reaching out to customers and providing new services through mobile apps. Companies interested in delivering new applications to customers but lacking the resources to build up data center infrastructure from scratch make perfect candidates for the public cloud. With BYOD and mobile computer becoming more popular, it's likely this trend will continue to gain steam going forward.
Pros and cons of the cloud depend on your facility's demands
The American Society of Association Executives emphasized that the decision to jump onto the cloud bandwagon is based on the company's storage needs, budget and risk tolerance. Adoption offers savings via the outsourcing of infrastructure management and the reliability made possible by an establish public cloud provider. On the other hand, a company may find that many of the key data loads of their business don't work in certain data loads don't work in the cloud. A careful assessment of the nuances of the company's data should be a priority for IT staff before moving on to adoption.
The cloud brings with it new opportunities for IT teams managing data centers.
For companies that need some of cloud's benefits but also require certain data loads to be managed on premise, there are multiple solutions that IT managers can apply to satisfy these requirements. A remote console server, for example, can be used to make files that are too risky for the cloud more readily available to customers or staff members in other locations. Companies should also discussing the unique needs of their facilities with providers to start conversations about cost-effective custom infrastructure.
Perle's wide range of 1 to 48 port Perle Console Servers provide data center managers and network administrators with secure remote management of any device with a serial console port. Plus, they are the only truly fault tolerant Console Servers on the market with the advanced security functionality needed to easily perform secure remote data center management and out-of-band management of IT assets from anywhere in the world.