Are we ready to head into the Cloud?

Sub-Saharan Africa is poised to take advantage of cloud computing offerings and expectations are high that this market will soon be exploding. This is as a result of an increase in investments in telecoms infrastructure, the landing of several international cables resulting in an increase in international bandwidth and the costs associated dropping. But are companies really ready for cloud computing?

According to Gartner developing nations, especially those in sub-Saharan Africa, are at the forefront of cloud adoption. The economic benefits of cloud computing are clear and there has been a massive uptake, particularly in those countries that do not have legacy systems. But where do we really stand as a country when it comes to cloud computing adoption?

Globally, it seems that the early adopters of cloud computing tend to be SMBs, particularly in light of the cost savings associated with this technology. However, larger enterprises and the public sector are increasingly looking at cloud computing as an option.

What are the key factors that are driving organisations to adopt cloud computing? In the "always-on" environment that we live and work in, there is a need to have access to data and applications 24/7. Using cloud computing allows for this as well as mobility of the workforce. Organisations are also changing their minds about security in the cloud, with some arguing that the cloud is in fact more secure than in-house infrastructure.

There are currently three distinct delivery models in cloud computing - IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), SaaS (Software as a Service) and Paas (Platform as a Service), with many experts believing that the next wave will incorporate Dbaas (Database as a Service). These delivery models allow for much greater flexibility, a reduction in costs associated with technology and improved scalability. For smaller organisations these are critical for survival and for larger organisations they add tremendous value to the bottom line.

This means that the value will eventually outweigh the concerns around cloud computing and we can expect to see a dramatic increase in uptake. Another sign of what is to come is the emphasis most vendors are beginning to place on cloud computing. They have identified a business need and are racing to see who will be the first to own the market in this regard.

What does all of this mean for South Africa? I foresee an increase not only in the number of organisations that move into the cloud, but also in the type of services that are made available in this manner. The availability of the right skills will be critical in the surge in uptake of cloud computing and our physical infrastructure in the country will be put to the test.

Is our infrastructure ready for cloud computing? This is a highly contentious issue as many believe we rely too heavily on legacy infrastructure which will not be able to cope. The number of fiber roll-out projects that have already started across SA makes the picture seem more promising, but only time will tell.

Montgomery Africa, in partnership with Imago TechMedia, is launching an annual end-to-end infrastructure show in South Africa that will deal with these issues among others.

IP EXPO, which has run very successfully in the UK for 6 years, will focus on three key themes in 2011: IP Infrastructure, Virtualisation and Cloud Computing. The 2-day event will take place at Sandton Convention Centre on the 15th and 16th of November 2011.

When online definitely isn't a direct line

Okay, okay - so I have to admit I've tried it and boy has it been a journey.

Ever get curious about online dating? I mean really - I work hard, I am a single mom and I'm always connected so it just made sense to try it... I am still trying to convince myself that it was a good idea.

So you pick an online dating site and start by creating a profile for yourself. First of all, what most people do no realise is the 90% of the online dating sites are actually linked and all the profiles end up in the same database. You answer a whole bunch of questions about yourself, you have say how honest you've been in answering those (hmmm), you load a photo or two (more about that later) and you're all set to start dating. Most of these sites market themselves as being free to register on - yes, you can register for free, but if you want any form of interaction then you'll have to pay.

So, you're new on the site and immediately you get a prime positioning - suddenly you get hundreds of views on your profile and the messages start pouring in - from one-liners telling you that you're pretty, to elaborate 20-page essays about the person's life history (usually a copy and paste scenario). So you start working though each message, looking at the individual's profile, photos and then eventually responding if you wish to. Now the information in the profile is pretty in-depth, ranging from hair colour to body shape, to whether you have body art, piercings and your religion. Of course everyone says that they are "extremely honest" in their profile - I beg to differ.

Mr "I only want a supermodel by my side" turns out to be Frankenstein's monster; Mr "I dislike tattoos" is covered by the stuff, but believes in double standards; Mr "I'm athletic" looks as though he has swallowed a whole cow in the last 24 hours - and best of all Mr "Don't bother contacting me if you don't have a profile pic" has hidden his so that no one can see his true colours.

So you strike up a couple of conversations with a couple of individuals, and suddenly playful banter turns into the third degree - right who are you, where are you from, what do you do, what do you earn, etc etc - quite high maintenance if you ask me. You might not like what you hear or see (eventually when he opens up his pic) and you politely move on to the next conversation. Or you might actually like him and agree to go on a date.

Now, as a single mom this can be quite daunting. Put me in front of an audience to speak about tech and telecoms and I am in my element. One-on-one on a "date" - aaarrrggghhh I want to run for the hills. But you agree nevertheless. Now you've seen each other in your photos on the site - and I naively regularly update mine as I regularly change my hair colour and style and I thought the purpose of having the pics was to show what you look like - now. You arrive at the restaurant - look around and he's nowhere to be seen. By now you have probably exchanged phone numbers and you take out your phone to sms him to see if he's running late when a waving hand catches your eye. You look behind you - surely this cannot be your date, because his online pic looked completely different to what you're seeing now. But he carries on waving and then the penny drops - of course he's waving at you - your pic is actually recent, so he recognises you! The rest of the date might go well, might not - you might even fake a call on your cell to get out of there. But what is the whole point of this story?

I believe the jury is still out on this online dating thing. I know of 3 individuals who have met people online and have ended up getting married to those individuals. So they swear high and low that this is the route for someone like me to go. I on the other hand seem to have been dealt a nasty online blow. I either get guys that are 10 years younger than I am hitting on me, or those that are older than my father. Married men, guys who prefer to be the ones wearing the fishnet stockings and spiky heels or absolute stalkers who do not understand the meaning of the word "NO" - thank goodness for the "block" button.

Which leads me to a question. Online dating is meant to allow you to "date" someone, in the comfort of your home, with the opportunity for you to be yourself - am I the only idiot who actually believes that? Or has it become an absolute online masquerade? It's a pity that something which is meant to fulfill a specific purpose for a specific audience has been taken over by people who don't actually take it seriously enough to even say how tall they really are.

And this attitude seems to be spreading across other media - just a week ago, I changed my Facebook profile pic. I got a phenomenal amount of compliments, which obviously felt good, but these were matched by a similar number of friend requests from people I have never met, who don't share any friends, but who believe that if we both like Top Gear it is reason for us to be friends on FB and that I will actually share my personal details with them. It absolutely blows my mind - the lengths some people will go to.

And after all of that it might just be that going the traditional route is best. Who knows - maybe I'm just looking in all the wrong places...

Online "warfare" - where does the responsibility lie?

It's amazing how our lives have changed - largely as a result of technology.



I was just reading the Mail & Guardian article (http://www.mg.co.za/article/2011-01-21-mean-girls-get-meaner-online) on how social media is allowing mean girls to get meaner and it amazes me how things have changed. When I think back to my school days I can count the number of fights between girls on one hand - and those weren't even physical. Now it has become an almost daily occurrence and is also being executed in the pubic domain?



I believe in social media - it has served me well in building valuable networks, keeping up to date with content that is important to me and I get to manage my life more effectively by engaging with this content when I choose to do so. But to use this technology as a bullying tactic is scary - and it is not limited to children!



I personally believe the social media explosion has brought a lot of benefits, but also a tremendous responsibility.



From a business perspective, it has allowed individuals to create much broader networks, resulting in business opportunities that might not even have seen the light of day. It allows us to share information much faster and to a broader audience, it allows for cross-border brainstorming and creates and endless flow of communication.



However, the responsibility now lies with each individual to censor their communications. The M&G article refers to how social media has increased individuals' power to bully others in a public forum. The danger here is that the damage done is so much more extensive - every remark is public and forever etched on the web.



From a corporate perspective I have seen many organisations put policies in place around social media, but the responsibility still lies with the individual to ensure that they don't publish any potentially damaging or confidential information.



Even on a social level I have seen personal fights being taken into the public domain by adults - these can be a source of great entertainment for some, but for others it is potentially an extremely damaging experience, especially when private information is divulged.



So where do we draw the line? I believe individuals need to take a much greater responsibility for their online conversations. If you're comfortable saying it face-to-face, chances are that it is not suitable for online publishing.



Where there used to be a clear distinction between our "real" and "virtual" worlds, these lines are now blurred. If I had to analyse my Facebook friends and Twitter followers, they would consist of real friends, friends of friends, colleagues, business acquaintances, business people I respect and have a real interest in and more. So how do I decide what type of post is suitable for which platform and which is not? Quite the dilemma - and if we as adults struggle so much with that decision, imagine how difficult it must be for a child.



As the use of social media continues to grow, I'd go as far as to say that I foresee some element of social media etiquette being included in school curricula down the line. It won't be soon - but I believe strongly that our children would benefit tremendously from it. As they need to make the transition from childhood into adulthood and into a working environment, they also need to make the transition into responsible social media use.



Parents should play a much bigger role in ensuring that their children are aware of the repercussions of online "warfare". Damaging a person's reputation in such a public forum is not acceptable. This means that there is additional pressure on a parent to perhaps learn something new (if you haven't been bitten by the social media bug yet) and to understand its impact. Secondly, while you don't want to curb your child's interaction with the world, there needs to be some level of awareness around what your child is doing in the online sphere - yes, it is time consuming, but all parental activities are and it is in your child's best interest long-term that you do so.



I believe social media will continue to grow and will become increasingly important in our lives, therefore it is critical that our children are equipped to use these tools effectively and responsibly. We cannot possibly expect them to understand the impact of these tools if we don't invest the time ourselves to research and share that information.



So, as you teach your child right from wrong in general circumstances, it is becoming absolutely critical for parents to teach their children about the responsibility that goes along with being active online. Taking the time to teach your child the rights and wrongs of social media is becoming unavoidable in ensuring our children are well-rounded individuals who understand the consequences of their online actions. It could save a child's reputation - and, who knows, perhaps even a child's life.