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.
