07 Sep 2011

Regular readers of this newsletter may recall that a year ago, recoveriescorp’s then-Chief Information Officer questioned the use of cloud computing by major organisations.

Jeff Sussman, now our Chief Technology Officer, says that while recoveriescorp would not place client data in the public cloud, it is now looking seriously at some private cloud service models and the compelling benefits they offer.

“A year is a long time in computer technology,” Mr Sussman says. “Even the Federal Department of Defence now acknowledges that: ‘Cloud computing offers potential benefits including cost savings and improved business outcomes for Australian government agencies*’.”

“Of the three delivery models, Infrastructure as a Service (IAAS), Platform as a Service (PAAS) and Software as a Service (SAAS), we are currently planning to pilot hosted telephony services as part of a PAAS offering.”

 The benefits of this platform are compelling:

• Replacing upfront capital costs with pay-per-use
• Leveraging specialist resources allowing us to focus on our core business
• Reducing transaction costs due to our supplier’s economies of scale
• Improving responsiveness as we can deploy new services more quickly
• Enhancing business continuity by leveraging the redundancy of our supplier’s infrastructure.

“Utilising the private cloud will also enable us to cut our carbon footprint. For example, hosted services will reduce the need to expand our computer server areas which currently demand very costly and energy-intensive airconditioning,” Mr Sussman says.

Over the next six months recoveriescorp will consult with clients to evaluate which private cloud services comply with their risk management profiles.

*(Cyber Security Operations Centre, Australian Government  Department of Defence 6/2011 initial guidance 12 April 2011.)