Cisco’s Cloud Connected Solution is positioned to bring more businesses to the cloud
Cisco is internationally recognized as one of the major cloud computing players. They have put forth a lot of valuable research, technologies and products which are helping to bring advanced cloud technologies to industry and the public sector alike. The Cloud Connected Solution, is Cisco’s attempt at building a more comprehensive set of adaptive cloud tools, so to speak. Simply put, this is Cisco’s attempt at crafting a method for bringing outside private and public cloud apps directly to the platform and infrastructure of the user.
What defines Cisco’s Cloud Connected Solution?
Routing and optimization are two of the biggest areas of concern for cloud users under Cisco’s CCS; specifically covering items like WAN (wide area network optimization platforms). It’s important to note that the CCS is only one part of Cisco’s Cloud Intelligent Network. The other contributing pieces of the CIN are:
Together (along with the connected cloud solution), these components deliver an extremely ample set of cloud computing capabilities.
The Cloud Connected Solution basically seeks to connect users with that of their available / selected cloud services. A number of cloud connectors are tasked with managing areas like Storage, 3rd party apps / services, survivability and web security. These elements are in turn coupled with concerns over:
- Visibility
- Optimization Security
- Collaboration
- Application Hosting
In the end, these concerns are leveraged against Cisco’s cloud-ready platforms, like:
- Cisco ISR (Integrated Service Routers)
- Cisco ASR (Aggregation Service Routers)
- Cisco CSR (Cloud Services Router)
According to Cisco, the Cloud Connected Solution will offer distinct benefits to customers in several areas linked to performance and survivability as well as time spent engaging in troubleshooting. Additionally, since consolidation of assets is also an aspect of the CCS, it is estimated that overall costs related to infrastructure upkeep will be significantly reduced. Here are the actual percentages touted by Cisco with regards to the efficiency of the Cloud Connected Solution:
- A 70% increase in the performance of cloud applications
- Virtually non-existent downtimes, with applications remaining active and functional 99.999% of the time.
- The time spent troubleshooting or deploying components can be reduced by up to 62%.
How will this Cloud Connected Solution deliver new cloud business?
It’s no secret that Amazon, Microsoft and others have dynamite cloud apps and services available which are in high demand. Through Cisco’s Cloud Connected Solution, virtually all of the best (and in-demand) cloud apps and services (offered by other companies) will soon be supported and incorporated. For many businesses, the emergence of a solution like CCS marks their ability to accomplish new things, and directly utilize certain technologies, products, services and applications with others (which were once considered contrasting). Likewise, 3rd part vendors can really take advantage of the Cloud Connected Solution by developing their own connectors. Cisco’s Connected Cloud Solution will bring additional businesses to the cloud simply because it will provide a centralized platform whereby the heavy hitters can deploy their individual products, apps, and services. Given that Cisco is already one of the most well-known and respected institutions in cloud computing, being able to incorporate any existing or emerging technologies quickly and without any major problems is going to continue to look very attractive to most major businesses.
How well prepared is your organization for integrating Cisco’s Cloud Intelligent Network and Cloud Connected Solution?
For many businesses the question remains, “do we have enough certified cloud personnel on hand?” According to a number of studies and experts; most organizations, while extremely eager to jump head-first into cloud computing, are still somewhat lacking when it comes to their cloud knowledge base. While you might be inclined to think that cloud training and certification is an expensive, intensive and time-consuming proposition, exactly the opposite is true. Online-enable e-learning for cloud computing is actually quite thorough from an educational perspective, is quite affordable, and certainly can be classified as being cost-effective. It could be argued that businesses who encounter serious issues with regards to instituting cloud computing simply don’t have the required expertise in their respective IT departments. Given that cloud computing certification is offered through various online retailers at bargain prices, often with group rate discounts available, businesses simply have no excuse for not updating their cloud know-how.