Cloud Computing Brings New Network Demands

Grazed from Midsize Insider. Author: Sharon Hurley Hall.

Cloud computing is often seen as bringing massive cost savings to midsized businesses and others, but what’s not talked about so much is the strain this may be putting on IT networks. Companies need robust networks to deliver the increasing array of cloud services in an era where instant, always-on service provision is becoming the norm, but that’s not always that they get. An article on AllThingsD cites research by Juniper Networks who polled 150 top IT executives to get their views on the effect of the cloud and big data on existing IT networks.

Research Findings

While it’s true that midsized businesses may save money by using software as a service (SaaS) thereby reducing their dependency on hardware and software, the research found that 58 percent of IT execs had to expand and upgrade their networking hardware to meet the needs of the cloud services they were using. In addition, the rise of the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend seen by 47 percent of businesses polled also imposes demands on the network. Ironically, the very trends that should simplify life for midsized businesses have made it more complex. Networks seem to be crumbling under the weight of the data and services they have to manage. Some 86 percent of IT execs have seen this effect service provision, while 74 percent see their IT networks as complex, and 35 percent are having trouble managing the networks as they are too rigid…

In addition to the cloud services themselves, companies are also collecting and using terabytes of data drawn from the social sites to enable them to get a better handle on customer sentiment and to target their product and service provision more finely. A report on big data by the McKinsey Global Institute suggested that almost every company has about 200 terabytes of stored data…

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