How the Private Cloud Has Evolved Improving IT Infrastructure
This is a guest post by Brian Jensen, working with Dell
With the growth of virtualization it seems somewhat natural that companies are beginning to accept the private cloud as a viable IT solution. The private cloud is a term given to internal hosting services within a corporation. If you work in a large company, you may already be using a private cloud, and if not, you soon may be.
More Access to IT Services, Faster
The development of the private cloud presents some fantastic advantages for companies, regardless of what industry they happen to be involved in. First of all, a private cloud enables IT services to be delivered at a much faster rate. This means that if you are experimenting with a new program, or preparing to launch a one, you would be able to create virtual hardware in order to work out any flaws before you distribute it. This can cut down waits for physical hardware and provides both IT staff and end users with immediate access to the resources within the company. (To learn more about how your IT department and organization can benefit from the private cloud visit Dell here.)
IT as its Own Business in the Company
A private cloud transforms the IT department into its own separate business. What this means is that IT now has the ability to track services used by each participating department and bill that department accordingly—a process known as chargeback metering. Some believe this turns IT into its own commodity within the company but it provides company management with detailed information on how much they are spending on IT.
Higher security
One of the biggest attractions for corporations is the opportunity to have greater control over who is accessing what, with identity based security. On a public cloud, security cannot always be guaranteed since it is designed for public access but a private cloud provides more security because you own and operate it. The cloud operates behind your company’s firewalls, keeping hackers and cyber thieves further at bay and limiting access to sensitive or secure data to only those employees who need access to it, regardless of their location.
Building IT Infrastructure
The purpose of IT is to ensure that employees have access to the information and resources that they need and the private cloud encourages this.
Virtualizationreview.com and Jason Cowie discuss this to some extent. Jason relays that some call this a sort of holistic approach that focuses on real-time information and response to meet the needs of departments within the company. With virtual servers and other hardware, end users and IT staff alike, are able to accomplish more, thereby improving the overall productivity of the company and raising its revenue potential. As the needs of certain departments change, IT can adjust its infrastructure to meet those needs, whether they are scaling up or scaling down. Virtualization gives you the power to create servers or any other components that you need without having to wait for physical hardware to arrive and it’s easy to tear that same infrastructure down when you no longer need it, saving your company money and time.
The Next Step—Optimizing Your Private Cloud
If you have already created a private cloud within your organization, then the next step should be to build upon that technology to continually improve IT services. While a private cloud is generally aimed for specific departments, it is slowly evolving to something much greater that could provide for the entire company and some companies are working on doing this. If you are an IT, it would be a good idea to look for ways to build upon the private cloud(s) in your company and continually strive to improve them. For instance, ask yourself if you could widen the infrastructure of your private cloud(s) to service a few more departments.
Familiarize Yourself with The Private Cloud
A lot more attention is being given to private cloud computing as companies become more aware of the benefits associated with it. This will undoubtedly lead to more advancement in private cloud technology, expanding the possibilities of how it can be used to benefit companies.
Author Bio
Brian Jensen works with Dell. In his spare time he enjoys traveling, cooking and spending time with his family. He has a passion for learning and writing about all things technology. He is currently researching virtualization and would recommend visiting dell.com for more information.