November has been a busy month in the cloud computing world. From cloud storage developments to big data and data security, here are some of November’s top news stories.
1. The cloud matures
Recent figures from Verizon suggest that most companies believe cloud computing is giving them a competitive advantage. However, with the introduction of cloud computing becoming increasingly normal within workplaces, it’s giving companies less of a competitive advantage than it did in 2014.
In fact, Verizon’s third annual report: ‘State of the Market: Enterprise Cloud’ found that 77% of companies recognise the cloud as a competitive advantage, compared to 74% a year ago. However, only 16% of companies argue that the cloud gives them a significant advantage, which is down from 30% last year.
The report found that 37% of organisations state that the cloud has allowed their firm to adapt their business models, ultimately giving customers a better offering. A further 19% said they were implementing changes to enable them to move to the cloud. Also to note, at least a quarter of companies said they were considering a switch to the cloud. What will it take to convince them to hop on board? Well, Verizon reckons that by 2018, at least half of all companies will be putting more than 75% of their workload into the cloud.
2. Microsoft announces plans to open UK data centres
By late 2016, Microsoft hopes to expand its European presence by opening a datacentre at an undisclosed location within the UK. This data centre will join its “sister-centres” in the Netherlands – where Microsoft has just finished an expensive expansion – and in Dublin, Ireland where the Redmond Goliath plans to invest more than $300 million to the existing site.
3. Microsoft stops unlimited OneDrive storage
It’s been a busy month for Microsoft as they’re in the news again. After offering Office 365 users unlimited storage, the company was forced to remove the offer when users started to use too much space. Some users took things to the extremes by taking up up to 75 terabytes of data each, backing up computers, full movie collections and DVR recordings.
All users will be given time to relocate all data that exceeds the new 1TB cap. And, those who find the services’ new offering to be less than stellar for their needs can even apply for a refund.
In a recent OneDrive blog post, Microsoft said: “Instead of focusing on extreme backup scenarios, we want to remain focused on delivering high-value productivity and collaboration experiences that benefit the majority of OneDrive users.”
4. Dell shows its hand
If you want to show you mean business, there’s no better way than to spend big money making a massive merger or eye-watering acquisition. Dell decided to go with the latter, announcing a definitive agreement with EMC for a staggering $67 billion. According to Michael Dell, Dell’s CEO, the deal will see the new company become “…an enterprise solutions powerhouse, bringing our customers industry-leading innovation across their entire technology environment” and will “bring together the industry’s leading innovators in digital transformation, software-defined data centre, hybrid cloud, converged infrastructure, mobile and security.” Will this landmark deal create an enterprise powerhouse or a stagnating giant? It’s safe to say opinions are divided on the matter.
5. SMEs urged to focus on Data Recovery after shocking findings
Databarracks’ recently published “Data Health Check” report found that only 27% of smaller enterprises have Data Continuity Plans in place. This is in comparison to 68% and 75% of medium and large enterprises respectively. Out of all the findings came an interesting little titbit: Why we lose data in the first place. According to their findings, human error accounts for a quarter (24%) of data loss, with hardware failure following closely behind (21%).
Yet, it comes as a surprise when disaster recovery is no longer out of the reach of small businesses. You can now store your data safely and securely in the cloud – with regular, secure backups – whilst still accessing it with the relative ease of an on-site server. All for a low monthly cost. It makes you wonder, why aren’t more people jumping on board?
So, there you have it. Our 5 most noteworthy cloud news stories for October and November. If you want to keep ahead of the game or need a helping hand switching over to the cloud, get in touch with the Synextra Support Team today.
