Pentalog Cloud computing services

Since the end of 2009, we have been conducting a thorough reflection on how to shift towards Cloud Computing. The debate on Cloud Computing did not take place because we were all convinced that this is not just a new fashionable innovation.We know that equipment remains an important part of a software solution but since the first virtualization solutions, the interest in material has decreased. The transition to Cloud Computing is the next logical step. Soon the very existence of processors, memory and storage will be only distant memories as is the machine language. Always there, but forgotten by all!We have not yet decided whether we should invest in our own Cloud solution in order to have greater ramp-up capabilities or to become Cloud broker. Asking the question is not totally meaningless, because we already have established offices that can accommodate the equipment in Paris, Bucharest and soon in Asia (Singapore, Hanoi …). Moreover we already have the supervision and administration capacity for these platforms. In the past we’ve already been able to respond positively to hosting needs with our infrastructure. The Cloud market is large; there is room for a Pentalog between the internal solutions and the major actors in this market place.In our sphere of services, the use of Cloud Computing would seem to be a natural step forward. We are regularly faced with restrictions concerning the solutions we develop for our clients in regards to a shared integration platform, performance testing on a production platform, later adaptation to Cloud Computing. Indeed, when the network environment of our client is impervious to external access, the required shared access for good reactivity has an immediate impact. When our client is (already) in this process of outsourcing the execution of its solution, our responsiveness and our visibility in the project are enhanced significantly.For many of our clients, we have studied the adaptation of their solution in a SaaS model. It is true that with this model, editors are able to reduce the client decision cycle or show prototypes for a reduced cost. The shift to production is so much easier. These successes have allowed us to define our processes and expand our knowledge about the constraints of these platforms.The concept itself, of Cloud Computing is very convincing: I transform my investments (CAPEX) in operating cost (OPEX). I also gain in agility because only the “click” of the mouse gives me access to more processing power and or storage without having to follow the order, delivery and installation cycle. But we must not neglect the component “network”. The Internet access of the enterprise is already critical, often polluted by non-professionals traffic. What was not visible in a LAN or VPN, is going to become a problem for a high business traffic did not use to share the same resources as the Internet access. The solutions of a private Cloud will also have to integrate WAN optimization solutions in order to reduce the distance with their Datacenters which are not always on-shore.So we can already meet the following requirements:- Development of software solutions dedicated to Cloud computing.- Assistance to make a solution become SaaS. Help in choosing the appropriate platform (vendor, PaaS / IaaS / Saas model).- Supervision, management of outsourced platforms.- Implementation of complementary solutions to take into account new Cloud constraints (access performance, high availability, disaster recovery plan, security …).For more details, see our propositions on the Pentalog web site.On the other hand, we are also exploring the provision of SaaS in a sector that we master very well. This will be the subject of another blog post.