The cloud is a metaphor referring to networks, specifically the Internet, that have been represented in engineering and network drawings for some time. In reality, the cloud is the latest iteration of a concept that has been called many things in the past including ASP (application service provider), on-demand, utility computing and as a service (Software as a Service, Infrastructure as a Service).
Computer Basics – “The Cloud”:
A pool of computing resources (servers, storage, applications, and voice services) that is provided as-needed to businesses from a provider’s network, eliminating the need for on-site equipment, maintenance, and management. Cloud technology technologies enables IT departments to increase or add capabilities as needed without purchasing equipment and software, training employees to support it, and using office space, power, and cooling to house it.
They provide end users immediate access to new, always-on features from nearly any device in any location. They also provide the business a predictable, subscription-based, pay-per-use way to fund IT.
Learn more about cloud technology in general and why Evolve IP’s cloud might be the right fit for your business:
Cloud Technology 101: Public Cloud vs. Private Cloud
What are the different types of clouds? There are many types of clouds that you can use to support your business.
Public Clouds provide a pool of shared computing resources, applications, and storage to the customer as a single virtualized service. They generally allow you to grow or shrink these resources as needed and often times provide built-in failover and redundancy. But, they are delivered (as the name suggests) publicly and in a defined fashion, so you are unable to secure your services with a private firewall or access them privately over your Wide Area Network (WAN). Public Clouds also generally require an on-staff development resource and in some cases a full re-factor of the application framework for proper functionality. The Public Cloud is generally referred to as a “revolutionary” approach to Cloud Computing as it brings many benefits but also a degree of complexity and know-how to fully leverage its capabilities.
Private Clouds provide a dedicated instance of these services for your exclusive use and, as a result, can be secured and accessed privately. While they are housed in provider’s data center, they do not leverage the pool of shared resources, so they cannot grow and shrink and do not include failover and redundancy. Private Clouds most times utilize the same technology (hardware, virtualization, security) as an on-premise deployment, but they are outsourced to a service provider for hosting and care and feeding of the environment. Visit ‘What is a private cloud‘ for more information.
Hybrid Clouds are the industry’s answer to the problems that plague both models. Use public for what it’s good for, use private for what it’s good for, and combine the two. Unfortunately, hybrid cloud solutions suffer from the complexity involved in that integration and there is a cost implication to dedicate hardware, security devices, and networking to any single customer.
The Evolve IP Cloud is a Virtual Private Cloud that leverages the scalability and failover of public cloud services with the privacy and security of dedicated environments. With end-to-end customer isolation through end-to-end Layer 2 VLANs, Evolve IP customers are logically separated from other customers across our pooled infrastructure. This gives you the ability to connect to our network privately. Moreover, the Virtual Private Cloud functions perfectly with both new and legacy applications and provides predictable, stable, and secure architecture with the resiliency and on-demand expansion capabilities that most expect with the “cloud”. Often referred to as the “evolutionary” approach, Virtual Private Cloud does not require changes to the application framework or special coding for proper migration. The Virtual Private Cloud delivers the best of both worlds.
WHY SELECT EVOLVE IP’S CLOUD?
Privacy and Security
One of the greatest strengths of the cloud is its ability to deliver services to users wherever they are. Therefore, most cloud services are delivered over the public Internet. While this is certainly convenient for home users and road warriors, it introduces risk.
Unlike our competitors, which rely on the public Internet as a primary means of access, we focus on getting you to your services privately and dependably through the Evolve IP Virtual Private Cloud, or, when required, over the public Internet in a secure and managed fashion. And, because Evolve IP is trusted by the Payment Card Industry to audit network security for businesses, you can be certain that the Evolve IP Cloud will meet standard and industry-specific privacy and security standards.
Commercial Focus and Experience
Evolve IP is not a big box manufacturer or software company that has decided to start delivering services in the cloud. We’re also not a small cloud company selling a single service over the Internet. Evolve IP has been purposely built to service real businesses, to actually install the services we sell, and to support you via a technical engineering team, not an outsourced customer service company, (Have you called Microsoft for support lately?)
This culture has enabled us to become one of the fastest growing cloud providers in the U.S.
What will Evolve IP’s Cloud Deliver to my Business?
Evolve IP provides you a better way to buy and manage your technology. Specifically, that means better. . .
- Simplicity – We have built our platforms, integrated all of the technologies you need and can deliver them to you right now as a subscription-based service.
- Economics – Lower Total Cost of Ownership than on-site equipment provided via a predictable monthly expense without the need for up-front or ongoing CAPEX.
- Productivity – Get more done with new features and get back time spent maintaining legacy technology.
- Stability – Services from Evolve IP are delivered from diverse technology centers over multiple carriers, ensuring that services are available regardless of conditions at your location.
- Performance – Our solutions are implemented with guaranteed SLAs to satisfy the needs of your organization.
- Control – Enjoy unmatched control and point-and-click configuration over all services through our award-winning OSSmosis Portal.
- Social Responsibility – By putting your technologies in your cloud you greatly reduce your organization’s carbon footprint.
- Focus on Core Business – Outsource the technologies that support the business, so your people can focus on running it.
MOVE TO THE CLOUD
I’m convinced. What kind of technology can I move to the Evolve IP Cloud?
Evolve IP has built world-class data centers on best-of-breed technologies from Cisco, EMC, VMWare, and Broadsoft, and connected various tier-one carriers to create our Private Cloud.
Once you’re connected, we can help you cloudsource/outsource your various technologies or to augment your existing investment, by addressing only areas of immediate need.
Our cloud-based solutions include: Applications, such as phone and call center services, email, and virtual desktops; Infrastructure, such as networks, switches, routers, virtual servers, and management; and a set of Security services to keep your business and your cloud private.