Harnessing the power of the cloud with reliable connectivity

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The public cloud offers on-demand, scalable and elastic access to vast amounts of compute and storage, but without the burden of hefty capital investments, long waits and manpower to acquire, deploy and configure new infrastructure.

Cloud has completely transformed IT within the span of just 10 years, with the top public cloud platforms growing into multi-billion-dollar businesses with the scalability and capabilities no single enterprise can hope to match. Elsewhere, it has given rise to new cloud-centric methodologies and deployments, and a whole array of advanced cloud-based services that we use for work and play.

On the other hand, the cloud can be very confusing, with a steep learning curve with differing capabilities and limitations stemming from the many cloud providers out there. And for enterprises, there is also the question of dealing with existing infrastructure and hardware that are already deployed, many of them which are currently running mission-critical workloads.

Yet the cloud isn’t a monolithic decision, and it is entirely possible for organisations to embrace the cloud without discarding their existing infrastructure. It is hence no wonder that enterprises are increasingly turning to the hybrid cloud approach, melding the best of the public cloud platforms with their own private cloud deployments and existing on premise infrastructure.

1)     Public website

This deployment typically sees the use of the public cloud to host a web server on a cloud instance. The instance can be sized differently depending on expected workloads in terms of visitors and content management system used the backend. There is no need to purchase server hardware, and it is possible to prelaunch the server onto a cloud instance with beefier specifications as the organisation grows.

For busier websites, a Content Delivery Network (CDN) service can be used to alleviate the load and deliver better responsiveness around the world. Use cases can range from basic mirroring of websites to deployments designed to support audio and video streaming. Some public cloud providers also offer their own CDN services, though it is usually possible to rely on another CDN provider. A benefit of using a CDN is the reduced latency and greater responsiveness it offers to users globally without the need for hefty investments.

Fast connectivity is key where administrative tasks such as website maintenance or offline database backups are concerned, ensuring that these are competed quickly and without errors.

2)     E-commerce site

E-commerce sites or websites that see extremely high levels of visitors require a more robust architecture to handle the hefty workloads. This can be achieved through replicated or highly-available databases, fronted by load-balanced web servers to serve customers. Unlike a traditional on premise deployment, the requisite infrastructure can be rapidly deployed in a matter of minutes from templates and scripts, or hours for more complicated architectures. This is significantly faster than the weeks or months that a conventional procurement-deployment cycle will take.

Moreover, the number of web instances that can be configured to automatically scale up or down depending on current demand. Specific components such as transaction servers can be authorised to update, or query ERP or mission-critical systems housed on the corporate network. This works well for enterprises looking to enjoy the scalability and flexibility of the cloud while retaining their existing investments on the backend.

Reliable, low-latency connectivity is essential here to ensure that sales transactions are not lost due to poor network performance between payment gateways or ERP systems.

3)     Enterprise deployment

Traditional enterprise deployments can still benefit from the capabilities of the cloud without giving up on or disrupting their existing deployments. This is important as these systems may house equipment that must stay on premise due to regulatory rules or performance considerations, or non-cloud-ready legacy systems that continue to be indispensable to the organisation. The cloud can be deployed in an enterprise environment by leveraging best-of-breed services run by external cloud providers that range from cloud-based e-mail, enterprise messaging to enterprise file sharing.

The key advantage of such a deployment is how it allows enterprises to enjoy the benefits of the cloud without having to reconfigure or migrate legacy systems. Maintaining the status quo eliminates the risks that a migration can pose to the organization. Depending on the services concerned, it may be possible to synchronise compatible cloud services to existing enterprise user database for authentication purposes or for better interoperability.

Reliable, low-latency connectivity is essential here to ensure that applications perform as expected, and that systems don’t become unavailable due to services that they are reliant on becoming inaccessible.

4)     Mobile applications

Corporate-wide mobile apps can easily rolled out by using the cloud to establish the mobile backend required by most apps. The scalability of the cloud not only plays a crucial role in cushioning spikes in usage, but also ensures there is adequate backend resources to deliver a consistent, responsive user experience.

In this case, the requisite backend app servers can be housed on a cloud instance, much like an e-commerce deployment. The number of active instances can be configured to dynamically scale-up or down depending on demand, with a simple database backend to retain dynamic information required by the mobile app. Elsewhere, advanced capabilities can be delivered through the mobile app by integrating the cloud-based app servers to the relevant enterprise systems on the corporate network. This can be useful for placing orders, making appointments, modifying an existing booking, or updating a customer’s personal information.

Robust connectivity is essential for ensuring an excellent user experience which is critical in today’s digital era; poor experiences can result in users switching to competitors.

For all the capabilities that the cloud offers, CIOs and experienced IT architects know that it is but one façade of delivering robust services. Another crucial building block would be none other than secure and reliable connectivity from which to harness the power of the cloud. As businesses roll out more services than ever in the cloud, a private connection offers not just secure communication, but is also crucial for delivering an optimal user experience to support business processes.

Singtel Cloud Connectivity solution is a next-gen network designed to address modern network requirements and challenges. By addressing these common pain points, enterprises can focus on their core competencies and their bottom-line as they embark on their digitalisation journey.

Our cloud connectivity offerings are built with diverse connectivity and redundant options, giving enterprises fast and seamless provisioning to major public cloud platforms. Enjoy an enhanced networking experience with high availability and flexible bandwidth options, with no lengthy contractual terms – you only pay for what you use.

The service can be provisioned rapidly for easy management of your entire multi-cloud or hybrid cloud infrastructure from a web portal. Enterprises gain the following capabilities:

• Single-port access to multiple clouds, data centres
• Flexible networks with on-the-fly bandwidth

Learn more about Singtel Connectivity solutions, available in Singapore and Hong Kong, which will help businesses drive their cloud-first strategy with intelligent, scale-on-demand connectivity based on flexible terms.

If your business is based in Hong Kong, you may be interested to experience the many benefits of Singtel SD-Connect, obligation-free and for a limited time only. Register here.