Saturday April 1 2017
Cloud services offer data storage and computing through the Internet. PHOTO | AFP
Global technology giants are scrambling for a piece of cloud computing, making it the next battlefield in Africa and Kenya.
Cloud services offer data storage and computing through the Internet. A cloud user, be it an individual or company, does not need to run processors or store data in a locally based centre or hard drive.
The headache, however, lies in the level of trust that firms, especially financial providers, may have in them. Proponents of this technology argue that it reduces the costs associated with running and maintaining data storage facilities. With the exponential rise in information generation, these capital costs would otherwise keep rising.
Currently, Africa does not account for a large chunk of the global cloud services market but has potential for growth.
Over the past decade, cloud computing has shaped up as a battlefield for the worlds technology giants. Cloud services account for 17 per cent of IBMs revenue but the group needs a competitive edge, given that it is tailing market leaders Amazon, Google and Microsoft.
It is this competitive edge that IBM chief executive and chairman Ginni Rometty was sharpening when she declared cloud one of the key pillars of the companys business outlook.
Ms Rometty said the companys goal was to help clients glean insights that could inform strategy based on data stored on its cloud. Data is the worlds next natural resource, said Ms Rometty.
Microsoft has signed a deal with Internet service provider Liquid Telecom to get its Azure product into the hands of more small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs) in Africa.
One of the stumbling blocks to adoption of cloud services in Africa has been the lack of reliable Internet connectivity.
IBM has signed a Sh307 million deal with Sidian Bank, the first local financial institution to sign up to Big Blues cognitive cloud services. IBM is betting heavily that augmentation of cloud services with cognitive computing capabilities will appeal to clients and strengthen its position in the market.
Cognitive computing systems deploy a number of tools, from natural language processing to pattern recognition, to learn from experience and even provide users with useful insight and recommendations.
In the case of Sidian Bank, IBMs cognitive computing system mines data stored in the cloud to help the bank detect and solve problems faster.
Research carried out by the University of Nairobis C4DLab in 2014 found that while 69 per cent of respondents were using some form of cloud computing, concerns around security and ambiguity of the regulatory framework in Kenya continued to be a hindrance to greater adoption of cloud services.
With rapid proliferation of data, cloud is becoming the platform that enterprises turn to for innovation, but security and compliance concerns remain, said Mr John Considine, IBM general manager for cloud infrastructure.
Safety concerns arise from the control that companys may cede when they opt for cloud computing. Particularly, on the public cloud, a firm has to trust that its service provider will keep its data secure and provide access on demand.
For companies in heavily regulated sectors such as health and financial services, such a proposition could be problematic. In Kenya, this is exacerbated by a lack of clear policy on data protection or cyber security.
IBM hopes to address these challenges through introduction of new safety features to its cloud. However, even with these provisions, the company faces an uphill battle.
In its 2016 report on the state of the cloud services market, American research and advisory firm Gartner remained unconvinced by IBMs cloud offerings. On the other hand, Gartner had a favourable view of Amazon Web Services.
While AWS is considered by Gartner many times the aggregate size of all other providers in the market, Microsofts Azure was ranked second and Google third.
Competition is also posed by local firms such as Safaricom that offer their own range of cloud services.
The Kenyans were among six aid workers killed by unknown gunmen in South Sudan last week.
The mudslides slammed Mocoa late Friday after days of torrential rain in the Amazon basin area
Read the rest here:
Cloud computing next battlefield for technology giants - Daily Nation - Daily Nation
- Open source cloud computing slow to catch on, survey finds [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2012]
- Oracle CFO: no acquisitions needed to compete in cloud [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2012]
- IDC Survey: U.S. Corporations Aim to Tackle IT Challenges with Cloud Computing [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2012]
- Where does the ICO's new cloud guidance take you? [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2012]
- ChinaSoft International Signs Strategic Cooperation Agreement with Alibaba Cloud Computing to Develop PaaS Platform [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2012]
- IT Leaders Forum: Shedding light on cloud computing [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2012]
- Oracle Public Cloud Computing [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2012]
- Oracle Cloud Computing - Video [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2012]
- Cloud Computing 101 - Video [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2012]
- Lenovo Gets Into Cloud Computing - Video [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2012]
- Cloud Computing Certification Training | Cloud Computing Training By Simplilearn - Video [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2012]
- Cloud Computing - Video [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2012]
- Succeeding or Failing with Cloud Computing - Video [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2012]
- Demystifying the Cloud - Video [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2012]
- N: Cloud Computing, Syria PM Defects, US to Clean Agent Orange and MORE! - Video [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2012]
- Cloud Computing - Tv9 - Video [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2012]
- AWS 101 Cloud Computing Seminar-Bangalore - Video [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2012]
- Trust - The Key to Cloud Computing Growth in Europe [Last Updated On: October 6th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 6th, 2012]
- Cloud Computing Saves Health Care Industry Time And Money [Last Updated On: October 6th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 6th, 2012]
- Synnex CEO Kevin Murai: Tablets, Mobile, Cloud Computing (p3) - Video [Last Updated On: October 6th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 6th, 2012]
- Enterprise computing IS the cloud [Last Updated On: October 8th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 8th, 2012]
- 44 Percent Of US Execs To Tackle IT Challenges Through Cloud [Last Updated On: October 8th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 8th, 2012]
- ZapThink Announces Expansion of Cloud Computing for Architects Course [Last Updated On: October 9th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 9th, 2012]
- Euro Zone Eyes Cloud Computing to Kick Start Economy [Last Updated On: October 9th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 9th, 2012]
- Advantages, challenges of cloud computing discussed Oct. 10 at NJIT [Last Updated On: October 10th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 10th, 2012]
- Dell Expands Cloud Client Computing Solutions for VMware View®, Desktop as a Service and Channel Offerings to Europe [Last Updated On: October 10th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 10th, 2012]
- Cloud West to Focus on Entertainment Delivery, Network Infrastructure, and Investment, More at Nov. 8-9th Forum [Last Updated On: October 10th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 10th, 2012]
- IBM, AT&T Offer Secure Passage to the Cloud [Last Updated On: October 11th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 11th, 2012]
- Cloud computing company hits new fundraising heights [Last Updated On: October 11th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 11th, 2012]
- Cloud computing firm hits new fundraising heights [Last Updated On: October 11th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 11th, 2012]
- Cloud computing: here we go again [Last Updated On: October 11th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 11th, 2012]
- Chinese Want to Put Computer 'Brains' in the Cloud [Last Updated On: October 11th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 11th, 2012]
- CenturyLink Unveils Cloud Product [Last Updated On: October 12th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 12th, 2012]
- Cloud Security Evolves in Wellington [Last Updated On: October 14th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 14th, 2012]
- 2X ApplicationServer XG Joins the Intel AppUp SMB Service Hybrid Cloud [Last Updated On: October 15th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 15th, 2012]
- Piston Cloud to Exhibit and Present at the 2012 OpenStack Summit in San Diego [Last Updated On: October 15th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 15th, 2012]
- How to get your first cloud computing job [Last Updated On: October 15th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 15th, 2012]
- DreamHost Adds Public Cloud Computing Service: DreamCompute [Last Updated On: October 15th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 15th, 2012]
- Aryaka Receives 2012 Cloud Computing Excellence Award [Last Updated On: October 17th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 17th, 2012]
- Making a Europe fit for the cloud [Last Updated On: October 17th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 17th, 2012]
- Cisco Execs Plumb The Limits Of Cloud Computing [Last Updated On: October 17th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 17th, 2012]
- Cloud firm invests in new network [Last Updated On: October 17th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 17th, 2012]
- AirWatch Receives 2012 Cloud Computing Excellence Award [Last Updated On: October 17th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 17th, 2012]
- Dell Extends Cloud Client Computing Portfolio with New Solutions Validated by Citrix [Last Updated On: October 17th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 17th, 2012]
- Pano Logic and Alliance InfoSystems Join Forces to Deliver Zero Client Computing [Last Updated On: October 17th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 17th, 2012]
- 5 Cloud Business Benefits [Last Updated On: October 17th, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 17th, 2012]
- Alteva Receives 2012 Cloud Computing Excellence Award [Last Updated On: November 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2012]
- Open Text profit beats estimates on cloud services [Last Updated On: November 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2012]
- Cloud computing improves nurse call system [Last Updated On: November 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2012]
- Cloud computing: Top five tax considerations for your business [Last Updated On: November 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2012]
- OKI and ISID to Provide Chemical Information System as Cloud Computing Services [Last Updated On: November 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2012]
- As Mobile Grows, So Does Cloud Computing [Last Updated On: November 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2012]
- IBM Analytical Decision Management SaaS - IBM Cloud TechTalk October 2012 - Video [Last Updated On: November 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2012]
- JAX London 2012: Achieving genuine elastic multitenancy with Waratek Cloud VM for Java - Video [Last Updated On: November 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2012]
- Microsoft 2020 technology future vision - Video [Last Updated On: November 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2012]
- Infinity Cloud Point of Sale and Complete Retail Suite.mp4 - Video [Last Updated On: November 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2012]
- Small Business IT Support, Computer Support, Web Design Atlanta - Video [Last Updated On: November 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2012]
- Cloud Computing - Simplified - Video [Last Updated On: November 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2012]
- How Allied Valve Used the Cloud to Expand in Bakken Oilfield - Video [Last Updated On: November 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2012]
- Cloud Computing in the Public Sector - Video [Last Updated On: November 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2012]
- Cloud Computing | Sacramento | Data Protection | IT Consulting | Symmetry Managed Servces - Video [Last Updated On: November 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2012]
- The Business Value of Cloud Computing - Video [Last Updated On: November 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2012]
- GYMNAZO Owner/Coach Michael Hughes is excited about edufii - Video [Last Updated On: November 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2012]
- Automation in the age of cloud computing - Video [Last Updated On: November 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2012]
- Cloud Computing.mp4 - Video [Last Updated On: November 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2012]
- Cloud computing in 2013: a conversation with Appcore's CEO [Last Updated On: November 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 3rd, 2012]
- Cloud adoption growing in India: study [Last Updated On: November 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 3rd, 2012]
- Eastday-Microsoft picks city for cloud computing [Last Updated On: November 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 3rd, 2012]
- Towards a blue sky: How SMEs can avoid Cloud Computing confusion [Last Updated On: November 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 3rd, 2012]
- Consultancy Services - Video [Last Updated On: November 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 3rd, 2012]
- Axxis Solutions Sponsors FIBA Technical Seminar on Cloud Computing - Video [Last Updated On: November 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 3rd, 2012]
- RightScale Webinar: 451 Research Webinar: Cloud Dos and Don'ts - Video [Last Updated On: November 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 3rd, 2012]
- Apple Technology (Vishwa Bandhu Gupta) - Video [Last Updated On: November 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 3rd, 2012]
- Mind Tree Ltd. - Video [Last Updated On: November 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 3rd, 2012]
- BIM Cloud Computing [Last Updated On: November 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 3rd, 2012]
- Entreda discusses cloud services for small and medium businesses - Video [Last Updated On: November 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 3rd, 2012]
- Austin IT Company | Computer Networking [Last Updated On: November 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 3rd, 2012]
- Cloud Computing and Services - After Effects Template - Video [Last Updated On: November 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 3rd, 2012]
- FieldStorm App Tour - Video [Last Updated On: November 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 3rd, 2012]
- The Hon Brendan O'Connor's speech: AccountRight Live launch event - Video [Last Updated On: November 3rd, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 3rd, 2012]