Enterprise Cloud Computing Trends

More enterprises are positively considering the adoption of cloud computing. The currently provided services are mainly for consumers or front-office type jobs, but there are also high expectations for applications in the mission critical systems of enterprises. However, it is also a fact that many enterprises are still to be convinced that cloud computing is really useful and is a persuasive option from the viewpoint of management.

We NEC were one of the first enterprises to implement the use of cloud computing in our own management system reform, and our experience and understanding of the fundamental nature of cloud computing issues are enhancing our ability to offer services and solutions to the customers. We will introduce the overall picture of our solutions for the use of cloud computing for enterprises.

It is critical in the use of cloud computing to comprehensively consider the features to be adopted, the items to be used as external services and how to achieve cost reductions, increased speed and flexibility improvements based on a full understanding of all the characteristics of the cloud (standardization).

Challenges: Making the Best of Cloud Computing Advantages

A significant difference is found when we compare the cloud service to the conventional outsourcing method. With conventional outsourcing, the operations of the systems elaborated by user were consigned to data centers and the main purpose of this was to reduce the total system cost. On the other hand, the cloud services use previously prepared standard IT so they are able to present new benefits, such as speedy introduction, improved flexibility in addition to cost reduction.

Cloud-oriented Service Platform Solution

Concept

The current needs of enterprises include the coexistence of lean management under rapidly-changing and severe economic environments and the quick new business start up. Therefore, enterprise systems should be cost-saving, speedy and flexible. NEC has configured "Cloud-oriented Service Platform Solutions" by adding cloud computing features to the achievements that have been developed via our SI and outsourcing businesses. We are thus able to offer services for supporting the reform of enterprise management systems

The most significant feature of these endeavors is the capability, based on NEC's recent experience of its own management system reform and offering total services from the data center to the business processes domain.

Approach to Enterprise Cloud Computing

In looking at enterprise cloud services from the perspective of applications, there are the front-office, mission critical task and the back office activities as well as supporting the domains for starting new business fields. At NEC, we have begun to provide services for all of these areas under the name of "Cloud-oriented Service Platform Solutions." Among them, we began making application services for mission critical task and the new business fields from a very early stage.

Enterprise cloud services can be roughly divided into: - Public cloud services (the system is shared in the Internet environment), and - Private cloud services (the system is dedicated in an intranet environment).

At NEC, we focus on the private cloud and prepare services for meeting its requirements.

We have prepared a shared IT platform services (RIACUBE) and SaaS platform option (RIACUBE/SP) as general-purpose IT platforms capable of supporting private clouds (equivalent to IaaS or PaaS). If an enterprise requires an individual IT platform itself, we build one using the OMCS (Open Mission Critical System) technology that we have developed in our SI business (OMCS platform).