In our early schooling, we learned the proverb “Every cloud has a silver lining”. Little did the person who coined the phrase in 1634 – poet John Milton – know how his advice would mean so much more in this age of cloudification.
So how do we apply the saying to the complex matter of maximising value in the cloud?
- Achieve seamless and real time connectivity to reduce the complexities (and therefore reduce costs and resources) of managing the hybrid cloud.
- Employ a network system that offers simplified programmability/control
To achieve seamless connectivity between the public cloud platforms, the key is to employ direct connection because egress cost is lower.
Once enterprises discover this silver lining, a slew of benefits lead to the reduction of complexity and cost, increase manageability, control and long-term value of investments.
In establishing a network that offers simplified programmability and control, software-defined networking (SDN) is a key component.
This part of the silver lining in the cloud completes that overall network fabric that effectively wraps around the entire ecosystem and tightens control and oversight even across geographic boundaries.
You get on-demand bandwidth with no fixed term contracts – a great way to obtain granular bandwidth and minimise unused capacity.
From lining to thread to fabric
SDNs present a self-service model that removes many of the complexities from global connectivity and enables users to control their services.
On-demand connectivity is essential as a user experience that reduces the number of steps it takes to connect to the cloud or across the globe.
Furthermore, SDN platforms are ready to scale to deliver 100G on-demand and beyond. Specialised connectivity providers such as Epsilon delivers granular 2Mb to 100G capacity for as short as 1 day via its MEF-cerfified global ethernet backbone.
