According to a survey by RightScale, 85% of enterprises have a multi-cloud strategy. For some organizations, it gives them the ability to move workloads between private and public clouds; for others, it’s an issue of regulatory compliance and ensuring their data is where it should be. To support their hybrid cloud strategies, many enterprises are adopting a hybrid network strategy to ensure that wherever the data is located and users can have an optimized cloud experience. Here are four uses case that demonstrate why network and cloud strategies are evolving together.
Reducing network costs whilst improving performance.
Network virtualization provides a new way of building and managing networks for the digital age. Technologies such as software defined networking (SDN), network functions virtualization (NFV) and network virtualization (NV) are working together to create a flexible software-based network.
SDN and NFV allow organizations to design, deploy and manage agile and scalable networks. New sites can be connected to the corporate network remotely in seconds. A global financial services company, for example, required reliable connectivity within and between its branches worldwide. It had issues, however, procuring reliable bandwidth in Africa, compounded by the necessity for imported specialist networking equipment. The SDN and NFV approach proposed by Orange Business enabled the branches to use commoditized hardware and virtualized functions, saving on both cost and time. To find out more click here.
Protecting against security breaches.
The accelerated use of cloud services means data is routinely accessed over the internet. To limit exposure security needs to be built into public and private networks – which is exactly what Orange Business has done with its hybrid network, delivering on intelligent connectivity. A multinational Orange recently worked with, for example, was wary of cloud and internet services due to security concerns. Orange overcame the problem by deploying secure connectivity through the Orange “any-to-any hybrid plug”, which provides private WAN or Internet connectivity via regional breakouts, and VPN links for remote workers. To find out how this was achieved and the benefits click here.
Facilitating mergers and acquisitions.
Merger and Acquisitions (M&As) create a major challenge for IT departments in integrating disparate systems, whilst managing the business transformation for employees. Hybrid cloud’s standardized platform can accelerate integration and provide a new infrastructure going forward.
Take the example of a multinational which opted to go down the hybrid route following a tactical acquisition. It deployed a hybrid network including MPLS and internet connectivity to ensure optimal uptime and bandwidth. The flexible infrastructure enabled its existing assets into the cloud and altere them where necessary, speeding up its overall transformation. To find out more click here.
Reinforcing data protection laws.
Data protection is high on every nation’s agenda. Russia, for example, recently adopted tough new legislation on data protection and data retention obligations, requiring companies operating on storing data in the country to take a fresh look at their governance and compliance strategies.
A global luxury goods retailer, for example, needed to locate its e-commerce platform locally in Russia to comply with the new laws. After considering its options, the company decided the most efficient and cost effective was to move to an OPEX model - deploying an e-commerce platform via Orange’s Data Center in Moscow using its Flexible Computing Private solution. To find out more click here.
Secure your digital future. Find out more about how Orange Business Solutions can help you with your hybrid network and cloud computing requirements here.