Accelerate Cloud Services WP Nov2010
Accelerate Cloud Services WP Nov2010
Accelerate Cloud Services WP Nov2010
WHITEPAPER
ACCELERATE CLOUD SERVICES | 10/25/2010
www.oneaccess-net.com
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ACCELERATE CLOUD SERVICES
TO THE MID MARKET
Contents
1. Introduction
Clouds: no rain
Mid market opportunity
2. Services and service providers
Infrastructure-as a Service (IaaS)
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
Communications-as-a-Service (CaaS)
3. Cloud network requirements
Quality of Service
Application Acceleration
Security
4. Telco business models
Incremental network services
Telco cloud services
5. One Access boosts the cloud
Quality of experience
CaaS service delivery
Secure access for public and private clouds
Rapid and simple deployment
ONE1000 series platform
ACCELERATE CLOUD SERVICES | 10/25/2010
6. Summary
Organisations of all sizes stand to benefit from the lower cost and utility of Cloud services, but it is
dependent upon service providers to develop the infrastructure and go-to-market strategies that deliver it.
This paper discusses the various approaches to deploying Cloud services, the requirements for network
infrastructure and access, and the OneAccess Networks approach to overcoming these challenges.
OneAccess enables service providers to accelerate deployment of Cloud services to midsized companies and
branch offices of larger companies.
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Introduction
Things are less clear cut at a practical level. Lots of familiar Hybrid Cloud combines Public
services, with familiar labels, are being re-labelled as ‘Cloud’ and Private entities flexibly or
services: Software-as-a-Service, application hosting and IP on demand. A business might
Centrex are good examples. Similarly, some would argue that for run some applications in
something to count as ‘Cloud’ it has to be not only highly virtual, Private, and others in Public:
but highly distributed as well: the notion that your data is ‘out Or swap dynamically from
ACCELERATE CLOUD SERVICES | 10/25/2010
there, somewhere’ has been a familiar theme of early Cloud
Private to Public Clouds under
services.
peak demand or failover
But such fine distinctions are really for technologist to ponder, and situations.
of no real relevance to the biggest consumers of Cloud services,
The three models together
that being SMEs and the branches of larger organisations. For
them, Cloud is much more about a transformation in business allow different use cases and
models than it is about shifts in technology. Cloud means increased risk postures to be
agility: turn on, turn off, scale and shrink. Cloud means added accommodated.
sophistication: more unified services, more mobile services. Most
importantly, cloud means ‘pay as you grow’.
However you build it, and wherever you put it (and always assuming you can make money doing so), as
long as those three conditions are met, then it fulfils every meaningful market definition of Cloud.
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Mid mark et Oppor tun ity
For large corporations, Cloud represents something of a conundrum. Clearly, the ability to extract more
value from IT with lower technology cost and risk is a significant opportunity. However, large organisations
already have a big investment in in-house IT systems and software, often tailored to their quite individual
needs. Replicating this in a Cloud environment is not straightforward. Likewise, they typically have a heavy
compliance burden, so having their data ‘out there, somewhere’ is simply not an option.
It is therefore likely that large organisations will take a hybrid approach to Cloud: highly virtualised in-
house data centres (‘Private’ Clouds) working in tandem with Public Clouds to deliver specific
applications; to relieve peak computing demands; and to provide business continuity strategies at reduced
cost.
Consequently for service providers, the large enterprise market will require a degree of sophistication and
customisation that is likely to elongate development times, sales cycles and time to profit.
No such constraints apply to the mid market. Mostly, SMEs hunger for the kinds of services that large
organisations have built for themselves, and Cloud is about the only way they will ever be likely to afford
them. For SMEs, Cloud services offer a step up in sophistication; an increase in accountability; and an
overall improvement in service levels.
Cloud demands no upfront capital investment from SMEs. It requires little in the way of existing IT
infrastructure. It needs no ongoing, operational IT expertise. It allows SMEs to scale easily. The reduced
price reflects the scale of the Cloud – rather than the scale of their business - and they only pay for what
they use, when they use it.
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data servers in the cloud – to mobilise workers; to protect against disasters – has universal appeal. Most
usually, users install the application software themselves, remotely.
To deliver Cloud services with an acceptable user experience, those broadband services need to get faster,
more symmetrical and, crucially, much smarter. This is both a challenge and an opportunity for service
providers: Cloud services are something of a ‘killer app’ for next generation broadband access.
Speed will never be undervalued by users of Cloud applications. It’s difficult to set a threshold with any
certainty, but 20Mbps seems a reasonable entry point for serving Cloud-hosted applications. Upload speeds
are as important as download speeds in many scenarios, so a symmetrical service is highly desirable. For
Telcos and other network operators, SHDSLbis (Ethernet First Mile) services will be much in demand for
their own and third party Cloud services. However as Cloud services evolve to be ever more ambitious,
then 100BaseX Ethernet, 1000BaseX and FTTH (GPON) will be justified.
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Quality of Service
However, Parkinson’s Law applied to network bandwidth states that data always expands to swamp the
capacity available. Active Quality of Service (QoS), prioritising Cloud-bound data over web and other non
critical data is an essential component of Cloud CPE and Cloud network services. SMEs (and enterprises)
want guarantees for key applications which assure consistent performance independent of the activities of
other less important applications, or other businesses using a Public Cloud. With QoS controls available,
Cloud providers can offer a range of services and price points, backed by with service level agreements
(SLAs).
Sec urity
Whilst information security is a keystone of any IT infrastructure, it is absolutely fundamental in all Cloud
services. VPN – a Telco and ISP ‘as-a-service’ staple - exists as a separate security control plane within the
Cloud. Anti-virus, anti-spam and access control are further examples of Cloud-based security-as-a-service,
with pay-as-you-grow pricing models. Gartner estimates that security-as-a-service overall will play a major
role in securing Cloud implementations, with 30% of businesses taking a wholly as-a-service approach.
Again, this represents an opportunity for incremental Cloud revenues for network operators.
Gartner further estimates that another 20% of users will keep security outside of the cloud, with the
balance taking some hybrid approach. In all models discussed above, there is need for some class of security
gateway at the customer premise, capable of interacting with the Cloud to deliver those Security-as-a
ACCELERATE CLOUD SERVICES | 10/25/2010
Service applications. The challenge for service providers of all kinds is provisioning that sophisticated
gateway an affordable and manageable way.
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In crem en tal n etwork serv ic es
Without adequate network capacity and performance, there can be no Cloud. The
networking requirements for delivering an assured Cloud experience represent a
market opportunity for Telcos.
Ethernet Serv ic es
Cloud is a significant driver of Ethernet network services to SMEs. These services
deliver the twin benefits of symmetry and increased speed. Ethernet services can
be delivered over the copper local loop, dedicated copper and fibre access using
SHDSLbis (Ethernet First Mile), 10/100Base-T and 100Base-X technologies. This
means that there is almost no corner of the existing access network that new
Ethernet services cannot cost effectively reach.
In addition, Application Acceleration assures the end user experience at all stages, and provides WAN optimisation in
fail-over situations. Application acceleration can be delivered as a value-added service by network service providers,
either as a retail proposition to SMEs or more likely as a wholesale service to Cloud service providers. In both cases,
pay-as-you-grow service models for application acceleration have recently emerged in the market, and perfectly
match the expectations of Cloud consumers
Cloud Serv ic es
Telco Ia aS S ervices
The Telco business has always been about shared infrastructure and,
increasingly, virtualisation. In addition Telcos run large data centre
operations to support their own, very significant IT requirements. As a
consequence, Telcos have the instincts and experience to create and ACCELERATE CLOUD SERVICES | 10/25/2010
deliver IaaS services, and such services have become the mainstay of
many Telco Cloud service portfolios.
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telepresence. Unified communications is underpinned by a SIP Centrex (also known as IP Centrex or Hosted PBX)
service. The service agility and flexibility implied by cloud – unified communications, fixed/mobile convergence and
the ability to scale capacity easily – is the attraction to the mid market.
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ONE1000 series protects service provider margins and enhances service flexibility, whilst delivering an improved
Cloud experience to end users.
The ONE1000 Series extends the existing range of ONE access routers, adding dual core network processors to
boost performance; and high speed symmetrical broadband uplinks with Gigabit Ethernet and GPON as standard.
The new processing architecture has a dual purpose: it provides accelerated IP routing to match the expanded,
symmetrical uplinks; and it concurrently provisions an App Processor, running Cloud apps such as Application
Acceleration and Security-as-a-Service, plus other value added applications designed to enhance service delivery and
user experience.
Today’s applications include SBC Nano® and Integrated Business Communications® (IBC), adding richness,
assurance and simplicity to new Cloud and value added service introductions. Also with Dial Tone Continuity®,
sophisticated IP Quality of Service and flexible IP VPN as standard, the ONE1500 is a one box solution for unified
voice and data services.
The ONE1000 Series is scaled to provide sophisticated, symmetrical broadband, value added voice and data services
to a range of mid market businesses. Embedded security and high availability is common to all scenarios. It is a perfect
fit for operators targeting medium sized enterprises, or branch offices of large enterprises, with a portfolio of
managed and value-added Cloud based services up to and including SIP Centrex. All this whilst setting a new green
benchmark for low power consumption.
Summar y
To summarise, this whitepaper describes some of the opportunities and challenges that are encountered by operators
when they deploy Cloud based services. Cost effective solutions, which improve the user experience, enhance
security and simplify cloud service provisioning will be very compelling for end customers.
The OneAccess platform provides a unique value proposition which enable the rapid provisioning of cloud services,
whilst protecting service provider margins. It combines a Multi-service Access Router, Session Border Controller and
App Processor in a single CPE device. It is designed to provide service richness and service assurance for both voice
and data based cloud services.
OneAccess is a leading manufacturer of multi-service routers and carrier Ethernet access devices enabling major
telecoms service providers to deliver business-grade managed services profitably. OneAccess supplies routers to over
100 service providers including 4 of the top 5 largest telecoms operators in Europe. For more information visit
www.oneaccess-net.com