Cloud Computing is a model for accessing, via the internet, computing resources such as applications, networks, servers, storage and services that can be rapidly provisioned with minimal management effort interaction. The Cloud services are managed by a service provider who operates the infrastructure and achieves economies of scale through multiple tenancy on their infrastructure.
Adoption of cloud computing by business may offer high-availability, reduction in operational staffing overhead, reduce infrastructure costs.
There are three main models of Cloud Computing: Software as a Service, Platform as a Service, Infrastructure as a Service.
Ancoris is a leading UK integrator of Cloud Computing Software as a Service offerings, providing full assessment, deployment, migration, training and support services.
Software as a Service
Cloud Software as a Service (SaaS)
Software-as-a-Service allows the customer to use the provider’s applications running on a cloud infrastructure. The applications are accessible from various client devices through a thin client interface such as a web browser (e.g., web-based email). The customer does not need to manage the underlying cloud infrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, storage.
The ability to configure and control user-specific application configuration settings depends on the service provider. Ancoris has selected services which are built from the start for delivery as SaaS and provide full control to the client companies to configure the SaaS application to their need.
Ancoris offers Cloud Software as a Service solutions for the following areas:
| Business Email Server in the cloud | Google Apps Email is a replacement for companies using on-premise mail-servers such as Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Domino |
| Document Collaboration: | Google Docs provides advanced collaboration applications for documents, spreadsheets, presentations. |
| Intranet/Extranet: | Google Sites provides simple to administer content management platform for developing secure intranet or extranets. |
| Email Security as a service: | Google Message Security, part of the Google Postini Services, provides full anti-spam, anti-virus and content filtering as a service for any in-house, on-premise or hosted mailserver. |
| Email Archiving as a service: | Google Message Discovery provides archiving of both internal or external email as a cloud service. GMD works with mail-servers such as Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino, Google Apps Email and other mail-servers. |
| Web browsing security as a service: | ScanSafe provides full web-filtering and protection against web malware (viruses, trojans etc.) as a managed service. This is particularly helpful for distributed companies or remote/roaming users. |
Other examples of Software as a Service include:
- Salesforce.com
- Netsuite
Platform as a Service
Cloud Platform as a Service (PaaS).
This allows customers to deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-created or acquired applications created using programming languages and tools supported by the provider.
The customer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, or storage, but has control over the deployed applications and possibly application hosting environment configurations.
Platform as a service may require the customer to develop applications using service provider specific API's.
Examples include:
- Google Apps Engine
- Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2)
Infrastructure as a Service
Cloud Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
The capability provided to provision processing, storage, networks, and other fundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to deploy and run arbitrary software, which can include operating systems and applications.
The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure but has control over operating systems, storage, deployed applications, and possibly limited control of select networking components (e.g., host firewalls).
As the level of pooling of resources is limited the potential economies of scale are less than those for Software as a Service or Platform as a Service.
Examples include:
- Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)
- a variety of hosted hardware services from Cisco, IBM and HP
Host your Intranet, team projects or client Extranets securely in the Cloud.
Google Sites is an easy way to organise information in a central location for secure collaboration between colleagues, teams or even external clients.
Corporate Intranet Challenges:- Companies need to share information across distributed employee base
- Specialized software can be cost-prohibitive for small and mid-sized companies
- On premise software requires additional hardware, IT support
- Current intranet solutions require IT help to update content (e.g. HR policies) and can be burdensome
- Need for resources frequently result in stagnant or non-existent intranets limiting communication to employees
- Anywhere/Anytime access to the corporate intranet for distributed or remote users
- End-users can update content themselves, no need for web design skills
- Corporate templates allow consistent look and feel
- No additional software to purchase, included in Google Apps subscription
- Full document security controls built-in
Document collaboration, information sharing through secure cloud service.
Google Docs complements traditional office software to make teamwork easier. Companies or departments can use these apps on their own to be more productive. Collaboration with people inside or outside the company in a secure manner is radically simplified and dramatically cheaper than using alternative collaboration tools such as Microsoft Sharepoint.
Google Docs includes Docs, Spreadsheets and Presentation applications. Reasons to consider Google Docs:
Work together without the hassles of attachments – Coworkers can share the same online copy of each doc, spreadsheet or presentation. All revisions are saved and recoverable.
Present and publish through the web –Presentations can be delivered to remote audiences, and documents and spreadsheets can be published internally for employees to view.
Interoperate with traditional file formats –Import and collaboratively edit or publish from .doc, .xls, .csv, .ppt, .txt, .html, .pdf and other formats. You can export as well.
Should your Email Server be in the Cloud?
Respected industry analyst Forrester reports that corporate email will be one of the first application services to be moved from on-premise server operation out to the cloud.
Cloud Computing offers the promise of improved operational efficiency and IT cost reduction through the outsourcing of utility IT applications and platforms.
Forrester concluded:
- Cloud based services are always cheaper for businesses with fewer than 15,000 users
- Google Apps for Business service offers the lowest cost of operation of the available cloud-based services
Forrester Report
Forrester's report - "Should your Email Live in the Cloud? A Comparative Cost Analysis" surveyed opinion in over 50 companies and reviewed over 20 email vendors, they determined that:
- 40% of businesses believe that managing email is now too expensive
- Consolidation, mergers or facing another software upgrade are triggers to consider moving to the cloud
Forrester identified the following key benefits of cloud offerings which go beyond cost:
- Reduced cost
- Ability to rapidly provision new users
- Reallocation of IT resources to more business centric projects
- Always running the latest software release and eliminating the pain associated with software upgrades
- Cashflow: Shifting the financial burden from up-front capital expense to operating expense
Market Review - Google, Microsoft, IBM
Forrester reviewed the marketplace and offerings from Google, Microsoft and IBM.
The report considered alternatives such as Google Apps Email, Microsoft Exchange Online (BPOS), conventional hosted implementations of Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Domino. It assessed the full costs of service provisioning including:
- Service subscription
- Server hardware and operating system
- Service application software licencing
- Client Software
- Storage
- Message security (filtering, anti-virus, archiving)
- Staff and administration
The report determined that Google Apps Email part of the Google Apps for Business service offered the lowest cost of operation of the available cloud-based services and that "Google is setting a new price floor on email and archiving costs" .
Google Apps Email
Google Apps for Business Email is a fully cloud-based service, no hardware or software to purchase, maintain, patch or update. It includes:
- 25GB of email storage per user
- Shared calendars and contacts
- Support for Blackberry and mobile devices
- Built-in anti-virus and anti-spam
- Support for clients including Microsoft Outlook
- Migration tools from Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange or other IMAP servers
- More information >>>
Ancoris has an impressive list of customers who have migrated to Google Apps , ranging from small and medium businesses to major corporations such as Specsavers. Other major companies who have switched to Google include Motorola, Rentokil Initial, Jaguar Land Rover and the Telegraph Group.
Implementation
Ancoris is the UK's leading Google Enterprise Partner with over 140 customers for Google's cloud based services.
Ancoris offer comprehensive assessment, trial, migration, training and support services for organisations transitioning their email to the cloud.
We can also offer a risk-free 30 day trial of the Google Apps Service together with associated migration and assessment services.
My employees don’t or can't visit ‘Bad’ websites…are you really sure?
The Web's ability to accelerate and improve business, education and government has increased exponentially; but so has its risk factor. Network resources and security are susceptible to malware, viruses, bandwidth intensive applications, and unchecked distribution of information via peer-to-peer and instant messaging. Employees may be spending too much time on inappropriate web browsing. Desktops may be infected by malware seeded on genuine websites permitted by traditional URL filtering solutions.
Successful Web gateway security is measured by four critical objectives:
- Mitigate legal liabilities created by inappropriate Web content
- Increase productivity by removing Internet distractions
- Protect the network from threats delivered by Internet services and applications
- Preserve network resources
Best of Breed Solutions:
Managing these threats requires comprehensive, integrated, reliable, scalable, easy-to-use and cost-effective solutions. Ancoris provides Best of Breed solutions from leading security vendors M86 Security (formerly Marshal, 8e6 and Finjan) and ScanSafe.
Gateway Appliances
APPLIANCES
The award-winning M86 Secure Web Gateway (M86 SWG) is a proactive, appliance-based solution that provides real-time Web security, increases productivity and ensures compliance. Using patented real-time malware detection technology, URL filtering and anti-virus scanning, the M86 SWG protects organizations from crimeware, malware and other threats associated with Web 2.0 applications.
Gateway Software
SOFTWARE ONLY
WebMarshal - Software-based, comprehensive in-bound and outbound Web traffic control and management, threat protection (URL, AV and malware filtering) and data leakage prevention. Policy-based, easy-to-manage and cost effective secure Web Gateway offers three key functionalities integrated into a
single solution:
- Web Access Control – Manages employee Internet usage
- Web Threat Security – Protects against web-based security threats
- Data Leakage Prevention – Secures against accidental and deliberate leakage of confidential or sensitive information
Software-as-a-Service Managed Solution
FULLY MANAGED SERVICE - No software or hardware required
ScanSafe - ScanSafe is a fully managed web filtering service which enables you to create, enforce and monitor Web usage policies. Layering real time rule-based filters with up-to-date and accurate categorization database, Web Filtering enforces your organization's acceptable usage policy, protecting you from the legal liabilities of inappropriate content, reducing bandwidth congestion and improving employee productivity.
No software or hardware is required, your web-traffic is routed through ScanSafe's web filtering service by a simple change to your web browser settings: See more>>>
Web Threats
Good Web Security solutions can protect from threats including:
- Deliberate avoidance of existing protection by use of Anonymizer proxies
- Increasing instances of legitimate websites being hacked with malware
- Malicious code hacked into legitimate websites or embedded on more dubious sites…Do you really need that new emoti-icon?
- Phishing sites, 8 out of 10 security experts cannot tell the difference
- Pharming, even more dangerous, just how do you tell?
- Peer to peer - Is something else being downloaded?
- Instant Messaging - Do you trust the files you are receiving?
- Employee and network productivity continue to suffer with the rapid expansion of Web 2.0 and social networking
- Bandwidth impacted by streaming video, live programming and gaming.
- Inappropriate content, including its legal and reputation risks, is even easier to access, thanks to mobile computing and anonymous proxies.
Ancoris offers both Cloud Computing (SaaS) and on-premise Web and Email Security solutions, helping you with:
Spam protection
Raising productivity
Control of confidential data and preventing data loss
Encryption and data security
Filtering pornography and offensive content
Reducing legal liability exposure
Achieving regulatory or audit compliance
Email Security
Web Security
Email Software-as-a-Service
Remove SPAM and Viruses before they reach your mail servers
Google's wholly owned subsidiary Postini is recognised by Gartner as the leader in the field of outsourced email security and filtering.
Email hygiene (anti-virus, anti-spam, content filtering):
Google Message Security provides the most comprehensive, flexible and trusted secure email boundary services available. Postini processes nearly 2 billion email messages a day for more than 36000 companies, with no latency in delivering legitimate email messages.
Email archiving, retrieval and security:
Google Message Discovery provides enterprises with a fully outsourced managed archiving service combined with full email security at the industry's lowest cost per user. Meet your companies email compliance requirements with requiring a major capital investment or a complex integration project. Activation within one day!
Email On-Premise
Gateway solutions for Email Management:
M86 Security (formerly Marshal, 8e6 and Finjan) is a world leader in the field of Internet Content Security software:
Email hygiene (anti-virus, anti-spam, content filtering):
MailMarshal SMTP protects your in-house mail-server (Exchange, Domino, Groupwise or other SMTP server).
MailMarshal Email Content Manager for Exchange give you control over how your email resources are used and monitors internal email within Microsoft Exchange.
MailMarshal SendSecure allows encryption of outgoing data.
Image Analyzer identifies and classifies pornographic and offensive images, enabling organisations to effectively monitor and enforce acceptable usage policy.
Email Classification and Policy Enforcement for Microsoft Outlook
TITUS Message Classification is an easy-to-use email security solution that ensures every Microsoft Outlook email is classified and protectively marked before it is sent. Titus Message Classification can be integrated with MailMarshal Secure Email Gateway (formerly MailMarshal SMTP) or MailMarshal Email Content Manager for an integrated email classification and security solution for Microsoft Exchange users that must protect information assets while promoting information sharing by email.
Web Software-as-a-Service
Outsourced Managed Service solutions for Web Security:
ScanSafe for Web provides enterprises with a comprehensive managed service for web filtering and monitoring and malware protection as a standalone service
ScanSafe Anywhere+ provides protection for roaming laptop users, home workers whereever they are.
Web On-Premise
In-house software solutions for Web Security:
M86 Security (formerly Marshal, 8e6 and Finjan) is a world leader in the field of Internet Content Security software:
WebMarshal (software) and M86 Security Secure Web Gateway (Appliance) provide control of Web browsing.
Archiving, Retrieval, Analysis and Audit
Ancoris offers an email archiving, retrieval and analysis solution that enables organisations to capture, store and report on electronic mail messages which supports major on-premise SMTP mailservers (Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Domino) or Google Apps for Business.
This Software-as-a-Service solution offers a short implementation time and is highly cost-effective. It requires no software installation either on the mail server nor on the workstation clients.
Meet compliance requirements for Email retention policies: e.g. Freedom of Information Act, FSA Data Security, PCI-DSS, Sarbanes-Oxley.
Google Message Discovery (powered by Postini Archive Manager) is a fully managed service and includes all off-site storage and server costs, dramatically lowering the cost of archiving.
Google Message Discovery is a fully managed service:
- Captures both external email messages sent through to and from your email server and also internal email (intra-domain) emails and stores them in secure Postini Data Center accessible through the web.
- Supports any mail-server for external email and any mail server with journaling capability for internal email.
- Full search and audit capability for compliance purposes.
- No hardware costs, no administration overhead.
Email Classification and Policy Enforcement for Microsoft Outlook
TITUS Message Classification is an easy-to-use email security solution that ensures every Microsoft Outlook email is classified and protectively marked before it is sent. Titus Message Classification can be integrated with MailMarshal Secure Email Gateway (formerly MailMarshal SMTP) or MailMarshal Email Content Manager for an integrated email classification and security solution for Microsoft Exchange users that must protect information assets while promoting information sharing by email.
Ancoris Cloud Briefing
Wednesday 7th March 2012
@ Google UK HQ
Cloud Computing: From Vision to Value will focus on the practical aspects of setting your cloud strategy and developing a roadmap for change.
Agenda and registration
Solutions