ITaaS, Cloud Will Make Tech More Business-Centric

Raghu Raghuram, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Virtualization & Cloud Platforms, VMware reveals how cloud will be a game changer and how desktop virtualisation will be the next big thing. Biztech2.com brings you views on cloud, virutalisation and more from Raghuram.

Do you see cloud computing as a game changer?

Cloud computing will be a game changer as even though it will demand enterprises to face disruptions within the organisation, it will also help enterprises optimise IT and become more consumer-centric, which is the need of the hour. It requires shifts in computational architecture and right now it’s in very early stages of transformation. Cloud is going to change every aspect of IT and have a lasting impact. As of now, an enterprise spends 70% on just keeping the lights on and less on capability development, leading IT to responding late to business demands. The business is changing along with consumer needs, and thus IT needs to be optimised. IT-as-a-Service and cloud computing will help technology become more business-centric.

What role does virtualisation play in this, and where are the Indian enterprises in their journey?

Virtualisation is the foundation of cloud computing. Virtualisation has been around for more than a decade and the next step of that is the private cloud. But, this transition in India will take some time. We at VMware are virtualising more rapidly for our customers and driving elasticity in the cloud. India cannot escape voluminous growth, and we are thus fast tracking these projects.

Private, public and hybrid cloud- what is the right approach to choosing a cloud model?

Cost is one driver and you need to have clear SLAs and contracts in place to get the right service from public clouds. As of now, the private cloud is the first preference and there is momentum around this model worldwide. It is critical to determine what part of your business process you want to move to the cloud and the users that you want to target with this model. Every method has to have a motivator. Virtualisation has very clear CAPEX saving and is thus a motivator, while the cloud is changing OPEX costs.

What is the cloud adoption like among SMEs and where is this market headed?

Among the SMEs, the cloud is a no brainer as they do not have the ability to build an IT stack on their own. In fact, SMEs are driving cloud computing globally. The overall market for cloud computing, going forward, is going to be pretty aggressive. As Indian businesses scale up, elasticity becomes critical and this challenge can be solved by cloud computing. The cloud will see rapid adoption and the main driver behind this is the economies of scale it provides for doing business.

The next two years will define whether it is here to stay or not, and right now every investment decision in it is being evaluated.

To what level has virtualisation escalated? Is desktop virtualisation being looked on as a favourable and beneficial technology?

The most the customers know is server virtualisation, but having said that, 90% of servers still need to be virtualised. Desktop virtualistion is attracting a lot of attention and is being driven by companies that have offices across the globe, such as BPOs, contact centres, and the like.

Compliance is driving the growth of virtualistion, especially desktop virtualisation. Since desktop virtualisation is also OPEX oriented in addition to being CAPEX oriented, it results in significant benefits. This technology is gaining traction in the banking sector.

What is next in virtualisation from the VMware stable?

VMware is now developing mobile virtualisation, which is still in very early stages of development. Mobile virtualisation came about as a response to the challenge that enterprises faced with employees increasingly accessing company information on their smartphones. The personal device was leading to a big corporate problem. What we have developed is a virtual phone, which is a phone inside a phone. The theory behind is that within the employee’s phone there would be a virtual phone incorporated, which will be completely isolated and the enterprise can be assured of a compliant end point.