Svenska

Paul Morrison, Chief Commercial Officer på Hydro66 i samtal med Emilia Granberg i den teknikmagasinet Verkstäderna
9 november 2020

https://www.verkstaderna.se/article/view/748178/5_rad_nar_du_ska_flytta_data_till_ett_datacenter

English

Paul Morrison, Chief Commercial Officer at Hydro66 in conversation with Emilia Granberg in Swedish technology magazine Verkstäderna

The original Swedish article “5 rad nar du ska flytta data till ett datacenter” appeared in the Swedish technology magazine Verkstäderna on 9 november 2020:

https://www.verkstaderna.se/article/view/748178/5_rad_nar_du_ska_flytta_data_till_ett_datacenter

5 questions manufacturing companies should consider before moving into a cloud data center

November 9, 2020

In a time marked by the corona pandemic, digitalisation and public cloud services have increased rapidly. When it comes to cloud services, however, there is a lot to think about, and here Paul Morrison, chief commercial officer at the cloud company Hydro66, gives five pieces of advice to manufacturing companies that will move their data to a data center.

The flow of data and applications to public cloud services and colocation data centers has increased rapidly during the pandemic.

– Gartner believes that over 80 percent of the companies’ own data centers will be closed until 2025. Manufacturing companies are among those who often review their cloud strategy right now, says Paul Morrison.

According to Paul, however, there are some questions that should be asked a little more often than what usually happens before a company decides on a new cloud service. So, what is the most important thing to keep in mind for companies that are going to buy services from a cloud infrastructure provider?

Here, Paul and Hydro66 have listed five issues that they think might be good to consider before a company buys cloud services:

1. Can you move from your supplier if you want?

Manufacturing companies think more long-term than most, and then they should also think about what happens even five years ahead. So do not forget to check in advance if it is possible to move data to another cloud provider. In fact, it is not certain that you will be satisfied with the supplier, let alone several years ahead. Unfortunately, several of the major public cloud providers are not exactly known for making it easy to move their data. Vendor locking caused by the need to rewrite code is a common trap. Therefore, choose a provider that does not require you to rewrite your apps.

2. Do you want to expose yourself to the risk of US authorities gaining access to your data?

The US CLOUD Act means that US courts can request information even if it is in another country, including Sweden. But the law only applies to American companies and their subsidiaries. Those who do not want to expose themselves to this risk should instead consider Swedish and European alternatives.

3. Do you need to be close to the data center?

Many cloud providers are located in the larger cities and of course claim that it is very important to be close. At the same time, Facebook has chosen to place a large part of its European data in northern Sweden – something that has not made Facebook feel slow. In practice, distance is simply seldom particularly relevant.

4. What will be the total cost?

Surely one of the biggest benefits of the cloud would be the price? But in fact, it can be expensive, especially when you are locked into a supplier. Many public cloud providers tend to gather a range of services in one package that is not really what you need – and that costs more than you hoped. Instead, choose a provider that does not package all services and that allows you to change your specifications when needed.

5. How green is the cloud infrastructure really?

Many data centers and cloud providers claim to be environmentally friendly, but few have solid reasons to say so. This is despite the fact that there are standardized methods, such as data center PUE, which measure energy use and other aspects of sustainability. You can also choose to use only hydropower and other renewable energy. It is entirely possible to know exactly what environmental impact a data center has.

Cloud security is another aspect that, according to Paul, must not be forgotten. Here, it is especially important to find out which parts of the security the customer must take care of and which the supplier handles. Unfortunately, there is a risk that important parts of the safety otherwise end up between the seats.

In Conclusion

– A buyer who has found out the answers to the questions above does not take much risk when buying cloud services. The benefits are very large today, both in terms of costs and how fast it is possible to digitize the business, Paul concludes.