Qatar's Cloud Computing Project 'Has Potential to Earn Revenue'

Doha, November 23 (QNA) - Cloud computing scientists at the Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) in Qatar Foundation are working on developing a state-of-the-art data center technology specifically suitable to the local climate with the potential of opening up a new revenue stream in the long run. Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), QCRI Senior Scientist Simon Ponsford said "Cloud computing is the new mantra of data processing since it is substantially cheap, efficient and minimizes capital investment in infrastructure and hardware for companies." Explaining what cloud computing is, Ponsford said, "It is infinitely scalable shared computing resources available on demand via the Internet where the user is charged only for what he uses. This revives the 60s and 70s concept of time-sharing computing where a large number of users interact concurrently with a single computer to run computing jobs such as bill and payroll processing. The QCRI team is researching and developing cloud computing datacentre technologies specific to the local environmental conditions of Qatar and the region. The project, called Desert Datacentre is expected to result in the design of infrastructure that is much different from that used by the current big names like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google developing and offering cloud-based services, he said. QCRI Executive Director Ahmed Elmagarmid said, "The scientists here at QCRI are optimistic about cloud computing, particularly its potential of generating revenue for Qatar which fits well with the country's vision to diversify its economy from the traditional sectors of oil and gas." Some of the technologies that Ponsford's team is developing have been filed by the QCRI for patents in the UK and US, he added. What is so exciting about cloud computing? "Cloud computing service providers like Amazon, Microsoft and Google are achieving more than double the efficiency compared to companies running and maintaining their own data servers," said Ponsford. "It makes good business sense to run many software applications in external cloud datacenters since you gain from scalable computing resources and only pay for what you use," added Ponsford. Sharing servers between many users increases the utilisation of the machines. Studies show in-house servers used by various companies are highly under utlilised with the average being 15 to 20%." There are three types of cloud computing - public, private and hybrid. A public cloud is accessible to all; a private cloud is accessed by just a limited number of organisations. Giving an example of a private cloud where efficiency increases and operations and maintenance cost are reduce, Ponsford said, "The UK government plans to migrate around 500 existing government datacenters into just 12 datacentres. With this type of cloud multiple government departments will utilise the same datacenter infrastructure rather than each having their own dedicated set-up". The third type is a hybrid cloud which is likely to become the most prevalent in the near future. This is where organisations use a combination of both public and private clouds to satisfy their computing needs. There are many other advantages of cloud computing according to Ponsford. It doesn't require capital outlay, no specialist staff, rapid access to resources and allows businesses and entrepreneurs to build and test new ideas without investing infrastructure. Most companies in the US and Europe are considering or have already started the process of switching to cloud computing since it is more efficient and less expensive when compared to purchasing servers and employing software and hardware engineers to run and maintain it. Internet is the enabler. Cloud computing requires high speed internet connectivity to be of benefit. "Companies in many Asian countries still use their own in-house servers for their data processing needs since the network of fiber optic cables that support high speed internet connection is yet to reach all regions unlike Northern Europe and North America," said Ponsford. High speed connectivity is mandatory. "This is one of the challenges," he said, "Cloud computing only really works if you have a good, reliable connection, without it, this utility is of little use to you." Another challenge is security. Most surveys of IT professionals reveal their number one concern is security of their data in cloud datacentres. "The concern is both justified and understandable," said Ponsford. "The security within clouds actually is much better than it is in conventional onsite IT systems. However, talented security experts must be part of the datacentre team to ensure that systems always remain secure." One of the biggest challenges the QCRI scientists are taking on is achieving better utilisation by building operating systems that are more efficient and can accommodate greater numbers of users than today's most efficient systems. Investment is another challenge. Cloud Computing requires large investment in datacentre and server technologies. However, Clouds are often built without specific customers in mind, "this requires a leap of faith for those backing such projects". Recent history shows Cloud Computing is often not demanded by potential customers, but as soon as facilities are made available and business are made aware then there is a gradual migration from onsite computing to computing in the cloud. This means that capacity planning can be difficult in the early stages. "Cloud migration is usually a gradual business, few businesses move everything to the Cloud in the first instance, it is common to start with specific applications such as email servers and file sharing, then progress to applications and databases. Things won't happen overnight, but as confidence grows, more organisations will move to Cloud based systems," concluded Ponsford. (END)