Cloud computing is a cost-efficient model for provisioning processes, applications and services while making IT management easier and more responsive to the needs of the business. Therefore, in the Indian IT world, where it is in nascent stage, various vendors are trying to reach the customer’s attention. Few Indian companies, besides large vendors are offering cloud-based platforms in India.

In cloud computing, dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources are provided as a service over the Internet and users need not to have the control over the technology infrastructure and the platform supports for easy going.

Benefits of Cloud Computing

The benefits of using Cloud computing are to avoid capital expenditure (CapEx) on hardware, software and services, paying only for what they use, as the platform works on a pay-per-use basis.  

Consumption is billed on a utility e.g. resources consumed, like electricity or subscription. According to various vendors, by accepting cloud platform, customers will save up to 25 to 30 percent not only on CapEx and Operational cost (OpEx), but also on energy consumption (green initiative).

Besides the cost, customers can also have good performance and service quality as many vendors host their servers housed close to their own customers' and partners' data.

Cloud Computing Services on the Rise

According to the reports from the research firm, IDC, the cloud computing is reshaping the IT marketplace, creating new opportunities for suppliers and catalyzing changes in traditional IT offerings. Further, the firm expects that global spending on IT cloud services to grow almost threefold, reaching $42 billion by 2012.

On the global front, Dell, VMware, Sun Microsystems (Oracle), IBM, Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo are some of the major cloud computing service providers. But in India, the number of vendors is small.

IBM

Last year, IBM Corp. has opened new cloud computing centre in Bangalore, to help companies compete in highly competitive environments. Now, IBM has 13 cloud computing centres, the world's largest network of expertise on cloud computing, claims the company.

The latest IBM Smart Business portfolio includes three ways to deploy the cloud model, smart business standardized services on the IBM Cloud, smart business private cloud services behind the firewall and IBM CloudBurst service delivery platform, for clients to build to their own cloud with pre-integrated hardware and software.

Salesforce.com

Last year, Salesforce.com had announced its plans to offer cloud computing services in India. According to a report in the Industry Standard, Doug Farber, Vice President of Salesforce’s Asia Pacific operations, told the media that they are planning to focus on some select cities like Hyderabad, Bangalore, Gurgaon and Mumbai. They are also hoping to create awareness about cloud computing in India.

Netmagic Solutions

Netmagic Solutions, India’s leading managed IT service provider had announced the availability of its cloud computing services for enterprises, including existing and potential customers in April this year. Now it becomes the first managed IT services company in India to launch cloud computing services and with its offerings, Netmagic will enable Indian enterprises to carry out their operations economically with maintaining high standards.

Anantara Solutions

Anantara Solutions Private Limited (Anantara) is an outsourcing company with headquarters in Chennai, India that defined Second Generation Outsourcing (SGO). The company recently announced that it had won a Cloud Computing deal from Srini NewCo, a US-based company. Cloud Computing is one of the six distinguishing markers of SGO. Anantara will extensively leverage its Cloud Computing capabilities to help customers migrate to a pay-per-use architecture.

Renu Singh/ITvoir Network