Source: Dennis Beckmann¸ PKF Malta

 

Sometimes it is very difficult to determine whether something is just a trend that will blow over very soon or if it will settle in for a long time. Let’s take fashion.  New styles sometime generate acceptance for a long time and some don’t even make it to the stores.  In the world of business¸ it is exactly the same.

Over the past few years IT professionals¸ especially manufacturers and software system integrators of the storage industry¸ have tackled the concepts of Cloud Computing and E-mail Archiving.

The main idea of Cloud Computing is to provide IT infrastructure via networks¸ dynamically adjusted to actual needs. This infrastructure can include computing power¸ free storage space or even software modules.

There are many different providers of Cloud Computing. These providers give the customer the possibility to rent hardware parts like a data centre or free storage space. The result is that the data is no longer stored on the local computer or the data centre of the company but in a ‘Cloud’. The customer can use the applications or open the data from the Cloud without knowing where it is located.

The location of the IT Infrastructure can be classified between public Clouds¸ private Clouds and a mixture of both. Public Clouds are located somewhere in the Internet and private Clouds are geographically positioned inside the customer’s company as a Departmental Cloud or an Enterprise Cloud.

What are the main advantages of Cloud Computing?

On the one hand¸ Cloud Computing can lead to an increase in productivity. With Cloud Computing it is much easier for a group located in more than one geographical venue to work on the same content. When using a Public Cloud¸ even cross-company cooperation can be facilitated.  With a Public Cloud employees can work from outside the place of work eg from a client’s office or from home.

Projects can also progress at a faster rate by avoiding duplication of work and through a reduction of unnecessary paperwork.  Costs can also be heavily reduced. In contrast to traditional infrastructure¸ payments for Cloud Computing services  depend on the amount of usage.

But it is also necessary to consider the critical points. Cloud Computing also means that a company will be handing over the control of its data to the service provider. Because a change of the provider would be time consuming¸ the customer will also be somewhat dependent on the provider. When using Public Clouds¸ a very crucial point is data protection and data security and you also have to consider that in case of problems with the internet connection users will not be able to have access to the data.

Every company has to analyse whether Cloud Computing is profitable or not¸ which way of Cloud Computing (Private Cloud and/or Public Cloud) best fits the company and eventually find a provider that fulfils all the requirements.

Email Archiving is not a new trend. While some companies don’t even give their employees clear advice on how to store e-mails¸ others have been using E-mail Archiving for many years. For many it is seen as a tactical requirement for regulatory compliance and legal defense. But¸ E-mail Archiving providers claim that with the explo