VM-Net

BT is preparing to launch new Virtual Data Center service for large business and public sector organizations. Based on a cloud-computing model, the VDC provides a dynamic and virtualised infrastructure platform that enables organizations to consume their IT and networking infrastructure as a service.

BT Virtual Data Center service will, uniquely in the market, be rolled-out across data centres in multiple countries in EMEA and this will enable BT to provide true enterprise class services. BT said the second key differentiator with competitors is that it offers servers, storage, networks and security that is orchestrated and automatically provisioned through an online portal. Customers can change the infrastructure easily in real-time throughout the duration of the contract through the portal. BT customers will also be able to virtualise many of their networking and IT needs to the required service levels. By using BT’s enterprise class infrastructure, BT VDC delivers to large organizations the benefits of enterprise class “cloud computing” to customers at a significant saving against a standard hosted infrastructure deployment.

Making effective use of “cloud computing” technologies developed by data storage equipment maker EMC Corp, the US telecom biggie AT&T intends offering Web-based data storage services for corporations, with its launch of AT&T Synaptic Storage as a Service.  The singular, on-demand storage offering by AT&T has been designed to endow enterprises with an extremely scalable, pay-per-use service, which will be beneficial for firms looking for flexible storage alternatives. According to AT&T, the service allows storage, distribution and reclamation data by accessing the firm’s network cloud.

Cloud-based storage services charge companies as per their use, at an agreed monthly rate per GB; thus doing away with their unnecessary purchase and maintenance of storage equipment. Necessitating no upfront capital outlay, the service mechanically scales storage capacity up or down as per customer requirement. The service would be ideal for companies with fluctuating storage requirements, as they would have to pay only for the storage capacity used by them. Going by market researcher Gartner’s predictions revenue from cloud-based storage and backup services will likely see a 22 percent increase this year to about $400 million.Roman Pacewicz, Senior VP of strategy and application services at AT&T Business Solutions, said: “The demand for data storage continues to grow at a staggering rate, driven by the need for 24×7 access to business critical data.”

The leader in offering cloud services Amazon.com is about to get some tough competition from Sun Microsystems which is ready to roll out its new cloud computing product called Sun Cloud today. Sun has stated that its Sun Cloud will speed up delivery of new applications, cut down risk, and lift up computing capacity to meet demand. The company has declared that it will lease the use of servers and data storage space to developers who can access those resources over the Web. Sun will demo it’s cloud services at the CommunityOne developer conference in New York today.

Sun has revealed that Sun Cloud services will initially be available for students, computer programmers and start-ups that cannot afford to buy their own servers and storage equipment. The company has asserted that the first two cloud services – Sun Cloud Compute and Sun Cloud Storage, will be available this summer.

According to   Justin Sorkin Sun’s move is aimed to catch up the flourishing market of cloud computing, in which customers can access the computing power of off-site servers rather than build their own data centers. According to the Wikipedia.org, “Cloud computing is Internet (”cloud”) based development and use of computer technology (”computing”). It is a style of computing in which dynamically scalable and often virtualised resources are provided as a service over the Internet.”