"Cloud" is one of THE technology buzzwords at the moment, but what is the cloud and how can businesses benefit from cloud computing? In this presentation we take a look at how IT has evolved over the past decades and how its role in business has changed. We also explain what the cloud is and discuss its business benefits.

1. SEEING THROUGH
THE CLOUDS
@AtlasCloud www.atlascloud.co.uk
@Brewindolphin www.brewin.co.uk @NEChamber www.necc.co.uk

2. Thomas Watson, then
chairman of IBM, is said to
have made this famous
statement in 1943.
Little did he know…
“I think there is a
world market for
maybe five
computers.”
- Thomas Watson, Chairman of IBM, 1943

3. …that a decade later, IBM
would create the IBM 650
magnetic drum calculator,
the first mass-produced
computer, selling 450 units in
one year.
IBM 650
1954

4. More than a decade after
IBM, Hewlett-Packard
entered the general purpose
computer business in 1966
with its HP 2116, offering a
computational power
formerly found only in much
larger computers.
HP 2116
1966

5. Another decade later, the
Apple II became an instant
success when released in
1977. Apple was the first to
have a "windows" type
graphical interface and the
computer mouse.
The Apple II symbolises the
beginning of the first mass
market of desktop computers.
APPLE II
1977

6. In the mid 80’s, Microsoft
launched Microsoft
Windows. Four years later,
Microsoft Word was
introduced.
1985

7. In 1991, Sir Tim Berners-Lee
invented the WWW, arguably
one of the most disruptive
innovations of all time.
With the launch of Windows
95 four years later, Microsoft
also introduced the first
version of its Internet Explorer.
WORLD WIDE WEB
SIR TIM BERNERS-LEE
1991

8. In 1998, another ground-
breaking innovation was
launched: the Google search
engine.

9. A year later, a business called
Salesforce.com pioneered the
SaaS (Software as a Service)
market by offering its services
on the internet. This is a very
early example of the cloud
and revolutionary seeing as
the term didn’t even exist at
the time.
1999

10. In the years 2007 to 2010,
the world saw the rise of
mobile devices, which
transformed the way we are
working today.
iPHONE 1ST GEN ANDROID 1.0 iPAD 1ST GEN
2007 - 2010

11. In 2011, both Microsoft and
Apple launched cloud
products – Office 365 and
the iCloud, which made the
technology better accessible
to consumers.
2011
MS OFFICE 365 APPLE iCLOUD

12. In 2013, the Worldwide
Public Cloud Services Market
was worth £78bn, an
increase of 18.5% from 2012.
£78BN
WORLDWIDE
PUBLIC CLOUD
SERVICES
MARKET
2013

13. In 2014, global Cloud spending
is estimated to reach
£103.8bn, up 20% from 2013.
This shows that the world is
adapting to the cloud and is
discovering new ways of
working and improving
business operations.
£103.8BN
ESTIMATED
GLOBAL CLOUD
SPENDING
2014

14. Simply put, the cloud is a
model for delivering IT
services over the internet
through web-based tools and
applications.
This way of sourcing IT opens
up completely new ways of
doing business for
companies, such as remote
and agile working.
WHAT IS THE CLOUD AND HOW IS IT
TRANSFORMING YOUR BUSINESS?

15. With IT rapidly evolving, data
security is becoming a serious
issue for businesses.
Nowadays, news about data
breaches and consumer data
being stolen seem to pop up
every other week, such as the
JP Morgan Chase case or the
celebrity iCloud hacks.
DATA SECURITY IN THE NEWS

16. JP Morgan Chase is the victim
of the most recent IT security
breach as hackers broke into
the business’ internal, non-
cloud IT system and gained
access to 83 million client
account data. The company is
not ISO 27001 (security)
certified and client logins only
require a password which
increases the risk of a hacking
attack.
This and other cases such as
Adobe and Target show that
businesses are struggling to
keep their IT systems secure,
especially when trying to
patch up existing, old
infrastructure.
JP MORGAN CHASE
DATA HACK

17. A majority of IT security
breaches happen in-house,
with a study showing that 31%
of the worst security breaches
are caused by inadvertent
human error within a
company, with an additional
20% being down to purposeful
actions by staff to undermine
the security of data.
The cost of a serious IT
security breach can cost a
business a lot of money, which
is why it is so important to set
up a secure infrastructure and
have adequate policies in
place.
COST OF IT SECURITY BREACH
INFORMATION SECURITY BREACHES SURVEY 2014 (UK)
£65,000 - £115,000
< 50 employees
£600,000 - £1.5 million
> 250 employees

18. In a recent iCloud hacking
spree, over 200 pictures of
celebrities were made public,
which led many to doubt the
security of the cloud.
Hackers obtained passwords
and the answers to security
questions for the accounts -
something which is relatively
easy if a person is in the
public eye. In general,
passwords are becoming
increasingly insecure and
there is a trend towards
Multi-Factor Authentication
which is used for online
banking logins.
CELEBRITY iCLOUD HACKS

19. IT security is so important
and can be compromised
and put at risk if a company
lacks the necessary
expertise.
In earlier days, people were
used to source their own
water and electricity with the
help of wells and generators.
Nowadays,…
IT AS A UTILITY

20. …all they have to do is turn
on the tap to get water or
use power plugs to source
electricity.
Similarly, IT is shifting from
being provided in-house
(“generated” by a company
itself) to being accessible
through the internet by an IT
provider, whenever and
wherever it is needed.
Businesses need to break
their emotional connection
to assets and accept that
once a system is broken or
outdated, it can’t be fully
repaired.
IT AS A UTILITY

21. Seeing as the first iPhone was
only launched in 2007, users
are very open to mobile and
especially smartphone
adoption only a few years
later.
With mobile phones,
consumers are now used to
benefits that are the same in
cloud computing, such as pay
as you go monthly pricing
and flexibly adding and
removing apps as required.
MOBILE ADOPTION IS GROWING AT 130% YEAR ON
YEAR. BY THE END OF THE YEAR IT BECOMES A £1
BILLION MEDIUM ON ITS OWN, WITH PENETRATION
DUE TO BE 75% OF TOTAL POPULATION.
Internet Advertising Bureau 2013 (UK)

22. The IT evolution can be
compared to the one of
mobile phones.
Traditional IT is similar to an
old Nokia phone, with
limited options available and
restricted mobility, whereas
cloud IT can be compared to
a smartphone with a wide
range of functions, apps and
pay-as-you-go phone
contracts.
Imagine having to tackle
today’s connected world
with an old Nokia phone;
why would you try to do it
with your IT system?
IT EVOLUTION
TRADITIONAL IT CLOUD IT

23. Despite its growth and it
being one of the biggest
tech buzzwords in the last
couple of years, many
misconceptions about the
cloud still remain.
For example, in a recent
study by Citrix, 51% of
respondents said they
believe stormy weather can
interfere with cloud
computing. [which is not the
case]
CLOUD MISCONCEPTIONS
CITRIX STUDY, 2012
51%
think stormy weather interferes
with cloud computing

24. When asked what the cloud
is, only 16% knew what they
were talking about.
CLOUD MISCONCEPTIONS
CITRIX STUDY, 2012
16%
a computer
network to store,
access and share
data

25. Almost twice as many
respondents however think
it’s either an actual cloud
(specifically a “fluffy white
thing”), the sky or something
related to the weather.
Some others, when asked
about the cloud, associate it
with pillows, heaven, drugs,
movies, innovation and
relaxation.
This shows that the cloud is
still only a very vague
concept to most people.
CLOUD MISCONCEPTIONS
CITRIX STUDY, 2012
29%
a fluffy white
thing
the sky
weather related
16%
a computer
network to store,
access and share
data
pillow relaxed
heaven
drugs

26. Not only the question “what
is the cloud” poses a
problem; misconceptions
about the cloud itself and its
functions further hinder
adoption.
it’s not
secure
you
can’t work
offline
connectivity
means it
won’t work
it’s still
new
technology
it’s out
of my
control
it’s
expensive
CLOUD MISCONCEPTIONS

27. In light of recent celebrity
photo leaks, lots of people
are under the impression that
the cloud is not secure.
On the contrary, the cloud is
more secure than an on-site
IT solution as it offers data
encryption and Multi-Factor
Authentication logins and is
not liable to human errors or
office disasters. It is almost
impossible for hackers to
hack into the cloud – in the
case of the celebrity photo
leaks, they guessed
passwords and security
questions correctly.
it’s not
secure
CLOUD MISCONCEPTIONS
you
can’t work
offline
connectivity
means it
won’t work
it’s still
new
technology
it’s out
of my
control
it’s
expensive

28. There are multiple options
available for working offline
whilst using a cloud service.
For example, files can be
modified offline and will be
automatically updated once
the user is back in the cloud.
you
can’t work
offline
CLOUD MISCONCEPTIONS
connectivity
means it
won’t work
it’s still
new
technology
it’s out
of my
control
it’s
expensive
it’s not
secure

29. Internet connections are
constantly being improved,
and cities like Newcastle are
actively working on
optimising the connectivity
network.
CLOUD MISCONCEPTIONS
it’s not
secure
you
can’t work
offline
it’s still
new
technology
it’s out
of my
control
it’s
expensive
connectivity
means it
won’t work

30. Looking back at how rapidly
IT has evolved and changed
over the years, the cloud
can’t really be called a new
technology any more.
For example, Salesforce have
been offering their software
over the internet for 15 years
now.
it’s still
new
technology
CLOUD MISCONCEPTIONS
it’s not
secure
you
can’t work
offline
connectivity
means it
won’t work
it’s out
of my
control
it’s
expensive

31. A business utilising a cloud
solution still has the same
ownership rights and control
over its data than with an on-
site solution.
What’s more, the cloud
supplier supports the business
as they take IT responsibilities
off a business; a lack of
expertise in IT can put any
business at risk.
it’s out
of my
control
CLOUD MISCONCEPTIONS
it’s not
secure
you
can’t work
offline
connectivity
means it
won’t work
it’s still
new
technology
it’s
expensive

32. Most cloud providers offer
pay as you go pricing,
meaning that a business only
pays for what it actually uses.
it’s
expensive
CLOUD MISCONCEPTIONS
it’s not
secure
you
can’t work
offline
connectivity
means it
won’t work
it’s still
new
technology
it’s out
of my
control

33. Nowadays, businesses still
face IT problems that should
be in the past and which can
be addressed and resolved by
adopting a cloud computing
strategy.
IT PROBLEMS
THAT SHOULD BE IN THE PAST
software
updates
complex inflexible
data
backups
disaster
recovery
security

34. The cost, time and effort
involved in constantly
updating software across the
entire business is astonishing
and can be minimised.
With a cloud solution, all
software updates are done
automatically by the supplier,
with no need for the business
itself to get involved. This
ensures standardisation for
all users, up-to-date security
and that no time and money
is wasted.
IT PROBLEMS
THAT SHOULD BE IN THE PAST
complex inflexible
data
backups
disaster
recovery
security
software
updates

35. Businesses, especially ones
that are growing steadily and
operate multiple sites, face
complex IT infrastructures.
By moving to the cloud, all
the business needs for its
employees are internet
enabled devices – no
complex infrastructure or
costly servers.
IT PROBLEMS
THAT SHOULD BE IN THE PAST
software
updates
inflexible
data
backups
disaster
recovery
securitycomplex

36. Traditional IT solutions can be
very inflexible, to the point
where taking on a new
employee can pose a
problem or moving offices
would turn into a nightmare.
A cloud-based infrastructure
provides businesses with lots
of flexibility and scalability,
easily dealing with seasonal
staff fluctuations, rapid
growth and office moves.
IT PROBLEMS
THAT SHOULD BE IN THE PAST
software
updates
complex
data
backups
disaster
recovery
securityinflexible

37. Businesses rely on their data,
but what happens if a server
breaks? How often should
data be backed up? Where
should the backups be
stored?
Most cloud providers
automatically back up
clients’ data on a daily basis
and store it in multiple data
centres. This way, a business
will never lose any of its data.
IT PROBLEMS
THAT SHOULD BE IN THE PAST
software
updates
complex inflexible
disaster
recovery
security
data
backups

38. Imagine your office caught
fire – how would it impact
your business? When would
you be able to resume
working? Would you still be
able to run the business?
With a cloud solution, all
employees could easily log
on to their desktops from
home, with little to no time
lost, and continue working as
usual.
IT PROBLEMS
THAT SHOULD BE IN THE PAST
software
updates
complex inflexible
data
backups
security
disaster
recovery

39. Security is probably one of
the biggest issues for
businesses nowadays.
Keeping software up-to-date,
trusting employees with
sensitive data and on-site
servers and arranging for the
right policies to be in place
can be daunting.
The cloud can take this worry
away by always providing up-
to-date software and
encrypting data and emails as
well as offering the options of
utilising Multi-Factor
Authentication logins and
locked USB slots.
IT PROBLEMS
THAT SHOULD BE IN THE PAST
software
updates
complex inflexible
data
backups
disaster
recovery
security

40. You shouldn’t have to waste
time thinking about how
each business decision
would impact your IT or if it
would even be feasible.
On the contrary, IT should
enable you to sell, serve and
deliver your products and
services to your customers in
the best way possible, not
hinder you or slow you
down. By moving to the
cloud, all aspects of IT are
taken care of, meaning you
can focus on making your
customers happy.
SO WHY DO IT…?
SELL – SERVE – DELIVER
BETTER

41. Besides solving existing IT
problems, the cloud also offers
additional benefits to users. In
the Citrix study, participants
pointed out the benefits the
cloud has, like working from
anywhere (40%), keeping
embarrassing videos off of
their personal hard drive
(25%) and sharing information
with people they’d rather not
interact with in person (35%).
CLOUD BENEFITS
CITRIX STUDY, 2012
40%
work from anywhere

42. Bring Your Own Device
(BYOD) can be very beneficial
for businesses as employees
can use their own devices
(laptops, tablets,…) for work
so the company does not
have to provide a dedicated
PC or laptop.
With the right cloud solution
in place, employees can use
their devices to easily and
securely access their entire
desktop (i.e. all their data,
apps and email) without
having to install work-specific
software or transferring data
beforehand.
BYOD scalable
remote
access
device
agnostic
secure
future
proof
CLOUD BENEFITS

43. As already mentioned, the
cloud is incredibly scalable.
Users can be added or
removed quickly depending
on business demand and the
same goes for applications.
BYOD scalable
remote
access
device
agnostic
secure
future
proof
CLOUD BENEFITS

44. Remote working is closely
connected to BYOD and is
one of the biggest benefits
the cloud provides. Users
only need an internet
enabled device and an
internet connection to access
their entire work desktop
with applications, email and
data, no matter whether they
are working from home, on
the go or in another country.
BYOD scalable
remote
access
device
agnostic
secure
future
proof
CLOUD BENEFITS

45. Also closely linked to BYOD is
the fact that the cloud is
device agnostic, meaning that
no devices with special
functions or requirements are
needed to access users’
desktops and all their apps,
email and data.
BYOD scalable
remote
access
device
agnostic
secure
future
proof
CLOUD BENEFITS

46. As mentioned, the cloud is
more secure than an on-site
IT solution, especially when it
comes to BYOD and remote
working. Furthermore, data
is stored in secure data
centres rather than in a
server room within an office
where it is liable to human
errors and damage.
BYOD scalable
remote
access
device
agnostic
secure
future
proof
CLOUD BENEFITS

47. By moving to the cloud,
businesses need not worry
about outdated software and
servers as they are
automatically updated and
refreshed by the cloud
provider.
This is the new way of
utilising IT and will become
even more significant in the
years to come.
BYOD scalable
remote
access
device
agnostic
secure
future
proof
CLOUD BENEFITS

48. With the help of the cloud,
BYOD and remote working,
businesses can maximise
their mobility, work more
flexibly and shorten response
times.
SMBs WHO HAVE EMBRACED MOBILITY HAVE GENERATED
40% HIGHER REVENUE GROWTH IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS
COMPARED TO THOSE WHO DID NOT.
MICROSOFT 2011

49. The cloud is a fantastic
opportunity for companies to
break out of the IT cycle.
Rather than spending a lot of
money on a new server,
hardware and license
updates every couple of
years, businesses can opt for
a pay-per-user-per-month
cloud solution.
Cloud computing can also
substitute hiring a new IT
manager or having to create
a disaster recovery and
business continuity strategy.
BREAKING OUT OF THE IT CYCLE
NEW
SERVER
HARDWARE
REFRESH
LICENSE
UPDATES
DISASTER
RECOVERY
NEW/NEED IT
MANAGER

50. The cloud can be a benefit
for companies who are
undergoing key business
changes.
When moving office, be it
due to expansion or
downsizing, all the business
needs in the new location is
an internet connection and
internet enabled devices. No
need to move servers and
lots of hardware or having to
set up everyone’s PC.
KEY BUSINESS CHANGES
MOVING OFFICE

51. Operating multiple offices can
be daunting and complex;
making IT work across all
locations is easier said than
done, and businesses face
issues regarding compatibility,
data storage and backups as
well as cooperation.
With a cloud solution,
working together on files
from different locations is not
a problem, data is kept and
backed up automatically in
secure data centres and
applications and licenses can
easily be standardised.
KEY BUSINESS CHANGES
MULTI-SITE OPERATIONS

52. Acquiring and merging with
another business can be a
major headache for a
company, as trying to merge
different IT systems into one
can take up a lot of time and
money.
With a cloud based IT
infrastructure,
standardisation and adding
new users is really easy, there
is no need to worry about
data storage and backups and
IT security is automatically
provided throughout the new
business.
KEY BUSINESS CHANGES
MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

53. Most cloud IT providers offer
a pay-per-user-per-month
pricing model which breaks
down the cost of IT into
monthly payments rather
than using up capital for
large upfront investments.
Although the cloud is often
cheaper than a traditional IT
solution, this is not always
the case. However, it offers
additional benefits for
businesses such as a shift
from CAPEX to OPEX and IT
cost prediction and planning
which traditional IT solutions
can’t provide.
WHAT ABOUT THE MONEY?

54. On average, companies who
move to the cloud save a
minimum of 20% on their
overall IT spend.
By removing servers and
hardware with high energy
consumption, businesses can
also reduce their energy cost
by 70%.
Furthermore, companies
benefit from air conditioning
cost savings of up to 95%.
WHAT ABOUT THE MONEY?
MINIMUM 20%
COST SAVING ON OVERALL IT SPEND
70%
REDUCTION IN ENERGY COST
95%
REDUCTION IN AIR CONDITIONING COST

55. “We always overestimate the
change that will occur in the next
two years and underestimate the
change that will occur in the next
ten. Don't let yourself be lulled
into inaction.”
- Bill Gates, 1996

56. SEEING THROUGH
THE CLOUDS