Cloud Computing: what it means for libraries, library staff, training and skills by Robert Bley, Ex Libris. Presentation at the JIBS User Group Workshop and AGM Back to the Future and Into the Cloud, 24 February 2012, School of Oriental and African Studies, London.

1. Cloud
computing:
What it means for
libraries, library staff,
training and skills
February 2012
Robert Bley – Managing Director
Ex Libris UK Ltd.
Ex Libris Ltd., 2011 - Internal and Confidential
2012 1

2. Agenda
What is Cloud computing?
Choosing a Cloud provider
Lessons from elsewhere
Implications for libraries
Implications for suppliers
Conclusions
Ex Libris Ltd., 2012 - Internal and Confidential 2

3. What Cloud computing isn’t (or
shouldn’t be)
Just hosting existing or legacy applications
Setting-up a new instance of the software
for each new customer
Client-server
Ex Libris Ltd., 2012 - Internal and Confidential 3

4. What Cloud computing is
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a
product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to
computers and other devices as a metered service over a network (typically the
Internet) .
Cloud computing provides computation, software, data access, and storage
resources without requiring cloud users to know the location and other details of
the computing infrastructure.
End users access cloud based applications through a web browser or a light
weight desktop or mobile app, while the business software and data are stored
on servers at a remote location.
At the foundation of cloud computing is the broader concept of infrastructure
convergence and shared services.
Ex Libris Ltd., 2012 - Internal and Confidential 4

5. What Cloud computing may include
Platform as a service (PaaS) - may include facilities for application design,
application development, testing, deployment and hosting
Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
Software as a service (SaaS) often referred to as "on-demand software,"
Ex Libris Ltd., 2012 - Internal and Confidential 5

6. What Cloud computing is
Ex Libris Ltd., 2012 - Internal and Confidential 6

7. Business
On-Premise Model
to Cloud
Software
Services
Application Operating
Architecture Structure
Ex Libris Ltd., 2012 - Internal and Confidential 7

8. Choosing a Cloud provider
Global facilities
Data centre certified to relevant standard
– e.g. ISO27001?
24/7 staff / support
Redundant infrastructure
Redundant internet service provider
connectivity
EU hosting,
or membership of Safe Harbor scheme for
personal data.
8

9. Infrastructure Security
Firewall + IPS/IDS
Network Network Segmentation
Security
Secure configuration
Monitoring, alerting
and reporting
Ex Libris Ltd., 2012 - Internal and Confidential 9

10. Physical Security
ISO 27001 certified?
Data-Center 24/7 staff
Security
4 Layers of security
Secure Wireless Bridge
Ex Libris Ltd., 2012 - Internal and Confidential 10

11. Support
Staff only skilled in infrastructure issues, or also
knowledgeable about applications?
Automatic Cloud monitoring systems that can spot
issues that might develop into problems before they do?
Communication with support people?
Service level agreement?
Ex Libris Ltd., 2012 - Internal and Confidential 11

12. Lessons from elsewhere
Estimates of cost savings:
Ted Alford and Gwen Morton (2009) of Booz Allen Hamilton concluded that government
agencies moving to public or private clouds can save from 50 to 67 percent.
An analysis by Merrill Lynch claimed that technology could make business applications
“three to five times cheaper,”
Rajen Sheth (2009) of Google projects cost savings of 67 percent for moving e-mail to
the cloud.
On the other hand:
McKinsey analyst William Forrest (2009) said that moving to the cloud actually would
cost 144 percent more than current expenditures (though he doesn’t seem to have
included much in his estimates other than just the hardware cost).
More evidence needed
Especially on the two biggest variables: Staff costs and migration costs.
Ex Libris Ltd., 2012 - Internal and Confidential 12

13. Lessons from elsewhere
Estimates of cost savings:
Ted Alford and Gwen Morton (2009) of Booz Allen Hamilton concluded that government
agencies moving to public or private clouds can save from 50 to 67 percent.
An analysis by Merrill Lynch claimed that technology could make business applications
“three to five times cheaper,”
Rajen Sheth (2009) of Google projects cost savings of 67 percent for moving e-mail to
the cloud.
On the other hand:
McKinsey analyst William Forrest (2009) said that moving to the cloud actually would
cost 144 percent more than current expenditures (though he doesn’t seem to have
included much in his estimates other than just the hardware cost).
More evidence needed
Especially on the two biggest variables: Staff costs and migration costs.
Ex Libris Ltd., 2012 - Internal and Confidential 13

14. Implications for libraries
Staffing:
- How many staff?
- What kind of staff (a) attitude and (b) skillset
- Technical skills – yes – but a different kind
- Time for mashups, rather than backups!
Budgeting:
- Subscription v. recurrent
- Potentially less vendor lock-in?
Ex Libris Ltd., 2012 - Internal and Confidential 14

15. Library of Congress Survey of
Library Use of Cloud Computing 2011
51% said that eliminating staff was not an issue
46% concerned about ongoing costs, but
smaller libraries seemingly more worried than
large ones
Only 19% worried about data loss (though
librarians much more worried)
Ex Libris Ltd., 2012 - Internal and Confidential 15

16. Library of Congress Survey of
Library Use of Cloud Computing 2011
61% are already using free SaaS services
(Google Apps, Skype etc)
Only 22% using paid SaaS services – smaller
libraries more than large ones
Only 22% using paid SaaS services – smaller
libraries more than large ones
Ex Libris Ltd., 2012 - Internal and Confidential 16

17. Implications for vendors
Staffing:
- How many staff?
- What kind of staff (a) attitude and (b) skillset
- Technical skills – yes – but a different kind
Revenue:
- “License” model gone
- Potentially less vendor lock-in?
Ex Libris Ltd., 2012 - Internal and Confidential 17

18. Implications – continued…
Consultancy on workflows
Importance of “middleware” and plug-ins
Sharing best practice
Intellectual property rights - data
Need to understand network / internet issues
better
Ex Libris Ltd., 2012 - Internal and Confidential 18

19. Ex Libris Ltd., 2011 - Internal and Confidential 19

20. Conclusions…
There are obvious easily quantifiable financial
benefits to moving to the Cloud, but that’s not
the only – or even the main - point
The exciting thing is that it frees-up people to
do more creative things, of deeper value to
users…
… and it effectively facilitates collaboration,
even at a time when competition is apparently
being encouraged.
Ex Libris Ltd., 2012 - - Internal and Confidential
Ex Libris Ltd., 2011 Internal and Confidential 2020

21. Thank You !
Ex Libris Ltd., 2011 - Internal and Confidential 21