Hey! You! Get Off My Cloud!

Paul Robichaux

paul@robichaux.net

Agenda

• Introduction• Some Cloud Claim Chowder• Cloud-Based Services• Questions?

Introduction

• The cloud services market is growing hugely● Exact estimates vary widely● Many analyst firms have no clue but get

quoted anyway• E.g. One analyst firm changed their forecast by

more than half from last year to this year but covered it up by changing the time scale

Cloud Services: A Taxonomy

• Messaging itself• Message hygiene• Continuity / disaster recovery• Compliance, archiving, and retention• Other messaging security• UC• Collaboration

Cloud-Based Messaging Players

• Tier 1: the software OEMs go hostal● Microsoft, Google, IBM Lotus, Zimbra

• Tier 2: major players that run software from tier-1 companies● AT&T, Intermedia, GoDaddy, Elephant Outlook

• Tier 3: offerings you’ve probably never heard of● Novell Pulse (seriously!)● LiveOffice● Many others…

Claim Chowder

• Term coined by Mac zealot John Gruber• Refers to bold predictions that later turn

out to be incorrect● Example: Nokia CEO proclaiming iPhone 1.x

a failure• I like the phrase so I stole it

Claim Chowder, Microsoft Style

• Exchange is great when used on-premises● But it’s just as good when hosted at Office

365• We have every feature you need

● Except for the ones our partners deliver• Our hybrid model is the most flexible• We are fully committed to on-premises

Exchange

ASP-Flavored Claim Chowder

• The cloud is cheaper, easier, more flexible, and more awesome● If it does what you want it to

• Traditional vendors like MS “don’t get it”● Except that many ASPs run the same

products, just hosting it themselves• Our cloud services are enterprise-ready

● For some values of “enterprise”

SERVICE AREAS IN DETAIL

Messaging

• Goal: behave just like the e-mail you have now● Except that someone else runs it for you

• Hybrid solutions becoming more popular● Exchange 2010 pioneers in this area● Full benefits require MS to deploy Office 365

Compliance / Retention / Archiving

• Goal: keep you out of jail● Preserve required data● Allow discovery searches● Prove compliance through reporting

• This may involve● Acting as a journal recipient● Providing write-only storage● Providing high-integrity storage● Advanced discovery capability● Being a bonded / insured agent

Message Hygiene

• Goal: filter all the garbage out of your message stream

• Secondary goals● Filter and control outbound traffic● Provide various policy and control services

Continuity / Disaster Recovery

• Goal: keep business running when disaster strikes

• Can be accomplished by● Off-site mirroring● Web-based dial-tone services● Mobile device extension support

UC

• Goal: deliver voice / IM / presence / conferencing

• Complicated enough to do this on-premise● More so when you consider hybrid models

• Outside the scope of this session

Collaboration

• Everything else!

• Some vendors tout their non-e-mail related capabilities

• These are interesting, but…● Integration can be a real challenge● Pricing is all over the map● Solutions are often feature-poor

CLOUD PROS AND CONS

Compliance / Retention / Archiving

Claim chowder…• Costs less• Pay for what you use• Platform-agnostic• Tamperproof• Anywhere access

The reality• It may cost less• But how much?• True• Proof against your tampering• True

Compliance: Assessment Questions

• What compliance problems are you trying to solve?● Cloud is good for preservation, search● Bandwidth and storage costs may be significant

• Do you trust the vendor?● Security certifications, bonding, S&P statements● Look for specialized expertise in vertical if you

need it

Compliance: The Verdict

• It depends…

Message Hygiene

Claim chowder…• Costs less• Easier to deploy• Better filtering• More control

The reality• Maybe• Yes• Yes• Yes

Message Hygiene: Assessment Questions

• Are you happy with your existing anti-spam / anti-virus solution?

Message Hygiene: The Verdict

• Message hygiene is perhaps the perfect “poster child” for cloud services

• Using a cloud filtering service almost always gives you more capability for less money than you could provide yourself● Backup MX service alone is worthwhile

Continuity / Disaster Recovery

Claim chowder…• Costs less• Pay for what you use• Easier to deploy• More flexible• More survivable• Self-service

The reality• Maybe

● But there are ongoing costs too

• Migration in is easy; out, not so much

• Good flexibility and agility• May not protect

everything• Management troubles

Continuity / DR: Assessment Questions

• What are you protecting against?• Does the cloud solution give you anything

that Exchange doesn’t?● Does the solution understand your

applications?● Beware of “dumb” solutions

Continuity & DR: The Verdict

• It all depends…

Messaging

Claim chowder…• Costs less• Pay for what you use• Easier to deploy• More flexible

The reality• It may cost less

● But there are ongoing costs too

• Migration in is easy; migration out, not so much

• Good flexibility and agility• Some features not

available

Messaging: Assessment Questions

• Will you actually save any money?● Factor in user productivity, SLAs, license

costs, staffing costs● What parts of your existing system will stay?

Which will be replaced?

Messaging: Assessment Questions

• Are you lowering costs while giving up something more important?● Security? (Include auditing)● DR / resilience● Policy control● Centralization

Messaging: Assessment Questions

• Can you make a quantum leap?● Moving to the cloud may be less expensive

than migrating directly● Does the cloud service give you anything you

can’t get elsewhere?

Questions?

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