Cloud solutions are set to transform UAE business

Dubai - The workshop - hosted by PCCS - aimed at creating a roadmap to help businesses capitalise on the advantages of cloud computing.

The one question that hits everyone before adopting cloud solutions is security. But, there is no need to worry, the executive chairman of Pacific Controls Cloud Services, or PCCS, said.
"We are here to inform [everyone] that data sovereignty is supreme and will always remain a top priority in the UAE," Dilip Rahulan said at a workshop titled 'Cloud Computing - Transform Your Business with the Cloud' in Dubai on Monday.
The workshop - hosted by PCCS - aimed at creating a roadmap to help businesses capitalise on the advantages of cloud computing. Experts from Microsoft, VMware and Inframon presented a range of topics related to the benefits of cloud computing solutions.
"The company is building two hyper cloud hosting infrastructures - one in Dubai and another in Abu Dhabi. These proposed facilities are in addition to a data centre in Jebel Ali," Rahulan said.
A technological transformation will take place in the next 12 to 18 months across all industries in the UAE's private and public sectors, predominantly facilitated by cloud computing solutions, industry experts said.
"Cloud computing is an emerging, active infrastructure that enables government, business and people to transform their current business to digital business, creating paradigm shifts in the way service delivery takes place. The cloud infrastructure also needs security to be dynamic in terms of scalability, and be capable of enabling concepts that are able to deal with large growth syndromes," added Rahulan.
PCCS, one of the Middle East's leading ICT-enabled managed services company, and Microsoft have joined hands to tap demand for cloud solutions in the region.
"We have seen that small and medium enterprises adopt cloud solutions faster and have recorded 15 per cent better output compared to businesses that are not cloud-connected," said Haidar Salloum, channel director for Microsoft Gulf.
"PCCS has partnered with Microsoft and Fujitsu to deliver cloud offerings. It now provides enterprise-grade cloud security even to its smallest customers. Anyone operating within its cloud is given end-to-end protection. This has helped PCCS to acquire new customers keen on adopting aspects of IaaS [infrastructure as a service]," added Rahulan.
The workshop also had presentations by Deepak Narain, senior systems engineering manager at VMware Cloud Services, and Gordon McKenna, CEO of Inframon.
Salloum said: "We will continue to focus on healthcare, education and government sectors in the months ahead. Microsoft seeks to capitalise on the opportunity to deliver Office 365 and other Microsoft Azure services to customers, understanding that time-to-market and operational efficiency are vital for solution providers in today's cloud services markets."
PCCS has also partnered with VMware to launch cloud-based Desktop as a Service, or DaaS, in the GCC. The participation in VMware Horizon DaaS Powered validation will enable customers to securely access desktop using any device anywhere.
The company achieved VMware Horizon DaaS Powered status, which will enable its customers to rapidly deploy desktops and applications as a fully-managed cloud solution - accessible from any device anywhere at an affordable price. As a member of the VMware vCloud Air Network Programme, PCCS will be able to offer cloud-hosted virtual desktops and applications.
- sandhya@khaleejtimes.com