Cloud Computing in Telecommunications - Research Paper Example

ID Cloud Computing in Telecommunications Introduction The term ‘cloud computing’ refers to the application of a cloud image to correspond to the internet or some huge networked setting. In other words, cloud computing is a standard term for anything that engages offering hosted tools and services on the internet (TechTarget; Hartig). This paper will discuss various concepts of telecommunication and its emerging factors in cloud environment. This paper will also outline the implications of cloud computing in telecommunications. Cloud Computing and Telecommunications Cloud computing is one of the emerging concepts in telecom sector. In addition, cloud computing has successfully changed the dimensions of telecommunication (Weiss; Koehler, Kraemer and Anandasivam). In today’s global world where new standards and technologies are offered everyday each and every organization is trying its level best to make use of cloud computing. Additionally, the idea of cloud computing is already adopted in various fields. According to a research, cloud environment will be adopted in a large number of corporations and enterprises in upcoming years. In fact, cloud computing is already been adopted in various sectors such as telecommunication and information technology which resulted in significant growth and profit generation (Phukan). In this way the telecom sector is much energized about the scenario of cloud environment. In addition, the telecom sector will acquire numerous competitive advantages from networking operations along with modern technological aspects. Hence it will become easy for them to play an imperative role in the rapid growing world of cloud computing environment (Phukan). Significant Factors We can examine numerous opportunities of cloud environment in telecom corporations with various factors. Therefore, we focus more on those factors that are helpful in making telecommunication an important player in this rising domain. In this way our involvement is dual in nature that includes two aspects: (Koehler, Kraemer and Anandasivam) The first aspect is to indentify major technological and financial aspects that are related to the telecom’s competitive position in the cloud computing marketplace (Koehler, Kraemer and Anandasivam). The second most important aspect deals with recognizing the future situations on the basis of which telecommunication will establish its position in the marketplace (Koehler, Kraemer and Anandasivam). Major aspects of Cloud Computing There are various aspects of cloud computing which are necessary to make telecom sector more productive. These 3 aspects facilitate customers in reference of cloud environment. This thing includes various critical factors: Software as a Service (SaaS) Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) Platform as a Ser v ice (PaaS) However, the network service providers might facilitate regarding connectivity related issues in a cloud landscape. In this way a numbers of telecommunication applications will be moved to the infrastructure that meets the criteria of cloud computing environment. But those who will not be able to shift will be delivered as Software as a Service that is usually abbreviated as (SaaS). In this scenario, the adoption of cloud environment in telecomm sector will benefit telecomm corporations and their operators. Thus this advance technological aspect will be helpful in developing vendors’ controlled services; in fact it is beneficial for those clouds operators that do not want to make investment for running their cloud operations (Gabrielsson, Hubertsson and Mas). In addition, the internet protocol (IP) communications along with componentized environment of the software products that are used by telecom sector and service providers is perfect one for cloud environment. As we know that promising technologies of service architectures like IP multimedia subsystems that is abbreviated as (IMS) as well as next generation networks that is abbreviated as (NGN) will facilitate in strengthening their position in this advanced era of computing (Phukan). According to analysts and observers, the telecom sector will categorically grow a lot in the cloud computing environment. In this scenario, a current description by telecom analysis’s and consulting corporations Ovum pointed out that the worldwide telecomm major aspects similar to BT, AT&T, Verizon Business and Orange Business Services might acquire a huge share of the cloud computing pie by providing information technology firms a run for their money (Phukan). Examples We have a lot of examples that show significant importance of cloud environment in telecom sector. As we can illustrate Deutsche Telecommunication network for this purpose. This telecomm company has recently declared the significance of cloud computing environment as one of its most important development area. We cannot lemmatize the usage of cloud environment in telecomm sector in just only one example although we have numerous examples of telecommunication players like Vodafone, AT& and Telephonic are getting higher due to cloud computing business. No doubt, this progress shows that cloud computing endows with considerable business opportunities in telecom sector (Koehler, Kraemer and Anandasivam). Prospects & Opportunities An additional considerable opportunity from the cloud environment is enormous although this aspect has brought innovative revenue flow in telecommunication. Additionally, the clouds will significantly enhance network traffic as well as utilization and consequently transport revenues. There are also various critical challenges for the service providers for profit generation. In this way cloud environment suggest a means of distribution of resources like software, hardware along with data on-demand to users. Consequently various services are offered by cloud based environment. This includes aspects like safety measures, storage space, computing resources in addition to system oriented services for enterprises applications. In this way, the service enablers of telecom sector are also looking internally for optimization of different Information Technological estates, and information centers that comprised of numerous stacks to a virtualization model, therefore bringing opex reduction too (Phukan). Additionally one more area of telecommunication that is considered as an extremely cost-effective in the cloud environment is billing. According to various statistical reports, researchers and analysts say that, rapid enhancement in worldwide telecom cloud environment and its billing reserves produced approximately $15 million in 2008 and $350 million is expected in 2013. According to this report there is an interesting pronouncement which is defined as: “the rising telecom cloud billing applications are much smaller and lighter investments, mostly in contrast with legacy telecom related billing applications or platforms”. Hence these judgments will boos-up the new and well established telecom firms, in addition to will also facilitate cost effective clarifications and services (Phukan). Predictable role of telecommunication sector – proposals We have discussed various features and significant role of cloud environment in technological aspects of telecom enterprises. In this way the predicable study of the cloud environment shows that telecommunications are set to play a most important role in cloud computing environment. However there are various constructive aspects of the innovative technical factors along with business situations that are considered to be more important than the negative ones. Moreover it is seen mostly that in such a situation the whole environment appears to be mostly in favour of telecommunication, which have the potential to cooperate with critical operations in the cloud structure (Houatra). On the other hand, in order to formulate such a situation, telecommunications require supporting their position by conducting a line of investigation in order to enhance technological capabilities of their equipment. But an important aspect is the proper support to initiate standardization efforts particularly for the promotion of open as well as interoperable clouds (Houatra). Additionally telecomm sector and their related firms must upgrade their equipped networks along with data centers. We have examples as deployment of high-speed systems or networks, virtualized and managed bottomless computing capacity grade data centres by means of effective supercomputers in order to make facilitation for circulated cloud services. However advance applications might emerge from cloud services, particularly from synergies that we have seen in the High Performance Computing (HPC) community in addition to those which have those computing services that require significant resources and elasticity (Houatra). Mobile applications and cloud computing It has been reported by Industry experts that mobile networks will play a most important role in enhancing the cloud computing ahead of its core enterprise market. In the developed marketplaces, cellular phone cloud computing will provide telecom providers along with their business associates additional options for initiation of services. In addition, there is one more area of expansion for mobile applications in cloud that is in various cellular applications, developers are gradually more adopting cloud computing environment due to the partial processing power with battery life of cellular devices and the low-bandwidths of mobile application. Furthermore, cloud computing facilitates in expanding processing power, hence cellular applications might be use for sharing, collaboration, remote access etc (Phukan). Technical factors There are two significant technical factors that make cloud computing attractive for telecommunication. Firstly, telecoms already own the majority of the infrastructure and services that is essential for cloud computing services (e.g. datacenters, networks, technical expertise) (Koehler, Kraemer and Anandasivam). Second aspect is that in telecommunications incumbents have advantages over recognized cloud providers such as Amazon and Google, due to their capability to manage the whole cloud computing value chain (Koehler, Kraemer and Anandasivam). Risks Various risks are involved in cloud environment when dealing with telecommunication. As we know that cloud computing is still at its emerging stage. Thus, there are various difficulties and implications linked with the cloud, some of the important risks are outlined below: (Koehler, Kraemer and Anandasivam; Phukan) Security is a most important concern of the enterprises. However we can avoid from such security concerns by adopting security solutions to ward off some sort of breaches and threats. Another aspect is the development of industry-wide actions for the establishment of good practices which might act as standards. While discussing numerous aspects related to cellular technology connectivity as well as speed is major concern. Conclusion We can conclude that telecom sector has comparatively new marketplace entry implications and competitive advantages over well-known providers in the cloud computing market. However Telecom enablers are looking toward the cloud environment for transformation of infrastructure into cloud that is valuable for reducing internal computing resource. In this way we can reduce internal expenses but also raise revenue; therefore it's a cost-effective and no loss circumstances for the telecom service providers. Works Cited Gabrielsson, Jan, et al. Cloud computing in telecom. 23 June 2010. 22 April 2011 . Hartig, Kevin. What is Cloud Computing? 13 December 2009. 25 April 2011 . Houatra, Drissa. Cloud computing and telecom networks. 2011. 22 April 2011 . Koehler, Philip, Jan Kraemer and Arun Anandasivam. "Cloud Computing: New Business Opportunities for Telecommunications Companies?" 21st European Regional ITS Conference. Copenhagen, 2010. 1-3. Phukan, Kaushik. Telecom Service Providers Walk in the Clouds . 14 February 2011. 22 April 2011 . TechTarget. Cloud Computing. 28 December 2007. 26 April 2011 . Weiss, A. "Computing in the Clouds." ACM Networker Volume 11, Issue 4 (2007): 18-25. Read More