Verizon [VZ] said on Oct. 3 that it has a new dimension to its cloud offerings–the company will now allow its clients to control how individual virtual machines (VM) are deployed.
VMs–software-based computers and servers–form the foundation for cloud computing by allowing users to run operating systems and programs in the virtual world without hardware. Current cloud infrastructure faces issues of latency when VMs interact with each other. Verizon’s Chief Operating Officer for the public sector Norm Laudermilch said certain VMs can tax the network or use additional memory, which impairs the performance of nearby VMs.
“You always have the problem of the noisy neighbor that could affect your cloud product,” he said.
Verizon’s cloud customers, including a number of federal agencies, will now be able to configure virtual machine and cloud storage performance. In addition to flexibility, customers will only pay for what they need. Before this offering, Verizon’s public cloud had pre-set standards for performance based on an organization’s size, i.e. small, medium or large.
Public cloud does not mean that there is unfettered access to the network, but that an organization has chosen to use Verizon’s standard services versus building its own private cloud.
In a cloud environment, a third-party company, such as Verizon, manages a client’s servers, which the client can access via the Internet. The amount of usage can be scaled on demand without the client having to modify its local IT infrastructure. Cloud computing provides greater flexibility and access to information, while reducing the IT burden on individual companies or agencies.
Laudermilch said Verizon is the first company to offer personalization of VM performance, calling it an “evolutionary step.” He said there would be an initial learning curve as IT staff discover how to utilize the new offering but that Verizon would assist with training.
“We view ourselves as an extension of our customer’s IT department,” he said.
Verizon’s new cloud architecture will be available in two forms: Verizon Cloud Compute and Verizon Cloud Storage. Cloud Compute is the Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) platform in which users customize VMs. Cloud Storage is Verizon’s first dedicated object-based storage system in the cloud, Laudermilch said.
Laudermilch said Verizon will soon release the beta versions of Cloud Compute and Cloud Storage. The company expects to make a full release of the products in early 2014.
Customers will be able to purchase the services with a credit card from the company’s website. Verizon is developing a contract purchasing mechanism for its public sector clients.
Verizon also expects to achieve FISMA, DIACAP and FedRAMP certifications in early 2014 so that the services are approved for federal government use.