Cloud Computing

Cloud Computing: Infrastructure on Demand

What is cloud computing? With business in a constant state of flux, sometimes it doesn’t make sense to get locked into fixed assets, especially when critical projects go on hold while you wait for new computing resources.

With cloud computing services you can buy IT services without procuring equipment to better align operating costs with variations in the business cycle.

AT&T Synaptic Compute as a Service^SM with VMware vCloud^® Datacenter Service is a pay-as-you-go cloud computing solution that lets you access virtualized servers in the AT&T cloud to quickly turn compute capacity up when needed and down when requirements change.

Provision at the pace of business with cloud computing

Whether it's introducing a new application or supporting new users, geographies or business initiatives, AT&T cloud computing services provide a ready-made hosted infrastructure to help you:

• Avoid procurement delays
• Reduce capital expenditures
• Speed provisioning and deployment
• Free staff from long implementation cycles
• Respond quickly to the needs of the business

Prepare for the unpredictable with computing in the cloud

Unexpected upswings in orders, user transactions or other workloads dramatically impact server performance and availability. Cloud computing solutions enable you to quickly adapt IT services to the changing needs of business.

You provision once and scale infrastructure on demand by adding more resources where and when they’re needed. But scalability isn’t just about managing peaks; it's about managing valleys cost effectively. When the flood of activity is over, you can dial down capacity using the self-service web portal.

Sync consumption and cost with cloud computing solutions

AT&T Synaptic Compute as a Service involves no upfront charges, term commitments or termination fees. You decrease capital investments by procuring compute capacity as a service.

You pay via credit card or invoice on a per-hour, per-use basis charged monthly. Cloud computing is a great way to directly align IT expenses with business activity for a better handle on costs.

Access enterprise-class cloud computing services

When you choose AT&T for cloud computing, you manage your operating system software, database and applications. AT&T provides:

• A virtual infrastructure in an AT&T Internet Data Center
• Management of the network, server and storage infrastructure
• Physical security backed by audit controls
• A web portal for visibility and self-service computing

You benefit from the enterprise-class protection, reliability and reach of AT&T Internet Data Centers and the AT&T network, backed by 12 years of hosting experience.

Find out about cloud storage and other AT&T hosting services.

Consider

With so many options, cloud computing can be confusing. Here are some things to consider as you ready your business for cloud services:

How important is fast deployment to your business?

If your staff is overwhelmed with current workloads, you may put new IT projects on hold. But that also puts revenue opportunities on hold when they’re needed the most. It may help to identify which projects you can realistically tackle and which make sense to deploy through the cloud. Don't think of cloud computing services as an all-or-nothing proposition. Think of them as a way to complement your in-house IT services when business-critical deployments can’t wait.

How do you prepare for unpredictable demands now?

Do you "guesstimate" the compute capacity you’ll need to support increasing traffic, sessions and users? Anytime you buy an asset based on a "best guess" forecast, you assume a lot of risk: Over provisioning means expensive equipment sits idle, while under provisioning means performance issues. With cloud computing, you’re not burdened with long-term commitments or capacity problems. You use the portal, click a button and add or delete resources within minutes.

Do you worry about security and control?

AT&T can provide the enterprise-class security and redundancy you need for data protection and compliance. To add another layer of protection, you can create a virtual private cloud using your existing AT&T VPN to access the AT&T cloud. Application programming interfaces (APIs) included in the service give you control over cloud resources. You can manage and monitor usage, set rules, create thresholds and automate processes, such as increasing capacity at pre-set times for recurring usage spikes.

Are you wondering which solutions are good candidates for the cloud?

• Run production applications, from collaboration and data analytics processing to human resources and finance
• Balance traffic and transaction loads across in-house and cloud servers to manage unforeseen demands
• Help enable backup and disaster recovery in the cloud
• Create instant testing and development environments

Your AT&T account manager can help you find the right blend of hosting services – from cloud to colocation to managed hosting or utility computing – to meet your business needs.

Service Delivery

Cloud computing services make deployment easy and fast:

• Go to the Synaptic Compute as a Service^SM portal
• Provide payment information
• Choose servers and storage using an online library of images
• Access computing assets in the AT&T cloud within minutes
• Connect via a public network or an AT&T VPN to create a virtual private cloud
• Use the portal to add or scale back capacity

Find out how AT&T Synaptic Compute as a Service^SM can bring the benefits of scalable cloud computing to your business.