VoIP Industry Newsletter: Understanding the Impact of Cloud Computing for VoIP

MESSAGE FROM THE CEO

(WRITTEN BY ROBERTO ROJAS, VICE PRESIDENT ENGINEERING, VOIP LOGIC)

Understanding the impact of Cloud computing for VoIP

The term “Cloud Computing” has taken the technology world by storm over the past 12 months. Wikipedia defines cloud computing as “a paradigm of computing in which dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources are provided as a service over the Internet” (for a more detailed definition of cloud computing please see the Voices from the Industry section at the end of this newsletter). In the context of VoIP, the Cloud is a means by which carriers and service providers can offer infrastructure components and application platforms to customers cost-efficiently and as required (”on-demand”). But how do we tell hype from reality? And, is the Cloud truly relevant to the world of telecommunications service delivery?

In the VoIP industry, companies with a cloud-based offering go to market with a suite of services designed to fit their target enterprises’ and consumers’ perceived requirements. From collocation services in premium sites across the world to Class 4 wholesale and Class 5 retail infrastructure, to platforms and software in different regions around the world, we need to understand the challenges of sourcing the cloud components of these services. There are three relevant categories.

Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS): Resources that are delivered as a service, including power, hard- ware, bandwidth and core network components, are integral in providing managed services and ‘cloud’ infrastructure. Items such as Power, UPS, generator options, network components, CPU, data storage, backup and disaster recovery procedures, etc., should all be evaluated. Further, service providers may offer their customers access to a portal to view the health of the Cloud Network component(s) for more transparency.

Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS): Selecting the platform on which you launch your VoIP services is central to the reliability and security of your cloud-based offering. A recognized best-of-breed manufacturer will deliver a trusted, scalable and redundant platform coupled with ongoing engineering and technical support process and expertise to ensure stability. VoIP Logic relies on several experienced best-of-breed hardware and software vendors. The strength of known platform vendors is their proven track record. These relationships help us, and our carriers and service providers, score relatively higher in end-user satisfaction.

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS): These types of applications are typically accessed from the Internet via browsers. There are generally policies set in place by the operator that provide the necessary reliability, flexibility and resiliency. For instance, the security infrastructure and policies that the SaaS provider has implemented can minimize vulnerability to fraud. Adequate protection for security such as denial of service (DOS) “attacks”, hi-jacked IP addresses or domain addresses, unauthorized traffic, etc. is also a substantial consideration.

It makes sense to partner with an IaaS, PaaS and/or SaaS provider when a carrier or service provider has extensively researched their own requirements and the capabilities of their network, the platforms and the managed services provider. (Writing an RFP is ideal.) There are clear advantages (see VoIP Logic’s Q3 2009 newsletter on disaster recovery) to offset not owning and operating your own infrastructure. With a good cloud ser- vice, while you can make numerous configuration decisions, those responsibilities will nonetheless require on-going attention and a full understanding of all aspects of a VoIP service offering.

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