With the year coming to an end and DellWorld 2012 underway, I thought I would take a few moments to look at the amazing accomplishments of the Dell Cloud Services team and how we are enabling private, public and hybrid cloud solutions for existing and new customers.
Public Cloud Locations
The first IaaS cloud built on VMware vCloud technology from Dell was launched in late October 2011 in Plano, TX with service availability in the United States. A second cloud site in Quincy, WA was launched in spring 2012 along with cloud service for Canada and Mexico. The third cloud location in the UK was launched in fall 2012 with service to Ireland as well.
As you would expect, our global cloud footprint expansion continues next year as we look to Asia, South America, and more regions in Europe. Please contact your Dell representative or myself if you looking for cloud services in a region currently not served.
Public Cloud Features
In addition to building and deploying global cloud platforms, Dell Cloud Services added several enterprise-level features to the clouds based on customer feedback.
- Cloud Security – Trend Micro and Dell jointly announced enhanced data encryption for Dell vCloud customers using the SecureCloud product. Dell SecureWorks provides real-time threat monitoring and vulnerability scanning for all Dell public clouds. VMware vShield is also built-in to provide perimeter network security and multi-tenant isolation.
- Cloud Management Console – Instant, on-demand cloud access is available to customers in pre-configured bundles through the online cloud management console.
- Dell Cloud Consulting – A dedicated team of cloud specialists is available for cloud customers looking for assistance from developing a cloud strategy to rolling out a private/public cloud solution.
- Platform Upgrade – Port of the Dell vCloud platform to VMware vCloud Director 1.5.
- Dell Support – All Dell vCloud customers receive 24/7 ProSupport in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe.
- Pre-Defined Templates – Dell provides customers with pre-configured VM templates for Microsoft Windows and SUSE Linux as well as the option to load your own operating system.
- Virtual Machine Backup – Built-in VM and vApp backup without the need for third-party backup utilities and agent-based solutions
Customers can expect to see continued expansion of feature for our public cloud in 2013. Some exciting new features on the roadmap include load balancing, SharePoint hosting, Internet2 service, and more.
Public Cloud Structure
In addition to our IaaS offerings, Dell has created a unique private cloud offer within our public cloud datacenter known as Dell Cloud Dedicated. Providing users the capabilities of a public cloud while giving IT teams the infrastructure design options they demand including security, stability, and productivity.
Dell Cloud Dedicated meets HIPAA and HITECH security requirements and comes with Dell Boomi integration services.
Coming soon from Dell is the beta release of our open source public IaaS cloud based on OpenStack as well as new solutions in high-performance cloud computing, cloud storage, and concierge level services.
Other Dell Cloud Solutions
In addition to the Dell vCloud solutions, Dell has also been very active in other cloud areas:
- Dell Wyse PocketCloud – Secure and fast remote desktop access to Mac or Windows desktops with iOS or Android devices
- Dell Servers for Cloud – Data Center Solutions group announced shipment of 1 million servers for cloud infrastructure
- Project Sputnik – Dell XPS 13 Laptop, Developer Edition with Ubuntu 12.04 LTS focused on speed, mobility, and cloud readiness
Conclusion
As you can see, Dell is building an amazing portfolio of cloud end-to-end solutions for enterprise customers looking to transform their business. It has been great fun for me to lead the social media outreach on these various solutions and I look forward to engaging with customer, partners, and cloud social media leaders in 2013 to promote Dell’s cloud technology,