It makes business sense for South African organisations to engage the services of local cloud service providers as they are best positioned to offer integrated hybrid cloud services because of their in-country presence and footprint.
So says JJ Milner, founder and chief cloud architect at Global Micro, who notes that a local cloud service provider is able to provide locally relevant cloud services tailored for the African experience.
"They provide a familiar legal framework within which to negotiate an SLA relevant to the South African market. Local providers are able to provide support in our time zone and understand the nuances of the South African Customer," he says.
According to Milner, the South African mid-market is the segment mostly making use of local cloud service providers.
He points out that cloud demands scale and the South African market is small by international standards. There will be a need for consolidation in order for a few key players to grow fast enough to remain internationally relevant, he adds.
"Microsoft is one of our closest strategic partners. We engage in joint go-to-market activities and align our research and development teams to bring the latest cloud technologies to market. Most recently, Global Micro launched the first and only South African instance of Hosted Azure Services (aka Azure Pack) and was one of only nine Microsoft global partners around the world to participate in the pilot deployments."
Milner believes SA is well-positioned to deliver cloud services to the African continent. With over one billion users, the ability for local hosts to grow beyond South Africa's borders will be key to their success."
He also urges organisations to partner with experienced providers who have a proven track record of delivery.
"A cloud only strategy is not an end in itself - analyse your needs and embrace a hybrid cloud approach to maximise the potential of cloud computing while leveraging your existing technology investments.
"Transition specific workloads over time as and when, and only if, a cloud delivery model is more appropriate than your traditional approach. To that end, make sure your cloud provider has a proven capability to integrate your 'cloud' and 'ground' digital platforms," he urges.
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