Without satellite, cloud service is just a theory. That is the view of Dr Dawie de Wet, CEO of Q-KON, who says that cloud services are entirely dependent on reliable networks and none of the current available options - including ADSL, 3G or satellite on its own - offer the level of reliability required to accommodate critical business networks in the cloud.
"In order to offer the high reliability that will make businesses move to cloud services confidently, the solution is to bundle satellite as a redundancy link with ADSL or 3G," says De Wet. "Contrary to popular belief, this can be done within a flexible pricing model that is affordable because it leverages the level of flexibility inherent to satellite technologies."
Q-KON is a tier one provider of integrated access services and turnkey telecommunications solutions in Africa and has the resources, experience and knowledge of the market to develop and operate services that unlock the inherent flexibility of satellite technology.
The company refers specifically to the fact that satellite technology offers flexibility on a number of levels, including pricing, service and network - all of which make a critical difference to successful integration and application.
De Wet says the market is aware of the option to add satellite to ADSL or 3G and to create high-reliability bonded services... but, because of the rigid pricing models currently deployed in the industry, such services are too expensive for wide-scale deployments.
However, using the fundamental advantages of satellite, and integrating this with advanced technical management systems, very effective and flexible pricing models can be offered.
These billing models typically offer services on a "per-network", "per-usage" or "per-incident" basis and not necessarily on a fixed per-link within a long-term contract basis.
"So, we say, roll out an ADSL, place a VSAT as a backup, and do the costing and contracting in a flexible, creative way so you don't pay for two links... and you can have ADSL plus satellite, your money works and you have a reliable network so you can go cloud," says De Wet.
In terms of service, the market has an opportunity to scale the technology to suit business requirements.
The appeal of the infrastructure in meeting business requirements, particularly in Africa, is that it provides credible solution factors that often interfere with alternative or traditional communication infrastructure.
Being positioned at the forefront of satellite infrastructure adoption and integration into Africa, Q-KON has witnessed an increase in interest in this technology to support operations across a diverse range of industries and sectors.
"In developing economies, the ability to ensure high-capacity, high-availability services is critical. It is here where satellite continues to make a difference, along with other key areas including standby services for enterprise networks, communication on the move for transport and mobile and also rapid deployments," De Wet continues.
However, the advice from Q-KON to the market is straightforward: satellite applied as a flexible, multi-purpose and reliable infrastructure represents the ideal solution.
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