Until recently, Microsoft Azure was not available from a local service provider.
Those who wanted to use the software giant's platform for the public cloud had to host their infrastructure overseas.
Global Micro Solutions has been selected as one of only nine providers around the globe to deploy a local instance of Windows Azure, termed Azure Pack. According to JJ Milner, MD at Global Micro Solutions, Azure Pack is the same as the standard Azure solution, with the same technologies, but is delivered out of data centres other than Microsoft's.
"Azure Pack is basically the Azure experience delivered out of a service provider's data centre on equipment provided by the service provider," says Milner. "There seems to be a need to have the best of both worlds. This offers the locality of having infrastructure in SA with the same interfaces and experiences that one would have on Microsoft's infrastructure."
Being able to provide customers with Azure's platform as a service (PaaS) and infrastructure as a service (IaaS) cloud offerings is not only a first for Global Micro, but also for a local service provider, he added.
While anyone can download Azure Pack, said Milner, they will not be able to build it to the same scale they could experience if they were to use a service provider. "Cloud computing is ultimately about trust. Choosing the right service provider is essential."
Using a local service provider has many benefits, according to Milner. Firstly, a service provider is able to tailor the experience to give the customer exactly what they need, he said. In addition, using a service provider allows the organisation to easily scale up or down at will, and service providers are better equipped to negotiate service agreements with Microsoft, he continued.
"But the main reason that a business would favour a local service provider today is that they are able to connect at high speeds and lower costs without the risk of using an international location."
While there has been a lot of interest in the solution, a lack of understanding of Azure, and of cloud itself, means actual uptake has been slow, noted Milner, adding that the affordability of the solution is what has surprised local customers the most.
Global Micro spent more than 18 months building its local infrastructure, he said. "Two years ago, I didn't think I would be making such a significant infrastructure investment. It was a major investment for us. We really were pushed to make a lot of new ground in this space to give our local customers what they need, at the right price."
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