President's Corner: Cloud Computing is Here to Stay

Information Security (including Identity and Access Management) is the one single area where IT spend remained constant throughout 2008-2009 (and for most large enterprises actually grew by 10-25% in the same period). Even amidst one of the worst recessions in recent history, Information Security remains an ever growing and bigger concern. As the need for cost optimization continue to grow and the increased focus on cloud computing, many enterprises are now looking at moving Information Security into the cloud via Software-as-a-Service (Saas) methods. By taking advantage of hosted and managed services, organizations of any size or type can quickly acquire the essential set of security applications through a single set of on-demand based services.

Typical IAM implementations are process- and labor-intensive - the largest contributing factor in driving up their costs. They can involve large upfront capital investments, long deployment install cycles, layers of disjointed products from multiple vendors, and a heavy IT management burden. SaaS reduces TCO for the customer many ways:

Capital expenditures - acquire essential technologies in one hosted package in the cloud, versus installing and managing multiple, disjointed software products at exorbitant costs
Operating expenses/human capital - IT departments are stretched thin already, and as IAM infrastructure and applications become more complex, they may lack the in-house staff and expertise to effectively install and manage them. SaaS reduces IT staff time and requirements.
Tech refresh - The cost of keeping up with new technology is high, such that it is prohibitive for some companies to acquire the latest software. SaaS providers offer cost-effective access to best-of-breed technology by amortizing their costs over a large customer base.
Business focus - IAM in the cloud is a hands-off solution that allows businesses to focus on their core processes without worrying about the actual technology, upgrades and migrations, etc.

Hemen Vimadalal
CEO and Managing Partner
Simeio Solutions

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Simeio Solutions

Hoboken Business Center
50 Harrison Street
Suite 314, Hoboken, NJ 07030
Phone: (201) 239-1700
Fax: (201) 239-1701

www.simeiosolutions.com
info@simeiosolutions.com

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Oracle Open World
October 11-15, 2009
Moscone Center, San Francisco

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