Data Sheet Data Sheet: Why Cloud Computing? Overview Whether you’re running a startup in your basement or a multinational corporation, there are 4 key reasons you should consider moving to the cloud: 1. Scalability 2. Cost Controls 3. Time to Market 4. Price for Performance Scalability In traditional computing, you design your infrastructure around estimated peak loads. But when your website or application traffic drops, you still need to maintain the expensive hardware you purchased—even if it’s underutilized or idle. With cloud computing, you can scale your infrastructure up and down to meet increased or decreased loads, providing all your services “on-demand.” Cost Controls Cloud computing uses the same model as a metered utility service like gas or water. You pay only for what you use, and only when you actually use it. While your infrastructure is running, the meter turns; after services are deleted, the dial stops. This approach eliminates the risk of over- or under-buying equipment and turns what was a capital expenditure (CapEx) for hardware or infrastructure into an operating expense (OpEx). With cloud computing, you gain sizable economies of scale. You’re also freed up to focus on your core business, to innovate, and to take on new projects because you don’t need to procure and manage: uu Data center space uu Network transit uu Servers & network equipment uu IT resources Time to Market Because companies that adopt cloud computing no longer need to spend time on infrastructure procurement and management, they’re able to focus on their core products, services, and innovation. Virtual (cloud) infrastructures can be spun up or scaled out in minutes and even the dedicated servers sometimes needed for compliance can be deployed in 1-2 days, eliminating the lengthy purchasing process. Once you’ve configured and installed a cloud server, you can also “templatize” it by saving a server image to cloud storage. Then you can use that template to create future servers, providing: uu Consistency uu Rapid deployment uu Reduced chance of human error uu Turnkey delivery of revenue-producing services About GoGrid Add in programmatic control of product delivery via a full-featured RESTful API, and repeatable success is suddenly within reach. Price for Performance In today’s competitive market, delivering consistent, reliable, fast service is the key to survival. By combining high-performance cloud servers, dedicated servers, load balancers, firewalls, and cloud storage with a hardware-based switching fabric, companies in the cloud can enjoy superior latency and throughput. And because the pay-as-you-go model makes pricing predictable, you should evaluate cloud providers based on the additional or free services they offer, such as: uu Access to storage (read/writes) uu Unlimited API calls and I/O requests uu Inbound data transfer uu Transfer between servers uu First 10 GB of storage within a data center uu Cloud-based firewalls uu Dynamic load balancing uu Cloud and dedicated server VLAN connectivity GoGrid enables companies to evaluate and run multiple, on-demand Big Data solutions quickly, simply, reliably, securely, and costeffectively. As the leader in Open Data Services (ODS), GoGrid is committed to delivering purpose-built Big Data solutions and services for the management and integration of open source, commercial, and proprietary technologies across multiple platforms. With over 15,000 customers and over 600,000 VMs deployed, GoGrid has pioneered cloud infrastructure for more than a decade for companies like Condé Nast, Merkle, and Preventice. For more information, please visit www.GoGrid.com. To learn more about a tailored solution for you, please contact a GoGrid sales representative: Toll-free US & Canada: 1-877-946-4743 International: +1-415-869-7444 Americas Headquarters 2 Harrison St. Suite 200 San Francisco, CA 94105 United States www.GoGrid.com European Headquarters Bovenkerkerweg 81 R 1187 XC Amstelveen The Netherlands Data Center Locations 360 Spear Street San Francisco, CA 94105 DS_Why-Cloud-Computing_20140610 GoGrid c/o Equinix 217071 Filigree Court Ashburn, VA 20147 GoGrid c/o Equinix AMS2 Laarderhoogtweg 57 1101 EB Amsterdam The Netherlands Copyright © 2014 GoGrid. All rights reserved.