By 2014 more than 50% of global workloads will take place in the cloud, rising to 57% by 2015, predicts Cisco’s Global Cloud Index. For 2010, that number was just 21%. By 2015, one-third of data centre traffic will be cloud traffic. Cloud computing, and “meeting the big data challenge” are two of Gartner’s Top Ten strategic technology trends for 2012.
Founder Andrew Gilbert says their mission is to transform the way that organisations manage data in the UK. Selecting sites situated close to the UK’s large cities such as Northampton, Derby and Leeds, to build its state-of-the-art datacentres, Node4 is catering to the many UK businesses wishing to store their data close to where they do business.
Following this strategy, the company says it has already become the UK’s largest independent provider of data centres, and is currently preparing to go live with its fifth UK data centre in Leicester.
“We expect there to be further adoption of the cloud in 2012”, Gilbert predicts, “as increasing numbers of companies want to take advantage of the flexibility, increased efficiency, resource and cost savings, and sheer peace of mind offered by our network of secure, reliable and resilient local data centres. At a time when cost pressures loom large, the lower maintenance costs are a great incentive, as well as the ability of spread them into operational expenditure rather than taking the hit upfront.
“Node4’s hybrid solution of a private cloud with a shared infrastructure helps address some of the fears that initially surrounded the technology. Finally, it’s all part of helping to smooth the way for the UK’s data-rich, knowledge-based economy to emerge out of recession and into recovery and growth.”