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A Bell guide to digital transformation

Getting the best from the cloud

Introduction ............................................................................ p.03

The quest for the best ...................................................... p.04-05

Anatomy of the cloud ....................................................... p.06-08

Know your cloud needs ................................................... p.09-11

The cloud in action ........................................................... p.12-20

The path to the best ......................................................... p.21-23

Why Bell for your cloud ........................................................ p.24

Cloud and data centre solutions from Bell .................... p.25-26

This guide offers a look at how cloud is shaping digital transformation journeys for businesses, as well as insights and practical tips from Bell cloud experts to help you when considering your cloud needs.

Digital transformation is the integration of technology in all aspects of a business to fundamentally improve their operations, business intelligence, customer experience, and more. It’s becoming the new status quo amongst industries – less of a competitive advantage and more of a requirement to remain competitive.

WHAT’S IN THIS GUIDE

| Getting the best from the cloud | Introduction | 03

Introduction

Some things just make other things the best. Like watching your favourite movie in 4K instead of standard definition. What makes the cloud the best it can be? The network it runs on. Just try to use any cloud service – email, file sharing, collaboration or video streaming – on a poor Internet connection. You experience lag. Interruptions. Inaccessible data. The networkis key to ensuring the best cloud experience.Why does having the best cloud matter? Because it’s an essential enabler of digital transformation – and digital transformation is about making your business the best it can be.

The cloud helps organizations control costs by reducing the capital expenses associated with owning, maintaining and managing their own infrastructure. It also simplifies operations, improves organizational efficiency, and creates opportunities to gain new insights through advanced analytics and business intelligence. As a result, organizations can become more agile and responsive to both change and opportunity, and roll out services that meet business requirements and customer needs.

So whether you’re looking for increased operational efficiency, more IT capacityor greater business insights – the better the cloud, the better your odds of reaching your business goals. And the better the network, the better the cloud.

The quest for the best

1. Cloud Industry Forum. Cloud fundamental to digital transformation strategies. www.cloudindustryforum.org/content/cloud-fundamental-digital-transformation-strategies

2. IDC, June 2017. Cloud and digital transformation services: Canadian end-user adoption and usage, 2017, Doc #CA41241417.

Cloud services was the top strategic priority of businesses surveyed.

44% of mid-sized companies and 59%

of large companies are already in production with cloud services.

76% are currently undertaking or planning

to undertake a digital transformation initiative.

Chances are you are already leveraging or pursuing the cloud in your business transformation initiatives, but are you doing it in the best way? Are your competitors doing it better?If you are a growing mid-sized or large business, your competitors are increasingly adopting and therefore benefiting from the advantages of the cloud. And if you are a business that is already using the cloud, optimizing your cloud – such as how you connect to it – is key to maintaining a competitive advantage. After all, the cloud is only as good as the network it runs on.

The best cloud can unlock the greatest customer experience, provide the richest insights and lead to the leanest operations. In a recent survey of IT and business decision makers, 79 percent said the cloud is critically important to their digital transformation strategy – with 38 percent saying it gives them a significant competitive advantage1.

Canadian companies and the cloudBusinesses of all sizes are adopting cloud services, from online accounting services to customer relationship management (CRM) systems and other enterprise software. In a survey of medium and large enterprises, IDC Canada’s IT Advisory Panel found that2:

| Getting the best from the cloud | The quest for the best | 04

44%

59%

76%

| Getting the best from the cloud | Introduction | 05

Where is digital transformation heading?

By 2018, digital transformation will be central to the corporate strategies of roughly two-thirds of Global 2000 companies3.

By 2019, over 40% of IT budgets in Canadian companies will be directed in some way toward digital transformation4.

By 2020, 60% of Global 2000 companies will double their productivity by switching from human-based to software-based business processes3.

x2

What kinds of workloads are moving to the cloud?

All kinds, critical and non-critical, both new and traditional. A financial company can use cloud technologies for everything from development and testing customer-facing apps to managing internal operational systems and automating secure backup and recovery. A manufacturing company can migrate its systems to the cloud to reduce IT costs, and some are starting to deploy machine-to-machine communications (e.g., sensor networks) and Internet of Things (IoT) applications that depend on cloud connectivity. In the retail industry, mobile point of sale, inventory tracking and fleet management can all benefit from the cloud. Governments are also adopting the cloud to meet citizens’ needs for connected services.

3. IDC eBook, sponsored by Microsoft. Part 1: The Booming Cloud Opportunity, 2016.4. IDC, June 2016. The ROI of Digital Technologies: Canadian Conclusions and Insights,

June 2016, Doc #CA40621816.5. Forrester, March 2017. Adoption profile: public cloud in North America, Q1 2017.

Trends in cloud adoption and migration In a survey of nearly 200 IT decision makers at large companies across North America, Forrester found organizations are using or planning to use more workloads and applications in the public cloud, year-over-year - with IoT introduced as a new consideration in 20165:

20%

2015n=165

2016n=192

30%

40%

10%19%

22%

30% 31%

26%

APPLICATION / WORKLOAD

Internet of Things / machine-to machine technologies Mobile sites and applications Collaboration software

| Getting the best from the cloud | The quest for the best | 05

| Getting the best from the cloud | Anatomy of the cloud | 06

Anatomy of the cloudIt’s easy to think of the cloud in terms of the applications you’ll run or the data you’ll store in it. But how quickly, reliably and securely data moves between your users and the cloud depends on the network and its component parts to create a seamless virtualized environment.

Facilities house cloud equipment. They can be on-premises server rooms, private data centres or third-party data centres where companies lease space in a co-location arrangement.

The hardware inside a facility – and the software that manages it – makes up the platform that supports cloud services. This can include virtualization management technology to create virtual machines, load balancers to manage the load between those machines, and more.

Services running on a cloud platform can be anything from data backup and storage to CRM applications, ‘as-a-service’ infrastructure and software, and more.

By connecting data centres together, the network makes virtualized, distributed computing possible. But there’s more to it than just connectivity. It’s the key to performance, reliability, security and many other factors that ultimately determine the quality and value of any cloud investment.

Every cloud is comprised of four main elements: facilities, platforms, services and the network that connects them.

“Today’s customer-obsessed operating model requires always-available services, each of which depend

on the high service quality of all component parts ina complex, far-reaching technology ecosystem.” 6

6. Forrester, July 2017. Adapt your network strategy to thrive in a shifting ecosystem: Old and new players disrupt standards and solutions in the communications market.


Three kinds of cloud

Public Delivered by service providers and shared by multiple clients and users, usually economical but with limited customization.

PrivateDedicated to one organization and its needs, with that organization responsible for maintaining the infrastructure and keeping it up to date.

HybridTypically a multi-cloud environment that combines public and private cloud delivery models to leverage the benefits of both. With it’s great flexibility, it’s the most common form of cloud architecture used by medium and large enterprises.

Two kinds of connectivity

Public Internet Basic Internet connectivity brings the cloud within reach – though with significant security risks, and without the guaranteed performance, availability or scalability required for essential business applications. And due to its public nature, it cannot generate business-specific performance metrics for reporting and analytics.

Multi-layer private connectivity A private, dedicated network offers a direct link to the cloud provider for a more secure, reliable connection. Options for private connectivity include high-speed layer 1 optical wavelength technology to support latency-sensitive mission-critical applications, layer 2 ethernet between hybrid clouds and public data centres, and layer 3 virtual private networks and IP/MPLS protocols.



Cloud is a delivery model.

Many organizations think of the cloud as a service or in terms of applications. It’s really a delivery model: a way of getting data and applications to and from users that optimizes costs as well as compute and IT resources.

Not all workloads are better in the cloud.

The key is to get the right workloads in the right places. For example, customized legacy applications may be too complex and expensive to migrate to a virtualized environment and may be better to host on-premises or in third party data centres.

Many organizations are already in the cloud – and don’t realize it.

When employees use unsanctioned file-sharing services and other applications, they put their organizations in the cloud whether IT has an official cloud strategy or not.

The cloud is often more secure than in-house IT.

The best cloud providers have dedicated time and money to ensure their infrastructure is secure and always up to date. Many in-house IT departments find it challenging to balance the costs of keeping their on-premises infrastructure secure as it scales to meet their business’ needs.

Going to the cloud does not mean giving up control.

Shifting technology off-premises does not mean giving up control. The intelligence and manageability of the cloud – especially with the right network supporting it – typically provide greater IT control, management and insight.

Things you might not know about the cloudWhile organizations everywhere are on a path of digital transformation and moving to the cloud, there is still some misunderstanding about what the cloud is and what it can do.

| Getting the best from the cloud | Know your cloud needs | 09

Addressing risk requires a careful consideration of your network, your critical facilities and required services to support and enable your business priorities. Of these elements, the network is perhaps the most foundational to ensuring an optimal cloud experience. It represents the link between your end users, the technology you have on-premises and what resides in the cloud. You will have to make important network connectivity decisions at the same time you choose cloud applications and services. And it’s not simply a technology discussion – representatives from both the technical and business sides of your organization must be part of the decision-making process.

“Customer satisfaction and revenue require the superior performance and dependability of a network extended to accommodate new demands.”7

Know your cloud needsWhat type of cloud does your organization require? The answer depends as much on your overall business and technical priorities as it does on the specific workloads and applications you want to run.

Shifting to the cloud has potential impacts across your entire business, so it’s important that your priorities are taken into consideration. For example, if your employees experience a decrease in performance of applications accessed via the cloud, then productivity is affected. If your customers experience a slow-responding application, then revenues are affected. And if data is vulnerable when moving through an unsecured network, it could expose your business to reputational and legal risk. Recognizing and addressing areas of risk is critical to the success of your cloud deployments.

7. Forrester, July 2017. Adapt your network strategy to thrive in a shifting ecosystem: Old and new players disrupt standards and solutions in the communications market.


EASE OF MANAGEMENTHow important is it to consolidate all aspects of your cloud services including billing, service and support? Consider whether you want to dedicate additional management and operational capacity to handle your cloud services separately, or whether you would prefer a single end-to-end provider to deliver and manage all aspects of your cloud deployment.

CONTROLHow important is it for your in-house IT team to be able to manage and maintain your cloud solution – including the configuration and performance of workloads? Some businesses have dedicated IT teams that can administer and monitor their cloud deployments, but this requires resources and expertise. Others choose to outsource management to cloud providers to benefit from leaner operations.

SCALABILITYHow much do you need to scale your IT infrastructure based on usage patterns – either automatically or on demand? Cloud is an inherently scalable technology, but the method in which you scale, and the degree to which you scale, depends on how well you can predict the usage of your cloud-based applications and services.

What matters most to your business?Here are six key criteria you’ll need to consider when evaluating your business’ cloud requirements. Each is related to some aspect of technical or business risk. After reviewing, you’ll be on your way to establishing a clear set of priorities you can take to potential cloud providers to ensure the solutions they propose can best meet your needs.

SECURITYDo you move or store sensitive business data or customer data that contains personal identifiable information? If your business’ or customer’s confidential data is breached – even once – the financial damage it can cause to your business can be catastrophic.

PERFORMANCEHow important is having high performing equipment and/or low network latency for your services? Latency, bandwidth and the computing environment all contribute to the performance of your cloud deployment – from data transfer speeds to the responsiveness of your applications. And the performance of your cloud deployment is a major factor in the user experience of your customers and employees.

AVAILABILITY How long could your business operate with limited or no access to your data or applications at any time? Whether your cloud is supporting customer services or employee applications, minimizing downtime is critical to keeping your business running. If any component of the cloud fails, it can affect the entire deployment.


Many ways into the cloud

Hosting This involves taking an on-premises application and putting it in a provider’s data centre. But make sure you don’t port existing problems into the cloud – take the opportunity to optimize your network performance then focus on fine-tuning workloads. You may also decide to re-evaluate your infrastructure requirements. Simply replicating your current physical infrastructure can lead to over-capacity (and over-spending).

IncrementalIf you don’t have the budget or resources to move everything to the cloud all at once, it may be a good idea to proceed incrementally, at your own pace. You can start by moving a select few apps and functions to the cloud (such as testing and development), then gradually progress toward migrating your business-critical applications.

‘Rip and replace’ For some organizations, it may be cleanest to decommission legacy applications and start fresh with cloud-based alternatives. A clear data migration plan and user training are essential to avoid ending up in a halfway state where the legacy application is still sometimes in use and so is the cloud.

‘Forklift upgrade’ If your systems are highly interspersed, it may be necessary to migrate everything to the cloud in one shot. Such a large-scale overhaul requires a considerable amount of upfront effort – but may be beneficial if there is a significant and immediate return on investment or operational efficiencies to be had.

Off the menu or custom-built?

Mid-sized and smaller organizations are often comfortable

choosing from ‘menus’ of easy-to-adopt cloud services that can be rolled out quickly and mixed and matched as needed. Larger enterprises tend to require more

customized cloud solutions.

| Getting the best from the cloud | The cloud in action | 12

The cloud in actionEvery organization comes to the cloud from a different starting point. Some may have specific business problems to solve. Others may want to migrate one or more applications or improve an aspect of their IT or business performance. Still others may seek capital cost savings. There’s no single way into the cloud – and no single deployment model.

Running customer-facing applications, hosting internal enterprise applications, implementing backup and recovery – these are just a few of the many use cases for the cloud. With multiple deployment possibilities for each one, you’ll want to determine where your workload will perform best and what conditions will deliver the business result you require.

Over the next few pages, we’ll outline some potential cloud deployment options within three common scenarios that may be apply to your business. Individual ratings for performance, availability, security and ease of management will be compared, with additional consideration of the affordability of each deployment. Choosing the right deployment model ultimately comes back to understanding your priorities.


SCENARIO 1

Customer-facing application

Customer apps can be powerful differentiators that give you a competitive advantage and drive transactions – as long as you deliver the functionality and quality of experience users expect. When running in the cloud, an application is readily available to users wherever they are, on any device, and allows you to scale seamlessly as you gain more users.

Some deployment options:• Performance-focused - p.14 • Cost-conscious - p.15 • Maximizing security - p.16

SCENARIO 2 SCENARIO 3

Enterprise application

Organizations depend on all kinds of complex applications to manage daily operations, from inventory management and order processing to customer relationship management (CRM) systems and business analytics. Traditionally these have been deployed in on-premises data centres using self-managed hardware – a model that is costly and inflexible. That’s why organizations are increasingly choosing cloud-based software-as-a-service approaches (SaaS) that can be accessed anywhere, anytime, with seamless scalability and pay-as-you go pricing. This approach not only drives down capital costs but also helps increase productivity while optimizing operations.

Some deployment options:• Balanced approach - p.17 • Maximized data security

with hybrid flexibility - p.18

Business continuity with disaster recovery

In most businesses, data has to be always accessible – even in the event of unforeseen disasters. That means backups with ultra-fast recovery times are critical. The cloud is an excellent platform for backup and recovery because it scales easily and affordably to accommodate massive volumes of information. Some sectors like finance and healthcare are also highly regulated mandating that data has to be secure and kept private, requiring further considerations in your cloud deployment.

Some deployment options:• Minimizing downtime with

public cloud backups - p.19 • Maximizing security

and compliance - p. 20


Performance-focused

The bottom line This is good for businesses that need maximum performance for applications that require fast, frequent updating to deliver an optimal customer experience – while providing a strong level of security to protect sensitive transactional or personal data. This setup also allows a provider with end-to-end capabilities to manage an organization’s services while offering a high level of control.

PERFORMANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Data is replicated and accessed via a dedicated high-bandwidth, low-latency connection with the primary database running on current, up-to-date hardware for maximum performance.

AVAILABILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Network uptime is guaranteed over the private connection, and both databases run in highly available environments with service level agreements for infrastructure uptime.

SECURITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Data is secured in transit over the dedicated private connection and the primary database is hosted in a secure virtual data centre environment.

EASE OF MANAGEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Provides maximum flexibility in the end-to-end management between the organization and the provider. Further improved if all services are delivered by a single provider with one point of contact for billing and support.

AFFORDABILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The higher cost of the private connection is offset by hosting the primary database in a virtual private data centre – reducing in-house IT expenses.

VIRTUAL PRIVATE DATA CENTRE

Primary databaseUser app interface

Hosted database

Public cloud

WORKLOAD

SCENARIO 1 CUSTOMER-FACING APPLICATION

In this hybrid cloud deployment, the application and its operational database run in the public cloud, with data transported to and from the primary reference and storage database. This primary database is hosted in a private infrastructure environment over a private, dedicated network connection.

Private network connection


User app interface

BUSINESS PREMISES

PERFORMANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cloud workloads may perform well but data has to cross the public Internet and the primary database depends on the performance of on-premises hardware.

AVAILABILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Public Internet uptime is not as guaranteed as a private connection. While a reputable public cloud will provide high availability, the primary database depends on in-house management and infrastructure and so overall availability may be impacted.

SECURITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Data could be vulnerable when travelling across the public Internet and when stored in on-premises infrastructure – even if the public cloud is secure.

EASE OF MANAGEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Management is complex because the primary database and related equipment need managing in-house, and multiple vendors may be required if services are not procured from an individual provider.

AFFORDABILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Public cloud and public Internet services bring cost savings, but there can be hidden costs for in-house IT equipment and personnel to maintain the primary database.

Primary database

Hosted database

Public cloud

WORKLOAD


Cost-conscious

The bottom line

This is a good choice for organizations with limited operational budgets whose customer apps do not carry sensitive data, when information does not need to be updated in real time or accessed frequently, and when usage and growth are predictable. Additionally, it tends to require an internal IT team to be able to manage the various components of the deployment if a single provider is not managing the organization’s complete solution.

The application and its operational database run in a public cloud, with data transported to and from a primary reference and storage database on the organization’s premises over the public Internet.


User app interface

VIRTUAL PRIVATE DATA CENTRE

PERFORMANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Data is replicated and accessed via a high-bandwidth, low-latency dedicated connection, with the primary database running on modern, up-to-date hardware for maximum performance.

AVAILABILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The private connection allows for uptime guarantees, and both databases run in highly available environments with service level agreements for infrastructure uptime and redundancy.

SECURITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Both databases are hosted in fully private, dedicated cloud environments and data is secured in transit over the dedicated private connection – ensuring maximum security.

EASE OF MANAGEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Provides maximum flexibility in the end-to-end management between the organization and the provider. Further improved if all services are delivered by a single provider with one point of contact for billing and support.

AFFORDABILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Typically more expensive than public or hybrid deployments because all elements are dedicated, private, highly secure and available – though some savings are still seen by reducing in-house IT expenses.

Primary database

Hosted database

Private cloud

WORKLOAD


Maximizing security In this fully private, multi-cloud deployment the application and its operational database run in a private cloud with data sent to and from the primary reference and storage database. This primary database is hosted in a private infrastructure environment over a private, dedicated network connection.

The bottom line

This is well-suited for businesses that deal with highly sensitive data in industries with stringent security or compliance requirements. It also supports applications requiring fast, frequent updates, and rely on high levels of performance and availability for an optimal customer experience. This setup also allows a provider with end-to-end capabilities to manage an organization’s services while offering a high level of control.



PERFORMANCE . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . . Data is replicated and accessed via a dedicated high-bandwidth, low-latency connection. Running the application in a multi-tenant environment may affect performance slightly.

AVAILABILITY . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . . Network uptime is guaranteed over the private connection and workloads run in a highly available environment with service level agreements for data centre infrastructure uptime.

SECURITY .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . . Data in the cloud is secure when hosted by a trusted application provider, and data in transit is highly secure due to a dedicated private connection.

EASE OF MANAGEMENT . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . . Provides maximum flexibility in the end-to-end management between the organization and the provider. Further improved if all services are delivered by a single provider with one point of contact for billing and support.

AFFORDABILITY .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . .. . . While a private connection is more expensive than the public Internet, running workloads in the public cloud can be more economical over time than maintaining, upgrading and managing in-house IT infrastructure.

ENTERPRISE APPLICATIONSCENARIO 2

Balanced approach This public cloud deployment allows employees to access a hosted application in a public cloud environment over a dedicated, private connection.

The bottom line

This is a good option for businesses with application workloads that need to scale rapidly – whether to accommodate growth or fluctuating usage. In addition, it offers strong performance and fast, frequent data updates to support high employee productivity and appropriate security for dealing with sensitive information. This setup also allows a provider with end-to-end capabilities to manage an organization’s services while offering a high level of control.


Employee app interface

Public cloud

WORKLOAD


PERFORMANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Data is replicated and accessed via a dedicated high-bandwidth, low-latency connection. Running the application in a multi-tenant environment may affect performance slightly.

AVAILABILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Network uptime is high due to private connectivity guarantees, while workloads run in a highly available, redundant environment with service level agreements for data centre infrastructure uptime.

SECURITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maximum security is achieved by combining private cloud storage with private, secure cloud connectivity.

EASE OF MANAGEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Provides maximum flexibility in the end-to-end management between the organization and the provider. Further improved if all services are delivered by a single provider with one point of contact for billing and support.

AFFORDABILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Costs associated with the addition of private, virtualized storage is necessary to meet increased security requirements. And while a private connection is more expensive than the public Internet, running workloads in the public cloud can be more economical over time than maintaining, upgrading and managing in-house IT infrastructure.

VIRTUAL PRIVATE CLOUD

App data storage

SCENARIO 2

Maximized data security with hybrid flexibility

This deployment illustrates an example with more complex requirements due to the need for elements of the application to be hosted in a mix of both private and cloud environments (with the application workload in the public cloud, and the storage of application data in the private cloud for higher security and compliance). This is a true hybrid, multi-cloud deployment that would be accessed by employees over a dedicated private connection.

The bottom line

This is well-suited for businesses that have stringent compliance requirements for data storage of sensitive company or user data, as well as a need for application workloads that need to scale rapidly – whether to accommodate growth or fluctuating usage. It also offers strong performance and fast, frequent data updates to support high employee productivity and allows a provider with end-to-end capabilities to manage an organization’s services while offering a high level of control.

ENTERPRISE APPLICATION


Employee app interface

Public cloud

WORKLOAD


PERFORMANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The dedicated low-latency connection keeps data moving quickly, although performance hinges on the on-premises equipment, which may not be current or up to date.

AVAILABILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The private connection offers high uptime guarantees and the public cloud is covered by SLAs. However, the on-premises environment may not have similar guarantees.

SECURITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Data in the cloud is secure when hosted by a trusted application provider, and data in transit is highly secure due to a dedicated private connection – however, the primary database is still susceptible to cyber threats and other risks without a comprehensive security solution.

EASE OF MANAGEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Procuring the public cloud and network connection from a single provider can simplify this solution, although there is still some complexity because the primary database and related equipment need managing in-house.

AFFORDABILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The cost of a dedicated private network is offset by the savings of a pay-per-use public cloud service, though managing and maintaining on-premises IT infrastructure can represent additional expenses.

BUSINESS CONTINUITY WITH DISASTER RECOVERY

BUSINESS PREMISES

Public cloud

Primary database

Backup database

SCENARIO 3

In this hybrid environment, the business’ primary database is hosted on their own premises and the backup database is stored in the public cloud – with a private dedicated network providing connectivity for backups and data restoration.

The bottom line

This option is ideal for organizations that cannot afford downtime and need data to be recoverable quickly and securely – and whose regulatory requirements permit storage in a public cloud environment. Additionally, it tends to require an internal IT team to be able to manage the various components of the deployment if a single provider is not managing the organization’s complete solution.

Minimizing downtime with public backups



PERFORMANCE * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Data is replicated and accessed via a dedicated high-bandwidth, low-latency connection, though the primary database is dependant on the organization’s provided equipment which may not be fully up to date.

AVAILABILITY * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Network uptime is guaranteed and both primary and hosted databases run in highly available environments with SLAs for data centre infrastructure uptime.

SECURITY * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Both databases are hosted in a fully private, dedicated cloud environment and data is secure in transit over a dedicated private connection – ensuring maximum security.

EASE OF MANAGEMENT * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Provides maximum flexibility in the end-to-end management between the organization and the provider. Further improved if all services are delivered by a single provider with one point of contact for billing and support.

AFFORDABILITY * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * All elements are highly secure and available, which can come at a premium, though this is necessary to meet stringent requirements. Hosting data in a co-located environment helps bring costs down over the long-term compared with hosting on-premises.

CO-LOCATED SECURE DATA CENTRE

Primary database

Backup database

Private cloud

SCENARIO 3

This fully private environment keeps the business’ primary database running in a secure, co-located data centre with data replicated over a private network connection to a backup database in a private hosted environment.

The bottom lineThis option is ideal for organizations that cannot afford downtime and need data to be recoverable quickly and securely – and also have stringent security or compliance requirements for sensitive business, personal or consumer information. This can include privacy laws, data sovereignty requirements, recovery time objectives and other internal or external auditing considerations unique to their industry or business. This setup also allows a provider with end-to-end capabilities to manage an organization’s services while offering a high level of control.

Maximizing security and compliance


BUSINESS CONTINUITY WITH DISASTER RECOVERY

| Getting the best from the cloud | The path to the best | 21

The path to the bestOnce you understand your cloud needs and the kind of cloud that fits your business priorities, how do you choose a provider who can support you and your requirements? When evaluating prospective partners, here are some important questions to ask.

Performance

What are their performance SLAs?Insist on partnering with a provider who backs their services with end-to-end SLAs. Make sure the performance they can guarantee matches your business needs – from bandwidth availability and network uptime to overall quality of service, including the consideration of packet-loss, jitter and latency.

Do they offer a range of throughput speeds suitable to your workloads?Some providers might offer only a single platform for running your cloud services – which may not exactly fit your business. A provider with a mix of platforms is more likely to to have one that meets your needs, especially if you have processor-intensive applications that require maximum input/output performance.

Availability, reach and business continuity What are their uptime SLAs?For maximum protection against downtime and outages, insist on a provider with uptime and availability SLAs for all four components of the cloud: facilities, platforms, services and network. Do they have robust data replication and redundancy capabilities?Can you be confident your data would remain safe and available in the event of a disaster affecting the provider’s data centres or network? A reliable provider will have robust data replication and redundancy capabilities built into their services.

What is their data centre and network footprint?How close are the provider’s facilities to your business? A larger footprint with more points of presence means workloads can be placed nearer to you for greater availability and less latency. And if that footprint is global in scale, you can put specific workloads in specific countries, which can be important if you work with partners internationally.



Security and compliance

Can they keep your data in Canada?Depending on which province and industry you’re in, you may be required to keep certain personal data within Canadian borders – making it important to know where your data will reside when considering a provider.

Have their facilities passed audits from various organizations? External, independent audits such as CSAE 3416, SSAE 16 and SOC1-ISAE 3402 are a strong indication that a provider is following standards and best practices that will keep your data secure.

What certifications do they hold?A provider with the right certifications will allow you to more easily meet your industry governance, risk management and compliancy requirements. For example, providers may get certified in Payment Card Industry (PCI), Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants 5970 and more.

Capacity

How much operational capacity do they offer?A provider needs the proper infrastructure to deliver an optimal cloud experience. This means having data centres with enough server capacity, space and power to support your needs both today and tomorrow. Be sure to ask the provider if they have room to take on more hardware, add more virtual machines or dedicate more network capacity to your business as it grows.

Experience

How long have they managed cloud solutions and facilities?The number of years of experience a company has working with the cloud and its components is a good indicator of their knowledge, skills and expertise.

What’s their brand reputation?Is the provider’s brand synonymous with high performance, security and reliability? Do they stand behind the services they offer?


Capabilities.

Do they offer network, facilities, platform and/or services?Going with a provider who can offer you everything you need in one place will make for less complexity, easier management and you’ll benefit from a single point of contact for billing, service and support.

Do they perform assessments?Look for a provider that has a team of certified IT experts who can assess your business needs, clarify your cloud and network requirements and recommend the solution most appropriate for you.

Can they support you during your cloud migration?Your provider should be able to support you every step of the way. After assessing your needs, they should be able to build a proof of concept, develop an engagement model, and then work closely with your team to seamlessly migrate your workloads and implement your cloud solution.

Do they have a variety of available services? One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to business cloud services. A provider offering limited service options won’t be able to provide you with a cloud architecture that’s fully optimized to your business needs.

Do they offer self-management tools?A suite of tools that lets you scale storage, computing capacity and other aspects of your service through convenient self-serve portals ensures your business is as agile and cost-effective as possible.

Can they fully manage your service?A big benefit of the cloud is its ability to relieve the burden of managing complex, on-premises systems and services. And if your provider is capable of taking over the management of those things for you, the cloud becomes that much easier.

Partnerships

What partnerships do they have?A well-connected provider has access to companies that offer a variety of cloud and data centre services and technologies, helping you build a more complete solution that’s right for your business. Look for a provider that has a strong ‘ecosystem’ of vendors: not only cloud application providers but also hardware, platform and software licensing vendors.


Why Bell for your cloudIf you want the best of the cloud for your business, you want Bell. Our partnerships with top-tier cloud service and platform providers means we can connect you with the solutions to meet your business goals. With the largest network coverage in Canada, the most data centres in the country, and the largest national data centre capacity, we’re able to deliver superior network performance, security and availability so you get the most out of your cloud solutions.

Choose Bell as your cloud provider and benefit from:

A unique mix of cloud and network expertiseWe host private clouds through our own data centres and our partnerships with leading cloud application providers give you the benefit of solutions like Amazon Web Services (AWS), IBM Cloud and Microsoft Azure to support your cloud computing, storage, backup and disaster recovery needs. And we can connect you to all types of cloud delivery models using our secure, private network infrastructure.

Advanced network capabilities for better cloud performanceMore points of presence, lower latency, more optimal routes and in-motion traffic prioritization enable your workloads in the cloud to perform just as they would on-premises. And you can connect to the cloud confidently with our high reliability, including 99.999% core network uptime.

Robust defence against cyber-attacks and other threatsThe Bell network features cyber threat intelligence (CTI) that can safeguard your business data against service disruptions, and can be augmented by additional security services and solutions that proactively thwart attacks such as distributed denial of service (DDoS).

More insights and superior control with end-to-end cloud solutionsEnd-to-end connectivity gives you greater control over your entire cloud experience, not just inside the data centre. Bell’s unique coupling of infrastructure and network means your business can be more agile and optimize costs, with built-in network intelligence providing richer analytics and business insights.

Service backed by experience, support that’s there when you need it When you choose Bell, you’re partnering with one of the strongest teams of cloud and network technicians in the country. With the right skills and expertise to help you design, build and maintain your cloud services, we can take the complexity out of the cloud. Combined with 24/7 support and partnerships with the biggest cloud application providers, we ensure you get the best solutions for your business.

| Getting the best from the cloud | Why Bell for your cloud | 24

| Getting the best from the cloud | Cloud and data centre solutions from Bell | 25

Cloud and data centre solutions from Bell

Bell Cloud ConnectYour ticket to an optimal cloud experience, made possible by our advanced IP network and partnerships with leading cloud service providers like Amazon Web Services, IBM and Microsoft. Bell Cloud Connect gives you private access to network, server, storage and application resources with high performance, reliability and security.

Bell Cloud ComputeStore and access your workloads in the cloud that suits your business best with pay-as-you-go, multi-platform infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) and IP network connectivity. Bell Cloud Compute lets you scale your services as your business needs change for unmatched agility and cost optimization.

Bell Cloud Backup and Disaster Recovery Protect your business data and assure business continuity with fast and secure replication, failover and recovery via flexible and cost-effective virtual backup.

Bell Co-location HostingMove your IT equipment, data or applications to one of our secure, scalable and highly available data centres – and cut expenses and maintenance costs for your business.

Bell Virtual Data CentreTake advantage of flexible virtual server capacity with best-in-class hardware managed by our expert, experienced data centre specialists – so you can scale quickly, easily and cost-effectively as your needs change.

Bell Professional Services for Cloud AdoptionA cloud assessment from the Bell Professional Services team can help you determine your exact requirements and define a roadmap for getting to the cloud. If you’re already using cloud-delivered IT services and want to take things to the next level, we can help optimize your cloud investments.

The best cloud experienceThere is no single path to the cloud. Every organization has a different starting point – and different goals. If you’re ready to

talk about your unique cloud journey, talk to us.

Visit bell.ca/cloud to request a callback or learn more about our cloud and data centre solutions.

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