Dataquest

SWITCH TO CLOUD TO SAVE DATA

Cloud is changing the security equations today, by moving security to the ‘applicatio­n’ level, rather than at the network level. Veera Swamy Arava, CEO & Director, SAT Infotech, tells us more

- —VEERA SWAMY ARAVA CEO & Director, SAT Infotech

What are the risks and challenges generally associated with multi-cloud environmen­ts?

The Industry statistics show us that multicloud is pervasive today, with more than 80 percent organisati­ons using multiple cloud providers. Depending on the size of the organisati­on, challenges around multicloud vary largely. For the large enterprise­s, where multicloud is a more relevant discussion today, the typical challenges will be around security, governance, and cost management. Among the SMEs, multi-cloud is yet to make an impact.

What are the factors driving the growth in ERP implementa­tion in cloud?

There are multiple factors that are driving a clear shift to cloud-based ERP systems. In the last one year or so, we have seen an increasing number of our customers preferring a cloud model for their new ERP implementa­tions. I’d say, this is primarily because of the infrastruc­ture cost, and management complexiti­es associated with the on-premise ERP implementa­tions. For instance, in a typical ERP implementa­tion project, the hardware is often oversized to avoid frequent upgrades. As a result, the customer ends up bearing substantia­l upfront cost. In a cloud, organisati­ons are able to eliminate this upfront investment and move to a more flexible, pay-as-you-use model.

The other critical driver of cloud is the challenges associated with maintainin­g an on-premise ERP system. This requires investment­s around new resources and skill sets, especially, in areas like AI and machine learning, which are now very much part of the new ERP modules. Widening skills gap is critical problem in the ERP sector today. Managing an on-premise ERP system involves expensive resources and great efforts. Cloud effectivel­y addresses this challenge for many organizati­ons, especially SMEs.

How is the security awareness around cloud evolving today? How is a player like SAT addressing this aspect?

While many organisati­ons are moving critical applicatio­ns and sensitive data to the cloud, security still remains a major concern. This is more of a ‘perceived’ concern than an actual one. Whether on-premise or on cloud, data breaches will continue to happen. In fact, cloud is changing the security equations today, by moving security to the ‘applicatio­n’ level, rather than at the network level. Security is an essential aspect of most of today’s cloudnativ­e applicatio­ns. We are moving toward a ‘security-bydesign’ architectu­re.

That said, many large cloud providers today are at an increased risk of being targets of data breaches---the recent cyber incidents stand testimony to that.

Hence, SAT positions itself as a specialist in the industry, because there are already plenty of generalist­s in the market. Our extensive knowledge around operating systems, open source technologi­es and data security bring in a differenti­ator. We are one of the very few solutions partners for SUSE, which is the de facto operating system for SAP implementa­tions. Our cloud architectu­re is built on industry-standard security best practices, and we provide managed services, which has a huge security focus.

What is your value propositio­n for Indian SMEs, a key target vertical of yours, considerin­g that their technology adoption is generally not on par with their large enterprise counterpar­ts?

A large majority of SMEs in India are currently on a transforma­tion phase, where they are striving to be globally competitiv­e by addressing the dynamic needs of the market. Technology is a key enabler for them in this process, cloud specifical­ly.

Cloud is an extremely appealing propositio­n for SMEs in their endeavour to stay profitable and relevant. A NASSCOM report recently pointed out how SMEs are becoming one of the key drivers of the SaaS market in India.

However, SMEs also require custom-made cloud solutions and technologi­es, which is a big challenge in the market. This is where SAT is trying to make a difference. Due to our years of experience serving this segment, we are able to deliver that customizat­ion and industry-specific flavour to our cloud solution.

WE HAVE HAD PARTICULAR SUCCESS IN THE MANUFACTUR­ING SECTOR, WITH OUR SATEDGE PACKAGED SOLUTION FOR MANUFACTUR­ING FIRMS. CLOUD-BASED DISASTER RECOVERY IS ANOTHER NEW AREA WHERE WE ARE SEEING A LOT OF MOMENTUM IN THE LAST TWO QUARTERS

How are enterprise­s embracing SAT’s solution?

Since the time we launched our integrated cloud management platform Kavsk (pronounced Ka-sK), we have witnessed significan­t growth in our cloud business. 100% of implementa­tion projects are deployed on to our cloud KavsK. In addition to this, couple of on-premise customers were moved to our cloud “KavsK”.

We have had particular success in the manufactur­ing sector, with our SATEdge packaged solution for manufactur­ing firms. Cloud-based disaster recovery is another new area where we are seeing a lot of momentum in the last two quarters.

Elaborate on the SATEdge for manufactur­ing. Who are some of the current users?

SATEdge is an out-of-the-box solution for the manufactur­ing sector, built on SAP best business practices. It’s an endto-end packaged solution offered on a cloud model that helps manufactur­ers automate their process and reduce their dependency on manual processes, which are historical­ly been a part of manufactur­ing.

Manufactur­ing companies today are at an increased pressure to improve profitabil­ity and productivi­ty while keeping costs under control. Traditiona­l monolithic ERP solutions often do not address these aspects in an effective way. SATEdge helps firms to leverage data in a better way in real-time, collaborat­e with multiple department­s and raise the overall supply chain efficiency. The package comes bundled with SAP S/4HANA licence, implementa­tion services offered through our indigenous cloud platform with managed services offerings.

Our user base today includes companies such as NCL Altek & Secular, Sapthagir Camphor & Timla Foods.

How is Satedgemig­rate helping businesses migrate?

Satedgemig­rate is again a pre-packaged solution that helps firms convert their existing SAP ERP 6.0 running on non-HANA database. SAP HANA—the in-memory database platform—has emerged as the digital core platform for businesses. Businesses see this migration as a basic necessity, rather than an option.

The biggest value propositio­n we bring to the table is the ability to ensure system conversion ‘time-to-value’ of as less as 12-16 weeks. We are also able to effectivel­y address the typical change management issues associated with SAP S/4 HANA Migration projects with our years of core expertise in SAP, SUSE and ERP consulting. It’s a seamless one-step migration and we provide a test environmen­t of the client’s productive system on our managed private cloud, which is another great value-add.

What i s SAT doing i n the Software- Defined Infrastruc­ture (SDI) business?

Data centres are progressiv­ely becoming software-driven, with more intelligen­ce build in. As a software and services focused company, SDI is naturally a key focus area for us. A large part of the current SDI implementa­tions is based on open source technologi­es; whether software-defined compute, storage or networking. Not just that, today’s hyper-convergent systems and automation initiative­s are built on open source platforms.

As a long-standing open-source evangelist, SAT has invested significan­tly on open source technologi­es and skillsets. The future data-centres are going to be completely open-source based. To that end, we have delivered enterprise-class solutions in the areas of cloud, OS replatform­ing, clusters, virtualiza­tion, and enterprise storage.

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