Last week, we told you about Databank a cloud computing solution developed by Compfix Data Limited. The solution is developed and deployed under the Iaas model offering users desktop virtualization, automation of services, backup solutions, data recovery services and end-to-end data security.
The cloud computing market in Kenya is fast rising. The rapid growth is directly attributable to two factors. Firstly, is the growth of mobile internet users in Kenya. There are currently about 4 Million smartphone users in Kenya with the number growing by 200,000 smartphones monthly, which is the number sold monthly. With these 2.4 million new devices, about 6,000 servers are required to handle the traffic through these devices. This requires large capital investments for the servers with no guarantees hence the need for cloud services that offer standard and optimized services.
Second is the vibrant SME market. As small business scale, so does the need to streamline operations. Cloud computing solutions provide a perfect avenue through which these business can access necessary software solutions for their business as well as leverage their resources to accelerate growth. This necessitates the need for cloud solutions specifically those deployed under Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) model. This is the market Databank seeks to capture with its solutions.
What is DataBank to the Kenyan Businesses
Compfix data has for a long time been the apex of data recovery services in Kenya. From servers to hard drives, the company has been involved in data restoration projects for both individuals and business enterprises. Businesses are increasingly moving towards internet powered operations and Compfix sees this as an opportunity to extend its services to clients by providing a holistic data solution for businesses via the cloud. With Databank, businesses receive back up guarantees in case of downtime, outages and even data loss.
For SMEs and even large businesses, DataBank allows them to plug into a wide array of software solutions including Oracle, VMware, My-SQL besides covering all major operating systems. They can access these software resources on the fly thus eliminating the need to have internal teams create their own software. In addition, DataBank stores a users data in its original format, allowing users to manipulate it for their business needs without worrying about converting it to different formats thus boosting productivity.
Most SMEs rely on information systems for their day-to-day business operations. This means most of their information is locally stored. DataBank solutions allow a business to backup this data with them thus boosting ease of access. If a business was to opt to back up this data with say, cloud services giants, it becomes resource intensive. Lets create a scenario with our business being a real estate firm. The business has data worth 20 GB of past and present tenants in each of the buildings. This data is used to generate reports and is shared across the company’s LAN. Using a local solution such as DataBank allows them to tap into computing resources such as network storage conveniently.
As with most cloud solutions, DataBank eliminates the need for hardware infrastructure for businesses. A business will ideally need a light server in the office to run day to day operations and offload the rest to DataBank solutions. DataBank further prides itself at providing businesses with end-to-end encryption for their data. This security is offered in back up services which, offer contingency plans in case of data loss as well as data protection meaning only authorized parties are allowed to access your data.
