SLT launches breakthrough cloud computing service, “akaza”

• Sri Lanka Telecom sets a new standard in cloud computing

Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), the premier ICT solutions provider launched its breakthrough cloud computing service, ”akaza”, raising the bar in cloud computing in Sri Lanka. The launch took place at the Company’s customer forum organized for government institutions, held recently at Water’s Edge, Battaramulla, “akaza” provides end-to-end cloud computing services providing business organisations with enhanced agility and quick service delivery, cost efficiencies while providing maximum ROI as well as improved scalability.

Mr. Lalith De Silva, Group Chief Executive Officer of SLT commented, “SLT’s cloud computing solution, “akaza” is definitely a paradigm shift in which Sri Lankan users store, access, and utilize data remotely using the Internet. The state-of-the-art broadband deployment of SLT that promotes consistent, uninterrupted, high-speed internet is the single most important component to the success of cloud computing in Sri Lanka. Our ambition is to fuel GoSL’s mandate for national economic progress envisioning a SMART Sri Lanka and going global with SLT ”akaza” cloud platform. Today, around the globe, high-end enterprises, private and public institutions, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and micro businesses tap into cloud computing to lower their costs and increase productivity. We see a huge potential in this area coupled with SLT’s superior broadband connectivity via FTTx, ADSL 2+, VDSL 2 and 4G LTE access technologies”.

”akaza” is a fully fledged cloud platform that enables diverse businesses ranging from top enterprises, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), micro level business organizations and government institutions as well as mobile customers to leverage on SLT’s vast ICT resources which includes being connected to the largest fibre optic backbone infrastructure in the country. It eliminates the need for organizations to invest heavily in large servers, data centres and complicated software as well as technical experts, thus giving organizations the freedom to focus their capital and other resources on what they do best - their core business. With the current transformations that Sri Lanka is undergoing and the economic developments in the country, ”akaza” will help especially SMEs and micro level businesses to expand their businesses quickly and easily with economical infrastructure solutions and minimum capital investments.

The state of the art services currently offered by ”akaza” includes infrastructure as a service (IAAS) platform that provides shared computing power to customers, eliminating the need for customers to invest in expensive infrastructure and equipment. SLT’s IAAS platform is spread across the Company’s trusted and secure top tier internet data centres (iDC) located in SLT Head Quarters and Welikada, thus assuring customers of a reliable and secure cloud platform with super fast processing speeds. Through ”akaza”, customers will be connected to SLT’s enterprise block storage, the largest cloud storage space in Sri Lanka. Backed by SLT’s reliable and robust network, customers are assured of high speed internet and VPN services that are simple and value for money, meeting the scale, performance and security needs as well as mission critical needs of large and small business organizations alike.

SLT ”akaza” comprises of an easy to use, self service and web based management interface, which gives customers control over creating and managing their own virtual data centre and virtual servers. ”akaza” is hybrid cloud enabled, has a reserved network performance up to 500 Mbps, a reserved storage performance up to 5000 IOPs and also provides support for sharing disks between multiple virtual memories. Dedicated firewalls and load balancers enhance security and distribute traffic among customers’ dedicated cloud servers. SLT also has a dedicated Cloud Expert team to provide expert support and assistance to customers around the clock, 365 days of the year.

In the near future, SLT is enhancing their cloud computing service to offer a range of other services such as  platform-as-a-service (PAAS), software-as-a-service (SAAS) and desktop-as-a-service (DAAS) platforms to customers.

PAAS provides a platform for local and global independent software vendors (ISV) to develop software by leveraging on akaza’s IAAS, and accessing apps hosted in the cloud. PAAS allows customers to write applications in some of the most popular programming languages.

SAAS is an app market place with a pool of enterprise and mobile software applications (Apps) in a diverse range of categories including CRM, business intelligence, database, collaboration etc. from around the globe, which can be accessed from anywhere. SAAS will also provide cloud contact centre and PBX services and cloud video conferencing services; a cloud contact centre and PBX is a cloud based contact centre and PBX solution for enterprise customers developed on a multi tenant platform, whereas cloud video conferencing will provide a more economical solution for carrying out multi party video conferencing which can be accessed through web or video end equipment.

DAAS provides Windows-based desktops which are hosted and managed through the cloud and can be accessed through any mobile devices including any smart phone or tablets as well as thin clients or even old existing desktop computers. It also enables business organisations to rapidly provision desktops to end-users anywhere and on any device without compromising the overall computing experience. It also carries out effective management and support of desktop environments including security, data storage, backups and upgrades.

The distinctive feature of ”akaza” when compared to the cloud computing services available in the country at present is the easy to use, self managed web-based portal that provides maximum flexibility to organizations, allowing them to select the exact amount of resources they require – be it storage, computing power, RAM, software etc. as and when it is required. This also supports “Pay as you go” and “Pay as you grow” models.