ICT experts from international companies are backing the use of cloud computing as a means to consolidate the country’s agenda to be the ICT hub in the region.Cloud Computing is the logical computational resources (data, software) accessible via a computer network through the Internet, rather than from a local computer and the use of servers. It is an independent platform in terms of computing. The best example of cloud computing is Google Apps where any application can be accessed using a browser and it can be deployed on thousands of computer through the Internet.Speaking to The Sunday Times on Friday Tae-Ho Lee, Manager Cloud Strategy Team at Korea Telecom, said that Cloud Computing has become a truly mainstream form of IT delivery in the last few years.“It’s paramount for Rwandan private and public institutions to adopt the use of cloud computing due to the available bandwidth of Fibre Optic Backbone and the National Data Centre,” he noted.He stated that in Africa the new application gives institutions access to the latest technology and services not available locally and without the same overheads.“Cloud Computing is very essential in reducing Information Technology costs because if an organisation wants to set up its own ICT infrastructure, it becomes expensive, but if the services are put together in one cloud, it becomes cheaper,” Lee said.According to Antoine Sebera, the Acting CEO Broadband Systems Corporation (BSC Ltd), a service provider managing a national fibre optic backbone, Internet Data Centre, and Kigali Wibro, one of the key services his company intends to offer is cloud based data centre services and Rwanda will be one of the few countries in Africa offering the services. “Soon we are going to provide cloud computing services in our next generation internet data centre. The services will be targeting both government and business customers to relieve them of the burden of maintaining their own IT hardware, software and sizeable IT teams,” he noted.Sebera added that BSC is ready to provide the required computing power and the storage.Rana Fares, a Cloud services expert from United Arab Emirates said that with a global focus on computing and continuously evolving technologies, Africa is placed in a global IT revolution.“Cloud computing is a cost effective solution for businesses to acquire and use, Rwandans should adopt the new application due to the country’s strong IT infrastructures already in place,” said Fares.
