App development may be of the biggest parts of the rise of mobile technology and that is why many companies have found that bringing in a private cloud service has proven beneficial in better managing the application life cycle. To that end, CenturyLink has today launched the AppGrid service, a private cloud service on the savvisdirect online channel geared to provide that improved management many companies were seeking.
With AppGrid, companies get access to private cloud services available on a month-to-month billing cycle, allowing for maximum utility in the most flexible manner possible. Additionally, since AppGrid is built around the CA AppLogic cloud platform, it's specifically meant to take on heavy workloads, ensuring the best possible performance no matter what level the user is currently operating under. Businesses can not only quickly design their materials, but they can also build them, test them and launch complete production environments throughout the various CenturyLink data centers in North America.
By leveraging this offering, customers can go from signing up to using the services in under two business days, which is a pretty rapid response indeed. But that's not all they get with such a system; users get access to three different preconfigured grids to make sure they're not buying too much or too little for their needs, as well as being able to switch between them as needed. There's a graphical interface to track usage, service level agreements with 24 / 7 customer support, access to savvisdirect's own FastForward Onboarding system, and an automation system that runs Microsoft Server Virtualization Validation for the best in operation and support.
Interestingly, it was a natural disaster that showed one recent customer of savvisdirect AppGrid the value of cloud service; The Liati Group, a merchant banking firm in New York, actually switched from its in-house server solution to AppGrid as a beta customer following the arrival of Hurricane Sandy, which would have left The Liati Group struggling under a power outage of five weeks. The resulting switch "saved" The Liati Group's operations, according to Chief Technology Officer Bobby Mensah, as it not only allowed The Liati Group to continue operating, but it also spared the firm losses in terms of revenue and reputation that would have followed in the wake of such an extended outage.
Naturally, the benefits of such a system can apply to a wide variety of other companies—The Liati Group certainly makes for a fine example—and in an equally wide variety of situations. Being able to move operations as need be, especially from those that have been recently struck by disaster, should be on the list for several companies. AppGrid looks to go a long way in providing that kind of valuable flexibility that can keep a firm operating in even the worst conditions.
Edited by
Jamie Epstein
