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Cloud computing has made handling data extremely smooth. Startups and small businesses no longer need to invest in physical servers to store, manage, and process data. Added benefits include reduced IT costs and a boost in scalability, flexibility, and ease of collaborating.

The spread of cloud computing has given rise to a bunch of startups leveraging the opportunity to help businesses with this digital transformation: transferring data from physical servers to the cloud. One such startup is Rapyder Cloud Solutions, a cloudtech consulting company specialising in cloud migration and digital transformation.

Team Rapyder

BTech computer engineer Amit Gupta, 47, worked with US-based digital government service provider NIC Inc., where he had the opportunity to learn about the eGov domain. Once back in India, Amit joined hands with a former colleague to start Paradigm Applications LLC in 2006. As the company wanted to expand to the US, Amit decided to exit and sold his shares.

Amit went on to take leadership roles in startups in the cloud service space, until he decided to take the entrepreneurial plunge again. In 2011, he founded Intelligentia IT Systems, which focused on staffing and software solutions. Intelligentia built big data analytics company Spoctos product on cloud. It was also the first time AWS recognised Intelligentias efforts and offered the opportunity to leverage its cloud services.

He joined hands with another technologist friend and colleague, Athreya Ramadas, to start Rapyder by investing Rs 50 lakh. Athreya, 33, is an AWS-Certified DevOps professional. He previously worked in Intelligentia and Nokia, as a Cloud Architect and Software Engineer.

Rapyders services include consulting services that may be monetised, if the customer is not looking for other services from us, Amit says.

Rapyder provides cloud migration or digital transformation for its customers, DevOps and ongoing managed services, including security in the cloud and disaster recovery.

Cloudzatic, its cloud-based product, has built-in practices that identify and fix anomalies related to security and compliance in any cloud infrastructure.

Rapyders services are offered at different costs, depending on the clients requirements. For consulting and migrations, cost is based on the effort; Rapyder charges Rs 25,000 per day as service charge. Managed services are available in different models; it charges eithera certain percentage (usually 20 percent of AWS billing) or Rs 8,500 for each server, per month.

Managed services provide Rapyders recurring revenues, and it aims to have up to 80 percent of its revenue from them. This is the recurring cash flow we are aiming for, Amit says.

The cloudtech startup targets CIOs and CEOs of organisations. It sourced its first clients from the founders personal contacts, LinkedIn, and through word of mouth. Now, clients approach Rapyder when the requirement arises.

Currently, Rapyder is predominantly working with AWS and its requirements on cloud migration and digitisation services.

The cloudtech startup has clients across verticals, including BFSI, ITeS, retail, hospitality, education, travel and tourism, and ecommerce. Rapyders key clients are Royal Orchid Hotels, Reliance Nippon Life Insurance, NeoGrowth, Easy Policy, Extra Marks, and QuickRide, among others.

Amit claims they have been acquiring 300 percent new clients, year on year.

Rapyder is working in a very niche space. The cloud space has big players like Wipro, Cognizant, and Sify, along with cloud-born companies. Its leading competitors include Powerup Cloud Technologies (which was acquired by Larsen & Toubro Infotech), To The New, BlazeClan, and others.

However, Amit feels that the cloud space offers a rather great opportunity. The growth projected for 2020 alone is over 100 percent and we see enough space for all of us to operate, he says.

Rapyder is at present working towards acquiring bigger ticket-size customers. It aims to leverage big data, data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, in the near future.

Clearly, the Bengaluru-based startup is aiming for Rapyder growth!

(Edited by Teja Lele Desai)

Original post:
Cloudtech startup Rapyder has partnered with AWS to help clients with digital transformation - YourStory

In a presentation at an industry day held earlier this month by the agency's internal IT administrative division, the Information Technology Directorate, slides detail DARPA's internal computing resources.

Network Ops maintain 2.3 petabytes of storage and 542 servers for unclassified work, along with 600 terabytes of storage and 294 servers for classified work. Servers are refreshed every 48 months. Its HPC support has "15 HPC Projects" and has access to 25 million CPU hours.

Separate documents reveal that email services are "currently based on Exchange 2013 Servers," while active directory services are "currently based on Windows Server 2012 R2."

The presentation continues: "ITD procured nearly 7,000 substantial items (servers, network infrastructure, laptops, monitors, etc.) over the past year. This is in addition to smaller items (e.g., cables, mice, phone chargers, etc.)." Reference is made to an internal data center, as well as a disaster recovery site.

But, as the document notes, "compliance with US Government and DoD mandates to migrate to consolidated data centers or utilize commercial cloud." Since 2015, the documents reveal, DARPA has used AWS GovCloud for some unclassified workloads.

"Currently migrating all unclassified workloads to Amazon Web Services GovCloud," a slide states. "[Approximately] 30% of unclassified workloads have been migrated."

Here is the original post:
DARPA plans shift from AWS and on-prem to multicloud by 2022 - DatacenterDynamics

Netskope has always focused its particular flavor of security on the cloud, and as more workloads have moved there, it has certainly worked in its favor. Today the company announced a $340 million investment on a valuation of nearly $3 billion.

Sequoia Capital Global Equities led the round, but in a round this large, there were a bunch of other participating firms, including new investors Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and PSP Investments, along with existing investors Lightspeed Venture Partners, Accel, Base Partners, ICONIQ Capital, Sapphire Ventures, Geodesic Capital and Social Capital. Todays investment brings the total raised to more than $740 million, according to Crunchbase data.

As with so many large rounds recently, CEO Sanjay Beri said the company wasnt necessarily looking for more capital, but when brand name investors came knocking, they decided to act. We did not necessarily need this level of capital but having a large balance sheet and a legendary set of investors like Sequoia, Lightspeed and Accel putting all their chips behind Netskope for the long term to dominate the largest market in security is a very strong signal to the industry, Beri said.

From the start, Netskope has taken aim at cloud and mobile security, eschewing the traditional perimeter security that was still popular when the company launched in 2012. Legacy products based on traditional notions of perimeter security have gone obsolete and inhibit the needs of digital businesses. Todays urgent requirement is security that is fast, delivered from the cloud, and provides real-time protection against network and data threats when cloud services, websites, and private apps are being accessed from anywhere, anytime, on any device, he explained.

When Netskope announced its $168.7 million round at the end of 2018, the company had a valuation over $1 billion at that time. Today, it announced it has almost tripled that number, with a valuation close to $3 billion. Thats a big leap in just two years, but it reports 80% year-over-year growth, and claims to be the fastest-growing company at scale in the fastest-growing areas of cybersecurity: secure access server edge (SASE) and cloud security, according to Beri.

The next natural step for a company at this stage of maturity would be to look to become a public company, but Beri wasnt ready to commit to that just yet. An IPO is definitely a possible milestone in the journey, but its certainly not limited to that and were not in a rush and have no capital needs, so were not commenting on timing.

See the article here:
Netskope hauls in another $340M investment on nearly $3B valuation - TechCrunch

Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) reported blockbuster fourth-quarter resultslast week, sending the e-commerce giant's market cap back above $1 trillion. The move higher was fueled by heavy investments in one-day delivery that are already starting to pay off. As usual, the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud infrastructure business carried overall profitability, representing two-thirds of the company's total operating income during the quarter.

CFO Brian Olsavsky also disclosed that AWS is about to get even more profitable.

Image source: Getty Images.

On the conference call, Olsavsky noted that Amazon's guidance for the first quarter includes $800 million less in depreciation expenses due to an accounting tweak: Amazon is extending the useful life of its data center servers.

Amazon has historically estimated the useful life of its servers at three years but is now increasing that time frame to four years effective this year. The move follows the completion of a useful life study that Amazon conducted in Q4, the company notes in its10-K. Changing that estimate is expected to boost operating income in 2020 by a whopping $2.3 billion.

The adjustment does not affect any depreciation that Amazon has already recognized or cash it has already spent, but merely changes how the company accounts for depreciation of those assets going forward. Importantly, this isn't purely an accounting adjustment. Amazon has been working hard to improve the operating efficiency of its cloud infrastructure, and AWS has continued to refine its software in a way that makes its servers last longer by reducing stress on the hardware, Olsavsky added. Those improvements apply to both AWS and the server infrastructure that powers the core e-commerce platform.

"So we are essentially reflecting the fact that we have gotten better at extending the useful life here and [are] now building that into our financials looking forward," the finance chief said. The improvements will also reduce the capital intensity of the AWS business, as Amazon can extend its capital expenditure cycles and increase capital efficiency.

"We expect technology and content costs to grow at a slower rate in 2020 due to an increase in the estimated useful life of our servers, which will impact each of our segments," Amazon states in its annual report.

When companies invest in long-lived assets, instead of expensing those costs up front, those investments are capitalized and placed on the balance sheet. Management then needs to estimate the useful life of those assets and determine a depreciation method, such as accelerated or straight-line, among others.

For server infrastructure, Amazon uses straight-line depreciation over the estimated useful life; extending the useful life of an asset results in lower depreciation expense per year. With 13 years of experience under its belt, AWS continues to get even stronger as competition in the cloud infrastructure market heats up.

See more here:
How an Accounting Tweak Will Make Amazon's Most Profitable Business Even More Profitable - The Motley Fool

MUNICH, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --IGEL,provider of the next-gen edge OSfor cloud workspaces, announced thenewly updated IGEL UD3 (Universal Desktop model 3) endpoint powered by the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1505Gsystem-on-chip (SoC). A versatile endpoint for accessing virtualized apps, desktops, and cloud workspaces, IGEL UD3 is designed to offer a high-performance computing experience that drives productivity and collaboration across all industries.

"We are proud to be collaborating with AMD on the launch of the new generation of the IGEL UD3," said Matthias Haas, CTO, IGEL. "We have enjoyed a very long and successful relationship with AMD, and found the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1505G SoC processor to be the best option for providing our customers with fast and secure access to their cloud workspaces."

Optimized for Productivity, Flexibility and EfficiencyLeveraging the powerful AMD Ryzen Embedded R1505G SoC with Radeon Vega 3 Graphics and extensive connectivity options, IGEL UD3 provides a secure, high performance computing experience for a broad range of demanding tasks across all industries.

Key features available with IGEL UD3 include integrated WiFi and Bluetooth. Both features are optional and this is the first time IGEL has them integrated into its endpoint hardware. Additional configurable connectivity options designed to offer flexibility, seamless integration and ease of use across a broad range of use cases include integrated smart card readers and VESA mount. IGEL UD3 also features support for two 4K displays, SuperSpeed USB Type-C and standard legacy ports for convenience and productivity.

"One of the things we are most excited about with the new UD3 offering is the optimization of the processor for maximum energy efficiency," said Haas. "Conserving energy is important to us. That's why we are the only endpoint device manufacturer to have taken an extra step to implement a customized version of the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1505G SoC, which has a low 10W TDP at 2.0GHz base and up to 2.7GHz boost frequency."1

Secure "Chain of Trust" Safeguards Cloud WorkspacesIGEL and AMD have extended the secure "chain of trust" which extends all the way to the target server or cloud, with a step before the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) boot, to include the AMD Secure Processor technology, a hardware-based security processor built right into the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1505G SoC. Putting the protection right on the processor, this integration leverages a dedicated security system,initiating IGEL's secure chain of trust at the physical hardware layer.

The AMD Ryzen Embedded processor checks whether the UEFI binary is cryptographically signed by IGEL, verifying if the UEFI binary is authentic and not manipulated. The UEFI then checks the bootloader for a UEFI Secure Boot signature. Next, the bootloader checks the IGEL OS Linux kernel, and if the OS partitions signatures on disk are correct, IGEL OS is initiated and the partitions are mounted. Finally, for users connecting to a VDI or cloud environment, access software such as Citrix Workspace App or VMware Horizon 7 checks the certificate of the connected server, thus creating a complete "chain of trust."

"We are pleased to work together with IGEL to integrate this low power AMD Ryzen Embedded R1505G into the newly optimized generation of IGEL UD3," said Stephen Turnbull, director of product management and business development, Embedded Solutions, AMD. "Together, AMD Ryzen Embedded processors and IGEL endpoints offer advanced performance, power efficiency and security features that begin where it all starts at the processor level."

New UD3 the First IGEL Hardware to Feature Teradici's PCoIP UltraThough IGEL OS has supported PCoIP Ultra since June 2019, the IGEL UD3 is the first IGEL endpoint hardware to be optimized for remote cloud connectivity with Teradici's PCoIP Ultra Software Client for Linux. With PCoIP Ultra and the UD3, end-users benefit from greater flexibility of choice with the ability to securely connect with Teradici Cloud Access Software for a rich, high-fidelity user experienceto any cloud, including AWS (including Amazon WorkSpaces), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.

Availability and SupportIGEL UD3 is part of IGEL's family of Universal Desktop endpoints, and designed for virtual desktops and cloud workspace environments. IGEL UD3 with the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1505G SoC will be generally available starting in May 2020 through IGEL's network of Platinum- and Gold-level Partners, Authorized IGEL Partners (AIPs) and resellers.

For more information on the IGEL UD3 with the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1505G SoC,read the info sheet "AMD and IGEL optimize the AMD RyzenTM embedded R1505G system-on-chip for the IGEL UD3."You can learn more about IGEL's next-gen endpoint hardware design here.For more information on IGEL OS, visit https://www.igel.com/igel-os-universal-desktop-operating-system/.

IGEL on Social MediaTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/IGEL_TechnologyFacebook:www.facebook.com/igel.technologyLinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/igel-technologyYouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/IGELTechnologyTV IGEL Community: http://www.igel.com/community

AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, Ryzen, and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other product names used in this publication are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective companies.

1Max boost for AMD Ryzen processors is the maximum frequency achievable by a single core on the processor running a bursty single-threaded workload. Max boost will vary based on several factors, including, but not limited to: thermal paste; system cooling; motherboard design and BIOS; the latest AMD chipset driver; and the latest OS updates.

About IGELIGELprovides the next-gen edge OS for cloud workspaces.The company's world-leading software products include IGEL OS,IGEL UD Pocket (UDP) and IGEL Universal Management Suite (UMS). These solutionscomprisea more secure, manageable and cost-effective endpoint managementand controlplatform across nearly any x86 device.Easily acquired via just two feature-rich software offerings, Workspace Edition and Enterprise Management Pack IGEL software presents outstanding value per investment.Additionally, IGEL's German engineered endpoint solutions deliver the industry's best hardware warranty (5 years), software maintenance (3 years after end of life) and management functionality. IGEL enables enterprises tosave vast amounts of money by extending the useful life of their existing endpoint devices whileprecisely controllingall devices running IGEL OS from a single dashboard interface. IGEL has offices worldwide and is represented by partners in over 50 countries. For more information on IGEL, visit http://www.igel.com.

SOURCE IGEL

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IGEL Teams with AMD to Optimize the UD3 Endpoint for Cloud Workspaces - PRNewswire