We offer high-end cloud services to small businesses

Shilpa Shree
Financial Chronicle
NaviSite, a Nasdaq-listed data centre service provider, has over 1,500 customers worldwide. The company has several Indian customers spread across sectors such as fast moving consumer goods, retail, healthcare and pharma, IT, banking and advertising. The company's managing director, Sumit Sabharwal, spoke on NaviSite's India plans.

What is the kind of infrastructure NaviSite has?

We provide enterprise hosting and application solutions with over 1,500 customers depending on us for managed application services and development, implementation and management of its web infrastructure platforms. We have 15 state-of-the-art data centres, which are supported by more than 650 professionals.

How does cloud computing help your customers?

Cloud computing combines software as a service, Web 2.0, server virtualisation, hardware as a service and other recent, well-known technology trends, with a more common concept -- relying on the internet for satisfying the computing needs of a company. Cloud hosting is an on demand, scalable service which includes tools for customers to develop, manage and deliver new web-based services to their clients. The core advantage of a cloud model is that it offers flexibility while introducing a different paradigm of charging for infrastructure -- one that is based on usage. Service offerings like our virtual dedicated servers are a subscription based service, which can add or subtract capacity, random memory and storage in near real time without having to forecast needs upfront.

But does cloud computing cut costs?

Yes, cloud computing enables companies to do more with less. With a cloud hosting product companies can pay for what they use -- and consolidate several servers and applications in one environment. It does not require any capex for server hardware and networking equipment. During this recession, savings in capex and the lack of a need for a loan, helps small businesses conserve cash while upgrading their IT. Cloud computing can also open the door to administration savings. Fewer employee hours are needed to manage and maintain applications and solutions hosted in the cloud. Cost savings are realised on both the capital expense (higher asset utilisation and longer asset life) as well as the operating expenses by only paying for what is used.

Do you plan to expand in India?

We do not have a data centre in India. We have leveraged Indian operations to provide a consolidated set of services for small and medium businesses (SMBs), both in India and more broadly across the globe.

By combining our data centres and employees globally, we are able to provide expertise that small businesses truly need to run their IT infrastructure in a reliable model without having to stretch their wallet. In difficult economic times like this, a turnkey hosted model like NaviSite's has broad appeal. We look to build upon this in the India market while bringing newer technologies like virtualisation and making them a reality for growing and emerging businesses in India.