If you have a data center, you can do two things that are related to the cloud. First, you can connect your existing infrastructure in the data center to public cloud storage services. For example, backup your SQL Server to Amazon S3 or Rackspace Cloud Files. If you happen to be in the same data center with a public cloud storage service provider, such as INTERNAP, you can connect to that provider too and enjoy the fast pipe within the same data center. Second, you can construct your own cloud storage service as a private cloud. For example, you can build your own cloud storage service using Mezeo software and provide the service to your own enterprise that is outside the data center.
Either way, you need a suite of cloud storage access solutions that connect you seamlessly to the cloud. In the first case, you will need the access solutions installed in the data center and connect to the public cloud services. In the second case, you will need the access solutions installed in your enterprise so you can connect to your private cloud that is sitting in the data center. This is where Gladinet Cloud Storage Access Suite fits in.
When it comes to cloud storage, service providers typically provide API (Application programming interface) and leave software vendors to provide solutions for access and other types of applications. Cloud storage is not plug-and-play. You will either find an access solution from a software vendor or hire developers to convert your existing applications to talk to these new cloud storage services. Gladinet fills the gap by providing a complete set of access solutions for end users to access cloud storage from laptops, desktops, file servers and mobile devices.
The biggest benefit of Gladinet cloud storage access solutions is that it enables seamless access without requiring application re-written. For example, Cloud Desktop provides a mapped network drive so you can save directly to cloud storage from applications. CloudAFS provides a cloud storage gateway so your existing backup applications and document management applications can work directly with cloud storage services. Cloud Backup integrates directly with Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) so to connect those applications supporting VSS directly to the cloud storage.
The value proposition of Gladinet is that it enables on-premise (within data center) solutions (and partners) to quickly enter a fast growing cloud storage market by connecting those solutions directly to the cloud. With Gladinet, if you have SQL Server, you can quickly back it up to cloud storage; if you have Microsoft Office, you can save directly to cloud storage; if you have Symantec Backup Exec, you can backup directly to cloud storage. With Gladinet, the new Cloud Storage API is translated to familiar Windows File System Access (CIFS/SMB) so it enables traditional software to interface with cloud storage as if it interfaces with a file server or a network drive. If you are looking for a quick way to cloud-enable you existing applications and solutions, Gladinet will be a good partner for you.
