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EMC’s recent most important investments in cloud computing, according to EMC Hong Kong’s Director of Technology Solutions Vincent Kwok (pictured), are the acquisitions of data storage company Isilon and data warehouse specialist Greenplum, both in 2010. "[These acquisitions] further enhanced EMC’s product portfolio to help enterprises accelerate their journey to the cloud and capitalize on big data opportunities," said Kwok.

EMC's key cloud deployments in 2011 included PetroChina and Columbia Sportswear that dealt with big data management and virtual storage. "When the cloud meets big data," said Kwok, new tools for capture, search, discovery and analysis will be available to gain insights from organizations’ unstructured data. 

In an interview with Asia Cloud Forum, Kwok details the above cloud deployments, explains the business value of VCE’s Vblock, and highlights three cloud trends to watch for in 2012. Excerpts below:

Vincent Kwok: In 2011, we worked alongside customers in various industries to help build their cloud infrastructures for increased efficiency and an enhanced user experience, in particular the financial services and insurance sector. Significant cloud deployments include PetroChina and Columbia Sportswear.

PetroChina, the publicly-traded arm of China National Petroleum Corporation, deployed the EMC Isilon Scale-Out NAS platform, to consolidate several mission-critical applications into a single file system and point of management, streamlining big data management to accelerate time-to-discovery in oil and gas exploration. Its scientists now have immediate, highly concurrent access to seismic data and applications, improving collaboration and operating efficiency.

Columbia Sportswear, a leading innovator in active outdoor apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment, utilized EMC Symmetrix VMAX storage systems with leading technologies including FAST VP (fully automated storage tiering for virtual pools) and flash drives (also known as SSDs) as the foundation of its rapidly expanding VMware environment and its journey to the cloud. 

Kwok: VCE’s Vblock is one of the most impressive cloud solutions in the market. With the collaboration of Cisco, EMC and VMware, VCE’s Vblock provides an effective and preconfigured platform for simplified deployment of cloud infrastructure. The solution helps accelerate time-to-market, reduce overall operation cost and achieve faster return on investment. 

Kwok: Professional consulting services and clear roadmap are vital in guiding enterprises to take their journey to the cloud and help them deploy the appropriate cloud solutions.

A trusted partner is the key for enterprises to realize their “journey to the cloud” by virtualizing their information infrastructure and implementing an end-to-end proven cloud solution.

Sufficient and proper training is crucial to enable enterprises to fully capitalize on their cloud infrastructure and unleash its power and opportunities.