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The
head of Information technology at New York City-area urgent-care
provider CityMD, Florescu must deal with complicated regulations
around the privacy of patient data, on top of network security.
That made him a perfect candidate for Cloud Consumption as a
Service, which Cisco is launching as a way to help companies
manage software employees might download and use independently,
for example email programs like Google’s Gmail or file-storage
services like Dropbox.
While the services, which IT professionals dub “shadow IT,”
provide convenience for employees, they can create headaches if
they expose vulnerability to malware attacks, eat up bandwidth,
or fail to comply with laws.
Shadow IT is creating a growing corporate challenge. Most
companies with over 5,000 employees estimate around 90 such
services are deployed around their computer infrastructure, but
the actual number is typically over 1,200, according to Cisco
executive Bob Dimicco.
Of those, more than 40 fall in the high-risk category.
Offering its cloud consumption service, which Cisco plans to
bill monthly at a cost of $1-$2 per employee, will help Cisco
expand its offerings in the fast-growing business area of cloud
services.
While switching and routing products make up the bulk of Cisco’s
revenue, those businesses show lackluster growth. Increasing
numbers of customers who once bought all their own switching and
routing hardware now are relying on outside vendors who do not
tend to use as many Cisco products.
So the company has been trying to beef up its offerings catering
to the increasingly Internet-based technology culture at many
companies. It has introduced products like Cisco Meraki, which
controls routing and security over the Internet, and Cisco WebEx,
which offers Internet-based video conferencing and similar
products.
Many companies, including Cloudability, Netskope and Skyhigh,
offer services similar to Cisco’s cloud consumption service, but
Cisco says its product goes beyond the others because it offers
more details on usage and about each individual third-party app
provider, such as if it complies with relevant regulations.
As at CityMD, Cisco’s product will typically supplement
data-security and compliance services such as Digital Guardian.
(Reporting by Sarah McBride; Editing by Bernard Orr)
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