BMIT to launch pioneering cloud services in a few days

BMIT, a member of the Go group, is set to launch its new cloud platform and infrastructure in the then and there few days. This pioneering initiative for cloud computing in Malta will enable the company to expand its data centre services and provide facilities in one of the hottest emerging trends in computing.

Evolution of various ICT developments over many years

"Cloud computing is an evolution of various ICT developments over many years and many consider it to be the successor of grid computing and hosted services," BMIT chief executive officer Christian Sammut told i-Tech.

Go acquired a stake in Maltese online services company BMIT a few years back and wholly acquired it in July last year. BMIT operates at an arm's length from Go and works closely with Go's competitors in terms of internet access services to ensure that it provides top connectivity services available in Malta.

Footprint of over 1,000 square metres

BMIT operates two data centres locally with a footprint of over 1,000 square metres and 300 server racks. It is the only data centre in Malta with a fibre-optic connection to all three Maltese communications providers, which link Malta to the rest of the world through their four undersea fiber-optic cables. The data centres are built to Tier III speci­fications, even though not but certified as such.

The at once step in this process is the launch of its own cloud computing platform, which will allow it to offer a range of cloud infrastructure services, computing-on-demand, and in the long run several software-as-a-service applications with partners. This is an important milestone and a major investment for BMIT, then exceeding €1 million over the coming months.

Like all new trends, cloud computing presents its opportunities and challenges, especially for a small country like Malta.

The two major challenges to us are the market size

"The two major challenges to us are the market size and the need to raise awareness and inform the market of the benefits that cloud services bring to businesses. Even though research we have been undertaking obviously shows a to put it more exactly high level of knowledge and interest, it is all in all our intention to explain the benefits of our offering better. Market size is a challenge and as well an possibility since the cloud allows us to extend our reach beyond Malta.

The computing power can be used without warning. This is called infrastructure-as-a-service, consisting of computing on demand and a virtual private server offering.

BMIT is as well planning to roll-out software-as-a-service. Some services just as hosted mail and collaboration will be offered directly, with others offered in collaboration with partners. The benefits of using SaaS are many however possibly the most obvious are ease of access to applications in pay-as-you-go fashion opposite to having to buy expensive infrastructure, including hardware and license fees. There is as well the advantage of doing away with software upgrades and maintenance since these would be catered for by the SaaS provider. All this goes on to build on the success of recent years where Malta had attracted online gaming companies and provided them with a good legal framework as so then technology services. BMIT has, over these last years, established itself as one of the leading providers of co-location, hosting and managed services to online gaming companies in Europe.

"The gaming industry is an in the extreme important industry for Malta and thousands of people are employed directly or indirectly. Additionally millions of euros are injected into the Maltese economy by the hundreds of operators established here. This has been possible through online gaming legislation which Malta has adopted and kept constantly updated, as so then as the fiscal incentives for operators establishing their business here," Mr Sammut added.

Over these last months, BMIT has been investing heavily in new technologies and skill sets to extend its data centre expertise into other areas. As a result, the company is providing services to a wider range of clients, including those in financial services, legal, architecture, IT solutions and retail businesses, among others.