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The Russian brokers gave IT infrastructure to "cloud": was cheaper, but it is more dangerous

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24.05.10, 18:33, Msk

Ex-managers of Renaissance Investment Management company started own broker startup Third Rome. The most critical part of IT infrastructure of the new company for business was developed and placed in "cloud" in data center Croc even before business start. In Third Rome counted that such solution not only is safer, but also is 40% cheaper than traditional approach. However, experts say, remained in service with the IT part company creates additional risks. If placed all systems in "cloud", it would be more profitable and safer.

The Third Rome company placed the IT infrastructure in outsourcing data center of Croc company: this project became the base for entry into the market of the new broker player. As Maxim Yanpolsky, the director of technologies and the transactions "The Third Rome" told TAdviser, the company is founded by a team of the managers who created "the Renaissance the Investment management" – in the past the largest independent asset management company in Russia.

"The third Rome" began the operating activities in May, 2009, but the question of future IT infrastructure of the selected broker company was worked out beforehand. For the companies operating in the financial sector, existence of an optimal scalable technology platform can is its competitive advantage. Level of automation of transactions is very high for the companies of this industry and existence of a flexible technology platform allows the companies to react timely to calls of the market and change of an environment Automation of the trading systems, and as a result, the increasing volumes of transactions, impose increased requirements to infrastructure - the processing speed of transactions, fault tolerance, scalability.

As a result, in data center Croc was placed a number of IT systems, key for the company, beginning from systems providing maintenance of the main business of processes regarding processing and commission of broker transactions (Qort system), finishing with a financial system (based on 1C), an electronic document management system (TaskCenter system), management systems for the archives and systems providing life activity of the company. Besides, in "cloud" were it is placed own developments of the company supporting processes of financial planning and risk of management. Directly at office there was a virtual private network (Virtual Private Network) and telephony with a recording system of a talk.

Maxim Yanpolsky explains the decision on transferring of a considerable part of IT structure to "cloud" with security reasons and economy. According to him, flexible infrastructure needed to be unrolled in the shortest possible time, remaining in a tough budget framework, at the same time, without increasing own staff and saving tough criteria of quality. "For example, the classical option - deployment of IT infrastructure at office - required from itself much more bigger time, money, specialists, management time, and also the subsequent support and staff of people", - Yanpolsky says.

As a result, having counted the total cost of costs (TCO), Third Rome established that when using "cloud model" economy of costs makes about 40% in comparison with placement of infrastructure at itself. "Having performed the project, quicker planned, we could be started in May of this year", - Yanpolsky adds. According to him, now in staff of broker company only two IT specialists: one is engaged in project management and start new business of services, and another is responsible for all infrastructure.

The deputy director general Croc Oleg Kravchenko supervising this project told that all stages of the project took about nine months. Migration of all IT systems is at the moment complete. According to him, the main difficulties were connected with the fact that Third Rome started business processes and IT infrastructure in parallel, and it imposed very high requirements to continuity. "Throughout all project we considered these circumstances, for example, conducted works at night, modelled processes of implementation at test stands, developed partial decisions. All this allowed to avoid technical difficulties and failures", - he explained.

Respondents of TAdviser experts in general estimated the project as rather innovation. However, according to them, the fact that a part of IT structure remained "on balance" the company, but not at atsorser, creates certain risks. "If the company intentionally refuses independent support of IT infrastructure, then it is logical to do it completely. Even that insignificant fragment of infrastructure which remained with Third Rome can glitch whereas the company does not locate resources for its operational recovery", - the expert of one of the companies competing Croc on the condition of anonymity said. However, according to him, applications, critical for business, after all are in "cloud" that is plus.

As Sergey Borovikov, the Softline Cloud project manager commented, on it "the good project" which once again proves the general trend of the market on the movement in a cloud. However, from the technical point of view it would be better to take out in a cloud also telephony with function of record of a voice. "In baggage of Softline there are similar solutions, and in the market stable demand from business for implementation of such products is now observed. Use of telephony from a cloud would allow to increase economy on total cost of ownership of IT to 45%-50%", he explained.

The area manager of CRM "CORUS Consulting" Maria Bar-Biryukova considers that there is the whole group of risks which needs to be considered when planning such projects. First, in the long term savings of TSO from lease will be not so significant as for a certain term pays for itself own equipment. However, it is not relevant for "The third Rome" as now in DPC Croc own equipment of the company is placed.

One more important point, according to the expert of "KORUS", this data security provision. "If Third Rome terminates for one reason or another the agreement about Croc who and how guarantees integrity and data transmission of the company? The provider of service should register accurately regulations of the similar procedure", - she says. Also matters that will be if Third Rome wants to operate a system which support is not performed Croc.

And, at last, the last: the service provider should have an existence of the certificate of conformity of IC 153 Federal Law about personal data protection. Besides it is important what ? servers are used in the solution – virtual or selected. "If on each of these questions the provider of service has definite answers, instructions and regulations, risks are minimized", - she concluded.


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