The institute stores its data offshore in AWS’ Singapore data centre which resulted in some latency issues, Leslie said. The issues were primarily resolved by increasing the internet connections; however, one or two offices still aren’t up to scratch.
According to Leslie, while there was much analysis conducted on the AWS platform prior to implementation, the API did underestimate the hefty size of the product and its resources.
“I thought it was more of a system where we give it the best practice in IT and it’d fix everything,” he said. “I probably got that wrong because I didn’t think 'well hang on, this thing needs an enormous server to run', because I wasn’t just trying to match what was there previously, I was trying to better it.”
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There was also a struggle to find staff with the skills to assist in the implementation process and support from Amazon was limited at times.
“There is Amazon support, but at that particular time I had limited Amazon contacts, so connecting with then was a bit difficult. It took a few phone calls, emails and trips to Washington to try to get them to listen to you.”
“We brought on contractors and trained existing staff, as it’s just a different way of thinking,” he said. “There’s nothing to be scared of and I think that’s a big thing in IT at the moment, people are scared of Cloud and people using security as a big risk as a reason not to go with Cloud.
“If someone is complaining about security being an issue in IT then they’re not doing their job properly and they need to change their way of thinking.”
The platform took about six months to implement and the pay-per-use model has been a significant advantage for the company, Leslie said.
“For us to do a data centre on the scale of what Amazon is providing us for a small fee, we just couldn’t,” he said. “We’d have to get two or three internet connections, at least two sites, multiple power cooling; it would just be impossible.”
According to Leslie, the key is to learn as much as possible about the technology prior to implementation with research and analysis of everything in the market
The Cloud implementation is just part of a wider project that was set in motion with Leslie’s new strategy, which aims to look at data as information rather than treating it differently according to the medium is it is distributed through.
The API is now implementing a converged phone system, starting with the South Australian office and then rolling it out across the country.
“The first thing we did was get everyone’s head around working a different way and then I had some clear ways of delivering the technology. First was Cloud and then of course creating the business process of converging all the things, because voice is just data; there's no reason anyone should be phoning each other on a traditional phone.”
“When we’re finally finished with the phone system then it’s just a refinement strategy where we get rid of all those things we’ve done,” he said. “We’re working to an Agile development methodology, meaning we’re developing and spinning off projects as we move forward, instead of beginning at the start and not delivering anything until the end, it just doesn’t work.”
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