Why it is key to have a Cloud strategy for individual IT services as one size does not fit all.

I have had a number of conversations with clients recently where their desire to move to a Cloud based model was articulated to me almost as “The answer’s Cloud. Now what was the question?”  This trail blazing zeal is admirable but it always concerns me slightly as a wholesale shift to Cloud based services isn’t necessarily right for all organisations or for the individual services being delivered by an organisation. I always encourage a service-by-service assessment of the impact of such a move.

There are three key areas to consider:

>>> What is the functional impact – will the user experience alter as a result ?

>>> What are the financial implications? Not all cases will be positive if a component of the service needs to be re-architected and re-platformed for example.

>>> Are there any security, data privacy or regulatory considerations?

When you understand the answers to these questions then the decision becomes a much more informed one.

I’d draw a bit of a parallel here to moving house without understanding where the Removal Company are going to store your worldly goods. Will it be safe while it is in storage and what condition will it be in when they finally deliver it to your new home? While you are going through the move you wouldn’t put your family pet in the same container as your furniture would you? It would be more appropriate, and more acceptable in the eyes of the rest of the family I am sure, if the pet went into kennels! Pets have very different storage and delivery needs from the rest of your belongings. The same is true for many IT services.

Understand the business needs and the required outcome and you can consciously match your IT services to the right delivery model. One size does not fit all!

 

Post By Rob Lamb (16 Posts)

I am Chief Technology Officer for Enterprise Accounts in the UK. My role is to bring the customer perspective and industry experience to the solutions EMC offers and support customers as a trusted advisor, counseling them on how they can accelerate their IT transformation while balancing the need for consistent delivery to ensure the desired business outcomes are achieved. Prior to joining EMC I was at Eli Lilly for 13 years. For the last 7 years I headed up the Infrastructure organization in EMEA delivering IT services to over 16000 users in 69 locations across 44 countries. I have particular expertise in aligning IT delivery to the needs of the business and the leadership of major IT transformation programs, including consolidation and outsourcing. Away from work I am a keen yachtsman and am a Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Yachtmaster Instructor.

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