by Kevin Smilie, Partner, CIO Services, TPI
“Clouds, clouds everywhere, but what about the rain?” We are awash in the “cloud computing” metaphor these days, but no one seems to be focused on why clouds exist in the first place ─ to move water from one place to another. What “rain” do we expect cloud computing to deliver?
Cloud computing promises to enable agility and flexibility that can translate into competitive advantage. We heard a similar story before with utility computing. But things are different this time. As we’ve already adopted cloud services into our personal lives with technologies like Apple’s iPhone, our mental map has shifted. CIOs are more willing to accept the evolution of cloud computing in the enterprise because they’ve seen the consumer benefits.
And the consumer push has created an infrastructure for service that is now delivering value to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with software as a service (SaaS) applications such as Salesforce.com and Google Apps. Large companies are beginning to adopt certain of these while piloting other cloud computing services for broader uses such as development and test. What do you need to do now to get ready to put this rain to productive use?
Know how to channel the runoff. Develop a plan for how cloud services fit into your service delivery model and how you can effectively use them. The complexity and integration of your application portfolio will be a major point for consideration. You’ll also need a good knowledge of your local regulatory environment and your organization’s risk profile for moving services and data outside your firewall.
Don’t do a rain dance when there’s not a cloud in the sky. Understand the market and what it can deliver today. How are the services priced, and how does that compare to your current cost? What are the available service levels and how do you get them to align to your needs? What constraints do your current agreements present, and what can you do to remove them?
Be the rainmaker in your organization. Set the expectations for what cloud will do for your company and when. Partner with your business customers to introduce new services and gain their support. Be proactive about determining how cloud computing will be incorporated into your IT governance, and get agreement among your corporate leadership.
The weather forecast has everyone’s attention in 2010. We are currently working with clients on strategy sourcing engagements to extract the benefits of cloud computing in ADM, Infrastructure, even Network Services – and we can help your organization do the same. Ask yourself: When the rain is finished, will you be out on the water sailing, or cleaning up from the flood?
About the author
