Johannesburg, 26 Apr 2016
The cloud has undeniably changed the way technology is used, deployed and purchased over the last few years, as one of the most powerful and transformative technologies ever developed. But it is also often oversimplified, seen as a quick-fix to complex IT challenges, or a simple way to reassign IT budgets.
Unfortunately, migrating complex, enterprise-wide technology solutions to the cloud is not quite as simple as clicking on a link. It's a process that needs to be planned and executed with the same care as any other business strategy.
The benefits of moving to the cloud are well documented, and I would encourage organisations of all sizes to begin their journey immediately, says Gary Weiss, SVP Cloud Services, OpenText.
So, here are my top five fables as well as some myth-busting advice to make sure you get things right:
Myth 1 - Opting for cloud is a technology choice
Wrong. Choosing a cloud-based system involves more than just understanding if it is technically feasible, or knowing what type of cloud would be most suitable for the business. Moving to the cloud is a business decision, and should be treated as such.
Whether you are planning on moving a single solution to the cloud, or your entire organisation's IT, it's important to sit down with the leaders in your organisation to explore strategic goals, potential business benefits or downsides, possible productivity gains, and last but not least, information security issues.
Each deployment, each business and each cloud instance will be different, so there is no one-size-fits-all solution to any of this. Sometimes cloud will be the answer, sometimes on-premises systems will, and at other times, hybrid offerings will be the key to success.
Myth 2 - The cloud is not secure
Wrong - although sometimes it seems that way. A 2015 study published by the Cloud Security Alliance revealed that data security is still the number one concern holding back organisations from moving their systems to the cloud. But the perception and the reality don't seem to match.
IT service provision is a cloud vendor's core business, and as such they have to ensure technology, physical locations and personnel all comply with stringent security standards. Often, individual enterprises simply do not have the resources to achieve the levels of security and compliance that are table-stakes for cloud providers.
That said, don't simply assume all cloud providers are secure. Get them to demonstrate their security capabilities and spell out their security processes and certifications to you. But even more importantly, every organisation needs to understand the security, governance and regulatory compliance requirements of the industry in which it operates. Unless you deeply understand what you need from a cloud vendor, you won't know if they can provide the right service and security.
Myth 3 - Cloud is an all or nothing proposition
Not necessarily. Many vendors these days are pushing a cloud-first strategy or claim that cloud is the only way. But, the reality is that it does not always make either business, regulatory or technical sense for organisations to put all IT assets in the cloud.
Increasingly, organisations are adopting hybrid deployment options, having some systems and processes on-premises, others in a private or public cloud, and all of these systems integrated. Often, this is due to regulatory or data sovereignty requirements, or simply business drivers that require some information to be kept close to the organisation.
Today, there are many possible options for organisations to consider, such as public and private cloud, managed services and hybrid deployment options. It is vital that all options are thoroughly explored, and a carefully considered choice is made around those that work best for the organisation from both a technical and business perspective.
Myth 4 - Cloud is only good for saving money
Wrong. While it is generally accepted that a move to the cloud can reduce capital expenditure, and consolidating systems can help to generate savings, this is often only part of the story. The experience is different for each organisation, and the benefits should be linked to the key reason they chose to migrate in the first place.
Some IT departments will see service levels improve and find they can offer 24x7 support, despite having limited staff numbers. Others will gain from not having to spend time and money on upgrading or maintain software. As a result, by being able to focus on higher value work rather than admin and maintenance tasks, they are able to become more productive.
It is important to explore the benefits of moving to the cloud in a strategic sense. This means evaluating total cost of ownership and wider organisational gains rather than simply focusing on upfront costs.
Myth 5 - Cloud = software as a service
Wrong, the cloud is much, much more than software as a service (SaaS). This may be the most visible or high-profile use-case, but it certainly isn't the only one. Many companies are looking at how the cloud can provide services to their business - such as e-commerce, supply chain transactions, platform or infrastructure services. Others want a managed services offering, hosting applications in a private cloud environment, with access to dedicated functionality, application customisation and integration.
With a growing number of options available, it is important to evaluate carefully what you are trying to achieve, and not be pushed into anything by third-party vendors. There are lots of deployment options available - you just have to find the right one to meet your business requirements.
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