Johannesburg, 28 Oct 2013
A few years ago, CIOs were faced with a dilemma to outsource their IT services or not. Having gone through hearing how successful, traumatic, simple, cost-effective, expensive, it was (depending on who was relating their experiences), we once again find ourselves facing the same outlook when it comes to the cloud. The good news is - it is not nearly as challenging as the outsourcing scenario, and when it comes to benefits, the positives are boundless.
What is important is that you take into account what you have today, where the business needs to be in two or five years, and what the business needs are, says Richard Vester, Director EOH Cloud Services.
Let's say at the outset, today's cloud computing solutions will be different for each organisation. In fact, we can safely say the opportunities to approach cloud solutions are dynamic, endless and exciting. You can take comfort in the fact that you are probably already employing some cloud-based solutions - and you will see it's not as scary as you think. Indeed, you and your users are probably using Dropbox, Gmail, Picasa, SalesForce and other cloud-based solutions.
The all-or-nothing cloud solution concept should be dismissed now. Take your time. List your users' demands and your own ICT needs.
Today's modern businesses are faced with numerous challenges - the marketplace is dynamic and technology speeds up everything. Some of these main drivers include demands for increased market share from the marketing department, increased revenue from the CFO and Head of Sales, innovation and being first to market from the business development team, and at the back of all of this, the need to sustain the current customer base while growing the base at the same time. "Give them a tablet or an MP3 player with every new account."
"Arrange credits at the chemist, grocery store, from next month."
"Launch a mobile app."
The list goes on. The demands will always be there for new revenue streams and how to differentiate yourself from the competition.
And at the end of each line is the IT department. The list on your whiteboard gets longer.
So, how and where to start?
First take a look at your current infrastructure. Do you have data running on legacy systems? Are you already running an in-house private cloud? Are your users using public clouds such as Dropbox, Gmail, online apps like SalesForce? What level of security do you need? How many mobile workers do you have and how do they access company information? Has BYOD already invaded your organisation or are you struggling with the pressing need to allow this? Are governance and compliance slipping from your control? Are you being pushed to include master data management into the organisation? The typical CIO whiteboard of things to do gets longer every day.
Moving to a cloud solution
When you have a mix of private cloud solutions, public cloud, hosted cloud and in-house data, you will need complete control and a 360-degree view of your entire architecture and systems. No matter which of the above business drivers are high on your list, a cloud management solution will allow you to completely control and monitor - 24x7 - what goes where, and when - from your hosted virtualisation solutions, backups, security, mobile apps and access, disaster recovery, compliance reports to network services, etc.
Implement at your own pace, and provide a blend of solutions allowing you to bridge the gaps between IT challenges and business drivers - the hybrid cloud.
The journey starts with an assessment of your requirements, through an architecture that ensures you make the best use of your current assets - from desktop to network services and data centre infrastructure - to a hybrid cloud environment that may be implemented and managed in a controlled and secured roll-out. You decide what you want to keep in your private cloud - in-house in your data centre, and what you want to move into a managed hosted cloud.
Key to the smooth transition and management is a cloud manager - it allows you to completely control the entire infrastructure and gives you a holistic view with one single point of interface and control. A cloud manager puts the control, support and management of the organisation's IT solutions into the hands of the IT department, as well as giving you access to performance monitoring and the production of management reports.
There's much more on the road to cloud solutions that suit your organisation and your IT infrastructure, but remember to ask the right questions and to get the answers that will solve your unique needs.
Top tips for cloud solutions
* You need the flexibility to choose the best option for your IT needs - a solution that will provide you with the agility to respond to your customers - from board level to line of business user. Agile companies are successful companies, they respond faster and more accurately.
* You need a secure solution that you can manage and control with the skills you already have in-house, one that gives you certificated audits, reports and complies with industry regulations.
* You need a single management interface across your entire infrastructure - from mobile and remote workers and offices to head office.
* You need a solution that protects your investment, allows you to sweat your existing assets, and gives your users access to their applications - on demand.
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