PPPM and cloud - perfect partners

The emergence of project, programme and portfolio management (PPPM) as a fast-growing market for software as a service (SaaS), with an expected compound annual growth rate of 40%, according to Gartner, clearly makes a definitive case for its relevance within the enablement and realisation of cloud computing.

Says Gartner: “PPPM solutions will become increasingly important to managing successful cloud adoption and to providing visibility and control of the cloud services portfolio. PPPM is the only product category that will see a significant increase over the next two years (up 13%) when it comes to managing public cloud migrations.” (Source: Competitive Landscape: SaaS Project and Portfolio Management Software, Worldwide, 2011 published 6 April 2011.)

However, it is not only cloud that stands to gain from PPPM - it is a mutually beneficial relationship with both benefiting tremendously, says Valerie Carmichael-Brown, CEO of Triniti Business Solutions.

The cloud and SaaS can become a portfolio manager's best friend, especially when working in an immature or “red-taped” environment. In fact, Gartner states that PPPM is the fastest growing SaaS enterprise software marketplace, with an expected five-year growth rate of 41%.

So with all this said, how does PPPM impact the adoption of the cloud, and what will its role be in, for example, the adoption of cloud computing development platforms such as Microsoft's Windows Azure?

For one, in order to migrate to the cloud, companies need to employ due diligence and rigorous planning. Part of this planning, for example, is the development of an organisational risk profile and how this will be impacted by the move to the cloud.

Also, the risk profile determines which services and applications will be moving to the cloud.

PPPM plays a fundamental role in this process; managing programmes, projects, resources and requirements needed to move to the cloud. Indeed, companies are increasingly using PPPM service providers to drive their cloud projects.

Importantly, PPPM facilitates the planning and decision-making process that will ultimately determine what IT services and other transformational initiatives will be employed to deliver the most business value.

PPPM offers the following benefits to cloud deployment:

* It provides a strategic view of IT;
* By adopting a PPPM approach to IT transformation, organisations can reduce the cost and complexity associated with managing the new processes;
* It provides crucial visibility and governance that will ensure the transformative value of the cloud;
* It manages IT and cloud transformation programmes, projects and resources that are needed to deliver change;
* A PPPM-based approach provides CIOs with the insight, control, and flexibility to turn IT transformation ideas into real value-added business services and to adapt quickly to changing business conditions.

PPPM, like most industries, is dictated by technology's ever-evolving nature. With the cloud and the provision of SaaS, companies stand to save on costly IT expenditure while staying one step ahead of their competitors.

Through SaaS, new technologies and solution sets can be adopted when and where required. It is undoubtedly a dynamic, competitive and flexible approach to deploying and managing IT resources.

So what are some of the practical, day-to-day benefits to PPPM customers when utilising the cloud as SaaS, as opposed to deploying and hosting these solutions in-house?

For one, considerable investment in hardware and technical expertise are often needed to host new applications. With cloud-based SaaS, solutions are deployed quickly and a small, technical team is required.

Furthermore, due to its on-demand nature, cloud PPPM tools offer faster time-to-value.

In a world where quick access is critical, cloud PPPM is a must - it can be accessed from virtually anywhere, which means decision-making is improved, allowing on-the-fly changes and implementation.

Also, SaaS PPPM allows for easy updates, managers therefore have access to the latest features and functionality and no upgrades or re-installation is required.

PPPM SaaS also allows for both multi-tenant, single instance application, therefore, one platform delivering features to many PPPM customers via subscription or multi-tenant, multiple-instance, where customers have their own application platform delivering PPPM features via subscription-based pricing.

Cloud SaaS offers the following important benefits to PPPM:

* Real time visibility and transparency of proposed investments across all areas;
* Deployment timeframes can usually be measured in days not months;
* Lowered TCO - emphasis on configurable solutions (rather than highly customised systems), usability, and automatic upgrade options;
* Minimal capital outlay - no need for infrastructure to support multiple, on-premise environments;
* Flexible, subscription-based - no major upfront investment;
* Web-based task, project and portfolio allow team members to access the project schedule, update individual tasks and collaborate on projects from the Internet;
* PPPM vendors configure and deploy environments to specifications for a nominal, one-time charge; and
* SaaS-based PPPM solutions provide IT with the evidence it needs to readily implement change to ultimately drive a competitive and innovative organisation.

In the end, PPPM and cloud is a partnership that will set the trend for years to come. They offer one another the means to successful deployment and usage, and with offerings from Windows Azure, Windows 8 and Microsoft SharePoint, the sky is indeed the limit.