“Which cloud strategy is the right one?” “How can I get to the cloud safely and cost-effectively?” And above all, “How can I continue to exploit all the potential of the cloud in the future?”
These and many other questions are likely to arise whenever a company decides to migrate to the cloud. At first glance, most companies only see the multitude of possibilities afforded by the cloud, and only realize at second glance how complex and fast-moving the cloud also is. As offers on the market continue to pile up, each provider promises processes that are more efficient and more dynamic. Clearly not every cloud strategy makes sense for every company, however – there’s no universal concept.
To find the right cloud strategy for your own current situation, requirements and needs, it’s advisable to get an expert on your side who fully understands the complexity of the subject.
As with all travel, the cloud journey involves a lot of preparation, planning and travel equipment. In the cloud environment there are cloud service providers (CSP), who analogous to a conventional guide, offers professional support in the cloud transformation. The cloud advisory program creates a customized guide that takes into account the exact requirements and needs of the particular company.
The six program steps consider all options in cloud use and design the appropriate comprehensive cloud strategy for the company:
Enterprise Architecture
Any travel planning begins with determining the destination. Specification of the concrete corporate objectives is a crucial foundation for the cloud journey, too. The Enterprise Architecture program illuminates the individual components of the corporate architecture as well as the future goals in a process-oriented way. Only then the cloud technology can be utilized in all areas of the business. On this basis, a comprehensive concept can be devised for your cloud journey.
Workforce Enablement
Every company should also ask itself the question: “Are my employees ready for the cloud?” Workforce enablement is the linchpin of the cloud journey, because it’s hard to reach your destination if your travel companions are neither motivated nor aware of where they are going. Only a well working crew will be able actually to reach the desired destination. Your cloud journey also crucially depends on your employees. The Workforce Enablement program will optimally prepare your employees for this journey with the aid of numerous methods and tools for knowledge transfer, motivation and change management.
Cloud Security & Compliance
As in all travel, security is also of crucial importance in the cloud journey. The delta assessment in the Cloud Security & Compliance program identifies technical security risks as well as regulatory requirements. On this basis we’ll develop a security and compliance concept geared to your specific situation.
Cost Management
In any journey, including the cloud journey, cost plays a fundamental role. Innovative, use-based accounting models in the cloud afford fully new possibilities. The Cost Management program itself indicates the potential of comprehensive cost control as well as recommendations for sustainably optimizing investments.
Migration Management
To arrive at your destination, you need a reliable plan, a functioning navigation system and a dependable means of transport. On your cloud journey, specialists will apply the Migration Management program with its state-of-the-art migration tools to bring your systems into the cloud fast and securely with as few restrictions on your current business operations as possible.
Innovation Potential
IT systems are subject to constant change. Your cloud journey will accordingly require several stages in the future. Our Innovation Potential program will show you new functions, features and services of the cloud at an early stage, for optimally configuring your IT strategies and projects.
Ready for the cloud?
Companies have not only very specific needs and requests, but also the greatest variety of conditions and cloud maturity levels.
On the one hand, there are companies that know precisely that the transformation to the cloud is essential for their future viability, but have not yet defined a clear cloud strategy. We call this maturity level 1. On the other hand, some companies have already defined a comprehensive cloud-first strategy, but in their transformation they are still missing individual elements for full realization (maturity level 3). But there are also many companies in between that simply have not yet fully defined their cloud strategy but have already taken the first steps in their transformation (maturity level 2).Regardless of a company’s maturity level, a professional cloud provider will step in at the right level and guide the company through to the full transformation. Whether for the entire planning and implementation or merely as a consultant for individual issues, the cloud provider will remain at the company’s side.
Our upcoming blog posts will go into more detail about the different maturity levels.
Conclusion
As you can see, transformation to the cloud is by no means easy. In any case, it’s advisable to have a partner with experience and expertise for developing the right strategy for you. Companies should definitely choose a cloud service provider that offers a broad portfolio. Only then can the full potential of the cloud can be utilized, both today and in the future. Ideally, you should select a provider that will deliver everything from a single source, from consulting to implementation.
Author: The-Loc Nguyen, Expert Cloud Advisory Consulting
