How To Select The Right Cloud Service This autumn and winter have been rich with opportunities to discuss cloud strategies with many different audiences; from CIO’s to CFO’s and LCA’s. I have experienced a big demand for clarifications on the question(s): What can I put in the cloud and what´s in it for me? I put together a recent blog post on cloudadvisor.se which I’d like to share with you. I will start with the “What” part… IaaS-scenario When you are considering Infrastructure as a Service there are some clear areas that are suitable: Seasonal peaks in IT demand makes
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Service Level Agreements should ideally be agreements that describe the services delivered, customer obligations, warranties, disclaimers, service management levels, service availability and termination clauses. There are some important factors that the buyer should consider when discussing the SLA with a provider: How do the provider calculate the availability figure? You need to understand their formula and also ask if the calculation is based per month, quarterly, annually or something else. How does the service schedule look like (planned maintenance)? Does the provider have some disclaimers in regard to “software failures”? Response times and latencies: How are they measured? Start time
Your Lifeblood In The Cloud Vendors Hands Information is the lifeblood of organizations, private as well as governmental. What are the wave breakers in terms of trusting cloud vendors with your lifeblood? I have categorized three main areas: 1. Perceptive Data: Independent of operational excellence, technology innovation or marketing wizardry, the main question is still on top: What information can under any circumstances live in a public cloud? 2. Prenuptial agreement agreed upon: Open formats that are thoroughly specified and offer true portability are defined in the first section of the agreement. Agreeing on data ownership and rights in the
Nothing grows in a vacuum. IT has evolved over the decades and has gone through several paradigm shifts. Virtualization of computer resources and the quest for the most effective operations have never gone out of fashion. Outsourcing parts, or all, of the IT Capabilities has a long track record. Those who have experience with out-/multisourcing have a new landscape to explore when considering going into the clouds. Before exploring the benefits and the challenges, it is a great idea to make up a check list: What are my drivers & motives for cloudsourcing? Be clear about your priorities and make
Cloudbuilding – multiple personalities preferred We have arrived to the point where our quest for understanding the terrain has provided us with a map, compass and a potential destination. You are now at the ”make it or break it-”point. Drawing up a credible implementation plan is a demanding task, not for the faint-hearted. I have dubbed this role ”Cloud Maestro”. The sketch below gives a good overview of the multidisciplinary skills the Maestro must possess. Sketch #1. Schizophrenics only, please. What are the Deliverables? A viable implementation plan, based on the strategic direction decided upon after the Strategy Safari, must
Cloud safari – investigate the surroundings “Live with your head in the clouds, as long as you keep your feet steadily planted on solid ground!” This is the shortest possible version of the initial investigative phase of your Cloud Safari. If you feel that things are all clear then stop reading now. I had a feeling you would continue. Thank you for your attention. Let’s tackle the longer version then. Independent of your organizations size, there are two main inputs you need to be able to succeed in your strategy endeavor: Your current IT Capabilities – Excellent article that is
Cloudcoke – successful strategic safari in the clouds By Predrag Mitrovic of CloudTweaks The cloud hype is long gone. History. (European) reality is that most businesses and governments are starting to realize that the phenomenon holds a lot of substance in this post-hype phase. The new awakening is driving the demand for strategic advisory and help to facilitate the strategy formulations. Many organizations experience tough times trying to understand the business models and drivers behind the SPI acronym. But there is one single most important wave breaker: The understanding of the necessary components that forms a good SLA and a
