More cloud less fluff

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Readiness assessments, hands-on demonstrations and market insight help organisations filter out the cloud noise and hype to develop a best-fit, best-value approach for the latest IT delivery model

More Cloud, Less Fluff

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Cloud computing is finally going mainstream, with 80 per cent of EMEA organisations planning to migrate mission critical applications to the cloud within the next two to five years.1

Despite this growing confidence in cloud-based services, organisations still have a maze of platforms, providers, policies and pricing structures to navigate as part of the migration process.

Paul Casey, Practice Leader for Cloud, Virtualisation and Automation at Computacenter, comments: “The cloud market is constantly evolving, which adds both cost and complexity to the decision-making process. As adoption gains momentum, organisations need to be able to navigate the different providers, propositions and pricing structures to find the solution that best meets their current and future needs.”

Beware the cloud mavericksWith the cloud noise getting louder by the day, due diligence can become mired in acronyms, analyst predictions and advertising hype. As a result, decisions get delayed; as does the realisation of associated business benefits.

“Although IT departments need to be thorough when assessing cloud adoption, they also need to ensure they don’t hinder growth, competitive advantage or profitability by taking too long to develop and execute their strategy,” says Paul.

A delay in sanctioned cloud adoption could spur impatient users to take matters into their own hands. According to a survey by Virgin Media, nearly two-thirds of British workers want to see their day-to-day software transferred to the cloud.2

“The self-service nature of cloud computing means business departments or individual stakeholders could sign up with a public service without involving the IT department,” warns Paul. “A decentralised and ungoverned approach to cloud adoption will not only increase business risk but also prevent an organisation from taking advantage of different models, such as hybrid and private implementations, resulting in a diluted outcome in terms of cost-savings, efficiency and agility.”

Get real clarity on cloud To help IT decision-makers fast-track their assessment and adoption of cloud computing, Computacenter has developed a Cloud Experience Centre. Located in Hatfield, the centre combines hands-on demonstrations and customer trials with Computacenter’s extensive infrastructure expertise.

“The Cloud Experience Centre enables organisations to make informed decisions about how, when and if they should adopt cloud computing,” explains Paul.

“By providing unrivalled insight into the different options available, it helps customers understand adoption paths; identify and seize the best cloud opportunities; and achieve the expected results.”

The centre also demonstrates Computacenter’s role as a cloud builder, provider and integrator. For example, visitors to the centre will be able to trial our unique Cloud Connect Portal, which provides on-demand access to both Computacenter’s pragmatic cloud services along with capacity from third-party public providers.

Are you ready to take the leap? As well as understanding current and emerging market offerings, IT departments also need to evaluate their organisation’s cloud readiness.

Cloud computing can have a significant operational and cultural impact on a business and its infrastructure.

With the Cisco Cloud Index predicting that over half of computing workloads in datacenters will be cloud-based by 2014,3 IT departments need to ensure they have the right infrastructure foundations in place to cope with this new delivery model.

To provide this insight, Computacenter has developed a unique Cloud Maturity Model that enables an independent assessment of cloud readiness. By evaluating key factors, such as IT strategy, business goals and risk profile, Computacenter helps organisations determine their cloud roadmap and any operational issues that need to be addressed.

“Cloud is far from a ‘done deal’,” comments Paul. “Our readiness assessment helps organisations determine the business areas and applications that are best suited to a cloud-based delivery model. As a result, they will be able to take rapid advantage of the cost and agility benefits offered by cloud computing, which will boost both profitability and competitive advantage.”

Furth

erinfoTo find out how we can help you on your cloud journey, please contact: [email protected]

Read more about Computacenter’s Cloud Experience Centre and Maturity Assessment at: www.computacenter.com/cloud/

References:1. www.cloudpro.co.uk/cloud-essentials/hybrid-cloud/2629/companies-

nearing-mission-critical-apps-cloud2. www.cloudpro.co.uk/cloud-essentials/2835/workers-new-demand-

cloud-when-do-they-want-it-now3. www.computerweekly.com/news/2240115165/Preparing-your-

network-for-cloud-applications

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