Why a cloud-first strategy?

Cloud provides enterprises a flexible, configurable, best-of-breed platform enabling them to scale and be ready to meet the demands of the new digital future.

Most enterprise leaders have adopted a cloud-first approach for their digital transformation. Some of the key objectives that drive this are:

Is moving to cloud challenging?

Yes, it can be challenging as enterprises must make a host of complex decisions while moving to cloud, including the choice of deployment models, service models, and migration options.

Cloud deployment models: There is no one type of deployment model that is right for everyone and the choice (private, public, hybrid and/or multi-cloud) depends on the specific needs of your enterprise. There are several approaches that factors-in to be considered: technology, operational, and cost fit. For example, a workload-centric or a bottomtrickles-up approach depends on the nature of workloads. An organization-centric, or a top down, approach, in contrast, involves a holistic view that considers business agility and growth, competitive differentiation, operational preferences, regulatory requirements, and CAPEX-versus-OPEX choices. 

Cloud service models: Enterprises, based on their business requirements, can choose the appropriate service model such as SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, CaaS. Each service model provides a different level of abstraction, and it is important to understand the nuances and how each of them can be leveraged for various functions to design an optimal strategy. 

Cloud migration options: With multiple options available for cloud migration (6R – repurchase, rehost, re-platform, refactor, retire, retain), the process of decision making and moving some or all your digital operations to the cloud can be overwhelming. To select the appropriate strategy, clearly define your need, analyze the current state, and outline the immediate, near-and long-term benefits that you seek from cloud transformation. A one-size-fits-all approach does not work in making these decisions as each enterprise has a unique management thought process, CAPEX bandwidth, savings accrual view, technical debt, and agile maturity.

Ready-to-deploy, best-in-class containerized digital use cases are key enablers for the EaaS approach that can lead to 20-40% faster value realization through shorter planning, design and implementation cycles, better executive, and stakeholder alignment. These will help drive perpetual value realization for the organization.

Finding the right model

To untangle the complex decision-making process of choosing an apt appropriate cloud service model and deployment, you must establish a cloud-enabled business and an IT vision.

The cloud transformation vision should translate to a reimagined operating model for each enterprise function. This approach has three steps:

1. Establish a hybrid cloud and multi-cloud strategy with a specific cloud service model.

2. Develop a business-aligned cloud migration and modernization roadmap with defined business case.

3. Set up a cloud business office (CBO), a champion for cloud-enabled transformation management to maintain guardrails and manage realization of cloud value.
   

To simplify the cloud transformation journey and achieve speed to benefits, you should adopt a ‘unifying approach’ or a ‘cloud-in-a-box solution’ called enterprise-as-a-service (EaaS).