Let’s review the key steps to drive a successful cloud modernization strategy.
1. Align your use of the cloud to your business objectives
Leveraging cloud resources should drive some form of overall improvement. Exercise caution in moving to the cloud for the sake of utilizing the cloud. Consider performing a current-state assessment and documenting a defined cloud strategy as part of your process. Evaluating how leveraging certain cloud functions will further enable your organization to reach both strategic and tactical goals. Review that and your overall goals when evaluating which applications should go onto the cloud.
2. Think beyond just cost
Moving to the cloud may not necessarily be less expensive, but it will unlock far more value and fundamentally change your business by enabling scalability of platforms, agility and long-term resiliency—all of which have become paramount for businesses in the post-COVID economy. Plus, it allows companies to focus their IT resources on the most important items, and offload other pieces to a trusted cloud partner. That can be helpful as the labor market for IT resources continues to be constrained and in examples such as IT security, reach negative unemployment.
3. Understand your entire ecosystem
Most organizations will operate multiple clouds and data centers with interconnected enterprise networks and an overarching security infrastructure that continues to expand in complexity and size. Establishing a seamless environment across the entire ecosystem is a vital component to not just being successful in the cloud, but also running an effective IT operation. It’s important to identify where integrations are possible and establish an environment that optimizes overall manageability, performance, security and connectivity. Laying out an enterprise architecture prior to undergoing any significant transformation will help limit disruption and inefficiencies.
