Building a cloud strategy is anything but easy. The technologies are complex. The options either seem limiting – or overwhelming. And the ever-evolving state of the technology can lead to misconceptions or uncertainty about how to implement it for a real organization.
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It’s easy to see how cloud causes confusion. But by understanding all the options that are really available to you, you can build a cloud strategy that meets your unique business needs.
Here’s the truth about some common cloud misconceptions to keep in mind as you build your strategy.
MISCONCEPTION // Cloud computing either means building an all-new infrastructure or getting rid of my entire infrastructure
REALITY // The best approach is often somewhere between public and private.
New technologies mean the line between a public and private cloud model is blurring. It’s called hybrid cloud, and it offers the best of both worlds.
Recent advances in storage and data transfer capabilities mean it’s easier than ever to move data from your private cloud to a public cloud option and back again. Interoperability between all your environments mean you can easily access more storage or compute capacity as needed, while still keeping your most critical data where you know it’s safe.
Plus, orchestration between your private and public cloud environments means you can automate processes and enable self-service portals for your users. They can provision compute resources in the public cloud with a single click—and then seamlessly move data over from your company’s private cloud while still retaining control.
MISCONCEPTION // Cloud computing means putting all your data (including critical and sensitive information) in someone else’s hands.
REALITY // You don’t need to turn over all your data to a third party.
You can pick and choose the services you want to consume and the data you want to store in the cloud.
In other words, cloud adoption doesn’t have to dramatically change every business process, just those that make the most sense.
For example, you could leverage a cloud-based SaaS communication solution, or move your communication applications to the cloud. And at the same time keep your business-critical applications—or those with sensitive information—on in-house infrastructure, for the sake of security and compliance.
Or you could use cloud storage for housing only non-critical data on less expensive hardware. It’s simply a matter of finding the right mix for your business.
MISCONCEPTION // Any change in the way we do things is going to mean a major investment in infrastructure
REALITY // You can implement a cloud strategy without major infrastructure overhauls.
Investing in cloud doesn’t mean you need to invest in new infrastructure. Leveraging public cloud options is a cost-effective way to add almost any kind of business IT capability, especially when compliance or data sovereignty are not primary concerns.
And a managed private cloud option—where you use dedicated, private space in a cloud partner’s data center—can ensure data sovereignty without requiring you to actually build a private cloud infrastructure in your data center. And you still get the cloud efficiencies and agility benefits.
VMware solutions make it easy to implement a hybrid cloud approach. With these technologies, you can easily move virtual machine templates to the cloud, using VMware vCloud Director on-site to deploy them seamlessly to your cloud environment.
MISCONCEPTION // All cloud partners are created equal
REALITY // All cloud partners are not created equal—especially when it comes to strategy.
Many cloud providers simply want to sell you space on a rack, without taking into account what actually makes sense for your business.
Obviously, that’s not a strategic approach. As you seek an expert opinion on your cloud strategy, look for a provider that will sit down with your team to assess your business goals and challenges. They can help you sift through your cloud options to find the best approach for your organization.
No two businesses are the same. No two cloud strategies should be, either.