How To Future-Proof Your Cloud Deployment

Cloud computing, a type of computing that relies on sharing computing resources rather than local servers to manage applications is an on-demand service model for IT provisioning and is based on virtualization and distributed computing technologies. Cloud computing has radically changed software development and the way enterprises use data and information. It has become a mainstay of the current IT landscape, with the market research firm, IHS, predicting that £142 billion will be spent by enterprises globally on infrastructure and cloud-related services by 2017.

However, when considering an enterprise cloud solution, it is important to note that rather than being a single solution, it is a combination of technologies includingvirtualization, networking andstorage solutions, and hardware - working together, with each of them having their own unique characteristics. These components, and their characteristics, should be adequately understood before enterprises adopt cloud solutions. There are significant benefits to using cloud solutions. The main advantages are rapid go-to-market, business performance resourcing, business agility,and cost reduction. Many companies across the business spectrum are realizing the benefits of cloud and are migrating or will migrate to a private, public or hybrid cloud environment. While there are definite benefits to using cloud solutions, proper planning and diligence can ensure that a company’s cloud investments withstand future change or become future-proof.The sections below outline steps to optimize cloud investments. 

Data Center Optimization
One of the key steps to perform before a company considers cloud migration is to ensure that its data centers are in order and automate its data center virtualization processes. Data center virtualization and cloud computing are often thought to be the same. However, while virtualization is a fundamental cloud computing element that helps deliver on the value of cloud computing, cloud computing refers to the delivery of shared computing resources, software or data, on-demand and through the Internet. Virtualizing the data center can significantly ease the transition from the data center to the cloud. 

Planning and Analysis 
The type of cloud environment that a company adopts is largely determined by the corporate demand and existing IT resources. These cloud environments can vary greatly since every company’s needs are unique. The IT resources a company adopts should ideally be utilized fully, and for this, planning is critical. Questions such as what is going to be accessed and by whom, how users will connect to the cloud environment, how many users the environment will need to support, and how growth can be accommodated need to be thoroughly analyzed.