IT Strategy to deliver cloud computing values.

Cloud Computing is a new computing model for most enterprises. The forward thinking CxOs are welcoming this new model of computing, because this model can support their business objectives efficiently. It is a commodity based model and it is also scalable. It delivers services dynamically anywhere you want and access your information from any place. It is always available. It supports end-users demand, automatically scalable and elastic in nature. Moreover, it is a self-service computing model. To enable cloud computing model in any enterprise, Systems Management and Infrastructure are the two key areas need to be focused along with application and information services. Success of a cloud computing will depend heavily on how an enterprise design these two components.

CIOs need to prioritize their IT initiatives appropriately to build a successful cloud computing model. Systems Management, Infrastructure Services, Applications, and Information services need to be transformed simultaneously and at the same space.

As services oriented architecture is in the core of cloud computing, therefore, enterprise need to adopt a strategy to transform their enterprise architecture slowly into service oriented architecture and this is a major challenge to an IT organization.

Now the question is do we really need to transform an EA into SOA to implement cloud computing? Many enterprises have enabled their Web Services in a legacy environment. It is true, enterprise can adopt right approach and techniques to make their existing environment into cloud computing. However, enterprise should have a strategy to transform their EA into SOA to get full benefits of cloud computing. Only a right IT Strategy can deliver all the values of a cloud computing that:

• can help to align IT with business easily,
• can sustain change and innovation,
• can make an IT operating environment more flexible and adaptable,
• can support growth and profitability,
• can increase reliability and the operating environment can be more resilient,

and many more values.

In my next article I will focus on what should be our approach to enable cloud computing in an enterprise and deliver these values,

http://nandiamit.blogspot.com/2010/09/in-my-earlier-article-it-strategy-to_30.html