Build Your Cloud Strategy – The Right Way

Now that cloud computing is an integral part of virtually all IT infrastructures, it’s essential for every enterprise to prepare a comprehensive and flexible cloud strategy.

Dave Bartoletti, a vice president and principal analyst at IT research firm Forrester, recently observed that cloud computing has become an essential linchpin in enterprise business technology. "Customers demand more cloud-enabled experiences." Business leaders want the latest cloud applications, developers want new cloud-native tools to deliver software faster, and tech managers need cloud infrastructure platforms to run it all, he explained. "You'll only realize these benefits with a pragmatic cloud computing roadmap." Forrester presented its strategy for developing a cloud roadmap in its recently-released 2020 Cloud Computing Playbook.

While leveraging public cloud resources provides tremendous value, transitioning to the cloud is not as easy or intuitive as many IT leaders expect. For many IT organizations accustomed to operating on-premises data centers, cloud adoption can also mark a major paradigm shift, noted Scott Sinclair, a senior analyst at IT research firm ESG. "The need to leverage both on- and off-premises resources is a top driver of IT complexity," he said. "A cloud roadmap reduces the risk, cost, and complexity of integrating cloud resources as operations become more efficient and more predictable."

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