How often have I now heard clients and colleagues saying that migrating to a hybrid environment encompassing public cloud is easy? You just transfer the workload and you know, public cloud is really safe. Well, not sure I buy that argument. Let me explain you why.Public cloud is safe.I will not dispute that AWS and... Continue Reading →
The Journey to Service Integration
In my last blog post I discussed how to manage service providers while running IT as a service broker. I mentioned that most companies go for a hybrid service integration model maintaining integration leadership and skills. I also pointed out this is a journey and not an easy one.Starting the cultural changeThe culture and working... Continue Reading →
Managing Providers when you are a service broker.
In my last blog entry I focused on how IT is increasingly becoming a broker of services and what this implies for the IT department. In the previous one I mentioned how external services can be integrated within the enterprise service offering through a cloud broker platform. To respond to the needs of the business... Continue Reading →
Cloud Brokering and Provider Management
Lately I started discussing Brokering in a group conversation and took the NIST definition expecting all attendees would immediately relate to what brokering actually meant. Halfway through the conversation however somebody intervened and asked me why I was not just using a web page with links for all the services that needed to be accessed.... Continue Reading →
Security, Compliance and Hybrid Environments
Public cloud is more secure than private cloud, many specialists will tell you, and they are probably right. But that’s not the point as most companies going for hybrid environments. Let’s take a look at the predictions from Industry analysts:IDC predicts that more than 80% of Enterprise IT Organizations Will Commit to Hybrid Cloud Architectures... Continue Reading →
When speed is of the essence, is cloud the answer?
A couple years ago, when talking to a client about the speed at which servers could be provisioned, he explained me very seriously his company could do it in 6 weeks if a spare server was available in the warehouse. He went into details and explained the average time for each of the steps in... Continue Reading →
Disrupt or be disrupted, that is the question
Uber disrupted the taxi industry, AirBNB the hotel market and tesla the automotive industry. What is happening in your sector and what approach are you planning in response? How does that influences your IT department? And are they ready to take on the challenge? After having asked ourselves whether we’re going to cloud for the... Continue Reading →
Be responsive to the business, is cloud the solution?
In my previous blog entry, I asked the question: “Are you going to cloud for the right reason”. I highlighted cost as one of the main reasons companies look at cloud. But is cost really diminishing? That remains to be seen. To benefit you need to manage the utilization of virtual servers rather closely, making... Continue Reading →
Are you going to cloud for the right reason?
Many companies have established a cloud first strategy. Many clients tell me they are moving to the cloud. But are they doing that for the right reasons? Are they thinking through all aspects of why it makes sense to go to the cloud? Why ask the question? Transforming applications and infrastructure is a complex endeavor,... Continue Reading →
Do we still need an IT department?
In a world where the business is increasingly performed using digital technologies and where the younger generation is IT literate, do we still need an IT department? That is actually an interesting question. It’s true that some industries have become driven by information technology. Think about the financial services industry or telecom. Most financial assets... Continue Reading →
Transform IT for the digital economy.
As companies increasingly become digital, information technology needs to be central to their evolution. However, this implies a fundamental change in thinking from both IT and the business. Are both entities ready to take a new start? Let me give you an example. Let’s think about a manufacturing company that wants to deliver services to... Continue Reading →
Portfolio Management in a Digital Enterprise
In a digital enterprise, the business is IT and IT is part of the business. The question whether a separate IT department is still required is a good one. But let’s leave that one aside for the moment and look at how we can get business and IT fully aligned in delivering the functionality required... Continue Reading →
Christian Verstraete