Cloud Computing For Dummies®

Chapter 4. Developing Your Cloud Strategy

In This Chapter

• Knowing your company's strategy

• Assessing your environment

• Doing the math

• Weighing the risks

Many companies think that the cloud has the potential to dramatically reduce the costs of managing their technology infrastructure. The situation isn't black and white. In some situations, cloud-based services are the right solution at the right time at the right price. In other circumstances, the cloud as a platform needs more investigation before applying it to a business problem. It is tempting to simply start using a variety of cloud services in response to an immediate problem. However, before you get too far down the road, you need to make sure that you have a strategy and road map for how and when you are going to use cloud services within your organization.

You need a strategy. Here, we list five key areas that should be part of your planning:

• When and how should you use a public, private, and hybrid cloud service?

• What is your company's strategy for managing capital and operational expenses over time?

• How do you plan to achieve the right level of service across the cloud and the data center?

• What are the rules and regulations that your cloud provider needs to adhere to, to keep your company safe and in compliance?

• How are you planning to control the data as it moves out of your data center into external clouds?

Note

There is no one right path or strategy to leveraging cloud services within your business. The decision depends on your data ...