Multi-Cloud and Multi Confusions – The 4 C’s of the Cloud World

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Multi-Cloud and Multi Confusions – The 4 C’s of the Cloud World

Back in 2014 and coming from a deep ERP background where SAP controlled the underlying infrastructure I never ever got to ever see what was under the hood. I constantly confused a database to storage and never understood why a middleware like IBM MQ was even needed in the middle and likewise. Today, I see very similar confusions that clients and consultants alike face as the cloud agenda scales up rapidly. Some confusions that prevail today that are;

• Is a Private Cloud really only an SW or a true Cloud? If a Cloud then who brings the underlying infrastructure is needed and how will that infrastructure scale up to offer the required cloud elasticity.
• If Containers and Dockers are open source technology then why on earth do we have to buy on top Container Management Platforms?
• Can we run Containers on top of already existing VMware virtualized infrastructure? Furhermore, can we still take advantage of existing VMware investments?

And this list goes on…

Clients who see similar confusions pop up but are keen to start their cloud journey now should first acknowledge these confusions as valid questions. None of these questions have straight answers. Cloud transformation is both a business and a technology transformation and technology is getting hybrid and complicated. A full-scale cloud transformation is a massive exercise (money, time and deep business impact) and a one time chance to get things right. Starting a cloud journey moreover requires a strong technology partner by your side who can work with you, advise you and derive and drive the meaning and the impact of all such questions for your business.

If one of you has ever shopped for an expensive diamond you will probably recognize the term 4 C’s of a diamond. While we all can spot a shiny diamond, we always rely on an expert or a true advisor to confirm how the 4 C’s apply to our personal investments. Those 4 C’s equate to the 4 C’s to the Cloud world as:

1. Container Application Platform: Do you even need a cloud enterprise application platform? The market offerings, and options are expanding by the day and so are the options/confusions.
2. Cloud Management: How to manage cloud computing products and services across multiple clouds. All cloud vendors are releasing tens of new services each week, how to manage existing subscriptions and how to choose new relevant services to stay relevant in a cloud world.
3. Cloud Compliance: Cloud vendors will ensure with fine T&C’s prints that you carry the compliance burden of your own business. How will you share that this responsibility is shared and more so met vs. simply pushed out with contract terms?
4. Cloud Cost Management: A cloud can appear as a cheap TCO alternative to start with but what if you end up having running water taps (hundreds of cloud service subscriptions) towards your cloud providers.

So if you in the past chose an advisor for your personal investments (4 C’s), do you also see the need for an advisor for the cloud investments your company and your business wants to make?

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at Niraj.Pandita1@ibm.com