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How to Succeed with a Multi-Cloud Strategy

While some organizations are still exploring the viability of a cloud strategy, others have moved to scale up on their deployments and create multi-cloud environments. The breadth of services, cost savings, business agility, and innovation opportunities drive technology leaders, which offer increased opportunities to compete in crowded markets.

That said, moving to a multi-cloud model is hardly easy. Like adopting a single cloud, going multi-cloud also face common risks and critical choices that if made incorrectly, can wipe out the benefits of cloud completely. In this blog post, we will explore some of those considerations.

  • Consideration #1: Developing Architecture – The first consideration for multi-cloud strategies are the architectures of IT infrastructure. Homogeneous versus heterogeneous implementations have been a debate for years in the technology community and this is no different in multi-cloud implementations. Different in this discussion however, is the fact that cloud computing offers a service-oriented approach, which means that service – and not monolithic application capability – takes center stage. As cloud solutions also promote flexibility through their subscription model, organizations can also start and stop their usage of any service at any time.
  • Consideration #2: Cloud Management – As multi-cloud strategies may include multiple cloud solutions, the issue of cloud management comes into play. Each cloud platform has its own management console, contributing to a new learning curve and a lack of unification in the cloud management process. Should an organization consider leveraging multi-cloud strategies, they may want to consider the purchase of a unified cloud management platform (CMP) that places an abstraction layer between the different interfaces on a “single pane of glass”. From here, organizations can also control user access management and governance that manage IT resources, DevOps, and system complexity.
  • Consideration #3: Understanding Requirements – In the journey to the cloud, organizations must go through an auditing, strategy, and MVP process to indicate what their goals and vision for cloud is. In moving to multi-cloud, strategists and technologists undertake similar strategies to ensure the right adoption of tools and resources. An example of these activities may include:
    • Understanding the business
    • Understanding current applications and infrastructure
    • Defining security and associated protocols
    • Defining governance and training needs
    • Define resource management and operations
    • Define implementation and automation

We offer many of these services through our own Innovation Lab, a 2-16 week program where our consultants help organizations build a plan, minimum viable product, and strategy to ensure a successful transition into multi-cloud environments.

No matter your position in your cloud journey, the process should not be cloudy and confusing. With the appropriate steps taken, any organization can scale up their technology capabilities.

Discover Multi-Cloud with Perficient

Are you looking for ways to maximize your multi-cloud strategy? Join Perficient later this week at IBM InterConnect in Las Vegas as we walk through the IBM Cloud Automation Manager. Our own Vishal Rajpal will be on panel this Wednesday from 10:15 – 11 AM in Lagoon C in the Mandalay Bay hotel.

You can also reach out to us at sales@perficient.com for a conversation and download our hybrid cloud guide for more information.

Learn more about our IBM practice here.

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Albert Qian

Albert Qian is a Marketing Manager at Perficient for our IBM PCS, DevOps, and Enterprise Solutions Partners focused on cloud computing technologies.

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