With all of the cloud computing options and services available to support business operations and administration, selecting the right ones can be a daunting task for any business owner. While some cloud solutions offer simple “get started” options and “click to activate” plug-ins, its important to recognize that each business and operation works a bit differently. While there are standard requirements to support every business, individual business owners may have strong beliefs or habits that will impact how well or not a solution works for their particular operation.
Selecting the right technologies and applying platform and application solutions wisely can introduce efficiency in both time and cost that was previously not recognized by the business, or it can create all sorts of havoc and disrupt what were once smoothly-operating workflows. And once a solution is “plugged-in”, consider what might happen if it needs to be unplugged at some point in the future.
Because there is no single solution or set of products which will provide the necessary functionality for the lifespan of the business, it’s important to establish a process and framework which recognizes the need for agility and addresses the requirement to meet new business needs as they arise.
“With the evolution of cloud computing, one inescapable reality continues to surface and that is, as with service-oriented architecture before it, the fact that cloud computing promotes the idea of continuous proliferation of services,” said Daryl Plummer, managing vice president and chief Gartner Fellow.
While software and data integrations and “plug-in” data may be delivered through technology, there will always be a requirement for individuals who understand just how the pieces need to fit together and how the data and work must flow. Its okay to rely on service providers to service and support the implementation, but the direction and design of how the information and work will flow throughout the entire company can provide a strategic advantage and should be an internally-driven project.
As your business looks to the cloud for innovation, efficiency, and mobility – remember to keep your feet firmly planted on planet earth until you know where you’re going. There are a lot of options available, and not all of the hype is representative of reality. You’ll want experienced professionals to help you get off the ground the right way. That’s where we come in.
“What sits between you and the cloud will become a critical success factor in cloud computing..”
Daryl Plummer, managing vice president and chief Gartner Fellow
Cooper Mann Consulting 