The pace of change in technology, from cloud computing to social media, has raised the profile of — and demands on — the CIO role in many organizations. IT is now a crucial player in the process of implementing and delivering on a company’s business strategy. Meanwhile, CIOs have their hands full as they work to stay in step with ever advancing technologies and best practices. Companies evolving from a “traditional” in-house IT infrastructure to a hybrid model call for CIOs that are open to change and that take an active role in shaping business strategy.
A hybrid IT infrastructure, which combines traditional IT as well as private, managed, and public cloud, provides benefits that a traditional, in-house environment cannot, including improved functionality, lower costs, and higher service-level agreements.
The idea of hybrid IT is transforming IT architectures worldwide, and is redefining the role of IT itself. Many companies have moved beyond the early phases of cloud adoption, where they were defining cloud computing and absorbing its implications for business. The role of the IT professional is being redefined. A hybrid IT model requires that these individuals support all aspects of a new hyper-agile environment.
The cloud computing model, in which a company can supply IT services at a reasonable cost, is very attractive to budget-conscious executives. However, cost is not the only issue. Many would say is not even the crucial issue. Speed is equally, if not more, important. With companies now moving at blinding speeds, and new companies specifically entering the markets with stunning ease, older companies are seeking new ways to respond with speed to these fast-changing conditions.
Hybrid IT helps companies accelerate their business by implementing the ideal mix of cloud and traditional IT. More and more, this hybrid infrastructure “speed solution” is being favoured by mid- to large-sized organizations seeking to keep pace with a new crop of upstart competitors.
Of course, a company always has the option of doing nothing, but the consequences of doing so are potentially disastrous. Companies looking to define that perfect mix of cloud and traditional IT must analyze every piece of its IT inventory, and consider how each application would best be deployed based on questions such as:
- How much would it cost to migrate?
- What regulatory requirements would come into play?
- Would the application be secure, available and reliable?
- Would migrating the application to the cloud violate any of the company’s IT standards?
Only when an organization has analyzed its IT applications from every angle can it begin the process of determining the best deployment scenario.
ServerCloud Canada’s white paper, “How to transform to the right mix of hybrid infrastructure,” provides information on transforming a hybrid infrastructure by implementing and managing the right mix of traditional IT, private cloud, and public cloud, to meet the needs of the business. To download the white paper, click here.
