When Deciding on a Cloud Sourcing Strategy, One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Why IT Decision Makers Must Fully Evaluate Their Current IT Environment Before Leaping into the Cloud

According to the newest report from Alsbridge, Inc., titled, “Creating Your Unique Cloud Roadmap,” IT decision makers must fully evaluate their current IT environment as well as future business objectives before they leap into the Cloud.

“The definition of ‘the Cloud’ has become as hazy as a rainstorm,” explains Ben Trowbridge, CEO of Alsbridge, Inc. “The first step in deciding on a Cloud Sourcing strategy is understanding exactly what Cloud Computing is and is not capable of.”

At Alsbridge, the most commonly used definition of Cloud Computing is from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): “A model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.” 

Cloud services can be classified into categories according to the purpose and intent of the services provided. These include IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), and SaaS (Software as a Service). Clouds can also be Public, Private or Hybrid.

“It’s important to stay grounded in a common sense, business-oriented approach in order to choose the best sourcing strategy for your organization,” says Trowbridge. “Analyze your environment, assess all your options, understand alternatives and build a business case based on a complete understanding of the time and cost involved.”

The report offers several key questions to help kick start a useful evaluation when considering sourcing and deciding which activities to move to the cloud. Access the full report from Alsbridge here: Creating Your Unique Cloud Roadmap.”

About Alsbridge Inc.

Alsbridge, Inc. is an award-winning global advisory firm and a distinguished member of the 2010 Inc. 500 fastest growing privately held companies. Alsbridge redefines the way companies reduce costs and improve back office operations.  Our proprietary benchmarking tools and data resources enable clients to utilize the most cost effective and value added sources globally for information technology, business processes and telecommunications networks.  Through a combination of internal optimization and outsourcing, our clients achieve cost savings that support their strategic business objectives. Founded in 2003, Alsbridge is the proven, effective difference. The company’s web site is: www.alsbridge.com. Follow Alsbridge on Twitter @Alsbridge_Inc

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