Hybrid Cloud Deployments to Gain Traction in the Enterprise Market-Gartner Says

Analyst firm Gartner, Inc. releases two new reports, Hybrid Cloud: The Shift from IT Control to IT Coordination and Private Cloud Matures, Hybrid Cloud Is Next, that bode well for the future of hybrid cloud in the enterprise market. By the end of 2017, Gartner estimates that nearly half of large organizations would have resorted to hybrid cloud implementations.

Gartner compares the positive outlook of hybrid cloud deployments to the development of private cloud over the past three years. The analyst firm describes it as having low actual deployments and high aspirations.

Cost remains a key consideration for private cloud, according to Gartner. However, a business case for implementing private cloud cannot be dependent solely on lower costs.

Thomas Bittman, vice president and analyst at Gartner, says that virtualization lowers capital expenses while standards and automation decrease operational costs. He said, "However, taking the next step of adding usage metrics, self-service offerings and automated provisioning requires investment in technologies without a significant reduction in operational cost. With this in mind, the driving factor for going that next step should primarily be agility."

Thus, IT providers should know where agility could make a difference in the services they currently offer. They should also know the new services that would be useful in a more agile setting. To make those determinations, IT providers should then work closely with their customers.

Bittman explained that an IT culture centered on technical expertise does not accommodate a wholly automated self-service model that needs a service-oriented team approach. Organizations working on projects based in the private cloud hardly ever deem technology as a major issue. It is true that private cloud delivery technologies are still evolving and relatively immature, and many enterprises still need to resort to custom work in order to meet their needs. Then there's another significant hurdle associated with the requisite transformational adjustments in order to use the technology behind private cloud computing. Cloud services necessitate operational processes intended to maximize speed and customized for the specific services being offered.

"Too often, private cloud projects are started by choosing a technology, but technology itself does not solve the transformational people and process issues," Bittman said.

He recommended focusing first on a way to make transformative changes possible. In most cases, this involves setting up an organization separate from traditional IT processes, at least while still incubating such cloud projects, and first looking into simple projects with a buy-in between IT and its customers.

Gartner also points out that the growth furthered by private cloud varies. Most deployments start out small with limited functionality. But as private cloud portfolios expand, their corresponding cloud infrastructures tend to be based on technologies selected for pilot projects.

"Vendors are promoting private cloud computing as 'the next thing' for infrastructure and operations - and it is, but only for the right services," Bittman said. "Virtualization is a horizontal, very broad trend, impacting a high percentage of IT infrastructure. Private cloud is a specific style of computing that will leverage virtualization, but is not appropriate for all services. While the majority of midsize and large enterprises will build and deploy private cloud services over the next few years, private cloud will only be used for specific, appropriate services."

Gartner finally emphasizes the importance of choosing a technology foundation that can accommodate expansion-both in functionality and hybrid cloud interoperability. Another option proposed by Gartner is to go with a technology that has rapid ROI and allows for changing technologies in the future. (KOM) Link. Link.