Talking about the benefits of cloud computing

There are lots of options for cloud computing, but each offers specific benefits. What are the primary ones users hope to see?

Responsiveness: Cloud computing gives IT the ability to respond to demands from business units faster than ever before.

Efficiency and lower operating expenses (OPEX): By automating the provisioning of workloads and the control and management of resources, organizations see improved efficiencies and higher admin-to-server ratios (reducing OPEX). This automation allows organizations to present elements such as self-service provisioning to a line of business.

On-demand elasticity: By controlling and managing resources, cloud computing reduces the need to design infrastructure for peak use. This allows resources to be scaled up when required and then recovered when the resources are no longer needed.

So, now that we have some definitions out of the way, when does a private cloud make sense? Many enterprises are not yet ready for the public cloud due to concerns over security, service levels and co-mingled workloads. One common element that every enterprise wants, however, is the lower costs that public clouds promise.

A private cloud is a way for you to get into the cloud and at least:

1) Gain data center efficiencies through better resource utilization and automation.

2) Acquire agility with control. Self-service workload provisioning and deployment makes line-of-business users more efficient and reduces demand on IT.

3) Leverage existing infrastructure investments to get started. Through simple changes to people, processes and technology, the benefits of cloud computing can be extended to your existing data center resources and the workloads running on them.

Many companies that are considering cloud computing start with a private cloud. They begin with a virtualization platform, and then consolidate the "low-hanging fruit" or non-strategic workloads to get a handle on the technology. For enterprises with lines of business that have high churn around their workloads, like a development and test shop, the ability to offer self-service provisioning to those users can and will remove a great strain on IT resources.

In our next installment, we will discuss what has to change in an organization, people, processes and technology, to set you on the right course to the private cloud.

Remember, "cloudification" isn't just about me telling my story. We can only learn and move forward by sharing ideas and exchanging concerns and questions about cloud adoption. I'd like to hear your thoughts, experiences and best practices regarding how virtualization and the cloud have affected your enterprise and the way you deliver IT services. And, if you have any questions or want to start a discussion, I welcome that, too.
 

Jean-Marc Seguin is chief architect for Embotics.