Is the transition to the cloud really as easy as we think? Or is the risk of complexity still real? Available competencies in the labor market and strategic choices based on your business needs also determine where your IT is best operated.
“Going to the cloud doesn’t suddenly solve everything,” begins Koen Claesen, Cybersecurity Advisor for SAP. Companies often switch to the cloud because it’s simple and secure, but in reality, it’s often more complex than expected. “It’s only once you’re in the cloud that the real work begins.”
The other gentlemen at the round table on cloud, organized by ITdaily, share this opinion. At the table are Mario Casier, Business Unit Manager Cloud, Software Security at Copaco, Dirk Deridder, CTO of Smals, Luc Costers, Country Lead Nutanix Belux and Eastern Europe at Nutanix, and Tobias Pauwels, Director of Sales at Ctac.
Flowing Water
The participants around the table first try to explain in their own words what the cloud really is. “The cloud is IT like water and electricity,” Costers kicks off. “Cloud technology hides IT complexity. It seems as if you plug into the wall or turn on the tap and IT capacity comes out.”
The cloud is IT like water and electricity
Luc Costers, Country Lead Nutanix Belux and Eastern Europe Nutanix
“Cloud in itself is a different way of dealing with IT in its entirety,” continues Deridder. “It’s important to ask yourself what you want to achieve with it.” Casier also shares this description. “Cloud is not a goal but a means to respond to business needs.”
Surprisingly Complex
We come from the era of the cloud first strategy. “Many companies move to the cloud because they think it’s easy and cheap, but it’s only then that the real work begins,” notes Pauwels.
“Many of our clients have their data in different places, such as a combination of a public cloud ERP and software in their own data center. How are you going to handle security or single sign-on? How will you integrate all the data with each other and maintain control?” That’s when the complexity arises and clients have many questions.
“One of the major misconceptions about public cloud is that your VM is up and running in just a few clicks. It’s not that simple,” Deridder also notes. Consider integrations, security, monitoring, logging, or backups. “A lot goes into making that ecosystem a well-oiled machine.”
Claesen also points out the misconceptions about the simplicity of cloud. “In terms of security, clients often think the cloud is automatically safer. The cloud does have some inherent advantages to make infrastructure safer, but they are not activated and correctly configured out-of-the-box.”
Strategic choice
“The cloud is a strategic choice,” begins Deridder. He introduces the concept of smart cloud approach. “Strategic choices must start from a specific objective. “What do you hope to achieve and what is the context of your company?”
The cloud is a strategic choice.
Dirk Deridder, CTO Smals
Not every company has the same needs or possibilities. For one organization, public cloud may be ideal for rapid scaling, while for another, an on-premises solution may be more sensible due to control and compliance.
Costers notes that companies often don’t know what it costs them to do IT themselves, let alone how much using a hyperscaler ultimately costs. Claesen also warns: “Going to the cloud doesn’t suddenly solve everything.” The choice for cloud is not only technical but primarily strategic, aligned with goals, context, and costs.
Labor Market
Companies often choose to move certain workloads to the cloud or outsource them because the necessary competencies are sometimes hard to find in the labor market. The competencies that are available in the market largely determine where you will operate your IT.
Going to the cloud doesn’t suddenly solve everything.
Mario Casier, Business Unit Manager Cloud, Software & Security Copaco
Deridder: “For certain niche needs, it’s difficult to find profiles in the market. In that case, it’s best to outsource to the public cloud. In other situations where competencies are available and technical expertise is rather low, it may be worthwhile to look towards on-prem.”
The choice of where to operate your IT is a strategic decision that can be viewed from a personnel standpoint. Casier builds on this by explaining the importance of proper training, tools, and automation.
“Which tasks do you have your own employees perform, and what do you outsource?” That’s the question we should be asking ourselves, according to him. “At Copaco, we want not only to train employees but also to offer tools and automation.” He sees these tools as a lever to efficiently deploy less experienced profiles, allowing senior profiles to focus on core activities.
Advice
The gentlemen around the table agree that the cloud is more complex than it appears (and certainly more than the hyperscalers themselves suggest). Moreover, it’s not easy to find employees with the right competencies.
“The cloud is inevitable. You have to go there, but the question is how,” states Pauwels. That varies for each client or industry. The general consensus is that seeking advice and having a reliable partner are indispensable in the cloud. “Surround yourself with partners and experts who are not within your own company,” concludes Casier.
This is the first article in a series of three following our round table discussion on cloud computing. Click here to visit the theme page with the other articles, the video and our partners.