Not sure which platform model to choose? Don’t over-burden the organisation. Stay focussed. Know the business you’re in!

This article is part of the limited preview of the “The Missing Cloud Programme Roadmap”, a generic roadmap for any enterprise cloud adoption programme.

1. Executive Summary
2. The Cloud and Enterprises
3. The Missing Cloud Programme Roadmap
   1. The Cloud Programme Roadmap
   2. The First Iteration of The Cloud Programme Roadmap
   3. The Unavoidable Disclaimer
   4. The Roadmap for The Missing Cloud Programme Roadmap
   5. The Manual for the Missing Manual
   6. Building the Business Case
      1. Key Achievements
      2. The Definition of Cloud
      3. The Rationale for the Cloud Programme
         1. The Motivations and Grande Opportunities
            1. Improving the Status Quo
            2. Leveraging One-Off Opportunities
         2. The Anticipated Outcomes
         3. The Broader Picture
         4. The Business You’re In
      4. Managing the Message
      5. Securing Regulatory Approval
      6. Connecting With Your Peers
      7. Recording Outcomes: The Cloud Manifesto
   7. Starting the Cloud Programme
   8. Iteratively Building the Delivery Pipeline
   9. Iteratively Executing the Delivery Pipeline
4. A Cloudy Future

The Business You’re In

Modern cloud platforms can broadly be categorised into Infrastructure-as-a-Service (in short: IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (in short: PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (in short: SaaS).

In that order, they increasingly shift more responsibility from the consumer to the CSP while at the same time taking more control away from the consumer.

When the inherent loss of control is acceptable, the above categories also define a value chain. By increasingly outsourcing more of the undifferentiated heavy lifting to the CSP, businesses can focus on providing their specific value added services.

In reality, most organisations choose to customise the selected cloud platforms to their needs and standards before fully adopting them. The additional overhead then raises the question

Which business are you really in?!

Depending on the choice of underlying platform, the answers include

• Running a cloud platform when merely using IaaS services with the organisation providing a tailored corporate cloud experience
• Running a technology stack when leveraging PaaS services, outsourcing certain responsibilities to the CSPs while simultaneously retaining a certain degree of flexibility when it comes to choosing technologies
• Running a collection of value added services when leveraging higher level CSP offerings (up to, and ideally including SaaS) which allow to focus on serving customers with organisation-specific value added services

Note that the above options come with quite different levels of control, operational models, maintenance responsibilities, and costs. Like most things, choosing a business to be in is a trade-off.

However, choosing an inappropriate business for the organisation to be in can have severe financial implications and put a significant strain on the technology organisation. Take your time. Choose wisely.

Managing the Message and Securing Regulatory Approval

Find out more about it in the next article.

So, How Do You Keep Focus?!

While the above Worx for Me!™ when it comes to remaining focussed on business outcomes and managing the workload taken on by the organisation, you may have an alternative or better way.

Think this is all rubbish, massively overrated, or generally heading into the absolutely wrong direction?! Feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn and teach me something new!

As always, prove me wrong and I’ll buy you a pint!