7 Signs That Your Enterprise Suffers from "Cloud in a Corner" Syndrome

Unisys Corporation has advice for CIOs seeking to get the most out of their investment in cloud computing: before plunging in, consider how the proposed cloud solution can best be integrated with the organization's existing mission-critical systems and IT processes.

This analytical approach, Unisys says, is the surest defense against "cloud in a corner" syndrome, where new cloud solutions become isolated from the rest of the IT environment and don't contribute the business value they should.

Unisys advises IT organizations to look out for telltale signs that they have fallen prey to "cloud in a corner" syndrome:

1 - Your team is evaluating a "cloud stack" solution without first putting in place a comprehensive strategy and framework for integrating it with your existing IT environment;

2 - You lack clearly articulated criteria and metrics for cloud success from both IT and end-user perspectives;

3 - You're well into implementation before all stakeholders agree on use cases, roadmaps and expected changes to IT and business processes;

4 - The technology underlying your cloud is so new, none of your IT people know how to operate it and you have no readiness plan in place so they can learn to do so;

5 - You need to create duplicate service, security and risk management processes because your new cloud environment won't accommodate those you already have;

6 - You have not defined and communicated how your team's roles and responsibilities will change with a cloud service delivery model; and

7 - You're already developing a second cloud solution because the first one didn't meet the organization's needs.

The way to avoid "cloud in a corner" syndrome in the first place - or to approach follow-on cloud initiatives - is to raise the focus above the technology and instead create a comprehensive blueprint for cloud success. The first step in this process is to look at cloud delivery models in the context of the total IT infrastructure.

More information on cloud computing can be found at www.CRMindustry.com.