The path to effective Cloud transformation

Italy – where the Cloud Computing phenomenon is monitored by the Cloud Transformation Observatory of the Polytechnic University of Milan – followed the world trend, with 19% growth for the same period (2017-2018). In 2019, the Italian Cloud Computing market, which includes Cloud Transformation Observatory of the Politecnico di Milano,, will almost certainly exceed 2.5 billion Euros. 

In particular, 82% of medium-large companies use at least one Public Cloud service (this is a somewhat optimistic figure, however, as it even considers Gmail to be a Public Cloud service). More specifically, only in 23% of cases are these services extended to mission-critical processes. Based on these data, the heads of the Observatory declared: “the cloud has reached the age of reason”.

Finally, thanks also to the drive of multinationals based there, Italian enterprise is beginning to understand the value of a revolutionary paradigm and the impact this new technological approach can have on business.

The introduction of Cloud Computing has, indeed, caused a cascade of new technological views, such as Artificial Intelligence, which are helping to break down even the strongest resistance.

This has been possible thanks, in particular, to a new business model that directly affects one of the historical headaches for Italian CEOs: keeping down IT costs.

The introduction of the “as-a-service” model – where technology is provided as a service, and you only pay for what you use – means people are thinking again about their resistance to technology, along with an ever-increasing number of international success stories that have been a lightbulb moment (or a warning alarm): adapt, or die.

After an initial phase required to size up the two main alternatives (public or private cloud?), the resistance of those who already imagined the failure of an overly rigid model began to break down, and a specific direction was proposed – the hybrid cloud, which currently meets all business needs. 
The issues of data security and privacy were further targets for the detractors, but these too were broken down by the clear facts of the matter. 

Today, cloud computing and the “as-a-service” approach are therefore so mature that they no longer represent an option, but rather the only viable way forward for the Digital Transformation of companies of all sizes.

Clarifying with regard to vertical markets, the Observatory’s data confirm the Banking and Telco & Media sectors’ ability to innovate, but surprise us with a sensitivity that we would not expect from the Manufacturing sector (25% of the Public & Hybrid Cloud market), and confirm the need to improve in the Retail, Large-Scale Distribution and Insurance sectors.

The good news should not downplay the issue: choosing to move your IT infrastructure to a hybrid cloud, for example, is not easy and requires– even for larger and structured companies with an extensive IT team– the involvement of one or more technology partners to take the company by the hand and successfully guide it towards the new frontier.

According to Forbes there are three key components in the cloud transformation journey: applications, network and security.

What is missing? Hardware. The “bare metal” is not mentioned, for the first time in a century of computer science, simply because it is indispensable, yet thought of as a commodity, it is intrinsic to the cloud. The cost of hardware is low, the cost of network appliances is low, the cost of storage is as low as it has ever been, and will fall again. In a cloud infrastructure, there is one certainty: you will always have the best performing hardware and the largest storage available.

The key components of a cloud infrastructure, therefore, are applications, the network and security, which has certainly not been overlooked; quite the opposite, in fact – it is precisely the sensitivity of the infrastructure which requires a review of the approach.

Cloud services would be meaningless without a high-performance network accessible from anywhere. In every cloud service contract, it is essential to consider the features and SLAs for a fast, efficient and secure network. If this is not guaranteed, the introduction of good network equipment is feasible, especially in the hybrid scenario (hybrid cloud), where part of the infrastructure resides on a private cloud or on the customer premises. 

As mentioned, security is a key element for the correct operation of a cloud infrastructure. Security defined through a completely new vision that must take into account the fact that business (and therefore critical) information travels on different and dissimilar networks, which sometimes have no guarantees. The new approach to security includes monitoring tools that go beyond the corporate perimeter and shift the focus from the user to the access point to the corporate network. 

Cloud security is not called into question, or at least it shouldn’t be when choosing reliable and recognized Cloud Service Providers, but the security of devices that areboth private and business at the same time is critical. And because it is complicated and challenging to transfer a proper security culture to human resources, and it is even more complex to manage the security of peripheral IoT devices, it is better to focus on the behavioral anomalies of the devices themselves. This is the new approach to behavioral security.

Finally, applications. The real heart of a cloud structure, which uniquely determines the efficiency of the corporate IT infrastructure. It is in this context that the contribution of the IT provider becomes fundamental. Applications manage data that is vital to your business and must guarantee the highest levels of reliability, scalability and availability. In addition, when choosing best-of-breed application solutions, intrinsically available on a cloud level, it is essential to combine the necessary activity of integration and connection via APIs with the existing architecture at the company, if you want to protect your investment, especially in the case of hybrid choices.

As mentioned, it is difficult for a company to manage the transition to the cloud on its own. It needs to be able to rely on an experienced partner able to provide reliable references and handle a complex cloud transformation project, i.e. the transfer of the entire infrastructure. Lutech is your premier partner for cloud porting, paying special attention to the preliminary phase, by preparing a much-needed initial assessment with three main goals:

• Defining the current state of the company’s IT system
• Identifying transferable technological assets according to a priority sequence dictated by the business
• Sharing a cultural vision of change common to all company departments

The choice of application solutions, processes to be transferred as a priority, cloud configuration, network and security follow this fundamental approach. 

At the end of the assessment phase, a detailed plan of work is drawn up which, we must remember, should involve most of the company’s resources in a learn-by-doing approach, marked by specific operational priorities for infrastructure, software and sectors. An overnight transformation is unthinkable; conversely, a shared path, composed of specific, progressive steps to deal with the issues that will inevitably arise, is much more advisable.

Lutech has the skills, experience and references which make it a premier cloud-transition partner. Through high-level partnerships with the most reliable and comprehensive vendors and cloud providers on the international market, Lutech leads companies through cloud transformation in accordance with the most appropriate and correct best practices. It is also able to provide the necessary training support for company employees and contribute to the necessary onboarding process.