Individual business departments are going for their own cloud systems as easy-to-install cloud applications are widely available. However, CIOs aren’t happy about it.
Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) was already creating a mess for CIOs and now, personal cloud systems mean more problems.
Logicalis, a UK-based service provider, has raised this issue naming it “Cloud Sprawl”. Individual groups and departments are overwhelmed by the cheap and easy-to-use cloud applications and they are adopting it crazily to meet everyday challenges at work.
CIOs are bearing the immediate effect of this movement, also known as bring-your-own-cloud (BYOC). Workers are getting enough space online (in the shape of Google Drive space, free Dropbox space and free Box.com space) to save all the confidential data of their clients, which by the way ends up outside the company’s firewall and IT department’s control.
Cloud applications that do not require company’s approval are also making their way in because of being inexpensive. Ultimately, it results in ill-managed cloud computing systems, without any input from IT and thus, cloud computing experience for the company becomes unproductive.
Inclination towards separate cloud systems emerged after not utilizing the internal servers. Also, using the default programs of the company cost a lot and is ineffective too, though virtualization can tackle this problem.
But the virtual environment isn’t popular because virtual servers dedicated to temporary tasks are hardly retrieved or reallocated after completion of the job, resulting in a measurable amount of unused server space. And even the giants of data center managers are not able to understand this problem, and consequently, it goes unnoticed.
IT professionals deny allotting more space to different departments, assuming they are out of space. Subsequently, departments look for solutions on their own and buy easily accessible and cheap public clouds. Companies have moved from physical to virtual world and now from the virtual arena to cloud computing. But if cloud system is not managed properly, it would be hard to take its full advantage.
CIOs should focus on planning and managing their cloud environment to prevent potential dangers and expenses that come along with any cloud system. CIOs can handle their IT crisis by by following the four steps mentioned below:
Step 1- Strategy is important
For cloud, it is important to strategize first, as without a proper work-plan; it won’t be able to solve any problem. In fact, it will just keep on adding up to it.
Step 2- Personalized Touch
Understanding the demands and nature of business is very crucial for public, private and hybrid clouds. There is no universal cloud that perfectly suits any business, therefore, customization is necessary.
Step 3- Cloud Solutions
Decide about cloud solutions and also see how to operate them. It will save mismanagement and needless expansion of resources.
Step 4- Caretaker
Appoint a manager that will look after cloud as it is there to avoid the clutter of information used to be created in physical data centers. But cloud computing cannot afford any clutter because it will cost monetarily as well as space wise.
After adopting these four steps, companies can finally get used to cloud and enjoy its extraordinary advantages.
