As organizations transition their workloads and IT processes to the Cloud, they’re seeking the most simple but efficient approach to reap the full benefits of a digital transformation.
Here’s a look at 10 key IT design and operations digital transformation principles.
1. Cloud-First Strategy
When it comes to hybrid public/private Clouds, swim with the tide, not against it. Most enterprise applications will be hosted on the public Cloud eventually. In fact, more than 50% already are. However, some workloads will need to remain in private Clouds and private data centers with a network of servers, where data can only be accessed by the internal organization.
2. Reliable Access (Last Mile) is Critical
Moving applications to Cloud services is not without risk. Application performance can be impacted by delay. If the network goes down, business can come to a standstill. That risk is mitigated by redundant access and high-availability configurations with direct fiber optic access to Cloud providers.
3. Fiber is the Future
Fiber optic transport is the gold standard for high-bandwidth, low latency and high-quality communications. It connects the office or data center directly into the major Cloud provider networks, free of interference and the vagaries of the public internet.
4. Software Defines the New Wide Area Network (WAN)
The transformation that has been happening in data centers with virtualization, containers and Cloud services is now reshaping Wide Area Networks. These networks are becoming virtualized and software-defined for greater agility, simplicity, scalability and security.
5. Network as a Service
Enterprise networks are evolving from a collection of purchased switches, routers and wires to subscription services. The subscription model allows organizations to rapidly scale up to meet customer demand without the need for big upfront capital expense.
6. Cloud Security is the Next Big Wave
The days of successfully walling off the organization from outside threats is coming to an end with more and more traffic originating outside the corporate firewall. As applications and workloads move to the Cloud, the security perimeter will expand to include Secure Web Gateways and Virtualized Firewalls in the Cloud.
7. Individual Identity Management
In a digital world, security policy needs to move from protecting offices to focus on more individualized security. Identity-based secure access will follow and protect the employee wherever they happen to be working from the home office, a hotel or the local coffee shop.
8. Work from Home is here to Stay
Companies everywhere from Wall Street to local communities, are clamoring for workers to get back into the office. Yet it is becoming clear that not all will return on a full-time basis. The hybrid working model means that organizations will need to extend their IT networks to encompass and support working remotely on a permanent basis.
9. Time to Market
Being late to market can mean losing market share to early movers. In a highly competitive landscape, speed and agility win. IT organizations must lead the drive to faster and better services.
10. Transformation Drives Innovation
Finally, digital organizations are finding new and more cost-effective ways to solve real-world problems. IT departments must evolve from the outdated and inefficient manual methods of doing things and embrace the change to digital transformation.
Moving to the Cloud
Forward-thinking organizations are moving to the Cloud: Public, private, hybrid and multi-Cloud. To find out how the Great Plains Communications scalable fiber-driven technology solutions can accelerate the digital transformation in your organization, contact 855-853-1483.