CIOs can't just focus on cloud computing technology and accept change as the way to win

Some time ago, IDC made 10 predictions for the 2013 Global System infrastructure software, which mentioned "open source cloud infrastructure software will play a huge role in the business". According to IDC Research, the modern enterprise is very popular with open source products, at least half of the users will choose Open source products as virtualization technology. Open source infrastructure has become an important part of many enterprise infrastructures, and Linux is one of the most successful products. For Open-source cloud system software, such as OpenStack and Cloudstack, which are typically built on Linux and open source management programs, they will be a powerful alternative to VMware and Amazon, and have made great strides in business in the 2013. As a pioneer in the open source software industry and a Platinum member of the OpenStack Foundation, SuSE has made an irresistible industry-leading position in the cloud infrastructure solutions market.

Each enterprise has its own ideal technical way to deploy cloud computing: public or private (mixed), open or closed, vertical or horizontal, and so on, and open source will be the ideal and inevitable cloud environment. In the open source cloud environment, companies will use a variety of tools and technologies, together to create a future cloud of heaven and earth. As more and more companies opt for cloud computing, SuSE points out that a company that uses cloud technology must have an open organizational structure in which it and business units need to be as tightly linked as partners. Therefore, for cloud computing, companies have focused on technology change and migration, and now need to focus on the people and processes in the IT department.

What is this all about? Because the main benefit of cloud computing is that it provides companies with tools to quickly respond to the changing needs of business and customers. For example, self-service and other cloud capabilities enable business people to effectively control the computing resources they use and access those resources when they need it without bothering the IT department. However, the potential loss of control and compliance risk from cloud computing is also dire. "Open" CIOs should not ignore these challenges, begging them to disappear automatically, and should embrace cloud computing as an opportunity to open up isolated IT departments and mobilize business units to help drive their success.

The implementation of organizational change is more gradual and time-consuming than the purchase and introduction of a cloud technology. CIOs need to realize that no matter what type of cloud is deployed, the return on the final investment depends on their ability to work together with executives across the company, while leading it to better business integration. These all take time. Thus, when CIOs decide to dive into the cloud, they should immediately begin to adjust the management style and culture and processes of their organization to achieve a cloud commitment to business agility while continuing to guard against risk.

CIOs can take small steps to develop their organizational structure.

Management style

CIOs should start this evolution by example. As a manager and a disseminator, the behavior in an open organization should be more inclusive and outward-oriented. With the introduction of cloud computing solutions, CIOs must build leadership in other parts of the organization and become leaders in the IT department. In order to integrate into this new business/IT environment, IT departments should communicate more with the outside world rather than isolate themselves, and should work more as collaborators rather than just technology.

When more stakeholders are involved in technical decisions, some think it will lead to a CIO's concession to power and control. The fact is that when more and more ideas are added, the CIO has the opportunity to play its central role and lead the organization to success. If a CIO attracts the attention of all stakeholders in the business, they can turn the challenge into a Position of Thrones.

Culture

A shared strategy requires cooperation and transparency, because the success of the investment depends on the business and IT departments. While many companies already have such technical infrastructure to secure open communication between business units, the promotion of corporate culture for cloud infrastructure use does not always meet demand.

To overcome these cultural barriers, reform measures should be put in place as early as possible to support a more open corporate culture. These changes may involve identifying team members with collaborative experience and transferring them to key positions within the organization, as well as establishing regular executive-level reviews to define and monitor cloud service levels to ensure that business needs are effectively met. In addition, human resources will play a significant role in events and activities that bring together people from different groups in a common interest. Finally, it is important that all stakeholders recognize that the investment in cloud computing involves many common interests, all of which benefit from an open communication culture.

Process

Even with a more open management and corporate culture, existing processes will remain a hindrance. If you do not change the basic process, it will be meaningless to deploy cloud computing solutions that enable it and the business to respond more quickly. For example, if it takes two weeks to get authorization for a server, it's no use even if you can provide a virtual server in the cloud in 5 minutes.

In addition to simplifying the complexity of approvals, CIOs should also look for improvements in other processes to make their partnerships more open and flexible. This could include a framework for security and data protection across private cloud and public clouds, a management portal for delegating access to business control systems, or a standard service and repository for faster development cycles in a private cloud. The new definable business partnership is designed to create value, so the organization's processes must support that goal.

Conclusion

The quality of the cloud is closely related to its business. Using technology without changing the business is the most serious mistake a CIO can make. The savvy CIO's vision is not just on cloud computing technology, but they are open to the changes they need to bring meaningful results to the business.