Written by a practitioner for a practitioner, Transitioning The Enterprise to the Cloud: A Business Approach, focuses on identifying the costs, complexities, risks and benefits necessary to build a complete cloud sourcing strategy.The structure of this book is organized into five main parts: Part 1: Frames the conundrum the cloud presentsPart 2: Provides a business perspective of the cloudPart 3: Outlines how and what to assess in your current technology environmentPart 4: Suggests several potential cloud transition scenariosPart 5: Develops a cloud sourcing strategyTRANSITIONING THE ENTERPRISE TO THE CLOUD: A BUSINESS APPROACHAn inconsistency exists between actual cloud adoption rates and the viewpoints and direct actions of those responsible for corporate information technology operations. On the one hand, information technology (IT) leaders generally believe the cloud more easily enables the implementation and management of technology services, from web and mobile application development to on-demand computing and storage. These leaders also appreciate the cloud's consumption-based pricing model over their current capital-intensive cost structures.Transitioning an IT operation to the cloud is expensive and risky. The transition, in turn, adds complexity to the overall support model. And, until the transition is complete, recurring costs actually go up. As if additional costs, increasing risk, and added complexity were not enough, deciding where to start is perplexing. Furthermore, a cloud transition can be disruptive and requires structured risk planning that must take into account the appropriate pace of change for a particular company.
About the Author: Ed Mahon knows how to assess a complex business technology situation. He has applied this skill to author Transitioning the Enterprise to the Cloud. The book provides a much-needed methodology to uncover and evaluate cloud-transition costs, ultimately driving an enterprise's cloud delivery decisions. Ed has held executive leadership positions for two decades. As a longtime chief information officer, he has managed the impact of many information technology trends and fads. He has also designed new ways of driving value, particularly from information technology investments. Ed's experience includes direct information technology management, spanning several industries. His ongoing engagement with technology, developers, and users provides him with a rich perspective of how to manage change and lead the way.