Despite the buzz about private cloud computing, very few organizations have actually implemented automated, self-service private cloud environments, according to Lauren Nelson, Senior Research Associate at Forrester Research.
Speaking at a session at the Interop conference in New York last week, Nelson asserted that Forrester’s queries of its own client base late last year indicate that only a small fraction (6%) of 857 clients in North America and Europe has internal private clouds in place. A new survey is under way.
The firm defines private clouds as having automated deployment and management, self-service access, shared architecture between business units and pay-per-use billing. Nelson says Forrester’s very specific definition of what constitutes a private cloud may be the reason that its implementation percentage is so low. Many companies that have virtualized their environments say they have a private cloud, she says, even though they have not implemented features such as payback systems, automated deployment and self-service access.
Four Ways to Reach the Cloud
Forrester recommends four best practices for companies that want to establish a private cloud for their enterprise:
- Know exactly what users want from the cloud so that they will use the services provided. If they want things like agility, flexibility and customization, be sure to account for those features, she advises.
- Start small. Beginning with a small private cloud deployment — for example, in one department or with one application — means there’s less risk for IT if the initial deployment is not successful.
- Use cloud infrastructure elements, including hardware and software, that integrate well with the existing environment. The new cloud environment must jibe with the existing IT infrastructure to ensure cohesiveness.
- Build the private cloud with an eye toward eventually moving to a hybrid cloud environment — one that includes both private and public cloud elements. That means selecting vendor components that are designed to integrate with some of the leading public cloud offerings, Nelson says.
