In the previous cloud migration planning and cost optimization series post, we described how to build a picture of the as-is IT estate, and of how it is used and performs. However, as you prepare to migrate, it would be wrong to assume that you need to reproduce this picture. Instead, look for opportunities to…
If you’ve been following the advice offered in this blog series so far, you’ll have built up an accurate picture of your as-is IT estate, amended it to exploit any opportunities for rationalization, and pinpointed any applications that need to remain on-premise. Armed with this clear statement of your requirements, you’re now in a position…
This article is part of an ongoing series about the pros and cons of the cloud, cloud migration, cloud costs and cost control. Here we explore the importance of establishing a cost baseline as the first step of any cloud migration project. The basic financial drivers for a cloud migration of an existing business system…
Trustworthy data is vital for IT Finance and Procurement to be able to manage and control costs. In order for IT Asset Managers to identify opportunities for rationalization and improved planning, an IT Asset baseline is critical – but one more granular than is generally available. Many organizations rely on out-of-date CMDBs and spreadsheets to…
According to CNBC, AWS and Azure have been growing at double-digit rates for the past few years. In 2008, Gartner had cloud spending coming in at about 5.5% of IT budgets. Now in 2018, Gartner has cloud spending at 19% and growing to 28% of enterprise spending by 2020. A good example of this trend…
Along with the certainties in life like death and taxes, companies will always be borrowing money. Over the past 9 years, the Fed has set interest rates at historic lows. Companies took advantage of these low interest rates to expand their business and make significant investments. Even hugely profitable companies like Apple borrowed money because…
In Part 1, I talked about Shadow IT SaaS usage being an epidemic that is overwhelming to IT departments where 80% of budgets are still spent on maintaining the existing infrastructure. The idea of efficiency and control as a road to cost management is virtually impossible when so much is in the “shadows.” In addition,…
More organizations are adopting SaaS applications, and at first glance it seems Software Asset Management should be greatly simplified with SaaS. After all, many SaaS application agreements have some element of seat-based per-user pricing, which means it should be easy to identify users and easy to prevent subscription cost over runs. But our customers are…
