Overcoming the cloud of uncertainty

The cloud industry has evolved significantly over the years, with VMware standing out as a key player in cloud computing, its reputation in the market helped it gain significant market share and facilitated a successful acquisition by tech giant Broadcom in November 2023. It has been over a year since this happened and, as with all acquisitions, it prompted companies to consider how it might impact their requirements.

Broadcom implemented several changes to VMware’s cloud offering, including sunsetting the option to buy perpetual VMware in 2024, terminating OEM agreements and ending support contacts. Most recently it announced its licence changes whereby it is raising the minimum core licensing requirements to 72 cores.

While these changes have created some uncertainty, they have also driven innovation in the private and hybrid cloud environment, with many organizations looking at VMware based cloud platforms from 3rd party providers to maintain the VMware skills they have in house whilst also reviewing how to innovate in other ways in the cloud and reflecting on what they want from cloud-based solutions.

Factors driving cloud adoption

In addition to the changes that have unfolded in the cloud industry, the IT landscape has transformed, hybrid work has increased, and organizations have reached an inflection point on their cloud journey.

Firstly, they are starting to recognize the value in AI’s ability to radically improve their business but to benefit from it, they need to modernize the systems that AI programs rely on to work effectively.

At the same time, the attack surface is rapidly increasing along with the complexity and variety of cyber threats. Companies need robust cyber security strategies to safeguard their core systems and data with advanced security measures and continuous monitoring.

Finally, they are aware that they do not have a large enough IT team and resources to manage the increasingly complex computing, networking and storage environment which includes on-premises, private and public clouds.

These are the key drivers behind the growth in cloud computing.

Balancing the (hyper)scales

According to Grand View Research, in the next five years, the cloud market is expected to reach over £498 billion with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.2 percent. To attract and secure some of this market share, hyperscale cloud models are improving their offerings to deliver compelling solutions to organizations across various industries.

Companies are spoilt for choice when looking to migrate to the cloud, change cloud providers or implement multi-cloud solutions to gain access to vast computing resources and infrastructure to support their data processing, storage, and application needs.

However, before migrating, companies must understand how these hyperscale solutions differ to determine which is best for their needs. AWS, for example, is known for its mature and extensive ecosystem, global reach with numerous data centers, and strong community and support network. Microsoft Azure integrates seamlessly with Microsoft products such as Windows Server, Active Directory, and Office 365, making it an attractive choice for enterprises using Microsoft technologies. VMware's extensive ecosystem includes a large network of partners, developers, and users, providing strong support and resources for its solutions.

Based on this, organizations must understand their specific needs and the cloud options that are available to make the right move to the cloud.

Key considerations when moving to the cloud

Every organization’s optimal cloud journey is unique and must be considered according to various factors including workloads and applications. To get the most out of a cloud solution, companies must consider what each provider offers and then measure this against their specific requirements.

Beyond this initial cloud selection process, organizations also need to consider migrating systems and optimizing the new cloud investment. They should also consider protecting and managing the system in the long term.

Regulation and compliance requirements must also be top of mind to ensure the organization adheres to all regulatory requirements. Finally, the connectivity needs to be robust and secure to ensure that employees can quickly and efficiently access the cloud with minimal disruption.

Silver linings

The cloud journey can be daunting, even with in-house expertise. However, a Managed Services Provider (MSP) experienced in working across cloud platforms including private and public cloud, can help guide the process.

To successfully migrate to the cloud, the MSP will develop a strategic approach and evaluate the cloud options, ranging from private to hyperscale cloud solutions, against the organization’s specific needs. They will also plan and predict costs, which often pose the biggest challenges when migrating to a public hyperscale cloud.

After migrating to the cloud, MSPs continue to add value by providing ongoing support to optimise cloud performance. This includes monitoring and managing the cloud environment to ensure it meets the company’s performance requirements.

Just as every organization’s needs differ, so too do the cloud offerings available on the market differ from each other. As such, companies must make informed decisions when opting for a cloud solution, whether it be a private cloud or looking at hyperscale cloud solutions.

Experience over the years has shown us that a number of organizations will likely end up with a multi-cloud or hybrid cloud approach as different systems and applications will have different needs. There has been a shift towards more Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) as a way of migrating to the cloud, this adds complexities from a resilience perspective, as the cloud is it is not a ‘one size fits all’ solution.

Managing complex multi cloud and hybrid environments can be challenging, navigating this decision with an experienced MSP partner can simplify the process and deliver quality at a better price.

The evolution of cloud is only set to continue, migrating workloads to the cloud is not a question of if, but when, therefore getting the right cloud for your environment is crucial to ensure the ongoing evolution of business.

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Sean Tilley is Senior Director of Sales of EMEA at 11:11 Systems