Table of Contents
- Summary
- What is cloud-based IT service automation?
- Defining cloud-based IT service automation within the context of ITSM
- Unique characteristics of IT clouds compared to other departmental clouds
- Companies running their IT in the cloud
- Considerations for moving to a cloud-based IT service automation model
- How enterprises are using IT service clouds
- Use case benefits
- Risks/downside of an IT service automation cloud
- Food for thought: avoiding common pitfalls
- Understand the limitations of cloud-based IT service automation
- What to consider in moving to IT service automation
- Considerations and preparations for moving to an IT service automation cloud
- Risk-benefit analysis
- Criteria for choosing an IT service automation cloud partner/provider
- On the horizon for IT service automation
- Summary and key takeaways
- About Kristina J. Yee
- About GigaOm
- Copyright
1. Summary
Managing enterprise IT services from the cloud has tremendous advantages and, when implemented correctly, can serve as the technological and resource training backbone for the development of a more coherent cloud management structure within the organization. But some major traps lie in wait for companies if technology decision-makers don’t do their homework.
This report examines the business requirements and criteria for IT when selecting and using a cloud service to support IT operations. It also examines what is unique to IT that requires a more agile, flexible, and available cloud than the departmental clouds used by the sales, finance, and human resource functions.
Key considerations
- Organizations are moving to the cloud for their IT agility needs as the enterprise becomes more geographically distributed and applications proliferate.
- IT clouds operate differently from clouds serving other organizational requirements; they touch the entire organization and should be appropriately evaluated for risks
- It’s not just about automation; a successful IT cloud implementation requires change management and appropriate staffing and training.
- The decentralized IT enabled by IT cloud automation will become the norm, creating a more agile, skilled, and effective IT function.
Thumbnail image courtesy of Thinkstock