An introduction to Cloud Computing, based on the material from Rackspace’s, CloudU Certification. Chapter 7: Doing business in the Cloud

1. CLOUD DISCOVERY
AN INTRODUCTION TO CLOUD COMPUTING
Chapter 7: Doing business in the
Cloud
By: Alain Charpentier

2. Table of content
• Shifting the IT responsibilities
• Developing new skills
– Vendor Relationships, New
Technologies, Strategic Business Skills
• Recruitment, Training, Hiring and Retention
of Cloud Professionals
– The Lack of Formal Qualifications, The Narrow
Talent Pool
• Dealing with Opposition to Cloud Computing

3. The shifting IT responsibilities
• The overall effects of cloud computing on IT jobs will likely
resemble those of other trends such as
outsourcing, automation, and utility computing: a gradual
movement of the IT profession away from the nuts and bolts
of technology toward the business end of the organization. A
change of paradigm from blue-collar IT to white-collar IT.
• Tasks in the cloud domain will include:
– Guiding the company's cloud strategy
– Evaluating provider offerings
– Negotiating contracts and service
– Determining which applications or data are safe or appropriate for
the Cloud
– Collaborating with the company's procurement and legal
departments

4. Developing new skills
• The move to Cloud Computing introduces significant opportunities for
those working within the IT industry – broadly these opportunities fall
within three different skill sets namely:
– Vendor Relationships, Cloud Computing did not create the concept of IT
outsourcing. However Cloud Computing is a step change in outsourcing as it
involves outsourcing multiple services at multiple levels of the computing
stack to a far higher number of vendors.
– New Technologies, There is an entire set of technologies based around the
utilization, creation and manipulation of the “glue” that binds different
services together. Similarly there are opportunities in the areas of Cloud
Computing monitoring and control.
– Strategic Business Skills, has IT become true strategic partners of the
business – rather than being simply a cost center of the organization, IT will
become a value-adding department that is actively involved in delivering
solutions that drive short terms benefits.

5. Recruitment, Training, Hiring and
Retention of Cloud Professionals
• There are opportunities and challenges for IT departments planning the
human impact namely:
• The lack of formal qualifications
– Cloud Computing is a relatively nascent area resulting in a dearth of formal
qualifications. Cloud Computing practitioners are pioneers going into a new
space and very much learning as they go.
– In the absence of formal qualifications, proof of competency and thought
leadership by way of engagement by blogging, event attendance and
community involvement is a valuable proxy.
• The narrow talent pool
– Cloud Computing is very much at top of mind for IT professionals. It also
means that good talent is quickly snapped up.
– Organizations should look to encourage staff or candidates that have the
aptitude to learn new skills, and encouraging those individuals to engage
with the Cloud Computing community, good talent can be created.

6. Dealing with Oppositions
• An analogy which can be effective response : Electricity, it is undeniable
that organizations benefit from the ability to purchase clean electricity
when they need it and to forget about the intricacies of electricity
generation.
• In the same way, managing and running mail servers, database servers or
application infrastructure does not had much value. IT professional
should focus on core strategic issues.
• Issues such as security, legislative or other reasons why Cloud Computing
is inappropriate for the organization are not valid. There is a growing
body of resources to answer these individual concerns.

7. QUESTIONS ?