The document provides an overview of cloud service brokering, defining the role and value of cloud brokers in facilitating cloud computing solutions for organizations. It outlines different types of brokerage, service models, best practices, and industry actions recommended for brokers, providers, and consumers. Key takeaways emphasize using cloud brokers to enhance adoption, simplify acquisition, and centralize governance in hybrid cloud environments.

1. CLOUD SERVICE BROKERING
Anand Chaganty &
Prasanna Raman Sridhar
Company: Infosys Limited

2. INTRODUCTION
TOPIC
UM CORE
LEARNING
ODCA U: Cloud Service Brokering
A what is guide to one of the emerging hot topics
in Cloud Computing
Presentation offers a definition of the cloud
broker’s role and describes the value that a
cloud broker brings to the service chain.
Learn the multiple dimensions of a cloud
broker with insights into the various roles
and responsibilities involved.
2

3. AGENDA
1. What is a Cloud Service Broker?
2. Why Use a Broker?
3. Type of Brokerage
4. Composition of a Cloud Broker
5. Value Proposition
6. Cloud Broker Service Models
7. Blueprint for Broker Capabilities
8. Best Practices
9. Required Industry Actions
10.Key Take-Aways
11.Conclusion
3

4. WHAT IS A CLOUD SERVICE BROKER?
According to Techopedia:
A cloud broker is an individual or organization that consults, mediates and
facilitates the selection of cloud-computing solutions on behalf of an
organization. A cloud broker serves as a third party between a cloud service
provider and organization buying the provider’s products and solutions. A cloud
broker is also known as a cloud agent.
A cloud broker generally works on typical brokerage process principles. They
assist cloud buyers with decision making by helping them evaluate, shortlist,
and select a cloud vendor or solution based on specific requirements. Typically,
cloud brokers collaborate and have mutual agreements with different cloud
vendors, where, if selected, discounts and faster deployment and migration are
provided.
4

5. WHY USE A CLOUD SERVICE BROKER?
The objective of a cloud broker is to translate consumer
service demands, find appropriate matches against various
criteria, and then triage the resultant options and deploy an
appropriate service with a selected cloud provider.
5

6. TYPES OF BROKERAGE
Gartner: Three Types of Cloud Brokerage Will Enhance Cloud
Services
1. Cloud service intermediation. An intermediation broker
provides value-added services on top of existing cloud
platforms, such as identity or access management
capabilities.
2. Aggregation. An aggregation broker provides the “glue” to
bring together multiple services and ensure the
interoperability and security of data between systems.
3. Cloud service arbitrage. A cloud service arbitrage provides
flexibility and “opportunistic choices” by offering multiple
similar services to select from
6

7. COMPOSITION OF A BROKER
7

8. CLOUD BROKER VALUE PROPOSITION
The following three models depicts the positioning and potential implied
value of incorporating a cloud broker in the discovery and delivery of
cloud services.
8

9. SERVICE MODELS FOR CLOUD BROKERING
Comparison of cloud brokering service models (with or without
agents).
9

10. BLUEPRINT FOR BROKER CAPABILITIES
10

11. BEST PRACTICES
 Always try to integrate the service request process to the broker
with the consumer organization’s procurement and compliance
functions
 Be absolutely certain when selecting a model for adoption that the
cloud broker has experience with the selected model and will be
effective
 Synchronize the planned maintenance slots between the
organization and the broker up front;
 Strictly adhere to compliance, regulatory, and business policies
while integrating the broker and when procuring services and
managing services from the providers.
 Ensure that the right authorization rules, entitlements, and usage
policies are in place.
11

12. KEY CONSIDERATIONS
Degree of
Openness
Key
Considerations
Standards
Oriented
Ease of
Integration
Minimized
Lock-in
Secured
Federation
12

13. REQUIRED INDUSTRY ACTIONS
From the individual perspectives of cloud brokers, cloud
providers, and cloud consumers, we recommend these actions to
further the adoption of cloud service brokerages:
 Brokers: Provide catalog templates that guide the consumer
more accurately in defining their original demand statements.
 Providers: Identify and integrate standards and common
definitions for service elements and parameters, which brokers
can more easily parse and triage for comparison.
 Consumers: Demand standards-based services and product
definitions, to reduce lock-in and improve portability.
13

14. KEY TAKE-AWAYS FROM THIS UM
Use the Cloud Broker as a Catalyst for Cloud adoption
Use the Cloud Broker to Simplify the acquisition process
Use the Cloud Broker to integrate Public and Private
Cloud Services (Hybrid Cloud)
Use the Cloud Broker to centralize governance of the
Cloud Service(s)
14

15. CONCLUSION
 An organization first consider its own organizational structure,
internal needs, and special differences. Then, on the basis of
these considerations, select and structure the appropriate cloud
broker model, solution, and approaches.
 In some cases the “common” business functions are federated
between multiple (somewhat different) business units, and in
other organizations these common functions may be completely
centralized.
 We recommend that the organization take these factors into
account when developing an appropriate broker function and
determining how it can foster the achievement of business goals
and objectives.
 There is no “one size fits all” answer!
15

16. 16

17.  ©2014 Open Data Center Alliance, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
17

18. APPENDIX
Process & Usage Scenarios
18

19. CLOUD
BROKER
PROCESS
19

20. USAGE SCENARIOS
20