For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals
Take The Wheel: Build Your Cloud Computing
Strategic Plan Now
Strategic Plan: The Cloud Computing Playbook
by Dave Bartoletti
October 28, 2016
Why Read This Report
Key Takeaways
Your customers demand more cloud-enabled
experiences. Your business leaders want the
latest cloud applications. Your developers
want new cloud-native tools to deliver software
faster. And your tech managers need cloud
infrastructure platforms to run it all. You’ll only
realize these benefits with a comprehensive
strategic plan. This report makes the case for
infrastructure and operations (I&O) leaders to
take the wheel and build a comprehensive cloud
strategic plan that recognizes the primary needs
of all stakeholders.
Cloud Computing Is Now A Foundational
Enterprise Technology
Cloud services are powering customer-facing
apps, empowering sales teams, speeding
software development, hosting core business
apps, and transforming data centers. Without
a unified strategic plan to guide and govern the
use of cloud services, such broad disruption will
create chaos.
Strike The Right Balance Between Business,
Developer, And Tech Management Priorities
Everyone wants to move faster. Beyond that,
business leaders, developers, and tech managers
have very different objectives, concerns,
constraints, and expectations of cloud services.
The key to strategy — and the hard part — is
enabling multiple paths to the same destination
without introducing too much friction.
I&O Pros Should Be In Charge Of Setting
Cloud Strategy
Regardless of who buys, downloads, signs up
for, or creates a cloud app or platform in the first
place, eventually tech management will be called
on to monitor, secure, optimize, or upgrade it.
The earlier I&O is involved, the better prepared
the entire business will be to safely expand cloud
use everywhere.
forrester.com
For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals
Take The Wheel: Build Your Cloud Computing Strategic Plan Now
Strategic Plan: The Cloud Computing Playbook
by Dave Bartoletti
with Glenn O’Donnell and Michael Caputo
October 28, 2016
Table Of Contents
2 Every Company Needs A Strategic Cloud
Plan Today
4 Cloud Strategy Is A Team Effort: Know Your
Players
Business Leaders Want Cloud Software
That Helps Them Win, Serve, And Retain
Customers
Developers Want Cloud Platforms To Build
And Deliver Compelling Software Faster
Tech Leaders Want Cloud Platforms That
Enable Greater Infrastructure Agility
Recommendations
10 Develop A Cloud Strategy Based On What
Your Partners Need
Notes & Resources
Forrester based the guidance in this report on
research interviews and inquiries with more than
50 enterprise companies adopting a wide range of
cloud platforms and services, as well as data from
Forrester’s Business Technographics® surveys on
cloud services adoption, drivers, and challenges.
Related Research Documents
Application Adoption Trends 2016: SaaS Expands
Across The Enterprise And Across The Globe
The Four App-Delivery Strategies For A
Customer-Obsessed Operating Model
The Public Cloud Services Market Will Grow
Rapidly To $236 Billion In 2020
What It Means
12 Nobody Will Wait For You To Set A Cloud
Strategy
13 Supplemental Material
Forrester Research, Inc., 60 Acorn Park Drive, Cambridge, MA 02140 USA
+1 617-613-6000 | Fax: +1 617-613-5000 | forrester.com
© 2016 Forrester Research, Inc. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. Forrester®,
Technographics®, Forrester Wave, RoleView, TechRadar, and Total Economic Impact are trademarks of Forrester
Research, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. Unauthorized copying or
distributing is a violation of copyright law. [email protected] or +1 866-367-7378
For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals
October 28, 2016
Take The Wheel: Build Your Cloud Computing Strategic Plan Now
Strategic Plan: The Cloud Computing Playbook
Every Company Needs A Strategic Cloud Plan Today
Cloud computing is a ubiquitous linchpin of today’s enterprise business technology agendas. You might
start with a simple software-as-a- service (SaaS) replacement of your email or CRM system, build a
new mobile app in the public cloud, or close a backup site in favor of a cloud-based disaster recovery
solution. Most likely, you’ll be doing all three at once. Forrester fields hundreds of inquiries every year
from technology management clients trying to leverage the cloud in all of its forms without weakening
governance or disappointing stakeholders. Cloud services are already at the heart of your firm’s three
most important strategic priorities — increase revenues, improve the customer experience (CX), and
reduce costs — and in our view, every company needs a strategic cloud plan immediately. I&O leaders
need to proactively drive the development and execution of this strategic plan. Forrester sees that:
›› Tech management and business leader goals are finally in sync. The common notion that
I&O leaders only care about and are only measured on cost savings and operational efficiency is
outdated — business and tech leaders’ top priorities are now remarkably well-aligned (see Figure
1). They agree on what is required for business success, and both prioritize increasing revenues
and improving CX over reducing costs. Why does that matter to your cloud strategy? Because
business leaders use cloud apps to grow revenues, developers use cloud platforms to create
exciting CX, and tech managers use cloud platforms to govern infrastructure costs and minimize
risks such as outages and security breaches.
›› Cloud services enable a customer-obsessed operating model. Now that priorities and goals
are aligned across key cloud stakeholders, your cloud strategy must drive real change. I&O leaders
should take direction from the four principles of customer-obsessed operations: 1) Be customer-led
in all you do; 2) change course when the data tells you to; 3) prioritize speed over perfection; and 4)
tear down silos (see Figure 2). That means giving preference to cloud services that directly improve
CX, encouraging the adoption of advanced analytics tools to turn data into insights, embracing true
self-service and continuous delivery, and shifting from project teams to product teams.
›› There are multiple simultaneous paths to cloud value. You won’t stick to one path on the
journey to your cloudy future (see Figure 3). Cloud maturity is not a one-lane road; it’s a multilane
highway. Cloud services have matured to the point that they can replace, augment, and host an
increasingly wide range of enterprise workloads. Gone are the days when cloud platforms were
only suited to new mobile or web apps. A rich collection of database, analytics, messaging, and
integration services are now available to modernize and extend the most complex on-premises
app environments, from database and analytics to financial and production apps. Just as you
won’t engage your customers in a single marketing channel, you won’t have a single cloud strategy
behind the scenes.
“We have three cloud-related problems: what to replace with SaaS, whether to develop in Amazon
Web Services or Microsoft Azure, and what to do with the 300-plus virtual machines in a data
center we want to close.” (Head of IT, southeastern US university)
© 2016 Forrester Research, Inc. Unauthorized copying or distributing is a violation of copyright law.
[email protected] or +1 866-367-7378
2
For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals
October 28, 2016
Take The Wheel: Build Your Cloud Computing Strategic Plan Now
Strategic Plan: The Cloud Computing Playbook
FIGURE 1 Business And Technology Priorities Are Nearly Perfectly Aligned For 2017
“Which of the following initiatives are likely to be your organization’s top
business priorities over the next 12 months?”
(High or critical priority)
Technology decisionmakers (N = 14,248)
Business decisionmakers (N = 5,488)
73%
75%
Increase revenues
71%
71%
Improve the experience
of our customers
64%
62%
Reduce costs
Improve differentiation
in the market
Accelerate our digital
business
55%
48%
51%
37%
Base: global business and technology decision-makers and influencers
Source: Forrester’s Global Business Technographics® Priorities And Journey Survey, 2016
FIGURE 2 Align Your Cloud Strategy With The Customer-Obsessed Operating Model
Principles of customer-obsessed operations
From
Cloud strategy guidance
To
Customer-aware
Customer-led
Prioritize cloud platforms and services that
directly improve the customer experience.
Data-rich
Insights-driven
Encourage the adoption of cloud data analytics
services to improve customer insights.
Perfect
Fast
Embrace cloud developer self-service and
continuous delivery platforms and tools.
Siloed
Connected
Create product teams that include business,
development, and tech management staff.
© 2016 Forrester Research, Inc. Unauthorized copying or distributing is a violation of copyright law.
[email protected] or +1 866-367-7378
3
For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals
October 28, 2016
Take The Wheel: Build Your Cloud Computing Strategic Plan Now
Strategic Plan: The Cloud Computing Playbook
FIGURE 3 Enterprises Take Multiple Simultaneous Paths As They Adopt Cloud Services
Enterprise workloads migrate to the cloud
New enterprise
workloads
migrating
to cloud
Path 3:
Path 2:
Path 1:
Original
cloud-native Path 0:
environment
Web
Sales
CRM
Analytics
BI
Mobile
Systems of
innovation
Business process reinvention
Financials
Predictive
Omnichannel
Systems of
record
Production
Systems of insight
Systems of engagement
Cloud Strategy Is A Team Effort: Know Your Players
Cloud services, from cloud applications (SaaS) to cloud business services to cloud platforms — i.e.,
infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) and platform-as-a-service (PaaS) — shake up traditional sourcing
and consumption models. They are easy to try and (relatively) easy to buy. Without a cloud strategy,
business units and developers often source cloud services themselves and bring in tech management
after the fact, when they need help or support. I&O pros should get out in front of cloud demand today
with a unified cloud strategy that meets the needs of their three primary cloud stakeholders: business
leaders, development teams, and technology managers themselves.
“What we’ve done in the cloud so far has all been tactical. We have a SaaS strategy but no
infrastructure strategy. There is no concerted effort to get to cloud, so we’re probably falling
behind.” (CTO, global investment management and financial advisory firm)
Business Leaders Want Cloud Software That Helps Them Win, Serve, And Retain Customers
Business leaders, including CMOs and sales leaders, need a strategic plan for cloud that includes
access to feature-rich and innovative cloud software (SaaS). They rely on commercial packaged
applications to support and simplify complex sales, finance, operations, and product processes. But
SaaS is more than just a new packaged app deployment model; to your business leaders, benefits
include more sales, better fulfillment, and better products. Indeed, SaaS adoption is often a firm’s first
cloud adoption effort and the one with the most impact. Make sure to address business SaaS buyer
needs and concerns in your cloud software strategy (see Figure 4):
© 2016 Forrester Research, Inc. Unauthorized copying or distributing is a violation of copyright law.
[email protected] or +1 866-367-7378
4
For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals
October 28, 2016
Take The Wheel: Build Your Cloud Computing Strategic Plan Now
Strategic Plan: The Cloud Computing Playbook
›› Include a SaaS complement and replacement plan for critical business functions. More
than 20% of companies have already replaced most or all of their legacy commerce, sales force
automation, marketing, supply chain management, and human resource management apps with
SaaS; many more plan to in 2017.1 Your business colleagues want SaaS because it makes them
more agile, with speedy deployments that quickly deliver new functionality to a large number of
mobile and remote users. They also expect SaaS to be easier to maintain and upgrade.
›› Document plans for SaaS security, privacy, compliance, integration, and cost control.
Business leaders on the front lines with your customers worry about how SaaS affects data
security and compliance, especially those responsible for global operations where local data
sovereignty and locality laws vary by country. Your SaaS strategy should clearly document
governance and data security policies and outline plans for integration and cost control.
© 2016 Forrester Research, Inc. Unauthorized copying or distributing is a violation of copyright law.
[email protected] or +1 866-367-7378
5
For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals
October 28, 2016
Take The Wheel: Build Your Cloud Computing Strategic Plan Now
Strategic Plan: The Cloud Computing Playbook
FIGURE 4 Understand What Your Business Colleagues Expect From Cloud Software (SaaS) Solutions
Top priorities
“How important were the following benefits in
your firm’s decision to use SaaS?”
(Responses of 4 or 5 on a scale from
1 [not at all important] to 5 [very important])
Top concerns
“How concerned is your firm with the following
potential issues around using SaaS?”
(Responses of 4 or 5 on a scale from
1 [not at all important] to 5 [very important])
73%
66%
Improved business agility
Data security and protection
against cybercrime
70%
58%
Speed of implementation
and deployment
Unauthorized data access by foreign
governments and agencies
69%
57%
Rapid delivery of functionality not available
in traditional packaged software
Integration with other applications
68%
56%
Easier to maintain than
traditional software solutions
Compliance with local data privacy laws
and access by foreign agencies
68%
55%
Support for large numbers of
mobile and remote users
Higher total cost
Base: 1,564 global software decision-makers whose firms have implemented SaaS or are planning to
(1,000+ employees)
Source: Forrester’s Global Business Technographics® Software Survey, 2015
© 2016 Forrester Research, Inc. Unauthorized copying or distributing is a violation of copyright law.
[email protected] or +1 866-367-7378
6
For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals
October 28, 2016
Take The Wheel: Build Your Cloud Computing Strategic Plan Now
Strategic Plan: The Cloud Computing Playbook
Developers Want Cloud Platforms To Build And Deliver Compelling Software Faster
Every company is becoming a software company to attract and delight increasingly tech-savvy,
demanding, and fickle customers. In the age of the customer, cloud platforms (both IaaS and PaaS)
have become the foundation for developing and running new applications. Indeed, developers building
new apps have driven the astonishing recent growth of public cloud platforms from Amazon, Google,
IBM, and Microsoft. Over the next two years, migration of legacy enterprise apps to cloud platforms,
new microservices-based app designs, and container technologies will create further disruption and
fuel innovation.2 Your cloud platform strategy for developers must recognize that:
›› You must satisfy both digital native and digital transformation developer types. Today, there
are two main types of enterprise developers: Digital natives prefer to use only newer cloud-native
services, whereas digital transformers prefer to incrementally add cloud-native services to existing
development tool chains, processes, and platforms. While each group has different skills and
appetites for risk, both must move faster. The best cloud platform strategy will include a mix of new
cloud-native services like containers, microservices, and continuous improvement and delivery
tools along with a road map for updating existing development and release tools.3
›› Developers value speed, simplicity, and fit most when choosing cloud platforms. Rather
than limiting themselves to the platforms I&O pros might have provided for them in the past,
developers want cloud platforms well-suited to the type of app they need to build today, and they
need simplicity, ease of use, comprehensive tools, support for their preferred languages, and cost
efficiency. Including cheap, self-service access to just the right cloud platforms and services will
keep development teams happy and ensure that they are on board with an I&O-led cloud strategy
(see Figure 5).
“Our developers are convinced that we can open up new business opportunities using cloud PaaS.
We don’t understand whether on-premises or public cloud PaaS makes the most economic sense.
Is it the same business case we use for IaaS?” (VP of infrastructure, large retail bank in Asia Pacific)
© 2016 Forrester Research, Inc. Unauthorized copying or distributing is a violation of copyright law.
[email protected] or +1 866-367-7378
7
For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals
October 28, 2016
Take The Wheel: Build Your Cloud Computing Strategic Plan Now
Strategic Plan: The Cloud Computing Playbook
FIGURE 5 Understand What Your Business Colleagues Expect From Cloud Software (SaaS) Solutions
“Why did your development team choose the cloud environments that you
currently use?”
(Multiple responses accepted)
It was well-suited to the type of app I needed to build
28%
It supports deployment to both public cloud
providers and our internal data centers
28%
27%
It makes it easy for me to create applications
It’s cheaper than on-premises environments
25%
The development environment extended an
existing application
25%
It supports cloud deployment from many providers
25%
It’s the fastest way for me to get my project
done and deployed
23%
It supports .NET
23%
It’s a corporate mandate or standard
23%
It’s popular with many developers
It’s a comprehensive development environment
22%
21%
Base: 216 North American or European software developers whose firms have implemented public cloud
or are planning to do so (500+ employees)
Source: Forrester’s Global Business Technographics® Developer Survey, 2016
Tech Leaders Want Cloud Platforms That Enable Greater Infrastructure Agility
I&O pros have never felt as much pressure to help their business leaders and developers become
customer-obsessed as they do today. Leading the way with a comprehensive cloud infrastructure plan
will quash fears that I&O is fighting the cloud. Your business depends on you to decide whether to
upgrade aging infrastructure or replace it with external cloud, whether to migrate existing systems or
leave them in place, and whether to build a private cloud or not — and to know how much all of this
will cost. In short, the business needs a cloud management plan from you.4 To get business buy-in for
your cloud infrastructure and management plan:
© 2016 Forrester Research, Inc. Unauthorized copying or distributing is a violation of copyright law.
[email protected] or +1 866-367-7378
8
For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals
October 28, 2016
Take The Wheel: Build Your Cloud Computing Strategic Plan Now
Strategic Plan: The Cloud Computing Playbook
›› Understand how the business wants I&O to make cloud easier. Rather than ask your
infrastructure teams what they want in a cloud strategy, ask your business stakeholders what they
need. Forrester’s Business Technographics survey data reveals that business decision-makers
want I&O pros to make cloud services safe and secure, monitor costs and performance on their
behalf, and regularly optimize resources (see Figure 6). In short, they want frictionless access to
a range of cloud services with the confidence that someone is helping them use cloud safely,
efficiently, and within budget.
›› Take charge of the public versus private cloud debate. I&O leaders must set the long-term goals
for data center infrastructure — how to modernize the systems the company will continue to own
and maintain — while resolving short-term questions of where to source and deploy specific cloud
services, such as development platforms. Private and hosted private clouds not only help extract
new value from existing systems, but can be a safer option than the public cloud for modernizing
apps that require access to sensitive or very large data sets. The business looks to I&O to decide
whether the company should build a private cloud; if so, why and to what end; and how the firm
will measure success.5
“We’re definitely going to have a hybrid cloud model. Right now, we’re putting our 1,500 or so apps
into three strategy buckets: move it now, don’t move it at all, move it when we update it. For each
bucket, I need a different economic model.” (Global CIO, insurance company)
© 2016 Forrester Research, Inc. Unauthorized copying or distributing is a violation of copyright law.
[email protected] or +1 866-367-7378
9
For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals
October 28, 2016
Take The Wheel: Build Your Cloud Computing Strategic Plan Now
Strategic Plan: The Cloud Computing Playbook
FIGURE 6 Understand How The Business Expects I&O Pros To Deliver Cloud Services
“What can IT do to make it more likely that the business will procure, buy,
leverage, or consume cloud services?”
(Multiple responses accepted)
43%
Security services (e.g., encryption, monitoring)
36%
Cost monitoring
Performance monitoring
34%
Resource optimization
34%
30%
Compliance (e.g., monitoring, data sovereignty)
Billing management
24%
Quick, automated cloud service purchasing
24%
Single sign-on
22%
Self-service, catalog, or cloud service portal
21%
Service-level agreement management
21%
Base: 1,271 global infrastructure business decision-makers
Source: Forrester’s Global Business Technographics® Infrastructure Survey, 2015
Recommendations
Develop A Cloud Strategy Based On What Your Partners Need
I&O pros should start with a mission statement that answers the question: “Where are we going?”
Perhaps you want to replace half of your packaged software with SaaS by 2019 or to reduce your data
center footprint from 10 to three in the next four years. Or your goal might be to increase your software
delivery cadence from one to four releases per year. Whatever your goal, you need to structure your
plan to address the wants, needs, and concerns of the business, developers, and tech management.
As you refine your plan, Forrester recommends that you:
›› Evaluate your portfolio before starting any cloud development or migration effort. Not every
application is equally suited to running on public cloud platforms or being replaced with a SaaS
© 2016 Forrester Research, Inc. Unauthorized copying or distributing is a violation of copyright law.
[email protected] or +1 866-367-7378
10
For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals
October 28, 2016
Take The Wheel: Build Your Cloud Computing Strategic Plan Now
Strategic Plan: The Cloud Computing Playbook
alternative. Use a portfolio evaluation method such as strategic rightsourcing to identify candidates
and match them to the various cloud service delivery models.6 For each app, look for a SaaS or
cloud business service to complement or replace it before looking to rehost it. For each data center
facility and custom development project, assess the maturity and suitability of cloud platforms to
complement or replace existing infrastructure.7
›› Keep your switching options open for SaaS applications. One of the biggest risks with SaaS
apps is becoming locked into a vendor, because SaaS’s rental model means that you have less
leverage than when you own licensed software. Restrict your SaaS contracts to two or three years
to preserve flexibility. Establish mechanisms to keep control of your data. Identify and actively
engage with a few strategic SaaS vendors as a starting point.8
›› Align your DevOps and PaaS strategies to enable even faster app delivery. Giving cloud
developers access to development platforms (PaaS) won’t unilaterally speed up app delivery.
Embracing DevOps principles means embracing both continuous integration and improvement as
well as continuous infrastructure delivery. Start by setting a strategy to standardize and automate
development environments. This will benefit every application, regardless of delivery frequency, and
encourage DevOps principles everywhere.9
›› Take a fresh look at public cloud IaaS platforms to replace or extend data centers. Two years
ago, public cloud IaaS was not a good fit for highly customized or complex legacy applications with
predictable capacity needs. But prices have come down; the ecosystem of cloud managed services
providers has grown; cloud security is likely far better than your existing data center security; and
there are plenty of database, integration, and migration services available to ease the transition.
While rehosting won’t necessarily improve CX or activate elastic cloud economics, globally
distributed cloud platforms are now well-suited to hosting many core business workloads.10
›› Include a plan for how you’ll operate a growing multicloud portfolio. By 2020, your technology
portfolio will be a mix of existing systems, SaaS apps, cloud business services, and cloud
platforms. The pace of innovation across all of these cloud technologies makes it unlikely that you’ll
find everything you need from one vendor — or even in one cloud category. Bring the I&O team
together with its application development and delivery peers to plan for and allocate responsibilities
for cross-cloud operations, including app integration, migration, and performance management.
You need a plan before you start to move infrastructure, data, and apps both to and from the cloud
and between clouds.11
›› Don’t go it alone: Re-engage with your trusted tech and managed services providers. Given
the pace of change and innovation across cloud platforms, most I&O leaders will need help
crafting a strategic plan to satisfy multiple internal stakeholders and unify cloud app, data, and
infrastructure modernization plans. All of the major infrastructure management suppliers recognize
this need and now offer a range of strategy consulting and implementation services to evaluate app
portfolios, perform migrations, and even manage public cloud deployments for you.12
© 2016 Forrester Research, Inc. Unauthorized copying or distributing is a violation of copyright law.
[email protected] or +1 866-367-7378
11
For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals
October 28, 2016
Take The Wheel: Build Your Cloud Computing Strategic Plan Now
Strategic Plan: The Cloud Computing Playbook
What It Means
Nobody Will Wait For You To Set A Cloud Strategy
I&O pros can no longer treat cloud software and platform services as just a development and testing
sandbox for new apps, just a hosted adjunct to packaged software, or just a place to get some cheap
servers or storage. Cloud is all of those things at once. Your entire business — from sales to marketing,
from operations to product development, and from the data center to a customer’s mobile device —
will consume more and more cloud services every year. And so will your competitors. While no single
group in any enterprise is likely to completely own the cloud strategy, I&O has the best opportunity
to rise to the challenge and start laying the foundation. In the long run, I&O will be responsible for
operating and maintaining the enterprise cloud in all of its service delivery models (SaaS, PaaS, and
IaaS) and deployment models (public, private, and hosted private).
Engage With An Analyst
Gain greater confidence in your decisions by working with Forrester thought leaders to apply
our research to your specific business and technology initiatives.
Analyst Inquiry
Analyst Advisory
Webinar
To help you put research
into practice, connect
with an analyst to discuss
your questions in a
30-minute phone session
— or opt for a response
via email.
Translate research into
action by working with
an analyst on a specific
engagement in the form
of custom strategy
sessions, workshops,
or speeches.
Join our online sessions
on the latest research
affecting your business.
Each call includes analyst
Q&A and slides and is
available on-demand.
Learn more.
Learn more.
Learn more.
Forrester’s research apps for iPhone® and iPad®
Stay ahead of your competition no matter where you are.
© 2016 Forrester Research, Inc. Unauthorized copying or distributing is a violation of copyright law.
[email protected] or +1 866-367-7378
12
For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals
October 28, 2016
Take The Wheel: Build Your Cloud Computing Strategic Plan Now
Strategic Plan: The Cloud Computing Playbook
Supplemental Material
Survey Methodology
Forrester’s Global Business Technographics Priorities And Journey Survey, 2016 was fielded in
December 2015 and January 2016. This online survey included 18,610 respondents in Australia, Brazil,
Canada, China, France, Germany, India, New Zealand, the UK, and the US from companies with two
or more employees. Forrester’s Business Technographics ensures that the final survey population
contains only those with significant involvement in the planning, funding, and purchasing of business
and technology products and services.
Forrester’s Global Business Technographics Software Survey, 2015 was a mixed-methodology phone
and online survey fielded in July and August 2015 to 3,691 business and technology decision-makers
in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, New Zealand, the UK, and the US from
companies with two or more employees.
Forrester’s Global Business Technographics Developer Survey, 2016 was fielded in January 2016. This
online survey included 1,867 respondents in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India,
New Zealand, the UK, and the US. Forrester’s Business Technographics ensures that the final survey
population contains only those with significant involvement in the planning, funding, and purchasing of
business and technology products and services.
Forrester’s Global Business Technographics Infrastructure Survey, 2015 was a mixed-methodology
phone and online survey fielded in May and June 2015 to 3,592 business and technology decisionmakers located in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, New Zealand, the UK, and
the US from companies with two or more employees. ResearchNow fielded this survey on behalf of
Forrester. Survey respondent incentives include points redeemable for gift certificates. Please note that
the brand questions included in this survey should not be used to measure market share. The purpose
of Forrester’s Business Technographics brand questions is to show usage of a brand by a specific
target audience at one point in time.
Companies Interviewed For This Report
Forrester based the cloud strategy findings and recommendations in this report on more than 50 end
user client inquiries and advisory and consulting engagements with enterprises.
Endnotes
SaaS adoption continues to grow steadily across every major packaged application software category. To benchmark
your current use of SaaS and identify which apps you should complement or replace with SaaS, see the “Application
Adoption Trends 2016: SaaS Expands Across The Enterprise And Across The Globe” Forrester report.
1
The public cloud platform market is now 10 years old and is fueling not only new app development but also
modernization of traditional enterprise apps. For a detailed view of the current state of the public cloud market for
2
© 2016 Forrester Research, Inc. Unauthorized copying or distributing is a violation of copyright law.
[email protected] or +1 866-367-7378
13
For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals
October 28, 2016
Take The Wheel: Build Your Cloud Computing Strategic Plan Now
Strategic Plan: The Cloud Computing Playbook
application development and delivery (AD&D) pros, see the “Vendor Landscape: Public Cloud Platforms Consolidate,
But New Disruptions On The Way” Forrester report.
Satisfying both cloud native and cloud transformation developers is tough. For guidance on how to offer both new
platform services and updated traditional services, check out the third trend: Cloud developers split into two camps.
See the “Vendor Landscape: Public Cloud Platforms Consolidate, But New Disruptions On The Way” Forrester report.
3
The key to managing a growing portfolio of cloud services is to offer easy self-service to your business customers
with frictionless governance. Include in your cloud strategy a plan for how you will manage a growing multicloud
infrastructure. For guidance on becoming an effective multicloud manager, see the “Vendor Landscape: Hybrid Cloud
Management Solutions” Forrester report.
4
Private and hosted private clouds offer an alternative to public cloud. To understand when and how to deploy private
cloud solutions, see the “Vendor Landscape: Hosted Private Cloud, Q3 2016” Forrester report and see the “Vendor
Landscape: Private Cloud Software Solutions, Q2 2016” Forrester report.
5
For help with your strategic rightsourcing analysis, see the “Portfolio Evaluation Is The Key To Migrating Applications
To The Cloud” Forrester report.
6
Many customers not only take a cloud-first view of migration but also pursue a “public cloud or bust” strategy. Step
back and take a measured approach to cloud strategy, starting with a detailed portfolio evaluation — including
strategic rightsourcing — to identify the right providers and migration candidates. For guidance on running your own
portfolio evaluation, see the “Portfolio Evaluation Is The Key To Migrating Applications To The Cloud” Forrester report.
7
Enterprise AD&D and I&O leaders need strong partnerships with a few key software providers due to the risk of vendor
lock-in, particularly with SaaS platforms and the need for external ideas and innovative thinking. For an explanation
of how to build and nurture strong, long-lasting relationships with your most important technology suppliers, see the
“Best Practices: Building Strong Software Delivery Partnerships” Forrester report.
8
Your DevOps strategy is an essential component of your strategic cloud plan. To master modern application delivery
practices, see the “Forget Two-Speed IT; DevOps Enables Faster Delivery Across The Board” Forrester report.
9
Then make sure your AD&D team is following the guidance, see the “The Four App-Delivery Strategies For A
Customer-Obsessed Operating Model” Forrester report.
Public cloud IaaS is ready to host traditional enterprise apps. To determine if it’s right for your core business apps,
and whether it meets your security, migration, cost, and data residency requirements, see the “The Truth Behind
Enterprise-Class Cloud” Forrester report.
10
The broad range of public, hosted private, and private cloud platforms, plus the explosion in new infrastructure and
application services available on those platforms, means that every enterprise cloud portfolio should be a hybrid
mix of the best services to meet your company’s specific needs. To understand how to manage your growing hybrid
multicloud portfolio, see the “Vendor Landscape: Hybrid Cloud Management Solutions” Forrester report.
11
Forrester reviews the cloud services, managed services, and advisory and consulting offerings of major technology
outsourcing companies. See the “Vendor Landscape: Cloud Strategies Of Leading Global Infrastructure Outsourcing
Providers” Forrester report.
12
© 2016 Forrester Research, Inc. Unauthorized copying or distributing is a violation of copyright law.
[email protected] or +1 866-367-7378
14
We work with business and technology leaders to develop
customer-obsessed strategies that drive growth.
Products and Services
››
››
››
››
››
››
Core research and tools
Data and analytics
Peer collaboration
Analyst engagement
Consulting
Events
Forrester’s research and insights are tailored to your role and
critical business initiatives.
Roles We Serve
Marketing & Strategy
Professionals
CMO
B2B Marketing
B2C Marketing
Customer Experience
Customer Insights
eBusiness & Channel
Strategy
Technology Management
Professionals
CIO
Application Development
& Delivery
Enterprise Architecture
›› Infrastructure & Operations
Security & Risk
Sourcing & Vendor
Management
Technology Industry
Professionals
Analyst Relations
Client support
For information on hard-copy or electronic reprints, please contact Client Support at
+1 866-367-7378, +1 617-613-5730, or [email protected]. We offer quantity
discounts and special pricing for academic and nonprofit institutions.
Forrester Research (Nasdaq: FORR) is one of the most influential research and advisory firms in the world. We work with
business and technology leaders to develop customer-obsessed strategies that drive growth. Through proprietary
research, data, custom consulting, exclusive executive peer groups, and events, the Forrester experience is about a
singular and powerful purpose: to challenge the thinking of our clients to help them lead change in their organizations.
136523
For more information, visit forrester.com.