Cloud computing in relation to infrastructure, in simple terms, is an evolution in the way compute and storage has been managed by the industry historically. Compute being the data processing technology and storage being the data storage technology.
According to the final version of NIST definition of Cloud Computing, any service provider claiming to provider cloud services under the Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) or Software as a Service (SaaS) service models should provide On-demand Self Service, Broad Network Access, Resource Pooling, Rapid Elasticity and a Measured Service.
For public clouds, I clearly understand and believe in the value and benefit that the Cloud brings to the business from IaaS, PaaS and SaaS models.
However, I have repeatedly struggled to convince myself on the value that private clouds bring to the vast majority of the businesses where the demand for compute and storage rise at a pretty consistent rate. Provided the businesses are on board the concept of virtualisation and understand the value that it brings, should they be considering private cloud? I would say not unless they are expecting a significant change in the way compute and storage is consumed. If there is an expected change in the infrastructure demand, the businesses should still be careful in selecting the private cloud strategy, as the primary benefit on comparision of the Capex and Opex for cloud vs non-cloud approach will be on the On-demand Self Service advantage that the private cloud will bring. The other four aforementioned characteristics may not be a strong sell for the CFO/FD as they will not drive strong cost reductions in terms of technology, people and processes.
To prove me wrong, please feel free to provide case studies or examples where businesses have implemented and benefited from a private cloud approach. I can point you to a special case here where private clouds have worked.
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