Digital Transformation Driven by ITaaS

April 15, 2017 / G C Network / Comments Off

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Interoperability: A Much Needed Cloud Computing Focus

By G C Network | February 10, 2014

Cloud computing transitions information technology (IT) from being “systems of physically integrated hardware and software” to “systems of virtually integrated services”. This transition makes interoperability the difference between the success…

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By G C Network | February 6, 2014

Over the holidays I actually spent some time reviewing the newly released “Managing IaaS and DBaaS Clouds with Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control 12c“. This book is a step-by-step tutorial…

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By G C Network | February 5, 2014

Refusing to accept the 30 percent unemployment rate for California veterans between the ages of 18 and 24, Veterans 360 (V360) offers recently-separated combat veterans the opportunity for a solid…

Veterans 360 Paves the Way with Cloud Certification Training

By G C Network | February 3, 2014

In keeping with their mission to support young combat veterans’ transition into civilian life, Veterans 360 plans to launch a free Cloud Technology Certification training program. Vets360-Cloud will give veterans…

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By G C Network | January 27, 2014

DBT-Data further established itself in the data storage industry as a formidable force with the $35 million dollar purchase of the state of the art Cyber Integration Center on 1175…

2014 Federal Intelligence Summit – Washington, DC

By G C Network | January 10, 2014

DBT Data and Potomac Officers Club are excited to announce that Al Tarasiuk, CIO of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), will be part of an ICITE…

3rd Annual World Congress of Cloud Computing 2014

By G C Network | January 7, 2014

Today I am proud and honored to announce that I will be participating in this year’s 3rd Annual World Congress of Cloud Computing 2014! Highlighting the theme of “Chinese Dream…

NRRC Video Series – Video 8 : Raytheon R3 Decision Support Tool and Advanced Tactical System

By G C Network | December 23, 2013

In September, the NCOIC delivered the Geospatial Community Cloud (GCC) demonstration. Sponsored by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, this demonstration showed how an interoperable, hybrid-cloud operating environment can be quickly enabled…

NRRC Video Series – Video 7 : Dave Boulos Demonstrates Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) Management

By G C Network | December 20, 2013

Just Pinched Myself ! Part of a “GovCloud Dream Team” !!

By G C Network | December 12, 2013

DBT-DATA provides reliable, flexible, and cost-effective data center solutions to federal, enterprise, and internet customers. With premier facilities in Ashburn, Virginia and the Cyber Integration Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia, they…

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When executing an effective digital transformation strategy, management is tasked with placing the right workload into the most appropriate IT environment. This represents a shift from buying parts for self-assembly to composing services through self-serve consumption and pay-per-use models. Quite often this transition also leads to the adoption of software defined environments across the enterprise infrastructure.

Software defined infrastructures do, however, bring with them some very unique challenges. Many of the most prevalent issues are centered around the relatively immature state of the technology itself. The most significant aspect of this challenge is the lack of industry standards for device control. Control software must know the status of all network devices and trunks, no matter what vendor equipment is being used. While OpenFlowstands today as the de facto software defined networking standard, it is a unidirectional forwarding-table update protocol that cannot be used to determine device status. It also doesn’t allow for the programming of port or trunk interfaces. A second critical issue is the lack of business process or enterprise IT policy definition capabilities. This shortfall often leads to resource over provisioning caused by automation rules that deploy “just in case” instead of “just in time”.

When taken together, the two latter problems heighten the risk of vendor lock-in. This issue was highlighted last year by Major General Sarah Zabel, Vice Director of the Defense Information Systems Agency. This military organization deals with 2,400 trouble calls, 2,000 tickets, 22,000 changes, and 36 cybersecurity incidents every day. Its global network interfaces with owned and managed networks from other military departments and services providers. When addressing the Open Networking User Group,Major General Zabel stated that the agency suffered from vendor lock-in and too many devices.

“We need an area where vendors accept the fact we need a path away from their solution…We need less dependence on hardware and to be able to work with more software.”

Another important but widely ignored challenge is the need to build organizational buy-in, a problem that is often accompanied by business process changes. According to Neal Secher, managing director and head of network architecture at BNY Mellon, “You need to partner with your business and show them the value. There’s a snowball [effect] that will add value and allow you to add more automation. You need to prove through evidence that it works and won’t hurt the business.”

Understanding how to select, configure and operate within this new paradigm requires new technology, new technical skillsets and new management techniques. This trifecta of change cannot be easily assimilated within most large organizations. This is why IBM IT-as-a-Service (ITaaS) can often provide critical advice, assistance and technology.

ITaaS is an approach for defining and consuming digital services through a hybrid cloud infrastructure. This approach has often shown itself as the most cost effective path toward workload optimization. When used as part of a holistic strategy, hybrid cloud infrastructures can deliver multiple levels of value by:

Delivering programmable, virtualized and application-centric networking capability;
Managing the corporate mobile infrastructure and Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) initiatives;
Modernizing and optimizing the IT security program for identity, application, data, network, and endpoint security in a way that manages risk and achieves compliance; and
Enabling a shift of executive focus from infrastructure maintenance towards the creation of innovative products and services.

Hybrid cloud environment alone, however, aren’t able to maximize the value of digital transformation. To do that you may also need to consider cloud brokerage capability. This tool can be used to plan, procure, govern and manage all IT services across all cloud models. To avoid vendor lock-in, this service can also be exercised across multiple IT service providers.

Software defined infrastructures can deliver infrastructure optimization and enhanced IT services at a reduced cost. Organizations that opt to take advantage of this new operational model should, however, seriously consider taking the ITaaS route.