Learn how to create a roadmap to a hosted IBM i cloud.

Editor's Note: The following article is an extract from the white paper "Driving IT Value from the Cloud—Creating a Five Phase Roadmap to a Hosted IBM i Cloud" available for download free from the MC White Paper Center.

For many IT departments, recent years have seen a shift in focus. Limited resources have left staff spending more time and effort maintaining old systems while project work remains on hold, often to the detriment of the entire business. IT directors are faced with the challenge of transforming their departments from a perceived cost center back to a value add, an innovation powerhouse that contributes to the organization's success.

Three key criteria underpinning the delivery of value through IT are innovation, agility, and cost-efficiency. When IT champions innovative technologies that support business unit objectives, the result is a cascade effect that drives incremental improvements in cost reduction and process efficiencies across the entire organization. Agility is critical if organizations are to maintain pace with the mergers, acquisitions, restructuring, and constantly changing markets, regulations, and technologies that shape today's dynamic business world.

IT's ability to support rapid innovation in response to these changes can make the difference between capitalizing on an opportunity and leading the market, or falling behind competitors. However, without a stable, high-performing infrastructure, IT's efficiency is eroded as resources are committed to maintaining and supporting sub-par systems. A cost-effective infrastructure is the backbone that supports the organization and makes innovation and agility possible.

Fortunately, there is a technology solution that delivers on innovation, agility, and cost-effective infrastructure. Cloud computing is rapidly transforming the IT world. With new private hosted and public cloud solutions available specifically for the IBM i, cloud computing is set to transform the way organizations running IBM i are set to do business. The benefits of cloud computing are clear: improved business agility, scalable resources, no capital expenditure, and huge reductions in total cost of operations. The question is no longer "What's in it for me?" but "How do I get there?" This paper will outline a clear five-stage roadmap to driving greater IT value through the cloud.

Phase 1–Organizational Readiness

There are a number of critical factors to be considered to help establish organizational readiness for a move to the cloud. These include technical infrastructure, business requirements, and even the emotional readiness of the organization. Fully assessing each of these elements will allow you to prepare for any challenges that might lie ahead.

Want to learn more? Download the white paper "Driving IT Value from the Cloud—Creating a Five Phase Roadmap to a Hosted IBM i Cloud" free from the MC White Paper Center.