Business case with travel companion

As the vast majority of companies are now aware, data is worth its weight in gold in today’s society. As in the gold rush of centuries past, mining valuable data while also ensuring optimal protection is no easy task – not without the right tools, anyway. While in the past, people needed spades and shovels, in the modern era, we need well-connected and high-performance systems, market-oriented corporate strategies, data analysis and modeling and, last but not least, a secure data location.

Existing systems must now be capable of communicating with state-of-the-art technologies. External interfaces must also be considered and even greater attention must be paid to security, so that valuable insights can be gained from the vast accumulation of data. Now more than ever, companies need a cutting-edge IT infrastructure and a secure data location in order to protect their data – or “gold” – and reap the benefits of tools such as big data analysis and artificial intelligence.

But IT landscapes have often developed together with companies over many years, with the resulting structure becoming increasingly complex and often cumbersome. “In many companies today, an application might have between four and eight interfaces,” explains Roger Süess, CEO of data center and IT service provider Green. Multiply this by the number of applications and it quickly becomes clear just how complex and challenging the journey to the cloud can be. When the security aspects are taken into account as well, companies can no longer carry out this task on their own.
 

The cloud vision in sight

Many companies are now embarking on a major restructuring of their IT infrastructure. “By moving to the cloud and outsourcing their IT infrastructure to modern, efficient data centers, many companies are also combining the task of restructuring their data and improving their processes,” says Süess. After all, the impact of a cloud strategy is felt by the entire company: in particular, it affects people and talent management, policy and controlling, and ultimately platform design and adoption, in order to meet business requirements. The aim of the transformation is to provide customers with even better, faster and more personalized support, and to monitor or reorganize entire supply chains. The main focus is on efficiency, and networking with suppliers and partners is constantly increasing due to further automation in production and delivery processes. “This is one of the reasons why data is best stored where the data streams of many companies already converge: in modern and efficient data centers with connection possibilities and proximity to large public clouds,” he adds.

The journey to the cloud is more than just a technical measure. It has an impact on the entire company: new business models are emerging, modern technologies are changing internal and external processes within the company, there is a shift in investments, and even personnel planning is affected. A successful cloud journey therefore requires a sophisticated strategy, knowledge of the required infrastructure, and the right partners and service providers. Migrating and operating the new infrastructure, in turn, must go smoothly. This is where having a comprehensive ecosystem is vital.

Marco Stadler, Green CSO, explains:

“Collaboration between many experts, all with the same vision in mind, is our recipe for success.”

Given the multitude of complex tasks associated with a full cloud migration, many companies are opting for the cloud-smart approach. This involves setting clear priorities, carrying out cost-benefit analyses and defining key requirements – for example, in terms of security – before embarking on the journey over the course of several stages. “Many companies are combining the public cloud with private clouds, while also continuing to use some of their existing IT infrastructure,” explains Stadler, based on the many customer discussions he has held. The advantage: companies are able to produce initial results sooner and accelerate their time-to-market. They also have more time to carry out the transformation in a serious manner, build up the necessary operational know-how, and strengthen the connection between business units and IT. Another key factor is the manageable costs and investments.

Neutral expert ecosystem

Whether companies want to go down the cloud-smart route or opt for complete IT outsourcing, either way, without professional support from experienced specialists, this project represents a major challenge. To this end, Green has created its own neutral Ecosystem, bringing together the right experts from the relevant disciplines to support customers. The data center provider relies on collaboration between established partners who come together to pool their expertise.

Miki Mitric, Head of Business Development at Green, explains:

“This approach gives the right impetus to pending projects, ensures project success, and creates an optimal cost-benefit ratio.”

The Green Ecosystem brings together established and leading companies from the fields of IT, technology, consulting and cloud computing. “The partners have defined a common understanding of roles within the Ecosystem and are pursuing this path together with our customers,” says Green’s Ecosystem Manager. The project is guided by a shared vision – experts bring their respective strengths to the tables, focus on what the customer needs and endeavor to deliver the best solution. “An Ecosystem is only ever as good as its defined roles and responsibilities. Indeed, these need to be properly clarified in advance,” says Mitric from experience. The foundation rests upon the mutual trust of the partners involved. The joint success and customer satisfaction attained highlight the perspectives and possibilities, creating a win-win-win situation.

For many companies, the journey to the cloud represents a major undertaking – a steep mountain whose summit is difficult to reach. With the support of the right travel companion from a specialist ecosystem, you’ll find the best route to the top – and from there, you can set your sights on the next peaks.

“There is more than just one way to the cloud”

In your Ecosystem, you bring together external specialists to guide your customers on their cloud journey.

Why not carry out this task yourself?

Roger Süess:
Today, complex business cases like the journey to the cloud require companies to look for a helping hand. In the broadest sense, we offer our customers the entire service. We do so in the form of our comprehensive Ecosystem with reliable partners. We allow the customer to decide who their contacts will be. We are happy to take on the role of keystone if this is something the customer wants. However, we also see ourselves as one of many partners who contribute to the success of the project with best-in-class data center services. Ensuring customer success is our top priority. Some companies opt for the cloud-smart approach, which means that they will still use their existing IT infrastructure for some applications.

Does that make sense?

Marco Stadler:
There is more than just one way to the cloud. Companies reap the most benefits from cost-effective and stable solutions when they choose a well-balanced mix of public clouds and managed private cloud solutions. Proper planning of the transformation and professional step-by-step implementation should also be a priority. By pooling specialists in our Ecosystem, we provide important support in this regard.

What are the biggest challenges when it comes to building an ecosystem?

Miki Mitric:
Our Ecosystem brings together companies that in many cases would otherwise be considered competitors. This makes it all the more important for these partners to trust each other. We have developed a common understanding of expected roles and defined the various processes in detail. This also applies to cultivating the market. Under these conditions, the collaboration between the experts works exceptionally well. We are meticulous when it comes to vetting which partners are invited to the Green Ecosystem. And this in turn benefits customers.