The past few years have seen a fundamental shift in enterprise computing and technology. Although businesses still rely heavily on their internal data centres for many different functions, cloud now plays a major role in the ways in which data is used, stored and saved.
The advent and mainstream adoption of cloud is seeing businesses combining their IT assets to get more value. It is allowing them to react to the market far faster, and more effectively than ever before.
Gerald Naidoo, CEO of Logikal Consulting, says as more and more business are adopting cloud, and using a combination of private and public cloud services, a better way of integrating information across multiple cloud environments is needed. Data that can be moved, and managed easily is a measure of how successful a cloud integration has been.
“Unless a business is improving the quality, reliability and consistency of its information, they are not getting the benefits from cloud that they should,” he says.
He believes a unified approach is needed, one that helps the businesses retain control, go to market faster, and remain flexible. However, he says combining existing IT infrastructure, which more often than not will include some legacy systems, with cloud is not the easiest thing to do. Cloud will include infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and software as a service (SaaS), and as companies adopt more and more cloud services, several issues will come up.
These will include which are the best ways to break down silos and integrate processes, as well as how to manage data across disparate systems and software. “And of course, how to ensure the integrity of the data, and formulate proper governance and security protocols,” says Naidoo.
He says there are tools available, which will help organisations successfully integrate their clouds with their existing infrastructure, to give the agility and flexibility needed.
IBM’s WebSphere Cast Iron Cloud integration products, which Logikal implements, enables businesses to integrate cloud and on-premise applications in days, which in turn, will reduce integration costs and optimise resources and productivity in software as a service (SaaS) and cloud models.
“In addition, products such as this one offer several capabilities for near real time integration, including data cleansing and migration, data synchronisation and connectivity, workflow and transformation. This allows businesses to quickly integrate processes across multiple applications.”
Naidoo says over and above solutions, having a solid strategy is crucial. “Businesses must understand that a hybrid array of cloud-based and on-premise applications is to be expected. To manage these environments, and address the challenges, they will need governance systems, and methods in place. A well-designed infrastructure is also key here.”
Ultimately, integration is about forming connections between systems, and an infrastructure that has been well designed will help to rule out sprawl as well as workflow inefficiencies and the expected redundancies, says Naidoo.
“There is little today that can top what a well-integrated environment can deliver to the business in terms of flexibility, agility and a general business edge. A successful business isn’t about having the most cutting edge technologies, it’s about having a business where all systems work together, creating a level of integration that gives the maximum value, and offers transformation that wouldn’t have been possible a couple of years ago,” he concludes.