private cloud adoption: patterns for the enterprise

Private Cloud Adoption: Patterns for the Enterprise

Executive SummaryIT has become increasingly complex and difficult to manage and scale. Costs are growing at unprecedented rates, as enterprises continue to add technologies in response to an explosion in the quantity and new types of data. This explosion in data and the patchwork of methods used to store, retrieve and provide usable views has resulted in inefficiencies in data center architecture, duplication of data base licenses, increased costs for data storage and management, and inefficient use of data center technicians. Database replication alone has precipi-tated new challenges and resulted in the lack of consolidation of numerous software middleware licenses, further increasing costs. All this has challenged the affordability of IT and has driven vendors to evolve new solutions. Enter cloud computing, representing a response to these challenges.

The positive effect of addressing these inefficiencies is that enterprises are integrating capabilities into scalable IT solutions by design vs. adding-on technologies, making it possible to build large IT systems that are self-service and simplified, reducing the reliance on availability of constrained resources. Large self-service IT systems that have evolved with cloud solutions bring new capabilities directly to the end user, providing easier access to and easier analysis of large amounts of data. These ecosystems do not just solve the issues described above; they bring new

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capabilities to data systems. Solutions address data center issues in part by enabling scalability and consistent systems management and once these capabilities are in place, the consolidated IT systems have greater flexibility and are capable of providing self-service consumption of IT. Self service provisioning capability becomes possible through increased horizontal scalability and improved manageability via flexible systems that are able to implement data and systems automation in a manner that reduces costs and supports change in response to changing market conditions.

Value of Cloud ComputingCloud computing is emerging as a transformative technology, allowing IT to make self- service a part of an overall systems approach. Common cloud adoption patterns leverage a combination of virtualization, consolidation, modernization, security, reliability, and SOA. Use of these capabilities means cloud systems provide the ability to implement flexible response to changing market conditions. This paper is positioned to help C level executives understand the value of cloud-based IT service methods and delivery models. Cloud computing addresses IT issues by capitalizing on integration made possible by the adoption of common middleware standards. Data previously confined to silos within the line of business can be enabled for sharing across the broad reach of the enterprise. Data from partners can be accessed as if part of the private cloud.

Private cloud computing capitalizes on systems that utilize automation within the data center to let users treat IT like a service. On demand application imple-mentations can be used in a globally integrated enter-prise, while self service capabilities within the private cloud permit users to turn on workloads and turn off workloads within the data center without intervention of IT administrators. Users have direct control of their workloads. Applications run anywhere, from anywhere. Platforms are chosen as the best fit for a workload and are invisible to the user.

Cloud solutions from IBM are the most comprehensive in the industry. IBM has developed advanced capabilities that: allow faster application development and deploy-ment; provide visibility into operations, business processes and applications; enable conditional event processing based on transactional and data driven conditions; allow for rapid change in response to changing needs; and manage complexity by hiding it from the user. This holistic approach to IT is architected and delivered by IBM through common cloud adoption patterns. Because the solutions are holistic, they thrive on support from leadership within the enterprise. IBM has been a pioneer in articulating and implementing this IT leadership.

Adoption of cloud technologies come in a number of forms. A cloud enabled datacenter project provides value by improving automated process, hiding complexity, reducing the cost of management, and supporting collaborative team based projects. Cloud enabled systems are used to accelerate time to market and sustain competitive market positions.

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A cloud enabled data center provides integrated service management, automation, provisioning, and self-service.

Cloud platform services are built to support innovative business models. An integrated stack of middleware optimized for automated deployment and management of heterogeneous workloads is able to dynamically adjust to changing business needs and to manage innovation. Through these capabilities, cloud-based IT capabilities are now available to the line of business as application based functionality. Applications running on a cloud infrastructure leverage an integrated middleware stack to achieve competitive advantage.

Business solutions on cloud are a response by enterprises to gain access to enterprise-ready business and IT solutions on the cloud. With broad application across industries, these SaaS solutions allow enterprises to transform business processes and engage with constituents inside and outside of the organization.

Cloud service providers employ IaaS and PaaS capabilities to position themselves as a provider of a variety of applications that permit users to gain immediate access with business and IT as a service.Advanced, reliable, highly secure and scalable cloud platforms are used for creating, managing, and monetizing cloud services.

Evidenced by the multiple ways clients are adopting cloud, a world of hybrid computing has evolved. There are no one-size-fits-all answers. Cloud computing is evolving into a significant component of a flexible and agile Information Technology.

Let’s explore a few key projects that companies are considering as they adopt cloud computing into their enterprise.

Cloud Digital Marketing OptimizationCustomers are central to marketing. Customers need to be understood, reached, and tracked. Understanding the variations and opportunities presented by an existing customer base and looking for ways to extend the customer base are driven by the use of analytics. For instance, marketing departments need to provide a highly personalized and compelling customer message. Development of the message depends on figuring out what messages might work and who they might work with. Once the message has been developed, marketing departments need to develop communication capability.

With companies positioning products and services worldwide, communicating a marketing message becomes complex. As companies move to address regional markets with global products, the complexity is inherent to the business processes. Collecting and analyzing data from disparate systems across the globally integrated enterprise is a process intensive job. Marketing technology needs to be flexible and able to be customized to manage languages and cultural differences that are local. Marketing departments need automated processes for gathering an understanding about the varying needs of local customers.



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Implementation of the globally integrated enterprise depends in large part on the ability to create digital marketing systems that widely dispersed teams can use collaboratively. The ability to create and use brand messaging appropriate for a global presence is a chal-lenge. There is a need for digital marketing flexibility and optimization. There is a need for capabilities that work across a range of marketing channels. Digital marketing needs to leverage various touch points worldwide in ways that are localized, yet able to protect and provide consistent messaging for a global brand.

Digital Marketing Optimization Suite from IBMAccess to enterprise-class marketing capabilities as software as a service provides the scale that is essential to making various global marketing initiatives afford-able. In addition, marketers need powerful analytics to leverage the explosion of technology, transparency, channels, and social interactions across customers. With IBM’s cloud-based suite of marketing optimiza-tion capabilities, marketers can capture social media marketing opportunities faster than their competitors, turning site visitors into repeat customers. Analytics can be used to develop themes and functionality that let loyal advocates be rewarded, while orchestrating a compelling experience throughout each customer’s digital lifecycle.

Partner Support on the Cloud IBM‘s ecosystem of partners are helping to build additional cloud-based digital marketing capabili-ties. One such instance is Lionbridge and IBM, who are collaborating to bring cloud-delivered real-time multilingual translation to marketing touch points around the globe. Lionbridge’s translation market-ing software known as GeoFluent, is based on IBM’s world class machine translation engine. The technol-ogy is being used internally by 400,000 IBMers to translate words in chat, email, web pages, eSupport, blogs, knowledge portals, and document translation. The digital marketing dictionary is of substantial size, reaching 100 million words in 2011. Through these partnerships, IBM is able to leverage Lion-bridge product GeoFluent to help clients manage multilingual content across their enterprise without having to deploy expensive translation management systems or software.

Delivering Development and Test Environments on the CloudWith industry-leading development tools from IBM Rational, delivering development and test tools conforming to enterprise processes. With the fast changing needs of software projects, and high-cost of acquisition, installation, customization, delivery and maintenance, customers are looking at ways to exploit cloud for fulfilling the various needs of software projects. Setting up a development and test environment on a cloud is a very efficient way to enable globally distributed teams.

Delivering development and test tools as a service, and setting up of test labs in the cloud can be done rapidly and efficiently, all while achieving high utilization of cloud resources.



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Cloud-Based Infrastructure Adoption Cloud-based infrastructure adoption is one of the most basic, but most significant IT cloud initiatives. IT infrastructure needs to be dynamic to free up budget for new investments and accelerate deployment. Superior IT capabilities are being demanded by the business, asking for systems development capabilities that are available to the line of business developers, not buried in IT.

As much as 85 percent of computing capacity sits idle in distributed computing environments. Seventy percent of IT budgets are typically spent on maintaining current IT infrastructure, and only 30 percent are typically spent on new capabilities. IBM cloud comput-ing represents a way to reverse these patterns, to spend 30 percent of the IT budget on maintaining of existing systems and 70 percent on innovation.

The agile, on-demand enterprise, as enabled by IBM Cloud solutions is able to effectively and proactively respond to competitive threats, market opportunities, and macroeconomic and technology discontinuities abundant in today’s markets.

These are Benefits that Customers are Receiving Today by Implementing IBMCloud Technologies

• Power consumption decreases by 80%• New application deployment time cut by up to 85% • Database costs decrease by 68%• Serve acquisition costs decrease by up to 56%• Total cost per workload decreased by 55%• Application development time improves by up to 40%• Floor space efficiency increases by up to 90% Some examples of IBM Customers who are reaping the benefits of cloud include:

Citigroup reduced provisioning times from 45 days to 20 minutes, improving their ability to deploy new banking services to clients. According to IBM Italy, the Univerista di Bari reduced time to market for fishermen and farmers with a cloud-based solution for real-time trading. USA-based Acxiom improved capacity five-fold without adding new floor space, with a cloud-based model that improved customer retention and captured new business. The City of Norfolk, Virginia, USA improved storage performance by 40% and cut power consumption in half, enabling it

Key Capabilities for Delivering Development and Test Environments on the Cloud:

Platform Services:• Easy deployment and management of cloud-ready Dev/test tools-As-A-Service

• Image management for efficient delivery of standardized “solutions” and “stacks”

• Automated deployment of solutions based on topologies

• Multi-tenant applications

• Flexible software licensing model for improved reuse of application development tools and middleware

• Virtualized developer/tester desktops

• Heterogeneous platform support

Integration Services:• Integration with existing enterprise processes, identity, data and business processes• Spillover and failover services

• Agile development processes integrated with software delivery lifecycle

End-User Services:• Self-service provisioning of tools and stacks



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to deploy automated parking systems and police in-car video surveillance. These are real stories that illustrate significant ROI for cloud computing initiatives.

Should any reader want more information on these reference accounts, please contact:[email protected] where these and other ROI scenarios can be explored.

ConclusionCloud computing provides a way to virtualize work-loads, to simplify computing environments, and to consolidate infrastructure. Through standardization, process can be managed more efficiently. Key to the cloud are consolidated pools of resource, and consoli-dated information that lets users monitor events, monitor usage, and pull together workflow using automated process to a greater extent than has been possible hitherto.

Users can adopt cloud computing in a variety of ways, for a variety of reasons, and gain a variety of benefits. IBM is unique in the cloud computing market because it has a broad, more comprehensive offering by a quantum amount.

The examples cited in this paper only scratch the surface of different types of cloud implementations. The promise of cloud is one of advanced computing made simple. The ability to create integrated systems that have access to a range of applications within the enterprise and inside partner organizations opens the promise of more advanced, affordable business management.

Examples of Projects Described in This Paper

Digital Marketing Optimization

Digital Infrastructure

Development Systems

Examples of Other Cloud Projects• Image Management• Desktop Consolidation• Hybrid Computing• Virtual Environments• Storage Management Optimization