29
Fri, Nov
0 New Articles

Driving IT Value from the Cloud

Managed Services / SaaS / PaaS / IaaS
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

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.

 

Symmetry Corp., an IBM business partner and SAP certified hosting partner, provides cloud-based hosting and disaster recovery solutions for the IBM i as well as technical managed services, security administration and project support for SAP applications. Symmetry’s unique team-based service model provides expert support from U.S.-based IBM i experts at an affordable, fixed price helping customers maximize ROI and maintain secure, stable, high-performing systems. For more information, go to www.sym-corp.com/as400

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: