Implementing self-service IT with hybrid cloud

CIOs and IT decision makers are embracing ‘as a service’ as the most effective delivery model for enterprise IT. In fact, HPE’s 2019 report, As a Service, Driving Change, found that of over 1,000 IT decision makers in the US, Germany and the UK. 90% has begun to implement aaS solutions, and 85% agreed that widespread adoption was inevitable. More than half feel that aaS solutions will be very important for their company’s future, or its competitiveness or future growth.

Yet the growth of aaS is also helping drive a further transformation; from the era of top-down, CIO-led IT to one where the CIO becomes more of an innovation leader and solutions broker, collaborating with the business to give them access to the IT they need. IDC has predicted that, by 2024, 80% of digitally advanced organizations will have replaced the old IT model with a self-service model that by ‘providing libraries of cloud solutions, functions as a service (FaaS) and low-code/no-code tools’ allows ‘the business to rapidly respond to changing market needs without the need to involve IT, but with the assurance that these solutions will be secure and compliant.’

Many companies are just beginning this transformation, but for others it’s a reality right now. Under CIO Bonny Smith, Lear Corporation has used Rich Process Automation to deploy self-service IT solutions. Using these, Lear’s plants and workers can develop and release new applications to enhance productivity and support the business, but in a way that enables real management of security, compliance and costs. At the global investment management firm, Barings, self-service systems are allowing business units to work with low-code and no-code tools to build applications to meet specific business needs.

On the one hand, these initiatives give business units the opportunity to help build their own IT portfolio and put them on a fast track to innovation. On the other, they also fight the spread of shadow IT; give teams a legitimate, managed means to access a range of approved solutions, and they’re less likely to bend the rules and find their own.

Build a platform for self-service IT

The hybrid cloud is the natural platform for this model. Public cloud isn’t always the right fit for every application and workload, and some applications and services have requirements that are better met by on-premise hardware or the private cloud. However, the flexibility and low running costs of public cloud make it an ideal environment for spinning up new services and infrastructure, particularly with the aid of automation. However, enabling self-service IT isn’t a trivial endeavour, requiring the development of self-service portals, skills in configuration and automation, and a lot of groundwork in setting up the monitoring and governance of the cloud. With self-service IT, CIOs always need to maintain the balance between freedom and control.

This is where HPE GreenLake can help, by providing enterprises with a powerful, hybrid cloud platform covering the entire estate. Using HPE’s GreenLake Central management console, organizations can deliver on-premise, private-cloud and public cloud resources, on demand. What’s more, they can deliver it through a single interface, with the kind of built-in provisioning and automation you need to power self-service IT.

GreenLake Central itself supports aaS through a simple point, click, use model, with role-based views to match different user needs. Business teams or developers can request services, resources or solutions, but the IT team can monitor what’s being used and keep a lid on rising costs. GreenLake’s pay-per-use model and transparent, metered usage also helps in this respect, while advanced analytics can help CIOs plan for capacity and performance ahead of user demand.

Shifting to self-service from a traditional IT model is a big adjustment, and without the right cloud-based infrastructure it can be painful. With HPE GreenLake, however, enterprises have a working foundation on which to build, and HPE’s expertise to fall back on when they need guidance and support.   

To discover more benefits about HPE Greenlake, and how it can help optimise your hybrid cloud environment, click here to visit the HPE website.