Many enterprises that once looked to the cloud as a way to curb data center expenditures are now beginning to wonder why they're not saving as much money as they expected.
"There are no guarantees that cloud computing in any form will save you money," observes David Linthicum, chief cloud strategy officer at professional services firm Deloitte. Bringing cloud cost goals back on track is relatively simple, however. "It’s a matter of advanced planning and setting realistic expectations," he notes.
Is your organization wasting money by not intelligently managing its cloud commitments? The following seven management tips can help you bring costs under control and closer to the goals you originally expected.
1. Plan and analyze
Cloud adoption, by itself, isn't an automatic way to save money. Thorough planning, followed by a detailed cost-benefit analysis, is essential. "Enterprises need to approach cloud computing as a tool that has the potential to save a great deal of money," Linthicum advises. "However, savings won’t materialize unless you come to the public cloud with clear objectives and a plan around what will be the cost savings and how you’ll get there."