Strategy, basics, partner selection for cloud use

More than half, specifically 59 percent, of the companies surveyed show higher cloud usage. Especially in the IoT (Internet of Things) environment, more and more are finding their way to the cloud. For good reason: concrete advantages such as flexibility, agility and scalability in operation (84 percent), the optimization of the employee experience or the customer experience (84 percent) and the increase in cost efficiency (83 percent) speak for this.

In the process, most companies are working with multi-cloud solutions that combine the best of what each cloud provider has to offer.

To ensure that the path to the multi-cloud runs smoothly, Rackspace and PAC have compiled four recommendations for action based on the findings of the above-mentioned study.

1.) Formulate a multi-cloud strategy
82 percent of the companies surveyed use private cloud solutions at least in part. Nevertheless, many already use public cloud solutions from various providers and plan to expand them further. This is because, above all, they simplify access to IT resources - and can be flexibly designed according to need and scope. "You don't plan the migration to the multi-cloud on a greenfield site. In order to benefit sustainably from the advantages and to act cost-efficiently, companies should first of all define a multi-cloud strategy," says Wolfgang Schwab, Principal Consultant at PAC.

2.) Create multi-cloud foundations
Once the strategy is in place, it's time to lay the foundation for the cloud. "At Rackspace, we see transformation as a process that we divide into recognizable and assessable steps. A sustainable cloud concept includes planning, assessment, development, migration, management and optimization," explains Jens Puhle, Sales Director Germany at Rackspace. In the first step, companies should put their entire IT landscape to the test and see which applications are actually economical.

Today, CIOs are expected to optimize processes, reduce costs and ensure efficiency. Outdated IT infrastructures are out of place here. IT transformation also means a cultural change: it requires a holistic redesign of the way IT influences and supports business operations. "Consider all areas of the company that will be affected by the changes and identify decision-makers there," advises Puhle.

3.) Manage services properly or have them managed
Setting up and managing a comprehensive multi-cloud architecture requires expertise and experience. The multi-cloud combines existing infrastructures, platforms and software with different cloud models. Managing them in a fail-safe and efficient way is complex. That's why the majority of companies rely on external partners. This is reflected in the results of the Rackspace study: According to the study, just under half of the companies surveyed are already working with an external service provider, 37 percent are planning to do so in the next two years, and 18 percent are discussing it.

Only a few companies can fall back on corresponding internal manpower. A suitable service provider brings experience and knowledge of common cloud providers such as Amazon Web Service, Google Cloud Platform, OpenStack or Microsoft Azure. Another quality feature of external service providers is the service, which naturally includes a personal contact person and round-the-clock service. This is also confirmed by the study results: Local contacts and local resources are important for 84 percent of small companies, as well as for 74 percent of large companies.

4.) Rely on experience
The choice of product and service provider is not always easy. One-fits-all will not work for cloud concepts. Use cases and best practices as well as the references of potential partners provide a good overview. According to the Rackspace study, 90 percent of the companies surveyed consider industry expertise to be very important. The same applies to 84 percent of the companies surveyed with regard to corresponding certifications.

The majority of survey participants expect service providers to have many years of in-depth experience with managed services (52 percent). This is also confirmed by Gartner, which ranked Rackspace as a leader in the "Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud Infrastructure Managed Service Providers Worldwide 2018" on the basis of its many years of experience.

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