Given the increasingly widespread use of applications that require their own dedicated servers, the fact that data centers are consequently getting increasingly complex and unruly should come as a surprise to few.
While there are certainly options available to businesses looking to streamline their IT Infrastructure services and make them more economically viable, a recent article from consultant and TechTarget contributor Tom Nolle urges companies to choose the right solution for the right job.
Consolidating services but keeping them on-site, according to Nolle, is likely the best choice only for applications that have particularly large data or usage demands, which could push the cost of a cloud-based solution higher than most companies would like.
Most others, however, are likely good candidates for a move to the cloud, he added, though much depends on the use profile of the service and the availability of specific cloud-based IT Infrastructure solutions.
According to Nolle, the use of Infrastructure-as-a-Service — while unlikely to provide poor operational results — may not be the most economical choice available in some circumstances. When there is an equivalent Software-as-a-Service offering that could duplicate the needed functionality, this option could mean a better overall return on investment.
"Deciding whether to use IaaS or [Platform-as-a-Service] to support a given application requires more analysis. PaaS include[s] OSes and middleware, so cloud service costs usually cover software and support. Savings and support can be major deciding factors, particularly if a corporate license doesn't already cover an application's platform services," he wrote.
Although a pure cloud IT Infrastructure service can be highly desirable, it often won't be economically feasible for most businesses. For this reason, the need to manage a combination of cloud-based and on-site systems — in both traditional and virtualized forms — is one that many companies will continue to deal with for the foreseeable future, Nolle explained.
"Hybridization of public cloud and private data centers will become a vital component. Having a single cloud model and provider will ease a transition to hybrid clouds and reduce support costs as applications — in the cloud and in the data center — evolve. Likely, the simplest model for your company to manage will be the best," he said.
Experts agree that a host of other factors also play into decisions on new IT Infrastructure solutions, including regulatory requirements and the advent of mobile technology.
