In the short run, efforts to reshape how IT resources are purchased should be viewed skeptically. Vendors are unwilling to shave more off bottom lines that have already been cut thin. And vendors can deliver only a piece of the puzzle. To really make IT more efficient and responsive, the IT organization must change. The tendency to prize unique skills must take a backseat to appreciating the big picture. Just as product design reinvented itself in the '80s, so must IT start producing systems and resources that are flexible, accountable and affordable. The idea isn't to turn your IT shop into a utility, but to get more utility out of what you're doing.
This process will take time and may, in the short run, cost more money. The trick is to keep one end goal constantly in mind--to organizationally evolve IT to be flexible, accountable and affordable.
When it comes to vendors' grand visions, a healthy dose of agnosticism is your best bet. Weeding through claims is complicated, and the equation changes drastically depending on the size and focus of your enterprise. Microsoft does well for smaller companies, and HP, IBM and Sun Microsystems do likewise for the big players--yet none is even close to having all the pieces of the utility-computing puzzle. Realize that today, adopting a strategy wholesale is a leap of faith.
Bob Friday, Chief AI Officer for Juniper Networks, explains how the advanced technology is transforming operations.
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