1. Cloud computing
To support your business objectives
Breaking through the haze: understanding
and leveraging cloud computing.

2. Intelligence explosion demands
a new computing model
A new, intelligent planet is developing around us — one that
enables us to move, interact and conduct business more
rapidly than ever before. In a world where almost anyone and
anything can connect to the Internet, we are seeing an explosion
of technology and information — and connected devices —
affecting our everyday lives. With all the added convenience this
intelligence explosion has wrought, it has also introduced new
levels of complexity. For instance:
• Organizations are facing accelerating business change, global competitive pressures
and social responsibility demands.
• IT delivery has grown more challenging due to technology changes, increasing end-
user sophistication and rapid information growth.
• Users accessing services via Internet technologies expect a secure, “always-on”
computing infrastructure that delivers as easily and reliably as electricity from a wall
outlet, requiring a fundamental change in how services are delivered.
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3. Organizations are striving Rapid service delivery management. Its fundamental tie to
service management will help drive
to reach their full potential and “anywhere, lower cost of ownership, improved
by rapidly implementing anytime access” security, higher service quality and
innovative business models characterize clouds service “elasticity” to meet demand.
while lowering IT barriers In addition, as more IT resources are
Cloud computing provides a means
added, a cloud-based infrastructure
to innovation and change. of delivering computing services that
can reduce incremental labor costs
Accomplishing these goals makes the underlying technology,
to nearly zero.
beyond the user device, almost
calls for a new, dynamic
invisible. And because it allows appli-
computing model that The focus on the user experience is
cations and services to be uncoupled
also a huge part of the excitement
enables rapid innovation for from the underlying infrastructure,
and benefit of cloud computing. A
applications, services and enabling the business to adjust quickly
simplified user interface and SOA
to change, cloud computing can be
service delivery. foundation make clouds the delivery
part of a strategy to create a more
model with the “anywhere, anytime,
dynamic enterprise.
just the way I want it” promise. Cloud
computing makes sense for many
Cloud computing can also enhance
businesses, but it’s important to
initiatives for implementing service
understand the types of clouds that
oriented architecture (SOA), data
are available and which is most desir-
center optimization and information
able, given your business goals.
A transformation of the data center is needed
Accelerated pace of business
model changes supported by
Data Operational issues have
technology innovations
center IT at a break point
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4. Unravel the cloud The other model of cloud computing, business models that include integrated
called a “private” cloud-based service, services from different providers (public
confusion — public offers many of the benefits of a public and private) to support and drive busi-
versus private cloud computing environment. The ness innovation and IT optimization.
Most of what is publicized about cloud difference is that in a private cloud-
computing focuses on the concept of based service, data and processes
Work with IBM, a
public clouds, which are character- are managed within the organization
without the restrictions of network
leading provider of
ized as being available via an outside
service provider. Public clouds can bandwidth, security exposures and private and public
provide the ability to scale rapidly regulatory compliance concerns that
cloud technology
with minimal up-front cost and offer
1 using public cloud services across
IBM has long been on the forefront of
an infrastructure that meets needs for open, public networks might entail. In
developing private and public cloud
rapid innovation. They also enable end addition, private cloud services can
technology and offering public cloud
users to access computing resources offer the provider and the user greater
services, and can provide real-world
(applications, storage, processing control, improving security and resil-
experience helping organizations
power, data) when they are needed iency2 as user access and the networks
implement their own clouds. IBM
and for as long as they are needed, are restricted and designated.
also has first-hand experience imple-
in an attractive, pay-for-what-you-use
menting cloud computing centers
model. Some service providers offer Deciding which type of cloud is right for
around the world, including Dublin,
applications targeted for end users, your environment is an important first
Ireland; Beijing, China; Johannesburg,
such as e-mail and calendaring. Others step in evaluating cloud computing for
South Africa; Tokyo, Japan; and
offer unique business applications, your company. It’s important to under-
several other locations.
like providing developers with access stand which workloads are best suited
to shared development platforms with to take advantage of its benefits. And
For the past five years, IBM has hosted
high resource scalability, to create and it’s important to understand the envi-
“enterprise-class” cloud services
enhance applications. ronment in which those workloads can
for clients via its IBM Computing on
perform — public or private. We also
Demand (CoD) offering. With global
anticipate the development of various
4

5. Is cloud computing right
centers located in the financial hubs
of New York, London and Tokyo, IBM
is able to service clients that need
secure, flexible computing resources for your organization?
on an hourly, weekly or yearly basis.
In addition, IBM can meet the essen- Cloud computing can be beneficial in three key areas:
tial needs of a business, no matter
the size, with cloud services like IBM Business innovation — Cloud computing fosters business innovation by
Arsenal Digital Solutions that provide enabling organizations to quickly and cost-effectively explore the potential
information protection services, and of new, IT-enabled business enhancements that can grow with unprec-
the IBM pilot program, “Bluehouse,” an edented scale.
innovative and powerfully intuitive set of
cloud-based business applications. Service delivery — Cloud computing enables the dynamic availability of
IT applications and infrastructure. More rapid service delivery results from
the ability to orchestrate the tasks to create, configure, provision and add
Examine
computing power in support of IT and business services much more quickly
infrastructure than would be possible with today’s computing infrastructure. Enhanced
requirements before service delivery reinforces efforts for customer retention, faster time to market
and horizontal market expansion. Cloud computing can enhance SOA, infor-
adopting cloud
mation management and service management initiatives, which also support
computing your service delivery initiatives.
Unlike other companies, IBM
approaches cloud computing from the IT optimization — Cloud computing supports massive scalability. Services
perspective that you need a trusted can be quickly expanded or contracted without requiring major overhauls
foundation on which to build the most to the core data center. The benefits include lower cost of ownership, which
secure, efficient and resilient service drives higher profitability, enabling you to more easily reinvest in your infra-
platform, utilizing cloud computing structure and answer the question, “how do I do more with fewer resources?”
where appropriate. Other vendors begin
with the user interface and largely
ignore the importance of the underlying
infrastructure.
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6. A question organizations must ask is, SOA — Reusing and sharing compo-
can a cloud infrastructure support our nents to deliver services is a required
future needs for service delivery and part of any effective cloud computing
demand? By examining your infrastruc- environment. In a cloud, those shared
ture needs, you help ensure that the components can be sourced on the
service environment you build today will Internet, through any provider, and
stand the test of time. organizations can choose to only pay
for the components that they need.
Review a checklist for
Service management — A fully
cloud computing optimized data center demands a
For any organization looking to adopt a solid service management platform,
cloud computing model, following are deployed with industry best practices,
some key considerations: that supports business processes,
usage tracking for purposes of billing
Data center maturity — The key is an or chargeback, applications and IT
organization’s ability to integrate cloud infrastructure. Service management
computing into a broader strategy and is request-driven and can allocate
architected plan to align IT resources services, dynamically move and opti-
closely with overall business goals, mize workloads and data across the
objectives and needs. In some cases, shared infrastructure, and integrate
cloud computing may be the answer for added resources to scale with very
receiving and/or delivering services. In little, if any, intervention by cloud
other cases, leveraging the underlying service provider personnel.
technologies may be the most appro-
priate choice.
6

7. Information on demand — To achieve
Choose experience record for transitioning data centers
the goal of an optimized data center, to new levels of reliability and perfor-
organizations must be able to provide
and expertise for mance is well documented.
easy-yet-secure information access. your cloud computing
A private cloud supports more secure
implementation — Using a global network of skills and
information access by allowing orga- technology expertise, IBM offers a
nizations to access components of
choose IBM broad range of assessment services
information from the cloud and popu- IBM leverages a collection of enabling and cloud computing solutions. The
lating it into their servers — all while technologies and services to create IBM approach to cloud computing is
keeping the service completely trans- the cloud computing experience for predicated on real-world experience,
parent to users. its customers in data center, service offering trusted solutions and expertise
provider and cloud-hosted environ- to help you use cloud computing to
Green IT — The inherently shared envi- ments. Organizations working with IBM accelerate innovation, connect people
ronment in a cloud supports resource have the flexibility to establish their own and provide an effective and creative
optimization and virtualization — both cloud computing centers on premises service delivery model.
of which help cut down on energy and within their firewalls, leveraging the
benefits of security and resiliency that a
usage and associated costs. If greener
For more information
is your goal, cloud computing can private cloud offers.
For more information about imple-
support that.
menting cloud computing in your
A leading provider of technology
organization, contact your IBM repre-
Web 2.0/social networking — Cloud including SOA, information manage-
sentative or IBM Business Partner, or
computing is a service delivery model ment, service management and
visit ibm.com/cloud or ibm.com/
that supports Web 2.0 by helping security, IBM offers the services, prod-
cloudcomputing
organizations design the infrastructure ucts and solutions to help you create
around the end-user experience — a clear, reliable roadmap toward
including information optimization. building and using cloud computing to
enhance these areas. The IBM track
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8. © Copyright IBM Corporation 2008
IBM Corporation
Software Group
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U.S.A.
Produced in the United States of America
October 2008
All Rights Reserved
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It is the customer’s sole responsibility to obtain
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1
The term “public” does not mean free, although
some clouds may be free or fairly inexpensive
to use.
2
Some up-front investment is needed to establish
a private cloud.
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