Intelligent CIO Europe Issue 47 | Page 48

CIO OPINION
US $ 5 million – no easy figure when up against tight budgets and perfectly balanced finances .
Enterprise Architecture teams can support cloud migrations by completing the careful planning and due diligence needed for applications and data to be transitioned smoothly . As modern enterprises run operations that are increasingly complex , an effective cloud migration can therefore be achieved as part of a well-managed Digital Transformation programme .
Roadmapping is key
By simplifying and mapping set criteria against each operational aspect of the business , the modern CIO will be ready to execute their Digital Transformation programmes with the confidence of knowing they are in a safe pair of hands .
more development resources and endanger smooth operations . The better a migration is performed , the less testing should be required .
All of these risks should be considered even before initiating the process .
The starting point
When embarking on any cloud migration project , determining the first steps in an ever complex operational landscape is daunting for even the most experienced CIOs . Achieving a successful migration to the cloud requires careful planning , clear knowledge of the current and target state , and effective governance . Without it , migration planning stalls and the jump from legacy technology to a cloud-first solution appears ever greater .
Ensuring a move to the cloud is completed correctly is vital . It is estimated that a single hour of cloud downtime costs enterprises anywhere from US $ 1 million to over
Enterprise Architecture teams have many critical capabilities including technology roadmapping – an essential methodology to assess how applications or datasets connect to the organisation . When planning a migration to the cloud , knowing the interlinks between operations , tools and processes is understandably vital for success . Technology roadmapping , in short , offers an organisation the opportunity to fully determine its current technology landscape – a starting point from which all other plans and technologies can develop .
With cloud migration programmes , every CIO must walk before they run . Regardless of their own experiences and knowledge to date , building a detailed integration architecture from the ground up – taking all systems and technologies into account – is the only way to ensure that it all doesn ’ t fall apart when moving to the cloud . Even without a planned migration to the cloud in the near future , building the capability of Enterprise Architecture teams to underpin all operations is a failsafe action that should be undertaken .
A roadmap to success
In all , the smartest CIOs can always confidently detail where their organisation is right now , and clearly determine where they want it to be and the path to get there . Leveraging Enterprise Architecture techniques and technology roadmapping to plan a ‘ target state ’ will help to fully consider what needs migrating and how . By simplifying and mapping set criteria against each operational aspect of the business , the modern CIO will be ready to execute their Digital Transformation programmes with the confidence of knowing they are in a safe pair of hands . p
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