When it comes to all things cloud (What exactly is cloud, anyway? Where does it exist? Why should it matter to me and my business?), it is often best to defer to the expertise of an enterprise cloud strategist like Jeremy Ward, co-host of the new Cloudbusting podcast. Ward is an IT leader with a background in hospitality and 23 years in diverse industry roles.
Ward recently presented a two-part HFTP ProLinks webinar series that gives viewers a high-level “Cloud 101” crash course, where he explores the benefits and challenges of cloud computing in business.
This series is now available in the HFTP 2019 webinar archive.
Part I of the two-part HFTP ProLinks webinar series (“All About Cloud — Cloud Adoption: Benefits and Challenges“) gives a summary of cloud computing. The session explores the reasons that companies adopt the cloud, provides an overview of cloud service providers, examines some of the common misconceptions around cloud adoption and discusses some key challenges.
Part I is available in the HFTP 2019 webinar archive.
Cloud: What Is It?
Essentially, “cloud is a tool that is used as part of a digital transformation for your organization,” says Ward. Traditionally, IT teams provided IT resources across the whole data stack. They managed your data center, supported the hardware, patched your operating systems (OS) and on top of it all, also managed your applications.
It expended a lot of time and effort at the business’ expense to manage everything internally, without providing any real value to the business — except where your applications are concerned. Your applications are the real source of value; they drive your revenue and ultimately, your profitability.
Today, cloud service providers (CSPs) can take over the compute requirements and the OS layer, allowing you to focus on your applications.
Cloud: Why Bother?
Are the benefits worth the time and effort to make the move to cloud? “It absolutely should be,” encourages Ward. Cloud computing is a foundation for business transformation. It enables new digital business models, faster growth and scale, adaptation to disruptive markets, and improved efficiency. Technology is changing so quickly, and business requirements are changing even faster. The IT team must be able to respond at that speed.
Register for Ward’s Part I webinar to learn more about cloud benefits and challenges. >>
Cloud: How Do I Get Started?
Once you have come to understand cloud better during Ward’s first webinar, as well as its benefits and challenges, you may decide to move forward with implementing cloud services for your business. The second part of the webinar series is designed to help you figure out how to move to the cloud.
“Cloud Adoption: Benefits and Challenges Part 2” examines the impact of cloud adoption on your organization, what else (other than technology) will be impacted and the steps towards implementation, including the creation of a “Cloud Center of Excellence.” It explores the people, process and procurement; target operating models; security; managing your cloud footprint; and looks to the future to answer the question: “What next?”.
Part II is available in the HFTP 2019 webinar archive.
Continue the Cloud Discussion
Hosted alongside fellow cloud strategist Dave Chapman, Ward’s Cloudbusting podcast takes a lighthearted, informed approach to the topic of cloud.
Ward decided to launch a podcast on all things cloud after listening to other cloud podcasts on the market. “There was nothing that was both easily consumed or that addressed anything more than specific technical items,” notes Ward, “so Cloudbusting was born.”
“We really want to talk to a wide audience and to anyone who, in any way, will use public cloud in their business,” Ward continues. “We aim to cover a diverse range of topics; some have a leadership track, while others are more educational, and still others more technical. We hope to give the listener the option of choosing what they want to listen to, but also not exclude them from the other subjects.
“For instance, we want to ensure that a CFO will still be able to digest the more technical episodes. Anyone who is either using, or thinking of using public cloud service providers in business will benefit from listening to this podcast — and those looking to unearth some particularly bad jokes.”
Briana Gilmore 
is the HFTP Communications Coordinator.
Briana can be reached at Briana.Gilmore@hftp.org or +1 (512) 220-4017.
