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Migrating your thinking, not your just apps, to the cloud

Stuart Bell, currently working on digital platforms on AWS with Insights Learning and Development, shared that there’s more to migration than shifting data and apps into the cloud at the Cloud Pathway 2 event on Mar 27 hosted by Cloudsoft in Codebase, Edinburgh,

Stuart covered the following key points:

  • Useful frameworks to shape you, and your organization’s, thinking
  • Examples in media and banking
  • What Cloudsoft and Insights are collaborating on

You can find Stuart's slides at the end of this post.

Useful frameworks to think through migration

Stuart set the scene by explaining how migration has to be considered in the context of a complex heterogeneous environment that is also moving at different paces: it’s definitely not one-size, one-speed suits all!

Gartner's Pace Layers

Referencing Gartner’s Pace-Layered Application Strategy, Stuart explained how you should use a migration project to work out how you choose the correct approach and outcome at different layers. An example is repurchasing commodity and slow pace of change systems of record like CRM as SaaS, while considering refactoring systems of innovation applications that are unique to your business.

Shearing Layers

Stuart then built on the pace layers with ‘Shearing’ layers to describe where you focus your time, attention, money and effort. Using a house as an example, you wouldn’t expect your “house improvement budget” to cover wall-papering of the outside drains, but you would to wall-paper the inside of your lounge. This means that you shouldn’t be spending IT budget on commodity things that other people do better at, like providing clouds.

Why build your own cloud when you can rent an excellent one? Why build an API gateway when you can rent one?

Cloud examples in media and banking

In the slides you’ll find examples that Stuart talked through and how different companies have won or lost through their thinking, their approach and often their legacy.

In media, the contrast between Netflix and Sky is quite stark. In banking, the newcomers like Monzo and Starling are completely AWS-based and don’t suffer from the legacy technology and practices as established high street banks.

Stuart's slides from the event:

 

 

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