Organisations today have more choice than ever when it comes to setting up their ICT environment. Applications, documents, servers, storage and digital workplaces can be placed locally within the organisation, fully sourced from the cloud, or combined in a hybrid environment.
However, there is no standard solution that suits every organisation. The right choice depends on, among other things, business processes, software used, compliance requirements, availability of internet connections, security, costs and future growth plans.
B/Focused supports organisations in assessing, designing and optimising local, cloud and hybrid ICT environments so that technology matches the organisation’s objectives, and not the other way around.
What are considerations for organisations for a local, cloud or hybrid environment?
Flexibility and scalability
Cloud solutions make it easier to scale capacity, storage and functionality when the organisation grows or new needs arise.
Retaining local control
Some organisations choose to keep managing business-critical systems or data locally because of performance, dependencies, compliance requirements or specific applications.
The best of both worlds
Many organisations choose a hybrid environment in which local systems and cloud solutions are combined to optimise flexibility, performance and continuity.
Alignment with compliance and governance
The choice between local, cloud or hybrid affects topics such as data location, governance, compliance, cyber resilience and demonstrable control measures.
Grip on investments and costs
Not every workload needs to go to the cloud, and not every server needs to stay local. A good assessment ensures that investments and operational costs better match the organisation’s objectives.
Ready for future developments
A well-designed ICT environment supports growth, hybrid working, new applications, cyber resilience and future changes within the organisation.
Which options do we support?
Local ICT environments
Some organisations choose to keep managing servers, applications and data locally. This can be worthwhile when specific software depends on local infrastructure, performance is crucial, or compliance requirements demand local storage of data.
Cloud environments
Cloud solutions offer flexibility, scalability and support modern ways of working. Applications, documents and email are made available from the cloud, making organisations less dependent on local infrastructure.
Hybrid environments
Many organisations choose a combination of local infrastructure and cloud solutions. This keeps business-critical systems available locally while cloud solutions are used for collaboration, flexibility and scalability.
European Cloud
More and more organisations are looking critically at the location of data, compliance requirements and digital sovereignty. European cloud solutions can be an interesting alternative for organisations that want more control over data location and legislation.
Business-critical applications
Not every application is suitable for a full cloud migration. Within Technology Alignment we assess which systems must continue to run locally, which can be migrated, and which can be set up as hybrid.
Workload and impact analysis
Before choices are made, we assess performance, dependencies, risks, compliance requirements, availability and costs so it becomes clear which setup best matches the organisation’s objectives.
Cost optimisation
Not every workload needs to go to the cloud, and not every server needs to stay local. By periodically assessing which setup fits best, opportunities often arise to lower costs without making concessions on performance or continuity.
Technology Alignment
The choice between local, cloud or hybrid is not a one-off decision. Within Technology Alignment we periodically assess whether the chosen setup still matches business objectives, compliance requirements, cyber resilience and future developments.
From Private Cloud to a Hybrid Environment
For an organisation with an existing private cloud environment, we investigated within Technology Alignment which components actually needed to keep running in the private cloud, and which could better be moved to a hybrid environment.
During this assessment, performance, availability, dependencies, costs, business processes and future needs were mapped out. Based on this, a new hybrid setup was designed in which cloud solutions and existing infrastructure were better aligned with each other.
This change resulted in structurally lower operational costs without making concessions on availability, performance or continuity.
What do we assess?
- Costs and investments
- Availability and continuity
- Compliance and governance requirements
- Cyber resilience
- Data location and sovereignty
- Application dependencies
- Internet and connectivity requirements
- Growth and future needs
- Lifecycle management
- Risks and areas for improvement
Frequently asked questions
How often should an ICT environment be reassessed?
Technology, compliance requirements, cloud solutions and business objectives change continuously. That is why we often assess these kinds of questions periodically within Technology Alignment, so the environment keeps matching the organisation.
Do you also support organisations with an existing private cloud?
Yes. We support organisations in assessing, optimising and redesigning existing private cloud, local and hybrid environments so they better match current needs and future developments.
How does European Cloud fit into this consideration?
More and more organisations are looking at European cloud solutions because of data sovereignty, compliance, governance and changing laws and regulations. Depending on the situation, a European cloud environment can be an interesting alternative.
Can a cloud environment be more expensive than a local environment?
Yes. Although cloud solutions offer many advantages, in some situations it turns out that certain workloads can be set up more efficiently locally or hybrid. That is why we always assess both technical and financial aspects.
How do you determine which environment fits best?
Within Technology Alignment we assess, among other things, applications, performance, availability, costs, compliance requirements, cyber resilience, continuity and future developments to determine which setup best matches the organisation.
What is a hybrid ICT environment?
A hybrid environment combines local infrastructure with cloud solutions. This allows organisations to benefit from cloud functionality while certain systems, data or applications continue to run locally.
What are the advantages of a cloud environment?
Cloud solutions offer flexibility, scalability and support modern ways of working such as hybrid working, remote collaboration and rapid growth of the organisation.
When is a local ICT environment still worthwhile?
A local environment can be worthwhile when business-critical applications depend on local infrastructure, when performance is very important, or when specific compliance or governance requirements apply.