What Do SMBs Need To Know About Cloud Lifecycle Management?
Cloud lifecycle management encompasses all aspects of the cloud, including setting goals and strategy, design and architecture, migration and deployment, management and operations, optimization and innovation, and exit or decommissioning.
Kogan describes it as the full operating model for how a business manages data and workloads in the cloud, and it involves a few stages:
- Plan and provision: Get the sizing right from the start
- Operate and monitor: Know what is happening in real time
- Optimize: Continuously rightsize for cost and performance
- Secure and govern: Set policies and enforce them consistently
- Protect and recover: Be ready when something goes wrong
“Most businesses treat these as separate tasks, and that is where things break down,” says Kogan. “Chosen solutions need to help small businesses connect these tasks using a unified platform, so data management spans the entire lifecycle and creates a consistent experience instead of a series of disconnected fixes.”
Kogan adds that companies managing their data centrally will better overcome challenges to cloud lifecycle management in the long run.
“Standardizing on a single data management platform can reduce manual day-to-day operations, allowing teams to continuously optimize for cost and performance. Instead of reacting to issues, teams stay ahead of them. This means less time managing the cloud and more time to run the business.”
EXPLORE: Simplify cloud complexity and accelerate innovation with cloud lifecycle services.
SMBs can learn from an enterprise approach to cloud lifecycle management. Enterprises are disciplined, according to Kogan. In addition to standardizing early, they also automate relentlessly and treat data as an asset to be managed rather than just stored. He says small businesses can do the same.
“They just need a data management platform that provides capabilities delivered in a way that is simple and accessible,” he says.
Artificial intelligence is helping SMBs to simplify their approach to cloud operations. Instead of reacting after something breaks or a breach occurs, Kogan says, AI helps SMBs predict issues, automate routine decisions and simplify complex tasks using natural language.
“When companies build AI directly into the platform, they help businesses operate smarter with less effort, without needing a team of specialists to benefit from it,” he adds.
Using Cloud Lifecycle Management as a Differentiator
Kogan says that data management is the ultimate differentiator today. “The ability to effectively manage and understand your data is paramount. Without this control, your entire technology stack loses relevance. Gaining control over your data is the critical, foundational step. This allows you to transform raw information into meaningful, actionable insights, which in turn drives faster decision-making and business momentum.”
Cloud lifecycle management is an important piece of the puzzle enabling strong data management across an organization. Kogan says the message is simple: “Prioritize getting control of your data. The rest — including your cloud strategy and lifecycle — will then fall into place.”
