Cloud Management for the Modern Enterprise

The Cloud-First Approach

Modern enterprises are adapting to the world of cloud computing the same way that software developers adapted to mobile computing. Just as the “Mobile First” trend saw developers creating applications specifically for native mobile or responsive “mobile friendly” websites, savvy enterprises are taking a “Cloud First” approach to computing resources. Rather than acquiring new server hardware and local storage, public cloud infrastructure is the new norm.

“Cloud First” is a smart idea, as businesses can scale up or down as easily as clicking a button. The cloud has the potential to eliminate overhead, waste, security risks, and human error, without the hassles of running a traditional data center. The cloud can also be a major competitive advantage, enabling organizations to stay lean and increase operational efficiencies, mitigate risks, and save money as they grow.

New Concerns for Cost and Security

That is not to say that operating in the cloud is without its own set of concerns. It’s true that cloud-based enterprises no longer need to worry about real estate, physical security, server sprawl, firewalls, software updates, power, heating and cooling—traditional data center issues. Still, moving to the cloud introduces new issues in addition to some familiar ones.

For example, enterprises were told they can save money by moving to the cloud. However, it’s still easy to overspend on the cloud, perhaps more easily than with a traditional data center. Instead of putting out an RFP for new equipment, any authorized employee can now just spin up new instances and your cloud spend will increase without any formal oversight. It’s easy to trade server sprawl for cloud sprawl.

Benefits of a Cloud Management Platform

This is why modern enterprises need a Cloud Management Platform (CMP). There are a host of benefits that a CMP offers. A CMP can recognize when resources could be better allocated to improve efficiency. Additionally, CMPs enable sophisticated security controls, such as minimizing Administrative Privileges, to make sure only a small set of authorized—and current—users are able to make changes.

Not all CMPs are created equal. Some merely address operational efficiencies; others address only security. Many CMPs focus purely on cost savings for the cloud. It’s rare to find a single CMP that can address all of those needs. Fortunately, CloudCheckr has 400+ Best Practices to optimize your cloud utilization, increase security, and save on your cloud spend.

The last thing modern enterprises want is to work with multiple vendors that don’t integrate with each other. After all, that’s why businesses move to the cloud in the first place, for seamless worry-free infrastructure. Learn how you can gain total visibility with CloudCheckr.