As an IT admin, it is often difficult to explain what you do with a simple answer. Your job is not simple or one-dimensional; system administration is merely the tip of the iceberg. You manage networks, storage arrays and servers so your company can provide services to customers and reach business goals. When considering cloud strategies for your organization, you can’t lose sight of this bigger picture and you must keep these ultimate goals in mind.

In the case of cloud strategies, maybe you choose to deploy a business model similar to an Internet service provider and establish a private cloud to provide services to business units. You could also employ a public cloud to offload time-consuming maintenance tasks. You might even use cloud services to move non-revenue-generating tasks out of your data center. All of these are useful cloud strategies, but you must ask yourself if they truly align with your business goals.

To continue this line of thought, read my TechTarget article “Aligning virtualization and cloud strategies with business goals“, then come back here and leave a comment to start the discussion.