ITIL 4 and Cloud Services: Connecting Multiple Frameworks

One of the most interesting technological developments these days is the migration of organizations’ IT services to the cloud.

There are several benefits to doing so, ranging from more flexibility and collaboration to lower total expenditures.

You’ve spent the last year working with multiple enterprises to migrate their data centers and apps to the cloud. You discovered that enterprises and providers may not always be on the same page regarding how cloud frameworks function and operate.

Customers, anxious to save time, money, and resources, select a vendor to host their cloud services and begin migration activities, only to discover that the cloud environment does not operate exactly like their on-premises environment. Customers demand the same procedures, structure, and general maturity that they have created over many years for their on-premises technology systems.

Different languages, different meanings

To start, each side has its own set of processes and a separate language. This implies they may use similar language but with distinct meanings. For example, “change management” can imply many different things to various customers and vendors.

When one side believes the other is responsible for, say, change management, a gap between customer expectation and service actuality develops. For example, an on-premises update might take place in two hours — with procedures so developed that any problems could be resolved quickly. A shift to cloud services might need two to three days to complete.

Meanwhile, cloud suppliers have evolved their processes, structure, and maturity to assure scalability across a much bigger and uncertain scope: their infrastructure may be global, with infinite clients, and all the unpredictability that entails.

As a result, both firms and suppliers may discover that their working methods do not quite match.

Why has this been let to happen? Because of the focus on speed to market, governance and controls have taken a back seat.

How does ITIL help?

How does ITIL 4 handle the unique issue of businesses migrating to cloud computing?

Just because a corporation is using newer technology does not imply it can abandon the controls, standards, and processes/practices that have made the IT function effective in the past.

Additionally, ITIL 4 identifies and collaboratively integrates other techniques, such as Agile, Lean, and DevOps. Rather than each strategy working in isolation, ITIL 4’s unified approach strives for comprehensive experience management.

DevOps, Lean, and Agile are fantastic, but how can you simultaneously implement Agile and waterfall-based change that benefits the whole organization? ITIL comes into play when consistency is required.

To be clear, the goal isn’t ITIL 4: it’s about enhancing collaboration among a variety of organizations.

As a result, when both cloud service providers and their customers have accepted and modified the ITIL framework, it almost assures that everyone is on the same page and speaking the same language before migrating on-premises infrastructures or applications to the cloud. The ITIL framework scales independently of the location of infrastructure or applications (on-premises or in the cloud).

Without a common framework, providers may fail to match customers’ expectations, leading to increased irritation on both sides. Using the same framework, regardless of the amount of detail in its adoption or specific procedures, ensures that cloud migrations occur as quickly as possible.

The need to completely retrain people or, worse, rebuild apps and procedures to run properly in the cloud is also much reduced.

When both enterprises and providers utilize ITIL as the baseline and core that binds everything together – and aspires for the final goal the company desires – moving to the cloud can be a smooth and efficient process.

Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com