Cloud Governance vs Traditional Governance: Making the Right Choice
Cloud governance has grown in popularity in recent years, and for a good reason. According to a recent report by Flexera, a leading provider of cloud management software, 92% of businesses use some form of cloud service. At the same time, traditional governance models still exist, and many companies continue to rely on them.
So, how do cloud governance and traditional governance differ, and which one is best for your business? Let's take a closer look.
What is Traditional Governance?
Traditional governance refers to the standard processes and policies used to manage a company's IT infrastructure. In such models, enterprise IT resources (such as servers, storage, and networking) are usually managed on-premise through a central IT team.
Here are some key features of traditional governance models:
- Centralized control: IT is responsible for managing and maintaining infrastructure, systems, and applications.
- Limited flexibility: Customizing IT infrastructure can be time-consuming and expensive.
- Slow, steady pace: Changes to infrastructure or applications can take weeks, if not months, to complete.
What is Cloud Governance?
Cloud governance, as the name suggests, refers to the management of cloud services to ensure they meet a company's requirements for security, compliance, and operational efficiency. Cloud governance models allow companies to leverage cloud technology with greater flexibility and efficiency.
Here are some key features of cloud governance models:
- Decentralized control: Developers or business units manage IT resources that work best for them, utilizing cloud technology's benefits.
- Greater flexibility: Software developers can speed up deployment times and adjust resources according to business demand.
- Dynamic scalability: Cloud-based resources can be scaled up and down quickly in response to fluctuating business needs.
Cloud Governance vs Traditional Governance: A Comparison
To help you make the right choice between cloud governance and traditional governance, let's compare some essential features.
###Cost
Cost is a significant factor when it comes to governance models.
Traditional governance requires significant infrastructure investment, leading to high capital expenses. In contrast, cloud governance aims to reduce costly infrastructure investment by utilizing pay-per-use models on the cloud. This approach enables organizations to reduce wasteful spending and reallocate funds for other essential projects.
###Flexibility
Flexibility is a critical factor that determines how well IT governance aligns with business needs. Traditional governance models can be rigid, making it difficult to accommodate changing business needs. On the other hand, cloud governance models are more flexible, allowing organizations to customize and innovate at a faster pace.
###Scalability
Scalability refers to how easy it is to adjust IT resources up or down, depending on the organization's changing requirements. Traditional governance models can be inefficient and expensive, as they require costly hardware that is difficult and slow to scale.
Cloud governance models enable organizations to scale IT resources up or down promptly and efficiently, making it easier for organizations to save cost and only pay for what resources they use.
Conclusion
In conclusion, cloud governance vs. traditional governance is more about choosing the best governance strategy that aligns with your business needs. As we've seen, both models come with specific advantages and disadvantages.
Traditional governance models are excellent if you're more concerned with centralized control and maintaining established organizational procedures. Cloud governance models are more flexible, scalable, and cost-effective, allowing organizations to adjust to changing business needs quickly.
Therefore, based on your organizational goals, you can choose a governance model that will provide your company with the best results.
###References
Flexera. (2021).State of the Cloud Report. https://info.flexera.com/SLOCCM-Report-State-of-the-Cloud-2021