Enterprises are using applications to gain competitive advantage. Success in this technology-based environment requires agility and flexibility. And if IT wants to be the primary technology solution partner for the business, the IT staff needs processes and tools in place to deliver solutions at a much faster pace.

As digital services propel more and more business processes, cloud technology is proving to be a crucial addition to the IT services portfolio. It is far more scalable, and in many cases more cost effective, than its predecessors. Cloud infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and software- defined data center technologies—virtualized computing, networking, and storage—have helped IT address the “fast IT” challenge.

But not all services are or will be cloud based. That’s why an effective IT-as-a-service (ITaaS) strategy must be hybrid and must encompass a range of service delivery options. As Figure 1 illustrates, that strategy must include a mix of services sourced from the data center, private cloud , and public cloud. In implementing that strategy, IT must continue to meet cost, service-quality, security, and compliance requirements.

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