Misalignment Between Cloud and Network Teams Puts Enterprise Cloud Initiatives at Risk
Research by EMA and BlueCat demonstrates 72% of enterprises struggle to achieve the full benefits of the cloud.
A joint EMA and BlueCat study found 72% of enterprises fail to realize full value from cloud initiatives largely because traditional on‑premises networking teams are not adequately integrated into cloud projects. The research of 212 networking and cloud professionals shows poor collaboration led to security and compliance issues at 73% of organizations, IT operations problems at 89%, and business impacts at 82%, highlighting DNS, IP address management, and network security as critical areas for alignment. The report offers strategic and tactical guidance to improve hybrid cloud adoption by recognizing networking teams as equal partners and addressing DNS and IP addressing early to avoid cost and schedule overruns.
What was the scope and methodology of the research cited in the article?
The research was conducted by Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) in collaboration with BlueCat and is based on a survey of 212 networking and cloud professionals. The study focused on enterprises that employ more than 2,500 people and was authored by Shamus McGillicuddy, Vice President of Research, Network Management at EMA. It examines collaboration between networking and cloud teams and measures the operational, security/compliance, and business impacts of dysfunction on hybrid cloud initiatives, with a detailed analysis presented in a report and highlights scheduled for release at InformationWeek on June 10th.
What specific consequences did the research link to poor collaboration between networking and cloud teams?
EMA’s research identified three broad consequence categories resulting from poor collaboration: security and compliance issues (reported at 73% of organizations), which include compliance violations, data leaks, and financial loss; IT operations issues (reported at 89% of organizations), such as service performance problems and downtime; and business‑level issues (reported at 82% of organizations), including productivity loss, cost overruns, and challenges to customer loyalty. The report ties these outcomes to failures to integrate traditional on‑premises network infrastructure teams into cloud adoption efforts.
What practical guidance does the article say the report provides to improve hybrid cloud adoption?
The article states the report offers both strategic and tactical guidance to alleviate dysfunction between networking and cloud teams, emphasizing that networking should be an equal partner in cloud initiatives. It highlights the importance of integrating functions like DNS and IP address management, compliance, and network security early in cloud projects; doing so can prevent major cost and time overruns. The report also promises perspectives from practitioners in the cloud and networking trenches and outlines the biggest benefits of alignment, with a detailed analysis available in the full report.
TORONTO, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — New research by Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) and BlueCat, the Adaptive DNS™ company, found that 72% of enterprises struggle to realize the full value of their cloud initiatives. Much of that can be tied to their failure to adequately integrate traditional on-premises network infrastructure teams into the cloud journey. EMA found that collaboration challenges between networking and cloud teams have directly resulted in the following consequences in the past year:
- Security & compliance issues (such as compliance violation, data leaks, and financial loss) at 73% of organizations
- IT operations issues (such as service performance problems and downtime) at 89% of organizations
- Business-level issues (such as productivity loss, cost overruns, and customer loyalty challenges) at 82% of organizations
The report also identifies the benefits of integration to all sorts of functions, like DNS and IP space management, compliance, and network security, which are critical to successful cloud adoption.
The research, based on a survey of 212 networking and cloud professionals and authored by Shamus McGillicuddy, Vice President of Research, Network Management at Enterprise Management Associates (EMA), explores the state of collaboration between network and cloud teams, and its impact on hybrid cloud initiatives at enterprises employing more than 2,500 people.
“The cloud is a critical undertaking, and we know that dysfunction between these two teams can derail enterprises’ success,” says Stephen Devito, CEO at BlueCat Networks. “At BlueCat, we’re committed to helping our clients navigate the nuances of the journey to the cloud, and this research offers readers both strategic and tactical guidance around improving their chances of successful hybrid cloud adoption.”
Leaders and practitioners alike will find rich perspectives from the cloud and networking trenches in the research analysis, as well as data that outlines the biggest benefits of alignment between these two teams and suggested steps for alleviating the dysfunction.
“Applications are migrating to the cloud every day, so there is no time to waste,” says McGillicuddy. “Industry leaders must recognize that the networking team offers intrinsic value to a cloud adoption initiative, and they should necessarily be an equal partner in the journey. Letting things like DNS and IP addressing right at the beginning of a cloud initiative can save millions of dollars and years in project time.”
A detailed analysis of the research findings is available in the report.
Highlights from the report will be revealed at InformationWeek on June 10th.
About BlueCat
BlueCat is the Adaptive DNS™ company. The company’s mission is to help the world’s largest organizations thrive on network complexity, from the edge to the core. To do this, BlueCat re-imagined DNS. The result – Adaptive DNS™ – is a dynamic, open, secure, scalable, and automated resource that supports the most challenging digital transformation initiatives, like the adoption of hybrid cloud and rapid application development. Learn more at www.bluecatv2.local.
About EMA
Founded in 1996, EMA is a leading industry analyst firm that provides deep insight across the full spectrum of IT and data management technologies. EMA analysts leverage a unique combination of practical experience, insight into industry best practices, and in-depth knowledge of current and planned vendor solutions to help their clients achieve their goals. Learn more about EMA research, analysis, and consulting services for enterprise line of business users, IT professionals, and IT vendors at https://www.enterprisemanagement.com.
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