IT as a Service is the transformation of IT to a more business-centric approach, focusing on outcomes such as operational efficiency, competitiveness and rapid response. This means IT shifts from producing IT services to optimizing production and consumption of those services in ways consistent with business requirements. This changes the role of IT from a cost center to a center of strategic value.

VMware accelerates the transition to cloud computing. To begin enabling improved service delivery, organizations should follow these steps:

First, begin with virtualization and leverage legacy investments. Since virtualization is the foundation for cloud computing and IT as a Service, the first task for any organization transitioning to the cloud is to virtualize the majority of its environment, including business-critical applications. This allows IT staff to guarantee service levels more easily and economically.

The second step is to turn the IT department into an agile and user-friendly internal service provider. This requires exposing IT services to internal users through Web-based portals as a fully automated, catalog-based service. Whenever internal users need IT services, they should be able to get them quickly and easily. In addition, IT staff must offer a new level of automation to minimize cost and ensure control and compliance. VMware offers new cloud infrastructure and management solutions designed specifically for dynamic environments. They enable policy-driven automation and deliver IT management as an intrinsic part of the system. Using them, organizations can achieve the efficiency, control and compliance needed to move from cost center to service provider.

Third, deploy a private cloud. A private cloud built on VMware technology enables an IT department to transform into an efficient, agile and user-friendly internal service provider. IT staff can build and deploy a private cloud today that yields improved IT efficiency and agility while enhancing security and choice. At the same time, deploying a private cloud on the VMware platform provides a practical path to the highly scalable, high-performance public clouds being built by recognized service providers leveraging the VMware platform.

By adopting the leading platform chosen by the largest number of enterprises and service providers, organizations have the choice to place any of their workloads in the optimal location. At the same time, they fully retain the ability to move workloads between or across private and public cloud infrastructure—benefiting from a hybrid private-public cloud approach.

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