Economics of Cloud Computing, The: An Overview For Decision Makers

Product Description

The Economics of Cloud Computing

An Overview for Decision Makers

Bill Williams

Foreword by George Reese, author of Cloud Application Architectures

The decision-maker’s guide to cloud computing: from making the case to managing the transition

This concise book delivers the insight and tools you need to make intelligent decisions about cloud computing and effectively manage the transition to this new paradigm. Bill Williams explains how cloud computing platforms are transforming business IT and helps you fully understand the economies of scale and other benefits associated with “the cloud.”

Williams defines and explains cloud computing platforms and technologies, analyzes the costs associated with the IT supply chain, and (using industry standard metrics) creates a process for measuring the value of implementing cloud service models. He presents realistic and up-to-date ROI and NPV calculations comparing cloud strategies with conventional investments in owned/leased hardware. Through additional examples, he addresses costs and savings related to software licensing and disaster recovery/high availability, offering even deeper practical insight into the financial impact of cloud computing.

Writing for business leaders and “in-the-trenches” managers, Williams outlines the impact of cloud computing on the IT supply chain by contrasting legacy processes and systems with cloud computing implementations. To simplify deployment, Williams presents easy-to-use tables, a decision-maker checklist, and a comprehensive collection of additional resources for further study.

·         Understand today’s leading cloud service and deployment models

·         Identify the major characteristics of cloud computing platforms

·         Use key performance/success indicators to measure IT performance and influence business strategies

·         Quantify the baseline costs of your current IT value chain

·         Use TCO, the payback method, ROI, NPV, and other metrics to justify cloud deployments

·         Calculate the total financial impact of migrating to “the cloud”

·         Place cloud computing in the historical context of technological revolutions

·         Recognize the long-term social and global benefits of cheap and ubiquitous computing

This volume is in the Network Business Series offered by Cisco

Press®. Books in this series provide IT executives, decision makers, and networking professionals with pertinent information about today’s most important technologies and business strategies.

Sample Pages

Download the sample pages (includes Chapter 1 and Index)

Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1 What Is Cloud Computing?–The Journey to Cloud

Cloud Computing Defined

NIST Definition of Cloud Computing

Characteristics of Clouds

Cloud Service Models

    Software as a Service

    Infrastructure as a Service

    Platform as a Service

Cloud Deployment Models

    Private Cloud

    Community Cloud

    Public Cloud

    Hybrid Cloud

Conclusion

Chapter 2 Metrics That Matter–What You Need to Know

Business Value Measurements

    Indirect Metrics

    Total Cost of Ownership

    Direct Metrics

    Other Direct Metrics

Conclusion

Chapter 3 Sample Case Studies–Applied Metrics

Total Cost of Ownership

Software Licensing: SaaS

    TCO with Software as a Service

    Software as a Service Cost Comparison

Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity: IaaS

    Cost-Benefit Analysis for Server Virtualization

    Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity (IaaS) Summary

Platform as a Service

Conclusion

Chapter 4 The Cloud Economy–The Human-Economic Impact of Cloud Computing

Technological Revolutions and Paradigm Change

The Course of Human Development

    The United Nations Human Development Index

Cloud Computing as an Economic Enabler

    Cloud Computing and Unemployment

Cloud Computing and the Environment

    Meritocratic Applications of Cloud Computing

    Alternative Metrics and Measures of Welfare

The Economic Future of Cloud Computing

Conclusion

Appendix A References

Appendix B Decision-Maker’s Checklist

Glossary

9781587143069   TOC   5/29/2012