In the recent Spotlight on Cloud Applications and Data Services, Peter Rodwell - our Multi-Cloud Engagement Lead - makes a good case for going cloud native. But I thought it might be a good idea to add a cultural point to his analysis of the benefits an organization can enjoy from building and running applications out in the cloud.
When you ‘go native’ you adopt a new culture
In the dictionary definition of the term it means a person who moves from one culture to another and adopts the way of life and customs of their new home. In a sense, for established enterprises with deeply embedded IT and functional as well as technical methodologies, the emerging world of Multi-Cloud is a bit like that.
In simple terms, you’re moving into another country with it’s specific culture. Only it’s one without borders and it exists… out there, across an array of servers, databases, and platforms. It takes some getting used to. In fact, it takes a new way of thinking about how you build, run, and evolve your applications. And I think that’s an important point to consider.
What is 'Cloud Native'?
‘Cloud Native’ discussions can get a bit too technical for most of us. Especially if you listen to the Cloud Native Computing Foundation. It was set up in 2015 by the Linux Foundation and their definition is quite forbidding: it covers containerized open source software stacks in which each element of an application is packaged in its own container, and is dynamically orchestrated so that each part can be actively scheduled and managed to optimize resource utilization, and is microservices orientated as to increase overall agility and maintainability of each application.
Put simply, that all means (I hope) that you go Cloud Native so that you can implement a distributed ecosystem that sits on modern cloud computing platforms which are flexible enough to respond your needs. The code in each application are not hard-wired to any one infrastructure component. You have total flexibility over how you scale up and down to meet demand, you can deliver micro-services quickly, and react at speed to market changes and changes in customer behaviors.
That sounds better. And the real VALUE of going Cloud Native is that you can unlock the creativity of your people and your partners.
Unlock creativity
You can co-create applications at pace and adapt existing ones without undermining established functions and processes which are working well. Most importantly, you can drive application transformation in a targeted way. You’re not having to rip out, redesign, and rebuild entire sections of your infrastructure; you can deliver transformation in a non-destructive way. In fact, it’s totally constructive and creative.
And it’s a great route into DevOps and Agile which enables your people and partners to work together to focus on what the business really needs now. They are free to work across technology boundaries because the Multi-Cloud environment you can achieve (by working with Fujitsu, of course) enables your teams to rapidly iterate work through repeatable automation and orchestration.
Have a read of our Spotlight on Cloud Applications and Data Services and get the bigger picture on Multi-Cloud – it’ll help you rethink your culture, go native, and get really creative.
