Forrester Principal Analyst, Randy Heffner is currently conducting research on how enterprise architects should incorporate cloud computing into their organizations’ IT strategies and architectures. He is looking for enterprise architects to interview — architects that have experience with evaluating Cloud offerings, if not actually using them. In the research, Randy is considering three broad categories of cloud computing offerings: Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS).

 

The SPI Model Of Cloud Computing

 

Because the term “cloud computing” refers to quite diverse types of services and products, architects need to analyze and build multiple cloud strategies. Although there are potentially strong benefits, the costs, risks, and best usage scenarios are not necessarily clear. At minimum, adopting cloud-based offerings requires changes in IT’s planning, cost management, solution design, and production operations. To predict and manage the impact, architects must examine cloud options to determine the impact on their architecture plans and strategies. This report will analyze how interviewees see cloud computing’s effect on their organization’s:

• Architecture planning

• Solution delivery architectures and projects

• IT operations

• IT management practices

 

The final research report will be available exclusively for the members of the Enterprise Architecture (EA) Council as part of Forrester Leadership Boards. The EA Council consists of over 200 members who are the senior most individual responsible for Enterprise Architecture of primarily $1B+ companies across a wide variety of industries.  

Anyone who we interview will also receive a complimentary copy of the research report.

Randy is looking for candidates to interview who answer “Yes” to the following questions:

1.       Are you an enterprise architect who has been involved in evaluating, selecting, and/or implementing one or more cloud-based offerings?

2.       From your planning and (if applicable) use of cloud-based offerings, can you share examples of pros, cons, planning requirements, pitfalls, best practices, and/or other experiences?

Since cloud-based offerings are relatively new and used by the minority of organizations, Randy is interested in talking both to those (a) that have experience using them and (b) that have put significant effort into analysis and planning for them, whether or not they have actually used them. 

If you answered “Yes” to both of the above questions and are interested in participating, please get in touch with either Mimi An or Katie Smillie.