#1: You can’t describe Cloud Computing in 20 words or less without sounding like Sarah Palin

With so many vendors claiming their products are cloud solutions you must be clear on what is or is not cloud computing to ensure you achieve the benefits.

Be prepared to explain Private Cloud with clarity.

Cloud is:• Services in standardized offerings• Self-Service turn-up and turn-down• Metered pay as you go• Use NIST Cloud Definitions for greater consistency

#2: Your data center looks more like the one on the left than the one on the right

In order to successfully establish true private cloud on-premise requires an ability to produce consistent, predictable and quality results.

If you can’t maintain standards and attention to detail on your structured cabling, you will likely struggle with everything required to bring private cloud services to your customers.

#3: Orchestration

makes you think of a crazy haired

guy in a tux

It is unfortunate that so much of the emphasis about private cloud readiness is placed on virtualization as the primary precondition.

Self-service and elasticity requires fully automating the service provisioning and de-provisioning process which may be the biggest challenge you have ever faced.

Try baby steps with hosted private clouds, cloud in the box solutions, or starting with test & dev.

#4: You don’t even know which of your applications can run on a cloud infrastructure

Not all applications can run on a virtualized infrastructure let alone a cloud infrastructure.

We all have applications that don’t even play well with others in a virtualized environment or with DRS.

And, just because you can get it to run, doesn’t mean the software vendor will support it.

#5: Your customers will not tolerate standardization or limited choice

Cloud service models are about standardized menus. “Custom” doesn’t live in the clouds – even private clouds. If your organization demands individualized computing and services you may be in for a fight.

This is the core of cloud economics where economies of scale are achieved by limiting choice in the trade-off for metered pay-per-use.