Sounds like a pitch for services (and to an extent, it is), but the point is not services revenue for your selected Automation software vendor. The point is ...
it's about PEOPLE and PROCESS primarily
Working with VMware, for instance, you've been able to buy virtualization software and - for the most part - it's just worked without services and without much training. But Automation is a whole other animal. It touches every part of IT Ops, plus dev teams, plus IT finance, plus the business. It touches all ITSM processes and Dev processes, and every person involved in those processes. So, a plan that takes into consideration process recalibration and rationalization, plus regrouping and training of people, is critical. Then (and only then) should you apply technology to facilitate.
Don't get me wrong ... there is absolute benefit in creating an "Art of the Possible" stack in a lab that shows to all who will be involved what you are aiming for, but expecting that software will magically do it all in the medium and long term - getting you past broken or outdated processes and organizational behavior issues - is just crazy.
Here is a very high level depiction of what must be fleshed out, ideally with the help of experts in Application Delivery Automation:
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| ABOVE: All of what must be considered when venturing toward an SDDC Transformation. |
While this is a significant transformation to undertake, it is very well worth the effort. According to a recent Forrester study on the Total Economic Impact of VMware Automated Application Deployment, for instance,
- Application delivery was sped from 3-4 weeks on average to <1 day.
- Consistency and quality improved by a notable margin (not mentioned).
- HW cost avoidance was appr 15%.
- Reduced capacity was appr 10%.
- IT Ops time savings of appr 22 hours per application environment delivered.
What's more important, though, is the business impact:
- Improvements in developer productivity (20%+ for VMware internal)
- Significant market share and revenue increases (depends upon industry)
- Margin (Net Income) thickening
- Innovation through more IT time spent shoulder-to-shoulder with the business, trying out (and failing fast) edgy ideas to uncover potential advantages in the market. This benefit can not be measured specifically, but it's the most substantial byproduct of this transformation by a wide margin.
In summary, before endeavoring to "change the IT world" - which is a noble and highly impactful venture - you will want to (a) get commitment to the change from Exec Management and heads of Dev and IT Ops, (b) begin considering the process and people aspects of the transformation that must transform (a la The Phoenix Project) and (c) partner with a company that has done this successfully many times over. Of course, VMware is considered the best and most experienced, but there are many with specific practices in this arena who will do great things for you, too.
Greg Robert Dean is a Transformation Advisor in VMware's Software Defined Enterprise Business Unit.
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