To fully exploit the cloud and achieve the highest return on investment, a fine balance is needed to deploy a vast amount of moving parts in a continuously evolving process.

Cloud computing has driven, and continues to drive, a paradigm shift for enterprise IT. Mastering the cloud has become essential for businesses … but what does that mean, and how can it be achieved? In a recent report titled ‘From Taming Cloud Complexity to Achieving Cloud Mastery,’ EPAM Continuum, the integrated business, technology and experience consulting practice of EPAM Systems, Inc. (NYSE: EPAM), answers the most pressing questions on the topic and reveals how to achieve the ultimate goal, mastering cloud complexity.

“The roadmap to cloud is not complicated, but it is far more complex compared to traditional IT. We found that some approaches don’t lead to sustainable cloud transformation, which was one of the driving forces why we created this report,” said Miha Kralj, VP of Cloud Strategy at EPAM. “We expanded on the idea that it is possible to tame the complexity of the cloud and took it a step further and validated that by explaining how organizations can achieve a level of mastery within your cloud ecosystem. And by mastery, we don’t mean a final destination, but rather a constant journey.”

The report is based on a survey of more than 400 senior IT leaders from North America and the United Kingdom. These leaders have extensive experience using the cloud in their enterprises and represent a cross-section of vertical industries, including financial services, healthcare, life sciences, insurance and retail.

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Five Cloud Mastery Success Factors:

1. Managing the Strategy. A strategic, thoughtful and intentional approach to cloud computing is the path to success. 96.75% of the organizations surveyed have a Cloud Center of Excellence, which becomes the foundation for understanding, mastering, and getting parameters, guidelines and guardrails around their cloud ecosystem.
2. Mastering the Costs of the Cloud. Navigating the cloud’s new utility computing models can be a challenge. Not recognizing that new financial processes are required can result in unexpected consequences. 60% of organizations surveyed were “unpleasantly” surprised by a cloud bill.
3. Building New Skills. Effective migration to the cloud, development and deployment, cost management, security and compliance all require new skills. And these skills are in short supply. Only 34% of organizations surveyed believe they have the skills necessary to master the cloud and transform culture.
4. Experienced Partners. An experienced, trusted partner can accelerate an organization’s adoption and mastery of the cloud; conversely, not taking advantage of partners’ expertise can lead to profound business trouble.
5. Mastering the Pace of Change. Few technological advances have occurred with greater rapidity than the cloud. 70% of respondents felt they were on top of the pace of change, yet only 18.6% have adopted new technologies within their ecosystem.

“For organizations to remain competitive, the cloud is a must,” continues Kralj. “It’s not just cloud; it’s not just a migration; it’s not just lifting and shifting. It’s taking advantage of the technology opportunity the cloud provides to serve your business, drive business value, and gain competitive edge innovation.”

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