7 Magic Words to consider for 2013

Cloud, nothing very new in that, clouds with pay as you go timesharing services attached were a common picture in slide shows as far back as the 1970s. However new technology makes it a whole lot easier and quicker to move from ideas on a slide to a powerful service reality. All very good but no service will manage itself, service management demands won't disappear and it is still necessary to deal with security, resilience and performance not to mention migration from one provider to another. All this is doable but needs risk based planning and process management like anything else.

Cloud helps deliver Flexibility, the toughest demand on a traditional IT department. It’s no longer always acceptable to discuss requirements in detail, set up procurement and deliver a service in a few months time. Service delivery needs to be able to respond in hours and days and set up and tear down services to meet changing demands for capacity and facilities, so don't be traditional Innovate!

The likely outcome from innovation to meet the demands of flexibility will be a Hybrid solution involving a range of services both in house and outsourced, some of which may well be cloud based. HE needs a range of digital services and IT tools and a single restrictive approach is doomed to failure.  So don't be a “no because” organisation be a “yes but” one. Successful organisations ensure that engagement with user communities is positive, but not without conditions on funding, risk, time and resources.

When building Hybrid services the wise will consider Sharing with others who have common requirements to meet. This can be a tricky issue between HE Institutions who see each other as competitors, but surely it’s the data not the storage that offers the competitive edge, so why not club together to ensure cost effective storage for all?

To make good decisions in this context and most others, an understanding of the Value of what we’re trying to achieve is crucial, too often people focus on cost and say things like “we can build this service more cheaply but it won’t be ready until next year” but I ask “what is the value of delivery now?” If it’s significant, then a higher cost of implementation is OK as it delivers the value of earlier availability. Always focus on value, because if you don’t know the value, the cost is irrelevant as you shouldn’t be doing it at all!

Whether we like it or not the world is changing and faster than ever before, but I say embrace Change because it always presents opportunities.

The UK punches way above its weight in global HE and it does this because enough people take the opportunities presented by change and innovation to lead the world in research data management, open access, learning and teaching and even in administration!

So, as 2013 approaches rapidly, make a resolution to engage with Janet and Share the Hybrid Cloud to support Change and Innovation and so deliver the Value of Flexibility in support of strategies for improved student experience and research data management.

A Merry Christmas and Happy and Successful New Year to one and all!