Brief: Think Of Partnership, Not Intermediaries, In Pursuing Cloud Brokering Models

Cloud management systems, integration technologies, and traditional systems management solutions are combining to open up new possibilities for cloud consumption, governance, and chargeback/showback in emerging broker models. However, use of the term "broker," although common, has brought some confusion by reinforcing a focus on cost savings based on a vision of interoperability yet to be achieved instead of more realizable benefits in streamlined cloud consumption and governance. Customers must adjust their expectations and use the term broker to refer to the role of cloud broker as partner rather than intermediary. But semantics aside, technology management organizations must step up to this historic opportunity to help shape the future of enterprise cloud consumption with a spirit of collaboration, not confrontation. Help for infrastructure and operations (I&O) pros with cloud brokering is emerging from a range of systems integrators partners, but beware the potential for conflicts of interest.