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New EMA Research Examines Cloud Optimization for Service Delivery

Enterprise Management Associates (EMA), a leading IT and data management research and consulting firm, released its latest research report entitled: Optimizing Cloud for Service Delivery.

This new research reflects the more advanced position of cloud adoption patterns today. While it still addresses core drivers, objectives, and obstacles as they are evolving, Optimizing Cloud makes what may well be the industry’s most granular assessment on how management technologies and cloud accelerants (e.g., converged infrastructure) are being combined into successful clusters or footprints. Optimizing Cloud for Service Delivery begins to shade in meaningful taxonomy of technology patterns, organizational focus, and cloud success.

“Just as there are cirrus, cumulus, nimbus and stratus clouds in the sky with unique combinations – like the stormy cumulonimbus – Optimizing Cloud for Service Delivery sheds light on how internal, external, IaaS, PaaS and SaaS are combining with key management investments in distinctive clusters,” said Dennis Drogseth, VP of Research at EMA. “The research also exposes what combinations are more likely to be successful, and which are not, and why.”

Some of the highlights from the report (based on 1,000 pages of content analysis) are:

* Cloud has advanced to become significantly more critical in importance to a wider range of IT organization than ever before. The trends towards a dedicated “Virtualization or Cloud” Organization continues with a dedicated group called cloud or virtualization support, followed this year by cross-domain IT architecture or infrastructure services.

* As cloud grows in both acceptance and importance, IT organizations are beginning to expand their definitions of “cross-domain” and “virtualized infrastructure.”

Optimizing Cloud for Service Delivery clearly underscores the continued success of strategic cloud adoption in terms of pervasiveness, the criticality and the benefits of cloud-related technologies and services in mainstream IT.

However, in 2012, this research data suggests that rather than viewing cloud adoption as a monolithic phenomenon with linear characteristics, it is a multi-dimensional phenomenon. This research data highlights “clusters” or “patterns” of cloud and service management technology that should become more meaningful over time as both cloud, and service management in response to cloud, mature.

Read Dennis Drogseth's Blog: Optimizing Cloud - Cirrus, Cumulus, Stratus and Nimbus

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New EMA Research Examines Cloud Optimization for Service Delivery

Enterprise Management Associates (EMA), a leading IT and data management research and consulting firm, released its latest research report entitled: Optimizing Cloud for Service Delivery.

This new research reflects the more advanced position of cloud adoption patterns today. While it still addresses core drivers, objectives, and obstacles as they are evolving, Optimizing Cloud makes what may well be the industry’s most granular assessment on how management technologies and cloud accelerants (e.g., converged infrastructure) are being combined into successful clusters or footprints. Optimizing Cloud for Service Delivery begins to shade in meaningful taxonomy of technology patterns, organizational focus, and cloud success.

“Just as there are cirrus, cumulus, nimbus and stratus clouds in the sky with unique combinations – like the stormy cumulonimbus – Optimizing Cloud for Service Delivery sheds light on how internal, external, IaaS, PaaS and SaaS are combining with key management investments in distinctive clusters,” said Dennis Drogseth, VP of Research at EMA. “The research also exposes what combinations are more likely to be successful, and which are not, and why.”

Some of the highlights from the report (based on 1,000 pages of content analysis) are:

* Cloud has advanced to become significantly more critical in importance to a wider range of IT organization than ever before. The trends towards a dedicated “Virtualization or Cloud” Organization continues with a dedicated group called cloud or virtualization support, followed this year by cross-domain IT architecture or infrastructure services.

* As cloud grows in both acceptance and importance, IT organizations are beginning to expand their definitions of “cross-domain” and “virtualized infrastructure.”

Optimizing Cloud for Service Delivery clearly underscores the continued success of strategic cloud adoption in terms of pervasiveness, the criticality and the benefits of cloud-related technologies and services in mainstream IT.

However, in 2012, this research data suggests that rather than viewing cloud adoption as a monolithic phenomenon with linear characteristics, it is a multi-dimensional phenomenon. This research data highlights “clusters” or “patterns” of cloud and service management technology that should become more meaningful over time as both cloud, and service management in response to cloud, mature.

Read Dennis Drogseth's Blog: Optimizing Cloud - Cirrus, Cumulus, Stratus and Nimbus

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According to Auvik's 2025 IT Trends Report, 60% of IT professionals feel at least moderately burned out on the job, with 43% stating that their workload is contributing to work stress. At the same time, many IT professionals are naming AI and machine learning as key areas they'd most like to upskill ...

Businesses that face downtime or outages risk financial and reputational damage, as well as reducing partner, shareholder, and customer trust. One of the major challenges that enterprises face is implementing a robust business continuity plan. What's the solution? The answer may lie in disaster recovery tactics such as truly immutable storage and regular disaster recovery testing ...

IT spending is expected to jump nearly 10% in 2025, and organizations are now facing pressure to manage costs without slowing down critical functions like observability. To meet the challenge, leaders are turning to smarter, more cost effective business strategies. Enter stage right: OpenTelemetry, the missing piece of the puzzle that is no longer just an option but rather a strategic advantage ...

Amidst the threat of cyberhacks and data breaches, companies install several security measures to keep their business safely afloat. These measures aim to protect businesses, employees, and crucial data. Yet, employees perceive them as burdensome. Frustrated with complex logins, slow access, and constant security checks, workers decide to completely bypass all security set-ups ...

Image
Cloudbrink's Personal SASE services provide last-mile acceleration and reduction in latency

In MEAN TIME TO INSIGHT Episode 13, Shamus McGillicuddy, VP of Research, Network Infrastructure and Operations, at EMA discusses hybrid multi-cloud networking strategy ... 

In high-traffic environments, the sheer volume and unpredictable nature of network incidents can quickly overwhelm even the most skilled teams, hindering their ability to react swiftly and effectively, potentially impacting service availability and overall business performance. This is where closed-loop remediation comes into the picture: an IT management concept designed to address the escalating complexity of modern networks ...

In 2025, enterprise workflows are undergoing a seismic shift. Propelled by breakthroughs in generative AI (GenAI), large language models (LLMs), and natural language processing (NLP), a new paradigm is emerging — agentic AI. This technology is not just automating tasks; it's reimagining how organizations make decisions, engage customers, and operate at scale ...

In the early days of the cloud revolution, business leaders perceived cloud services as a means of sidelining IT organizations. IT was too slow, too expensive, or incapable of supporting new technologies. With a team of developers, line of business managers could deploy new applications and services in the cloud. IT has been fighting to retake control ever since. Today, IT is back in the driver's seat, according to new research by Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) ...

In today's fast-paced and increasingly complex network environments, Network Operations Centers (NOCs) are the backbone of ensuring continuous uptime, smooth service delivery, and rapid issue resolution. However, the challenges faced by NOC teams are only growing. In a recent study, 78% state network complexity has grown significantly over the last few years while 84% regularly learn about network issues from users. It is imperative we adopt a new approach to managing today's network experiences ...

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From growing reliance on FinOps teams to the increasing attention on artificial intelligence (AI), and software licensing, the Flexera 2025 State of the Cloud Report digs into how organizations are improving cloud spend efficiency, while tackling the complexities of emerging technologies ...