Cloud has become a strategic component to business strategy for a wide range of businesses because it can deliver a comprehensive set of workloads as automated services.   Additionally, it allows organizations to reach new customers, stay ahead of the competition and transform the way they deliver resources to line of business and application teams.

But which cloud model is best for your organization?   Which delivers the most cost-effective solution or organizational flexibility?    There clearly are advantages and trade offs for each approach, but to begin the process you simply need to answer a single question "do I want to build or buy my cloud?"

Aprivate cloud that is operated by IT and located on premise is the best way to preserve maximum flexibility and choice.   With this solution, your business owns the assets, installs, operates, manages and maintains both the environment and your data and well as sets your security strategy.

Let's say you want to own the infrastructure and keep your data on premise, but you are not keen on installing, managing and maintaining the cloud environment.  With amanaged private cloud,you get to focus on running your business applications while someone else watches over the care, maintenance and updating of the environment.

Ahosted private cloudtakes everything:  infrastructure assets, security, management and your data into a public cloud provider's data center.   It can offer economies of scale along with financial flexibility.

These are the three different types of clouds but, again, which one is right for you?

With Cisco as your partner for cloud, you can embrace the promises of the future while you solve for today's realities.

Cisco's hybrid private cloud, Cisco ONE Enterprise Cloud Suite, delivers a hybrid ready private cloud solution that transforms your business from manual to automated delivery of applications or data center resources. Your business will experience organizational speed and agility allowing IT to keep pace with the needs of application teams and line-of-business managers.

Cisco Metapod, delivers advanced operational support in a managed private cloud built on OpenStack.  With integration into existing tools, open, well-documented APIs for AWS and OpenStack and self-service, this solution delivers a managed private cloud built upon OpenStack.

Best of all, these solutions are complementary.   Cisco ONE Enterprise Cloud Suite and Cisco Metapod together deliver the best of both worlds allowing the ultimate in flexibility and agility for your existing business as well as the tools and openness your application teams desire.

Still unsure which solution is best?  Don't worry. Cisco and IDC have teamed up to provide you with access to unbiased research to help reduce the risk associated with implementing cloud.   Business Cloud Advisor delivers a set of tools based on IDC's global research that will guide you in the development of your cloud strategy so your business experiences maximum impact.  With Business Cloud Advisor, you will:

• Gain concrete guidance from unbiased research
• Learn from best practices of your peers
• Increase confidence in your transition plans
• Accelerate adoption of cloud while reducing risk

Take the first step in your cloud journey by starting with a short questionnaire that focuses on your current business processes.   Once completed, you will receive a report and can set up a workshop to help you understand your results.   Best of all, IT'S FREE!

Don't stay on the side lines.   Take your first step and get started on your cloud journey today.