Hybrid cloud projects impact people, process and require new technology. These types of projects are hard. Just like any major IT project, a cloud project includes significant schedule, scope and cost risk.

To help IT decision makers achieve success with their own hybrid cloud transformation, the ITPI studied 143 successful private and hybrid IaaS cloud deployments. The research was conducted to help IT decision answer questions about the strategy and direction a private or hybrid cloud project.

• What are typical hybrid cloud strategies and common use cases?
• What pre-requisites help improve project success?
• Where should POC efforts be focused?
• What are critical dependencies during the project?
• What features and functions improve outcomes?
• What are typical results achieved?
• What are common friction points to avoid?

Key success factors are identified in 6 areas including:

• Strategy and use cases – most commonly pursued by those with the best project success
• Pre-requisites – prior experience or operational maturity linked to better outcomes
• Key dependencies – including various changes during cloud project
• Infrastructure changes – commonly made for cloud deployment
• Features and functions – linked to better outcomes
• Project friction – issues commonly encountered

Summary of key findings and success factors:

• Top performers focus on agility – not cost reduction.
• Focus POC efforts on high visibility, business outcomes, with c-level or line of business sponsor.
• Focus on users before, during, and after deployment.
• On time, in scope and under budget does not guarantee project success. But user adoption does.
• Plan on an open hybrid cloud that addresses the messy reality of the typical datacenter.

Study highlights:

• 34 pages of top performer analysis
• 22 high impact factors – linked to success at top performing IT organizations
• 14 project success factors – that can be applied to any hybrid cloud project
• 17 figures and 5 tables – that illustrate analysis of key findings