For all of the gifts that the cloud brings, there are few bigger beneficiaries than the IT programs of mid-sized companies. Instead of causing problems and disruptions, many mid-sized IT departments are leveraging the cloud to allow them to better serve their company’s missions without the displacement and conflict that some large company IT departments experience.
Mid-sized IT departments are able to utilize the cloud to manage resources more effectively than ever. A single cloud-based interface allows them to manage an entire network made up of equipment from multiple vendors. Instead of leaving the departments to fight with incompatibilities, the cloud provides the needed layer of abstraction to enable unified management.
For mid-sized companies, cloud technology is also enabling greater mobility. With data and services moving to the cloud, smartphones, tablets and even laptop computers are connecting work groups to corporate data wherever they find themselves. The efficiency of the cloud frees the IT department up to support mobile devices instead of spending time creating infrastructure.
While the cloud is changing the nature of the work that mid-sized IT departments do, it isn’t causing them to shrink: 57 percent of them think that their roles will grow. What they are doing is taking on a new strategic role — that of cloud intermediary and manager — while shedding some low-level administrative tasks to cloud vendors. Beyond just serving as an intermediary for cloud services, mid-sized IT departments are also finding their strategic roles increasing. They’re no longer just servants of the network. With the cloud, they’re able to drive innovation throughout the business.
