Leveraging cloud-based technologies, whether or , for delivering business-critical applications backed by solid service-level agreements (SLAs) allows IT to maximize the value of the network by enhancing internal processes and operations. This is achieved via higher utilization rates and lower costs thanks to virtualization, automation and software.

The latter is particularly critical for enterprises deploying their own private cloud or leveraging cloud services because the convergence of compute, network and storage streamlines the provisioning and allocation of resources. For example, when the business specifies the application and class of service they want, IT should be able to provision the appropriate resources automatically. The ability to plan capacity, monitor resource consumption in real-time and make adjustments on-the-fly is also critical because IT must dynamically reallocate resources depending on the level or class of service required by the application and how well the application is performing.

Enterprise IT needs complete and immediate visibility if they are to meet SLAs with the business. With the company's revenues and reputation at stake, they must ensure they are meeting business expectations while optimizing their infrastructure to scale across a multitude of end users and applications.

IT organizations require highly automated and integrated system management software tools to optimize IT processes and application performance across dynamic that combine on-premise private clouds and off-premise public clouds with traditional and virtualized IT service infrastructures. Many are opting for a phased migration using technology partners and starting with less mission-critical applications and resources, ensuring they have the people, processes and the right tools in place.