A Fundamentally New Way of Thinking With Cloud

What do we mean by "cloud"? Deployments, servers, subscriptions, mindset. These are all topics that can be examined quite transparently, but "cloud" faces the same challenge as other buzzwords: there is no universal definition. As a rule, the definition of the National Institute of Standards and Technology is commonly used.

ISO 22123-1

The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), on the other hand, follows the ISO standard (see ISO 22123-1). ISO describes the whole thing using the most complex language possible: "A paradigm for enabling network-based access to a scalable and elastic pool of shared physical or virtual resources according to the principle of self-service and on-demand administration.”

Crucial to the BSI's choice of definition is that cloud computing is described as a "paradigm"—in other words, a fundamental way of thinking. This proves helpful, because if we look at the technical fundamentals or deployment models, we see that it is not just a matter of looking at things from a technical perspective, but that mindset also plays a role.

Returning to the cloud, there are several operational levels to discuss. First, there is the delivery model. In the SAP ERP area, we need to decide between private and public cloud. Multi-cloud or hybrid scenarios are also relevant for many companies.

SaaS, IaaS, or PaaS?

On the other hand, there are service models, mostly on a subscription basis: Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), or Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), which are based on the application, platform, and infrastructure layers of cloud computing. GROW with SAP, for example, is delivered as SaaS in the public cloud, while RISE with SAP combines components from SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS and is, according to SAP, a business transformation-as-a-service.

Cloud mindset

There is one perspective missing from the cloud discourse that I mentioned earlier: the mindset. I once asked Copilot what SAP means when it talks about the cloud—especially in terms of tone and messaging. The answer was: "Overall, SAP's messaging is positive, forward-looking, and designed to deliver tangible business value, with a focus on security, compliance, and sustainability."

Breaking open silos

The cloud is supposed to unleash our pioneering spirit and take us to new heights. It sounds great, but it also brings with it some very human challenges. When it is necessary to make do with the delivered (but no less efficient) best-practice standard, then change management is necessary. When departments are brought closer together because the cloud breaks down the silos which used to facilitate hiding from difficult discussions, this initially leads to internal resistance. And then it is necessary to find a way to deal with managers' sense of entitlement. They promise the quantum leap through the cloud, but there are twenty years of legacy to work through before they can reach utopia.

Finally, there's just one question left: what does the cloud have to do with meatballs (a movie recommendation, despite the absurd title)?

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