Cloud computing is the new trend setter now. SOA and cloud are the concepts taking rounds in the IT houses. Concepts or SOA is considerably older than cloud computing and various flavors of SOA definition and realization is happening in the industry. Cloud is quiet new and there are not many real time business systems running on cloud yet.
Now back to the basics what is cloud computing, there are many detentions around, Wikipedia define it as “a style of computing in which dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources are provided as a service over the Internet. Users need not have knowledge of, expertise in, or control over the technology infrastructure in the "cloud" that supports them.” This definition is in line and agree with the Gartner definition of cloud as “a style of computing in which massively scalable IT-enabled capabilities are delivered ‘as a service’ to multiple customers using Internet technologies.”
So now one thing is clear internet technologies play the vital role in cloud computing and service orientation has a greater role to play. Once the cloud computing becomes a reality we will see massive change happening in the computing world. Today consider any big organization which may be in financial services, retail, manufacturing or any other, most of them run IT organizations inside, which sometime is larger or equivalent to the size of the core business function group. Once the concept of cloud becomes reality these organizations may get rid of all this large inventory of computer resources and support personal for them. This precisely means you start concentrating on your core business. So you free your CEO from worrying about the IT strategy for next one year.
Indian IT outsourcing has lot to think/worry about cloud once it get mature and become the de-facto norm of the computing world. Our business run around support and maintaining the existing custom made programs. We love time and material (T&M) with all the frills than doing a fixed bid business, but sadly we are not new to the business now, Indian IT is growing and flourishing from past 15+ years, we can’t call ourselves new to the business. Why we still not able to get ahead of our T & M business? it’s like the Puru and Alexander war, Puru had a great army but was never able to keep them together for achieving the goal, lack of team work or rather say being reluctant to work in a team made a great king to fail. Alexander appreciated the courage and skills of Puru, and was very sure if Puru’s team done a good job he will never win.
Indian IT and many companies go in the same dilemma, people and teams duplicating the work and same company having multiple initiatives which all have a same goal and don’t know what other is doing. Team work lacks and ego and self interests take precedence to the organization goal, who to blame? The middle management who run this show or the vacuum created by middle and upper management who by the virtue of being in the company for long stay in strategical positions? Or the board and C executives who worry only about the quarter to quarter performance.
So what our culture has to do with SOA and cloud? A great deal actually, with the current way of working Indian IT failed to make any substantial product or IP and we lost thought leadership for silly politics and ego where those who can talk good English and play the cards become the ring masters. In-depth understanding and willingness to change is never been part of these successful people, they play their card to the tune of number games set by the top management. Number of direct reports and the designation become the yard stick of success. It is sad to see that position of a business analyst or technical architect become so low in the Indian IT where everyone wants to be a manager, and for being a manager none really worry about knowing the domain they deal with. This is the sad part, this is where we are failing.
We lack real research and consulting practices, we didn’t grow yet from the service mentality to a value driven delivery where the motto is to change the way your partner work. We expect our clients to say what they want to do and we will follow the order, the moment they put a question or show ambiguity on what need to be done, we call them confused and lack clarity.
So what we lost and what we losing is genuine concern, and cloud and SOA will change the centre of this game we playing, there is no advancement or serious research going into SOA or cloud or for that matter to any emerging concepts in Indian IT, it’s all lead by large US and European organizations or niche players outside India. Cloud computing as told will pose a challenge, current Indian IT runs the support business for big financial, aero, retail organizations. Once the cloud come to the central stage these organizations will no more require any outsourcing of IT functions (Business support will exist which is more of a BPO/ KPO). IT will move to the cloud players like the Amazon, Google or IBM and we will start sub-contracting to them for supporting the cloud, our story will not change, the talented technical pool will still be required and sought after by these players and our companies will compete in showing the growth in head count and Q to Q percentage growth.
More and more people will get frustrated with IT and they will start theme restaurants or move to organic farming to live the comfortable life, is the time come for Indian IT to re-think strategy and invest in research and invest in future than just worrying about the next quarter results?
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