The Need

For companies considering, developing, or deploying Cloud applications or SaaS, selecting from the multitude of technical options and services available can be a daunting task. However, these choices will impact time to market, effort and skills required, operating costs and cash flow, and the scalability of the application. Additionally, not having production experience in cloud architecture and operations increases the chance that serious oversights will occur, increasing risk and costs. The reality is that there is no “one size fits all” approach for going to the Cloud. So in this new context, getting timely advise from people that have gone through this transition before can make the difference between a bumpy road, full of potential costly mistakes, and a swift launch with smooth operations.

The Solution

Scio offers Cloud Architecture Design Sessions (Cloud ADS) for Internet-based applications and SaaS. A Cloud ADS provides an in-depth study by our senior architects and IT operations specialists of your application, its operational needs and required infrastructure approach.  This comprehensive assessment covers all aspects of performance, reliability, scalability, security, and management of the application. All or a subset of the following areas can be included in the assessment to address your specific needs:

Application Architecture Application Security Tenancy Model Provisioning Model Development Environment Production Deployment Database Design Cloud Architecture Integration Capabilities Usability and Accessibility Mobile Platforms Contingency Processes Development Practices Third-party Tools and Services

Our Approach

Scio’s technical consultants work together with the client team to study the application and its environment. When technology assets that may be leveraged for the Cloud solution exist, our team will leverage automated assessment tools where possible and combine the results with in-depth analysis of the design and/or existing code. When the objective is to build a completely new solution, our team will work with your senior technologists to develop the most appropriate architectures, technologies and tools for your particular product.

Generally, the Cloud ADS process starts with a conference call to get an overview of the context and issues, followed by a two- to three-day on-site visit where our consultants meet with key client personnel and consider the application in detail.

After the visit, a series of web conference calls help to clarify questions and make sure there is a clear, common understanding of all aspects under consideration. The final deliverable is a presentation, technical roadmap and a report with findings and recommendations to address potential issues.

 Key Value-Added Elements

• Scio’s strong experience in designing, developing, and maintaining cloud-based applications.
• On-demand market expertise to give you more insight on the value and costs of the various services and tools you can leverage.
• Collaborative review methodologies to ensure in-house awareness and understanding of the issues and basis for the recommendations generated by the engagement.

 Value Received

• Accelerate technical decisions and speed to market
• Identify and prioritize potential problems
• Minimize risks and exposure to vulnerabilities
• Improve performance and usability
• Validation of costs, resource needs and schedules
• Thorough reports detailing the results of the Cloud ADS
• Proceed with expert opinions based field experience and best practices

Download the Cloud Architecture Design Session PDF.