This theme discusses the initiation of Cloud journeys as innovation projects, often overlooking governance and operating model discussions. In more extensive IT-driven Cloud initiatives, the importance of a robust Cloud Operating Model is acknowledged but frequently undervalued. Additionally, leveraging Cloud technology often necessitates a rethink of how applications are designed, built, and operated.

This theme outlines three distinct archetypes identified in the drivers and strategy for Cloud adoption.

The theme details challenges faced by organisations during their Cloud journey, particularly focusing on security and compliance as well as concerns about vendor lock-in. Security concerns encompassed cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, and data custody risks, with organisations implementing measures such as Cloud Centre of Excellence and Cloud Control Frameworks to address these issues.

The theme discusses the Cloud adoption patterns among interviewed companies, highlighting the prevalence of web and data warehousing workloads in the Cloud. While web applications benefit from user-friendly setups and scalability through Platform as a Service (PaaS) solutions, other workloads like IoT, Machine Learning (ML), and AI are adopted on a use-case basis for their favourable cost points.

This theme discusses the evolving approach of organisations towards Cloud adoption, emphasising a shift from a bottom-up approach to a more mature and strategic reconsideration of the Cloud operating model and architecture.