We set up the forum because we really believe in the value of sharing product experiences (both good and bad) and using that knowledge to support other customers starting their journey on PureApplication.
I spend a lot of time talking about the benefits of PureApplication but there is nothing quite like hearing first hand from customers who are actually using the platform. We were lucky enough to hear from both ING Direct and Dutch Tax and its fair to say they are clearly advocates of PureApplication. And why wouldn’t they be? Some of their stats, like the fact that ING greatly reduced the speed of the delivery of their application from 90 to just 9 days, speak for themselves.
Understanding the problem and having the right commitment in place
What stood out for me was the difficulty many customers have just starting the PureApplication journey. It is essential that key stakeholders understand the problems PureApplication addresses and that this is clearly captured in a meaningful business case.
Both ING and Dutch Tax reinforced that for successful adoptions, it’s imperative that stakeholders from across IT in Architecture, Software Delivery and Infrastructure are committed to the initial phase, such as a POC, and remain visible and supportive throughout. With ‘game changing’ technologies like PureApplication, if key stakeholders are not fully committed the initiative may unravel.
Leveraging PureApplication not just for its technology but as an agent for organisational change
When talking about PureApplication we tend to focus on differentiating capabilities that result in significant benefits to Operations, Application Development and to the business itself. What tends not to be mentioned is how it can also be used as an agent for IT organisational change. To take full advantage of PureApplication, smaller agile teams are preferred over layers of IT from each department – networking, databases, architecture, software development for example. In fact, a multi-disciplined team adopting the Dev/Ops methodology is far more effective and is far more productive.
PureApplication also drives a change in the traditional roles involved in delivering IT. The role of a Systems Administrator, Database Administrator and Middleware Architect can be merged into the role of an Application Software Architect. Hardware Administrator, Network Administrator and Middleware Administrator roles will evolve to a Pure Application Administrator role.
Some of our PureApplication customers have handled these changes by building a ‘Cloud Team’ and inviting interested individuals from across IT departments to join. In our experience they respond with great enthusiasm and the right attitude. (Note: We’re currently pulling together a team profile presentation, based on existing PureApplication, to help provide customers with a starting point to build their teams).
The importance of shared experiences.
Above all, this meeting really highlighted to me just how valuable the EPUG forum is. It’s not just a place for PureApplication customers to come and hear the ‘latest and greatest’ on PureApplication – it really is a community where customers can learn from colleagues in a different phase of the adoption lifecycle. Not only their mistakes but their successes too.
And from listening to ING and Dutch Tax its clear the satisfaction of the successes outweigh any of the challenges involved in the adoption process. In the words of Marga Venema-Remmers, Dutch Tax, when it comes down to PureApplication – “JUST DO IT!”