No one in IT will deny that cloud computing is practically mainstream, but there’s a new level of unspoken comfort that comes when end users take the reins with self-service IT.  

The hybrid /public cloud is no longer intangible for your customers. They understand its intricacies and are ready to take control.

In fact, according to RightScale’s 2015 State of the Cloud Report, almost half of IT teams surveyed are currently offering self-service capabilities for access to cloud services, with an additional 41 percent planning or developing similar streamlined capabilities. We see this as a huge value to partners because it opens the door to new ways of leveraging public cloud economics, as well as the potential clients that will be attracted to these initiatives.

So, what should service providers look for when hopping on the self-service bandwagon?

1. Extra security capabilities are a must.
In a multi-tenant environment, security is extremely important because you have various tenants residing on the same platform. So, adding an extra layer of security is critical. Otherwise, lack of appropriate security capabilities in such an environment might give rise to data integrity concerns.  

2. Virtual data center templates and resource provisioning are your keys to operational efficiency.
To reduce your workloads, you want to allow as many self-service capabilities as possible so that end users have the ability to be completely independent–when they provision resources, for example. This enables infrastructure to be ready for easy consumption within minutes–with zero waiting on the customer side and zero assistance on the service provider level. Just imagine the bandwidth and time savings on both sides of the fence! Furthermore, you should choose a solution that allows system administrators to develop organization specific virtual data center templates with pre-set resource and delegation rules. On a larger scale, organizations can even deploy these templates to quickly create new virtual data centers on a self-service basis.

3. Cost savings that will get everyone excited.
In many ways, a self-service IT model can be a win-win for both service providers and your end users. For service providers, you’re able to save money on the resources that you would have otherwise used when supporting your customers. For end users, in addition to the operational efficiencies of doing the work themselves in a more streamlined manner, there is often a cost savings that can be passed along from the service provider organization since the customer is lowering their bandwidth needs.

To help you further tackle this shift toward self-service, VMware has recently released vCloud Director 8.0. This new release applies the principles of pooling, abstraction and automation to all data center services like storage, networking and security. By dramatically simplifying the provisioning of these services, this platform enables service providers to provision complete and operationally ready infrastructure without worrying about the underlying physical configuration of hardware.

“vCloud Director is fundamental to enabling VMware’s hybrid cloud strategy through our vCloud Air Network service provider partners. With vCloud Director 8.0, we are providing service providers with tools to deliver more robust and secure self-service cloud orchestration capabilities to their end customers.”

— Geoff Waters, Vice President, Service Provider Channel, VMware.

So, are you ready to harness the power of self-service IT for your customers? We’d love to hear your thoughts. You can also find additional information on vCloud Director 8.0 by referring to our overview page or contacting your VMware representative directly.

Abhimanyu Poddar is Senior Manager, Product Marketing. Guest blogs such as this one are published monthly and are part of Talkin’ Cloud’s annual platinum sponsorship.