Snow Software, leader in Gartner's magic quadrant in Software Asset Management (Software Asset Management SAM) and Cloud Management Platform CMP, acquired in December 2019 Embotics, a hybrid cloud management company headquartered in Austin, Texas, USA. Snow Software's Cloud Automation product is now called Snow Software Commander.
Snow Software customers gain the ability to analyze and manage their entire infrastructure, whether private cloud or public cloud, regardless of vendor and as part of a hybrid information technology environment strategy using Snow Software Commander.
About Snow Commander (ex Embotics)
Founded in 2006, Embotics offers a cloud management solution that enables automated provisioning, cost savings and ensures governance in private, public, hybrid and multi-cloud environments. The customer list includes a number of well-known names, including NASA and HBO, as well as service providers.
Embotics CEO Jay Litkey said the following about the company in an interview: “We built Embotics to provide enterprises with an easier, faster, platform-neutral and fully integrated solution for managing the hybrid cloud (Cloud Automation and Cloud Management).
Today, these organizations are strategically combining local, private, public and multi-cloud architectures and this requires a flexible, multi-faceted approach to gaining agility through automation, controlling costs, risks and complementing software asset management. .
By joining forces with Snow Software, Embotics, creating the Snow Commander Embotics product, Snow Commander Embotics will continue to address these questions and respond to the next generation of challenges with integrated capabilities on a global scale. Both organizations have a customer-centric DNA and a commitment to innovation that will help us achieve our shared vision of technology intelligence,” said Jay Litkey.
Demand for multi-cloud management with cost control and security
Over the past five years, we've seen technologies like serverless, containers and eadge/IoT enter the CIO and CEO's agenda. These new technologies have made a large part of the cloud consumption currently occur in an ad-hoc or pulverized way in several IaaS, SaaS and Paas providers, especially within large organizations, generating demand for cloud automation.
This availability of cloud resources pay-as-you-go public gave birth to SHADOW IT, where an organization's end users bypass IT and use a variety of cloud resources directly via credit card or open contracts with vendors like Microsoft Azure, AWS and Google Cloud Platform.
Evidence of what this is talking about is that 58% of enterprises actively use at least two of the three big cloud services (AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud), according to Kentik's survey of 310 cloud professionals attending the AWS conference re: Invent of 2019.
The report of the Kentik, titled AWS Cloud Adoption, Visibility & Management, examines the challenges to cloud management, monitoring, visibility, and cost control.
Multi-cloud is more common than hybrid cloud
Nearly 60% of respondents indicated that they are actively using more than one of the top three cloud service providers (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud). About 40% actively use two cloud service providers and 18% use all three.
Only 33% of respondents reported using hybrid cloud, with at least one cloud service provider, as well as some type of traditional infrastructure (on premises or co-location in third-party data centers).
AWS + Microsoft Azure is the most common combo: 97% of survey respondents reported that their organization actively uses AWS. However, 35% of respondents said their organization also actively uses Azure, and 24% reported using both AWS and Google Cloud Platform.
Cloud management (FINops and Cloud Management) is the biggest challenge: about 30% of respondents said their biggest cloud management challenge is cost management, with security next at 22% of responses.
Various monitoring tools: While 54% reported having a cloud monitoring tool for visibility into their cloud applications, log management (48%), application performance management (40%), open source tools (34%) and network performance management (25%), are also being used.
Cloud visibility: Nearly 60% of respondents are using at least two tools for visibility into their cloud applications. About 35% of respondents use three or more tools for cloud visibility.
AWS Spend Analysis: 10% of respondents said their organization still uses spreadsheets to manually track AWS spend. About 56% of respondents use native tools within AWS (eg CloudWatch or AWS Cost Explorer) to track and manage cloud service costs.
Other 30% use third-party commercial tools known as the Cloud Management Platform, in this case Snow Software Commander Embotics and Vwmare CloudHealth.
Emerging Challenges in Cloud Management
The dynamic information technology landscape continues to evolve, bringing with it new challenges and opportunities for modern organizations. In the context of cloud management, the demand for operational efficiency, cost control and security has never been more pressing. As technologies such as serverless, containers and edge/IoT gain prominence, the complexity of the cloud environment increases, resulting in ad-hoc and dispersed adoption. The growing incidence of Shadow IT, where end users bypass traditional IT policies, highlights the urgent need for comprehensive cloud automation solutions.
Kentik's research reveals that 58% of companies already actively use two of the three main cloud services. This panorama, marked by multi-cloud, highlights the need for robust cloud management strategies. Only 33% of respondents opt for hybrid cloud, indicating a preference for more diverse environments. In this context, Snow Software Commander Embotics emerges as an integrated and effective response to face emerging challenges in cloud management.
The Future of IT Governance and Cloud Excellence
As organizations seek to optimize their IT operations in hybrid and multicloud environments, effective governance becomes essential. We give 4Matt Technology, we are a strategic partner on the journey to cloud excellence. Our expert consultants are ready to offer personalized support, strategic guidance and innovative solutions to ensure your organization is at the forefront of digital transformation. Contact us today to explore how we can help your business thrive in an ever-evolving technology landscape.