Top 3 “PLM Cloud” Killers

After talking very positively about PLM and Cloud, it is a time to think about negative sides of the cloud story. Matt Lobard of Dezignstuff came with a following comment on my post yesterday: Cloud may be coming, but it is coming for only a few, and only where it makes the most sense. I still believe customers will dictate the success or failure of the cloud, not vendors. I couldn’t agree more. However, I can see some factors that actually can influence customer’s decision with regards to the future cloud PDM and PLM deployment. So, what are those top 3 PLM Cloud Killers?

#1 Overinflated Expectations

It can be a very dangerous turn, to assume “the cloud” will solve all previous problems. Cloud will never be able to become a “next universal PLM hummer”. Product Lifecycle Management is a set of diverse business strategies processes and applications. To find right projects, processes and problems that can be solved by introducing “cloud solutions” is the right way to go. Don’t try to solve all problems using “cloud buzzword”.

#2 Too little and too late

PDM and PLM weren’t born yesterday. Many solutions were developed over the past 15-20 years. Applying them to the cloud sometime can create an effect of surrealism. The most painful can be to present existing technologies with very slight modifications as a “next big thing” that supposed to change everything. It won’t happen. Customers are able to smell it and discover all these “same eggs, side view” products.

#3 Confusion over the private clouds and data centers

Another problem is when IT presents their cloud centers or private co-located data centers as a cloud. In this case, the potential value of the cloud will be diminished to the very narrow list of advantages. Most of them will be around “cost” structure of the cloud solution. Also, this strategy won’t allow to use the real value of scaling up with the cloud.

What is my conclusion? Cloud has a potential. However, as every new technology (and not only technology) it can be over-hyped and diminished by wrong implementations. It is important for companies experimenting with the cloud technologies not to be trapped into using “the cloud” as a marketing term as well as to apply “old software projects” under a new sauce. Just my thoughts…

Best, Oleg