IT must actively manage cloud operations
Look, cloud services are fantastic. They let businesses offload infrastructure, storage, and even full applications to third parties. But just because you outsource the heavy lifting doesn’t mean you stop lifting altogether. The reality is that cloud platforms, whether it’s Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), or Software as a Service (SaaS), are still part of your operations. They don’t run themselves.
Many companies make the mistake of thinking cloud solutions are like utilities, flip a switch, and everything works. That’s not how it plays out. Sure, vendors maintain uptime, security patches, and performance at a baseline level, but their goals don’t always align with yours. A vendor’s primary objective is to deliver services to thousands of clients at scale, not to fine-tune your system for efficiency or tailor it for your business needs. That’s on you.
This is where IT steps in. A hands-off approach works for a 10-person startup using off-the-shelf SaaS tools, but for enterprises, it’s different. When your cloud-based ERP, CRM, or analytics engine goes down, or worse, exposes customer data, it’s not the vendor who faces the heat. It’s you. The CFO doesn’t call Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure to complain. They call IT. So, the smart move is to keep control where it matters, overseeing performance, security, and compliance while letting vendors handle the infrastructure grunt work.
Cloud responsibilities should be formalized in IT job roles
If something isn’t written down, it doesn’t exist. In many companies, cloud responsibilities are handled in an informal, “whoever is available” way. That’s a recipe for chaos. You can’t build a scalable, resilient IT strategy on informal processes.
As cloud adoption increases, IT teams need clear ownership over cloud management. This means writing cloud-related tasks directly into job descriptions. Who’s responsible for security settings? Who negotiates service-level agreements (SLAs)? Who ensures compliance with regulations like HIPAA or GDPR? These aren’t things that should be left to chance.
For example, mid-sized companies without dedicated cloud architects often spread responsibilities across different IT staff. That’s fine, as long as it’s structured. Without clarity, things fall through the cracks. One month, an engineer might monitor cloud costs; the next month, no one does. Then comes the surprise budget overrun, and everyone scrambles.
Formalized roles ensure accountability and predictability. Instead of reacting to cloud-related issues, IT becomes proactive, preventing performance bottlenecks, catching security gaps before they become breaches, and optimizing cloud costs before finance sounds the alarm.
IT must take an active role in cloud contract negotiation and SLAs
A cloud contract is not just a checkbox before onboarding a vendor. It’s a strategic tool that defines performance, security, and cost structure. If you sign whatever the vendor puts in front of you, you’re setting yourself up for problems.
Here’s the deal: most vendors offer boilerplate SLAs that protect their interests, not yours. They might guarantee 99.9% uptime, which sounds great, until you realize that translates to 8.76 hours of downtime per year. Now, if that’s your core ERP system, imagine the impact of nearly nine hours of lost operations.
Enterprise IT teams need to negotiate for real accountability in SLAs. That means:
- Tighter uptime guarantees (e.g., 99.99% or better for mission-critical systems)
- Stronger penalties for downtime (not just refunds, but real financial consequences for the vendor)
- Faster response times for support issues
- Cost predictability (clear limits on price hikes or data egress fees)
Mid-sized companies that lack dedicated contract administrators should still bring in legal counsel or work directly with CIOs to make sure terms are fair. The contract dictates how your cloud services will operate in the real world.
IT must make sure cloud vendors meet compliance standards
Regulations aren’t optional. Whether it’s HIPAA for healthcare, PCI-DSS for payment processing, or GDPR for European data privacy, businesses have a legal obligation to ensure compliance. Cloud vendors might claim compliance, but it’s on you to verify.
Historically, compliance was an in-house IT function, but cloud adoption has changed things. Now, sensitive data is stored off-premises, spread across multiple data centers, sometimes in different countries. That’s why businesses need a structured approach to cloud compliance.
Here’s what that looks like:
- Conduct due diligence before signing with a vendor. Don’t just take their word for it, request compliance certifications, audit reports, and independent assessments.
- Monitor compliance continuously. Just because a vendor was compliant last year doesn’t mean they are today. IT should review security and compliance reports annually and conduct spot checks.
- Define internal ownership. Who verifies compliance? Who handles audits? This should be a senior business analyst or compliance officer within IT, not an afterthought.
Failure to take compliance seriously is a ticking time bomb. Data breaches and regulatory fines are serious business problems. The smart move? Stay ahead of compliance before regulators knock on your door.
IT must oversee cloud security
Security isn’t a checkbox, it’s a moving target. Businesses assume cloud vendors have security covered, and to an extent, they do. But their job is to secure their infrastructure, not your data. That’s your responsibility.
Cloud platforms operate on a shared security model. The vendor handles physical security, basic encryption, and infrastructure integrity. But everything inside your cloud environment, your applications, databases, access controls, and user permissions, is on you. If someone misconfigures security settings and exposes sensitive data, it’s your problem, not the vendor’s.
Neglecting security is playing with fire. A single misconfigured cloud storage bucket has caused massive breaches at Fortune 500 companies. The lesson? Trust, but verify. Cloud security isn’t just about what your vendor promises, it’s about what you actively enforce.
IT must own data stewardship and cloud testing environments
Data is the most valuable asset a business has, yet cloud data management is often treated as an afterthought. That’s a mistake. Data stored in the cloud is still your responsibility, it needs to be secured, optimized, and governed properly.
The key takeaway? Cloud data isn’t “set and forget.” Without structured governance, businesses risk security breaches, skyrocketing storage costs, and compliance failures. IT must stay in control.
CIOs and IT leaders must strategically map cloud responsibilities
Cloud technology is no longer just an IT concern, it’s a business strategy. As cloud adoption increases, CIOs and senior IT leaders must take a structured, intentional approach to managing cloud operations.
What does that look like?
- Mapping cloud responsibilities across IT teams: Security, compliance, performance, and vendor management must all be formally assigned. No gaps. No overlaps.
- Providing cloud training for IT staff: New tools, new architectures, new risks—cloud technology evolves constantly. IT teams need ongoing education to keep up.
- Aligning cloud investments with business objectives: Every cloud decision should be measurable in terms of ROI, efficiency, and business impact.
“CIOs need to move beyond simply “managing” cloud operations. They must drive cloud strategy, making sure IT supports the business and actively enables its growth.”
Final thoughts
Cloud isn’t the future, it’s the present. But it’s only an advantage if businesses use it strategically. That means IT doesn’t disappear in a cloud-first world, it becomes even more important. The companies that thrive are the ones that stay in control, demand accountability from vendors, and ensure their cloud strategy aligns with business goals.
The best approach? Own the cloud, don’t let the cloud own you.
Key takeaways
- Decision-makers must actively manage cloud operations rather than relying solely on vendors. This involves clearly defining IT responsibilities for overseeing performance, security, and compliance to align cloud services with strategic business goals.
- Formalizing cloud roles within IT teams is critical. Leaders should update job descriptions to include cloud-specific responsibilities, ensuring accountability and proactive risk management in an increasingly cloud-dependent environment.
- Robust cloud contracts and SLAs are essential. Executives must ensure that agreements go beyond generic terms by negotiating tighter performance metrics and penalties for downtime, safeguarding mission-critical applications.
- Comprehensive oversight of cloud security and data stewardship is non-negotiable. IT leaders should implement regular audits, enforce strict access controls, and manage cloud testing environments to mitigate risks and protect enterprise data.
