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Cloud Myths: Cloud Means You Don’t Need IT Teams (Pill 4 of 5 / Cloud Pills)

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One common misconception is related to IT teams and the cloud. Businesses expect that cloud adoption will eliminate or drastically reduce the cost and size of IT teams. Cloud indeed simplifies the management of the infrastructure and the activities that need to be done to manage the cloud environment. It does not mean that IT teams are not required anymore. The IT team evolves; even if the size of the team shrinks, it becomes more critical for the company and the business.

 In most cases, responsibilities regarding hardware provisioning, maintenance, OS & software updates and packing shift from the IT team to the cloud vendors. This allows companies to focus more on the services and applications running on top, proving out-of-the-shelve capabilities related to encryption, backup, DR and data governance. On the other hand, IT teams need to manage new dimensions, such as cloud governance, security, compliance, optimisation, and integration.

The IT teams need to ensure that resources are used efficiently, the cloud costs are controlled, and the workloads and cloud services are monitored to maximise performance and minimise costs. The cloud-shared model requests more robust security practices and control. Integrating multiple services, compliance requirements, and existing systems and hybrid environments makes the IT team indispensable.

The IT team in the cloud space was redefined, and its responsibilities changed. Nowadays, the team focuses on collaboration, continuous improvement, and automation, emphasising aligning technologies with business needs. The modern cloud IT team should include people who cover the following roles: cloud architect, cloud engineer, DevOps engineer, cloud security specialist, data engineer, FinOps practitioner, cloud support specialist, automation engineer, and hybrid/multi-cloud specialist.

 You cannot successfully run your business inside the cloud without an IT team responsible for cloud governance, security, optimisation, integration and compliance. The shift from traditional roles to areas like automation, security, integration, cost management, and optimisation.


The number of tools available on the market that support IT teams in this journey is high. Below is a short list of Microsoft tools that provide support for Microsoft Azure:

  • Cloud Governance: ARM, Azure Policy, Azure Advisor, Azure Blueprints, Azure Cost Management & Billing, Azure Arc
  • Security: Microsoft Defender, Entra ID, Azure Key Vault, Azure Firewall Manager, Azure Bastion
  • Optimisation: Azure Monitor, Azure Log Analytics, Application Insights, Azure Cost Management & Billing, Azure Pricing Calculator, Azure Automation, Azure Functions, Azure Traffic Manager
  • Integration: Azure DevOps, Azure Logic Apps, Azure Data Factory, Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure ExpressRoute, Azure Stack, WAC (Windows Admin Center)
  • Compliance: Azure Policy, Microsoft Defender (Azure Security Center), Azure Service Health, Azure Blueprints, Microsoft Purview

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