5 PART 3 Workload assessment Why do companies need to do these workload analyses? The fact is, many organizations are not aware of the number of applications they actually have. Because of this, they need to conduct an inventory and then assess the interdependencies of applications. Among the considerations are storage, networking, computing, backup, security, and total cost of ownership (TCO). The results of workload assessments provide data to identify the most technically appropriate and cost-effective cloud platform to support a workload’s business requirements. It’s important because it can lead to benefits including time savings, reduced risk, reduced cost, and greater agility. Workload assessment and alignment efforts drive best-fit platform decisions, as well as prompt next steps, including decommission, lift-and-shift, rearchitect, sustain, and re-platform. Other critical steps include determining the cost variables; understanding the acceptance level within the organization of moving to the cloud; working from a defined and existing service catalog or portfolio; and understanding the service and how it is currently delivered. How does Datalink approach cloud platform workload alignment? Datalink National Portfolio Director of Consulting Services, Peter Kraatz, explains in this video.