Enterprise Cloud Strategy and Architecture in the Age of AI

Timeless Principles and Practical Frameworks for Architects and Technology Leaders
1. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 979-8-8688-2615-3
Verlag: APRESS L.P.

Buch, Englisch, 377 Seiten, Format (B × H): 178 mm x 254 mm

Cloud is the foundation for the AI era and a launchpad for what comes next, such as quantum computing and 6G. But you can no longer rely on a strategy that treats the cloud as a static destination. It is multiplying. AI is reshaping infrastructure. Sustainability is dictating architecture. And the fragmentation of multicloud, hybrid, and edge environments is breaking traditional operating models. In this era of relentless disruption, CTOs, CIOs, and cloud architects face a defining question:

is your strategic compass a vendor-neutral lens for navigating this evolving landscape. Rather than revisiting fundamentals or offering vendor-specific guides, the book provides strategic guidance on the six enduring frontiers shaping modern cloud decisions: multicloud, industry clouds, edge computing, hybrid models, green cloud, and workload repatriation. It bridges strategy and execution with SCORPS an industry-inspired framework that distills timeless architectural principles and blueprints the adaptive operating models and internal platforms needed to execute at enterprise scale. Throughout, it decodes the impact of AI on these domains, equipping you to navigate the transformation with confidence.

The book keeps the guidance grounded through Rivolinx Global, a fictional yet deeply realistic multinational grappling with cloud complexity across industries, regions, and operating models. Through its decisions and trade-offs, you see how strategy, platform design, workload placement, and organizational alignment intersect in real enterprises. Whether you are modernizing your estate across AWS, Azure, GCP, or other clouds, rethinking your cloud operating model, or architecting for AI and next disruption this book delivers the frameworks, language, and clarity to lead with authority.

You Will

• Make clear, strategic, and architectural choices across the six cloud frontiers deciding when and why to adopt, where to adapt, and where restraint matters.
• Learn to design scalable, resilient, and future-ready architectures using the SCORPS Framework and its add-on for AI/ML workloads.
• Build an adaptive cloud operating model and internal platforms for modern enterprises that democratize innovation without losing control in a world of constant change.

This book is for: cloud professionals including both business leaders (CTOs, CIOs, chief architects) and technical decision makers (cloud architects, principal engineers)

Zielgruppe

Professional/practitioner

Autoren/Hrsg.

Narang, Sanjay

Fachgebiete

• Mathematik | Informatik EDV | Informatik Computerkommunikation & -vernetzung Cloud-Computing, Grid-Computing
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Betriebswirtschaft Wirtschaftsmathematik und -statistik
• Mathematik | Informatik EDV | Informatik Professionelle Anwendung

Inhaltsverzeichnis

PART 1 - Navigating Cloud Evolution: Six Strategic Frontiers for the Modern Enterprise.- Chapter 1: The Strategic Compass for the Evolving Cloud – Six Enduring Frontiers Beyond the AI Era.- Chapter 2: Multicloud – Strategy, Governance, and Enterprise Alignment.- Chapter 3: Multicloud – Architecture, Design Decisions, and Patterns.- Chapter 4: Edge Cloud – Navigating the Spectrum of Distributed Computing.- Chapter 5: Hybrid Cloud – Modernizing On-Premises for a Cloud-Connected World.- Chapter 6: Green Cloud – Sustainable and Responsible Cloud Practices.- Chapter 7: Industry Cloud – The Vertical Evolution of Industry Solutions.- Chapter 8: Cloud Repatriation – Strategizing Workload Placement in the Hybrid Continuum.- PART 2 - Architecting for Endurance and Scale: Timeless Principles through the SCORPS Framework.- Chapter 9: The SCORPS Well-Architected Framework – Timeless Pillars, Principles and Practices for Enterprise Cloud.- Chapter 10: Security – Building Adaptive Defenses for Modern Cloud (SCORPS Pillar S).- Chapter 11: Cost Optimization – From FinOps Discipline to Continuous Value Engineering (SCORPS Pillar C).- Chapter 12: Operational Excellence – Orchestrating Culture, Code, and Continuous Improvement (SCORPS Pillar O).- Chapter 13: Reliability – Architecting for Observability, Resilience, and Recovery (SCORPS Pillar R).- Chapter 14: Performance Efficiency – Engineering for Speed, Scale, and Sustained Responsiveness (SCORPS Pillar P).- Chapter 15: Sustainability – Making Environmental Responsibility an Architectural Discipline (SCORPS Pillar S).- Chapter 16: The SCORPS AI/ML Add-On – Architecting for Intelligence, Autonomy, and Agentic Scale.- Chapter 17: Operationalizing SCORPS in the Enterprise – From Framework to Architecture Discipline.- PART 3 - Operationalizing Cloud Strategy: Teams, Platforms, and Strategic Leadership.- Chapter 18: The Adaptive Cloud Operating Model – Teams, Capabilities, and the AI Shift.- Chapter 19: The Architect as Strategist – From Technical Authority to Enterprise Alignment.- Chapter 20: Internal Cloud Platforms – Productizing Enterprise Cloud Strategy.- 21. Epilogue: The Final Frontier – Leading Yourself.

Über Autor(innen)

Sanjay Narang is a strategic technology executive with over 25 years of experience shaping technology strategy, product and platform engineering, and large-scale modernization. A recognized leader in enterprise cloud strategy and architecture, he brings deep expertise in guiding cloud transformations across complex, globally distributed environments. His dual perspective—combining engineering leadership with enterprise consulting acumen—allows him to bridge business imperatives with architectural reality.

He currently serves as a senior technology leader for a Fortune 50 retail giant, working within the infrastructure group that manages platforms across the public cloud, data centers, and the edge. In his previous role as Global Lead for Cloud Architecture & Strategy at EY, Sanjay built and drove adoption of one of the world’s largest multicloud platforms—supporting mission-critical workloads across 100+ countries. Earlier, during more than a decade at Microsoft, he advised CIOs and CTOs on cloud strategy, while working hands-on with architects and engineering teams to design resilient, geo-distributed systems—shaping early Azure adoption and pioneering the Cloud Solution Architect model.

Drawing on his deep experience with both hyperscale providers and the world’s largest consumers, Sanjay brings deep insights from both sides of the cloud ecosystem. He is also the creator of the LEAP framework, which helps technology professionals cultivate future-proof behaviors and leadership mindsets. A sought-after thought leader and keynote speaker, he is known for simplifying complex ideas—translating lessons from boardrooms to whiteboards and distilling them into clear, actionable insights.