For IT practitioners, cloud can initially seem like a candy store where everything is enticing and delicious and cheap enough to seem free. What they don’t realize is how quickly costs can add up or be amplified when cloud options are opened to teams across the organization. In this video, SolarWinds Technical Content Manager for Community Kevin M. Sparenberg and Head Geek Leon Adato discuss the need for IT professionals to become more proficient in speaking the language of business and seeing cloud solutions from more than just a technology perspective.

Cloud cost optimization is not just about reducing costs — it’s about connecting costs to business goals. At this webinar, we took a technical approach in order to understand the relationship between a business's cloud cost and its overall growth. What we've covered? Basics principles of cost management Different ways to measure business goals- Or is $10,000 (for example) is an appropriate amount to spet. How to figure if the business goal met not met? Business advantage – or “legacy “ is not always best.

Cost analysis and allocation tools like CloudHealth, CloudCheckr, and Cloudability play an important role in many organizations’ FinOps journeys by assisting with keeping Finance informed, enabling forecasting, and driving accountability. These tools may also help provide visibility and direction around long-term purchases like Savings Plans and RIs. But, slicing and dicing your cloud costs is only the tip of the FinOps iceberg: 85%+ of your cloud savings potential lies beyond refining how you buy cloud services. You also need to optimize what you’re actually purchasing.