Many companies claim to have "gone to the cloud," yet returns from their efforts are meager, and sometimes worse. Why? Because they've defined cloud as a destination, not a capability. Using cloud as a single-vendor, one-stop destination is fiction; in practice, you'll require a mosaic of capabilities across several vendors. Your data strategy needs to follow a hybrid multicloud model, one that delivers cloud's value at destinations you choose. This practical guide from IBM experts provides business leaders and C-level executives with guidelines from Agile development, microservices, and open source solutions--including pro tips for strengthening operations along the way. Apply in-the-field best practices and lessons learned as you define your hybrid cloud strategy and drive your company's transformation strategy. This book gets you started. Learn cloud fundamentals and patterns, including basic concepts and history Get a framework for cloud maturation phases to value-plot your cloud future Know which questions to ask about a cloud provider before you sign Discover potential pitfalls for everything from the true cost of your cloud solution to adopting open source the right way See how IBM infrastructure can boost your cloud journey