It seems like a safe and simple proposition. A workload or task can be moved from one compute environment to another, often from an on-premises data center to the cloud. Yet, this process, known as “lift and shift,” can actually create unforeseen issues, according to the top executive of CloudGenera Inc., a cloud decision engine that provides vendor agnostic information technology analysis.

“There’s an illusion out there in the market that you’ll be able to lift and shift your workload from your data center to Amazon’s data center and that magically is going to take care of all your problems,” said Brian Kelly (pictured), co-founder and chief executive officer of CloudGenera. “While Amazon might be an excellent provider of IT services for your business, if you’re not optimizing your workload to leverage the [cloud] provider, you’re not going to get the benefits that you hope.”

Kelly spoke with Stu Miniman (@stu), host of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s mobile livestreaming studio, at theCUBE’s studio in Boston, Massachusetts, to discuss how CloudGenera helps customers find the best IT solutions for their needs, the role of software to automate the decision process, and the rise of tech firms in the Southern region of the United States.

Finding the best path to cloud

CloudGenera is building its business on helping enterprise users determine the most efficient path for leveraging cloud technologies. The goal is to demystify the variability and complexity associated with making cloud decisions, according to Kelly.

“We believe in helping companies investing in technology to get the best value for the spend,” Kelly explained. “Figure out where you are. If your target state for the next innovation is to get to containers, figure out how to containerize before the next migration.”

The company uses highly visible software to automate cloud decision making. With this tool, users can obtain a clearer picture of public, private and hybrid cloud solutions.

“If there’s one thing that we’re disrupting in the market, it is the ability to do analysis at scale,” Kelly said. “It’s really doing in minutes what normally took months.”

CloudGenera, which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is one of the companies associated with the “Silicon South,” emerging startup firms that are showing growth in the Southern region of the U.S. The company was recently recognized by the “Charlotte Business Journal” as one of the community’s fastest-growing enterprises, with 138 percent growth over the previous two years.

“We’re one of these cool companies that’s helping the Southeast rise up as a technology center,” Kelly concluded.

Watch the entire video interview with Kelly below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s CUBE Conversations.

Photo: SiliconANGLE