Today, every aspect and layer of IT is becoming software defined. Achieving repeatable success in the cloud requires users to embrace the concept of infrastructure as code (IaC). The idea: Use templates and machine-readable files to build a virtual data center on demand. Deploy to the cloud using automated, predefined templates and consumables that contain the enterprise's security, compliance and deployment opinions. This eliminates human error and enables quick and secure infrastructure deployment. Note that IaC restricts users from employing the cloud provider's console to deploy.

IaC also allows enterprises to apply best practices for software development to infrastructure management. Rather than one-off development of an applicationspecific infrastructure, the enterprise builds a reusable foundation that can be used for all applications. The bank uses tools that provide automation capabilities and create a continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipeline. That pipeline can support a sustainable, on-demand infrastructure that has the built-in security and scalability needed to accelerate enterprise-wide cloud adoption.