Many companies claim to have "gone to the cloud," yet returns from their efforts are meager or 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, today's organizations use a mosaic of capabilities across several vendors. Your cloud strategy needs to follow a hybrid multicloud model, one that delivers cloud's value at destinations you choose. This practical guide provides business leaders and C-level executives with guidance and insights across a wide range of cloud-related topics, such as distributed cloud, microservices, and other open source solutions for strengthening operations. You'll apply in-the-field best practices and lessons learned as you define your hybrid cloud strategy and drive your company's transformation strategy. Learn cloud fundamentals and patterns, including basic concepts and history Get a framework for cloud acumen phases to value-plot your cloud future Know which questions to ask a cloud provider before you sign Discover potential pitfalls for everything from the true cost of a cloud solution to adopting open source the right way