Why MCX has been in existence for over 25 years, and why that is now more important than ever for the Public Cloud

Every organisation wants a successful implementation.

But who will ensure that the system is still running smoothly in five years’ time?

In the world of IT, most of the focus is on change. New systems. New migrations. New technology.

The real challenge begins once the system goes live. This was true of the IT implementations of the late 1990s, and it is just as true of today’s public cloud migrations.

The pattern of the late 1990s

Many organisations saw the same thing happening. New IT solutions were chosen, the project was successfully completed, and attention shifted to the next initiative. The system was up and running. The project was finished.

But who took responsibility afterwards?

Who ensured that business-critical systems continued to function reliably? Who knew the environment inside out? And who was on hand when business continuity came under pressure?

Those were precisely the questions Johan van Veen asked himself in 1999. He realised that management was often regarded as a necessary final step in an implementation, whilst it was actually in the years that followed that the greatest value for organisations was created. Not during handover, but afterwards.

That is how MCX came into being.

Management as the foundation

The idea was simple, but by no means self-evident: good management deserves the same attention as a successful implementation.

No opaque arrangements. No surprises afterwards. No suppliers who disappear as soon as the project is completed.

Instead: clear agreements, predictable costs and a management organisation that customers can rely on. Transparency was not a marketing term, but a way of working.

From supplier to partner

The difference between a supplier and a partner does not lie in a contract. It lies in behaviour.

A partner answers the phone when needed. A partner helps think through the next step. A partner feels responsible for the continuity of the environment.

That is why MCX works with dedicated teams, short lines of communication and long-term client relationships. Not because it sounds good, but because knowledge of systems, processes and organisations is built up over the years. That in-depth knowledge makes all the difference when continuity is crucial.

Technology changes. The fundamental principle remains the same.

What began as specialist knowledge of Oracle environments has, over more than 25 years, evolved into broad expertise in application management, technology management and infrastructure management.

And now a new chapter is unfolding: designing, migrating and managing in the public cloud.

The question Johan van Veen asked himself in 1999 resurfaces with every migration, but now it is even more pressing. The public cloud is powerful, scalable and flexible. But who ensures that costs remain predictable once the project is complete? Who maintains control over the data and digital sovereignty once the environment is live? And who takes responsibility once the implementation partner has long since moved on to the next project?

Technology has become more complex and organisations’ expectations have changed. But the basic principle has remained the same: IT management, whether on-premises or in the cloud, must be predictable, transparent and reliable.

Where real value is created

Successfully implementing a system is important. Ensuring that it continues to function reliably year after year – that is where real value is created.

This was true of the first Oracle environments that MCX took on for management more than 25 years ago. And it still holds true for every organisation that is making the move to the Public Cloud today and wondering who will be in charge once the system goes live.

That is precisely why MCX exists. And that is precisely why control over costs, data and continuity is the starting point for everything we do, including in the cloud.