The adoption of cloud computing has grown substantially in the business sector over the past decade, but recent studies have shown that the application of these tools still lacks a uniform method or strategy for a majority of organizations. Deployments often look disjointed — a segregated database or application here and there rather than the use of a foundational approach for consistency and congruity. As a result, the power of cloud is not fully realized for these companies. For those businesses who do “get it,” the impact is meaningful and vast.
The small percentage of companies that have managed to optimize their cloud strategy report significant revenue growth, cost savings, expansion into previously untapped markets, more satisfied and productive employees, and greater innovation. Consistency, focus on delivery of services, and full acceptance of cloud-enabled applications and tools are a few keys that help a business make the most of cloud computing adoption.
Today, the areas where cloud can be used are nearly endless, including:
Most companies struggling with a strategy-based cloud computing program share some common woes. Lack of technology expertise, the use of outdated/legacy applications, and a compartmentalized or disjointed organizational structure are frequent roadblocks to cloud adoption. A cohesive cloud deployment can certainly be complex, but the potential reward is great. Many cloud vendors provide implementation and Infrastructure as a Service, alleviating the stress of inadequate technical personnel and cumbersome hardware investments.
For those companies still hanging on to old legacy applications, it is important to realize that these programs will eventually fail to work on modern operating systems — or at the very least will lack security. A cloud migration will eventually be needed regardless of the cloud implementation. Selecting a cloud-friendly replacement at the time of integration saves significant effort later.
Those leading the charge with cloud computing measures understand how to leverage a hybrid approach, saving money where data or applications can be hosted publicly and keeping confidential information secure on the private side of the cloud. They have also made a transition to a DevOps mindset, where everything needed across the company is treated as a service-delivery project rather than identifying IT as a segmented department. Program components are built with the idea of generic re-use rather than requiring task-specific code. This speeds up the development process and helps the company obtain the desired solution much more quickly. Flexibility and reusability are core principles practiced by cloud-savvy enterprises.
Cloud computing adoption will continue to grow for most companies in the next few years. Learn how to create a powerful cloud strategy that will transform the organization as a whole and help achieve goals and visions more rapidly. Contact BlackPoint IT Services today to get started.
