Ten years ago, the cloud appeared to be a fashionable term. Something that tech companies used to be trying to sound futuristic. Today, it is not only fashionable, but it is a must. Enterprise Cloud solutions have become an essential component of all business firms of any scale and in any field. It is not about placing some files on Google Drive. We are not discussing small-time enterprise cloud services, such as those needed to facilitate worldwide operations, drive remote workers, analyze huge data sets, and in general keep businesses able to adapt to the rapidly shifting business climate. To get a practical view of the advantages that have corporations switching-over, and not turning back, some facts will be used.
- Scalability That Is Effective: In business a business aims at growth. However, healthy growth can be a headache too, at least, until the problem of an appropriate technical infrastructure is fixed. Cloud solutions are perfect there. They have been constructed to increase in size. Have you got to have twice the storage in one night? Done. No need to get more computing power throughout the high season? Easy. As opposed to the conventional on-premise solutions which demand time-consuming hardware replacements and expensive configurations, cloud solutions enable you to scale-up (or down) real-time according to the needs.
- Cost-effectiveness without Having to Make Any Guesses: The truth of the matter is that it is costly to maintain on-premise infrastructure. You need to purchase servers, cool rooms, maintain the whole thing with IT personnel and make upgrade cycles. Most of that overhead is gone with the enterprise cloud solutions. You go off a CapEx (capital expense) to an OpEx (operating expense) model. Simply put: you pay as you consume; when you consume. No longer having to pay to sit on idle hardware or to buy too much storage that you do not fill. In addition, most cloud providers provide predictive pricing, comfortable budget planning, and the possibility to automate the control of costs. It is technology indulgence without any surprise and more value.
- Flexibility in the Workforce and Remote Readiness: It is no longer a trend to work remotely. It comes with the nature of contemporary businesses. And there could be no better lesson regarding the pandemic than that the businesses that could easily switch to working remotely had a severe advantage. Enterprise cloud solutions will do that. Tools, files, applications, and systems are accessible anywhere, reliably, and securely by the employees. The cloud unites your team to a common digital work-space regardless of location whether in different cities, different countries, or different continents if your team is distributed. No longer is there a need to wait until one gets back to the office to send some file or query a database. The cloud means that you take the office with you wherever your team is.
- Integrated Security at Scale: A typical misconception is that the cloud architecture is more insecure than on premise-based operations. Well, that is old fashioned thinking. As a matter of fact, the enterprise cloud providers spend a lot of money in security, sometimes more than any single business would consider on its own. We are mentioning multi-layered firewalls, end-to-end encryption, threat detection, DDoS protection, adherence to such global regulations as GDPR, ISO 27001, and HIPAA. Naturally one delegates a certain portion of the security, although, naturally enough, the infrastructure itself is developed with defense in depth. By following the best practices and setting proper configurations, the cloud solutions may be even more security than what is possible in the legacy systems.
- Automated Maintenance and Updates: Any person who ever had to maintain physical servers understands the suffering of scheduling updates, patching servers and fighting with system downtime. All that is the work of another firm using the cloud platforms, literally. The provider manages updates automatically, so you always get the newest security patch, functionality, and performance improvements. You do not have to pre-schedule weekend maintenance windows or worry about a missing important patch. This will leave your IT department to work on productive projects and not firefighting infrastructure problems.
- Collaboration without Boundaries: In a modern-day office, collaboration tools are quite essential just like desks and chairs. The most used tools are cloud-based ones, such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack, etc. No matter who is sharing documents, project-running, or feedback-giving, your team is likely to communicate with the help of these tools. Enterprise cloud solutions unite these tools, which mean that teams can co-edit documents, monitor tasks, join video conferences, and control workflows effortlessly within the same space. It is all about getting rid of friction.
- A quicker time to market: Speed matters. In a product launch, in trying out an idea, or opening a new market, speed may be the difference between making the right move and losing the opportunity. Cloud platforms make it possible to launch the environment, experiment with functionality, implement changes, and collect feedback in record time. Waiting on no hardware. No delays in shuttling. It is just rapid innovation, within elastic infrastructure that grows with you.
- Preparing Your Company for the Future: The rapidity of technology is increasing. Today what is cutting edge may become obsolete the day after. However, when you use the cloud to design your foundation infrastructure, you will always be ahead. Be it the need to fit in the new technologies (such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, or the Internet of Things), go international, or adjust to the new regulatory framework, cloud platforms can simplify remaining fluid and flexible. You are not tied to old systems and nor are you waiting to be restructured.
Enterprise cloud solutions do not only provide a smarter approach to managing IT, but also a smarter way to operate your company. They are fast, massive, secure, and adaptive, without the tediousness that enterprise technology would once entail. No matter which industry you belong to, whether you are a multinational giant or an ambitious startup on the verge of an explosive growth, the cloud evens the playing field. Many of the ideas driving enterprise cloud adoption today are showcased at the best digital transformation event each year, where industry leaders share how cloud technologies are reshaping the way businesses operate and innovate. It allows you to concentrate on what is of greater importance: creating, building, and bringing real value. It is not a bonus, but it is a prerequisite in a world that is evolving every minute.
jacky