CLOUD IS ONLY AN APPROACH NOT A SILVER BULLET
By Derrick Poon Young and Jason Matte
CEO and Executive Vice-President, Cloud Shift Inc.
Read Time
5 minutes
CLOUD IS ONLY AN APPROACH NOT A SILVER BULLET
Cloud computing can enable the unleashing of innovation beneficial for businesses. Complimented by elastic infrastructure and myriad functional tools that can stupefy even the best IT (Information Technology) and computing afficionados, applying “cloud” as an advanced methodology allows businesses to be exposed to benefits such as scalability, cost efficiency and data analytics currency for more congruent strategic decision making, among others. However, cloud is not the only way to transform your business, nor is it a one-size-fits-all solution. Depending on your business goals, needs, and challenges, it is wise to consider other factors and approaches to achieve successful transformation.
Some of these factors and approaches are:
Business strategy: Cloud is not a goal, but a means to an end. Having a sharp vision of what you want to achieve with cloud; how it aligns with your business strategy and; how it supports your value proposition and competitive advantage should be central. Careful calibrating, measuring, and monitoring of the outcomes and impacts of cloud enablement on your business performance and customer journey are crucial to determining the return on your transformation investment.
Cloud readiness: Cloud is not a plug-and-play technology, but a complex and dynamic methodology that requires careful planning, preparation, and governance. You need to assess your current state, identify gaps and risks, and design a roadmap and architecture that suit your business needs and capabilities. You also need to ensure that your organization, culture, and processes are ready and adaptable to cloud. Proper change management becomes crucial, early.
Cloud security: Cloud is not risk-free. It is a shared responsibility between you and your cloud provider. You need to understand the security implications and challenges of cloud, such as data privacy, compliance, and cyberattacks and implement the appropriate controls and best practices to protect your assets and reputation.
Cloud optimization: Cloud is not static but dynamic, offering continuous improvement runway. You need to optimize your cloud usage and performance by reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and enhancing quality. You should lever the cloud features and services that can add value and innovation to your business, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and web3 technologies.
These are some of the reasons why any consideration of cloud adoption ought to be done carefully before pursuing business transformation. Cloud should be used as an enabler that requires a holistic and strategic approach. In the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI), businesses can transform without relying solely or preponderantly on the cloud. Some alternative strategies for business transformation include:
Edge Computing: This involves processing data closer to the source of data generation, reducing the need for extensive cloud infrastructure
On-Premises Solutions: Businesses can invest in on-premises technology and infrastructure to modernize their operations and drive digital transformation without fully transitioning to the cloud
Hybrid IT Environments: Companies can adopt a hybrid IT model, combining on-premises infrastructure with public and private cloud services to achieve flexibility and scalability
These approaches allow businesses to pursue digital transformation and innovation without fully embracing the cloud, providing alternative pathways to achieve their strategic objectives.