The cloud computing trends every business leader needs to know

written by Priscila BernardesJan 23, 2018 9:00:00 AM

Topics: Cloud Computing

As technology and business become increasingly intertwined, it becomes of greater importance for business leaders to keep their eyes on the future of technology, in order to make smarter decisions. 

One hot topic (amongst many) is the future of cloud computing. Specifically, what cloud computing is doing in 2018. 

To help you make better decisions with your business goals/plans this year, we thought we'd explore three trends we see occurring in this space over the course of the next 11 months.  

The list of trends can some times become too technical. So, we were sure to pick things that are relevant to us, the business community.

We see these as being three: 

The commoditisation of cloud;
The importance of finding the right cloud talent;
The issue of security and what that means for those considering or already using cloud computing.

None of these trends are new. You probably heard about them already.  But what do they mean for you, for your work life, and for your business? 

Cloud for everyone, including you

The commoditisation of technology is all around us. Think about your bandwidth costs in comparison to 10 years ago. Think about the cost of a new laptop, can you remember how much they used to cost 10-15 years ago?

Technology is becoming a commodity, and so is cloud! Buying servers "by the kilo" is now the choice of most companies, including banks,  healthcare, government agencies, small and large enterprises.

In 2018, businesses will be moving to the cloud at an accelerating pace as the drive for competitive advantage increases.  In fact, for those who are comfortable with cloud computing, multi-cloud will become more popular and widespread.

 

cloud computing growth.jpg

Image source: http://www.salesforce.com/assets/pdf/misc/IDC-salesforce-economy-study-2016.pdf 

 

Amazon Web Services, Microsoft and Google will continue to better their offering to 'win' top spot. This only benefits us with competitive features, falling prices (did you know AWS has dropped their prices over 60 times?) and increased capabilities.  

It is however, absolutely fine to take things at your pace.

If you haven't yet made the initial move to cloud computing, getting started is easier than you think. We have a guide which we compiled based on experience that talks you through the initial steps. Get your copy here.

If you just prefer to talk to someone, get in touch! We have architectured countless of cloud solutions and can certainly guide you through the best path, one that is suited to your needs.

 

Finding the right cloud fit 

Like in any industry, quality talent is gold.

However, with the increasing pace businesses are moving, along with the quick advances within the cloud technology, we can expect shortages in up-to-date, skilled cloud computing talent.  

I am not talking about the guys who can "lift and shift" your IT infrastructure from an in-house server to cloud here. They are out there, doing this day in and day out, and you surely will be able to find many of them!

I am taking about those who are capable of understanding your business, the digital shifts happening around you, and what technology, and more specifically cloud computing, can do to assist.

People with experience from a technology, business, and cultural perspective are in high demand - and finding them is hard! 

This imposes a barrier to adopting a digital transformation approach (we have discussed how important this is for your business here).

In fact, in New Zealand, we see the lack of digitally skilled workforce as the number 1 reason why we can't progress towards having more digitally driven businesses.

nz barriers to digital transformation.jpgImage source: Microsoft New Zealand

Here's where having a strong partnership with a technology provider will take you places, beyond the cloud.

The right fit IT supplier will care about the digital shifts happening around us, will fully understand the new trends and what means to adopt them in your space, and quite importantly: will have DevOps capability in house! (even if you don't understand the term and what that means, you will thank me latter for mentioning this here).

⇒ If you need a wake up call, here's an article we wrote explaining the signs that your IT provider is failing you.

 

The issue of security 

As we saw in the news over the course of 2017, cybercrime is increasing, and it has real consequences to those who fall victim to an attack. Unfortunately the number of attacks launched on SME's are only set to increase in 2018. 

This has resulted in business leaders becoming skeptical of migrating to the cloud due to the risk of security breaches for both their own sensitive information, along with their clients. 

With many taking cloud as their choice for computing, it is important to be mindful of the security risks in this environment. The truth is:  just because you are in the cloud, you are not secure!

Contrary to popular belief, protecting your data once it is in the cloud is ultimately your responsibility.

Thankfully, a number of solutions exist to ensure your information is protected.

The biggest names of public cloud (Microsoft, Google, and AWS) work day in and day out to ensure their infrastructure is super secure. By leveraging their systems you are ultimately tapping into their secure networks, for a fraction of the cost.

If 80% of the fortune 500 companies trust cloud as they choice for computing, that surely is telling us something! 

Taking the time to understand how cloud computing works to suit your information security needs is essential. Not all your organisational information is equal. Some will be public, others will be strictly confidential, and through categorisation you are able to prioritise this security accordingly.

The right cloud fit (go back to the point above ^^) will be able to assist you and simplify in non-tech terms what the right combination of cloud and security should look like in your business. They will also be mindful of advising you of solutions that don't get in the way of your productivity. 


 

The stakes are raised for businesses who have not yet migrated to the cloud, those who aren't as familiar with cloud computing run the risk of jumping in without the appropriate skills or knowledge set. We want to prevent you from this fate!

Learn how you can get your business started with cloud computing with our free guide, 'Getting started with the cloud'. Download your copy here, and learn everything you need to know about cloud migration. 

 

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About Priscila Bernardes

Passionate about relationship building, Priscila leads Lancom’s customer experience and growth initiatives. With an Executive MBA and a decade of IT experience, Priscila loves challenging the status quo and finding innovative ways to service our clients, while sharing what she is learning with the community.