Countless companies today make use of the cloud. In fact, Flexera, a computer software company, issues a “State of the Cloud Report” each year. In 2021, this report stated that 92 percent of companies were already using a multi-cloud strategy, while 82 percent were employing a hybrid cloud solution. With the majority of organizations using the cloud, business owners must monitor trends in the industry to ensure they don’t fall behind the competition.
A Lack of Talent
The demand for cloud solutions and services continues to grow. As a result, companies struggle to find experts in this field that they can use to deliver and manage this technology. This means they are unable to increase their cloud capabilities unless they have help from a third-party provider. They cannot wait until members of their IT team learn this technology and how to make the most of it. In addition, these individuals will need to present business and technology use cases to be effective.
If the team cannot do so, a company may hesitate to invest in or adopt the cloud. The team will need to convince purchasers that the cloud offers both short and long-term value. If they cannot do so, the organization won’t see an alignment between its cloud business strategy and decision-making when it comes to information technology. InApp cloud computing helps fill in the gap as companies work to train the IT team. For those organizations that don’t have in-house IT, the provider can fulfill the duties an in-house IT team would otherwise handle.
Sustainability in Cloud Innovation
Consumers express concern over climate change and want businesses they patronize to engage in sustainable practices. For example, tech companies are working to reduce their energy usage to minimize their carbon footprint. Many companies this year will implement measures designed to move them toward a net-zero carbon goal. Amazon serves as a good example of a company working toward this goal. Today, it buys more renewable energy than any other corporation and has hundreds of sustainable energy projects around the world. The company is also working to reduce “downstream” energy usage in its products.
Tighter Security
Security remains a top concern of every business owner today. IBM reports the average data breach in 2021 cost victims $4.24 million. No small business owner can afford this amount, and it does significant damage to a corporation’s bottom line. Some individuals feel cloud computing serves as a more secure option than on-premises security infrastructure. However, experts are finding both options have flaws and need additional security support.
Managed security service providers are becoming more common as are organizational policies regarding user access management. Many breaches come from inside the organization, so companies are now implementing zero-trust security. Nothing can be trusted regardless of where it originates. For example, a company may isolate applications and segment network access with the help of authentication and certification along with user permissions. This allows the IT team to have complete control over who sees what within the company network.
More companies will adopt cloud technology this year. Organizations already using this technology will need to refine and scale offerings. Many things will help them achieve this goal, such as AI and automation. Demand will continue and companies will need to keep up. The right provider can help each organization achieve this goal.
