May 02, 2022
Current cloud trends hint at longevity
Businesses need an IT strategy that can cater for long-term requirements and cloud migration is proving to be one such answer for many large enterprises. Serverless clouds offer flexible scalability, burstable capacity, and attractive pay-per-use payment models. As an IT solution that is both robust and agile, current trends suggest that cloud technologies are here to stay for the long run
Restrictions on face-to-face interactions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the transition to the cloud, both internationally and for South African businesses. Those enterprises who had already started their migration to the cloud undoubtedly had the upper hand when it came to surviving the economic effects of rolling lockdowns and supply chain disruptions.
Cloud-ready businesses were able to quickly adapt to changing market conditions and this headstart was highly advantageous. Businesses that have resisted cloud uptake have been left behind. AI-enabled cloud technologies support data-driven decision making, and this is a trend that is revolutionising the way we do business.
AI reduces the need for manual operations; it supports customised consumer targeting and helps to reduce risk. By using data held on the cloud, businesses can manage their workflows more effectively, as well as using algorithms to identify trends in consumer behaviour.
Thanks to the cloud, businesses can use big data to respond more effectively to the market which, in turn, has an effect on profitability. Programmable infrastructure, such as the cloud, is here to stay and current trends suggest exponential growth.
Investment in cloud technology
Investment in the cloud is estimated to reach $480 billion this year and will amount to 45% of enterprise spending by the year 2026 - up from 17% in 2021. There is a strong case for cloud migration, especially for large organisations. Investment in enterprise-grade clouds show no signs of slowing down.
Current trends point to an increased investment in cloud-native applications which offer easier deployment, better maintenance and security features. Prioritising applications built for the cloud means that businesses are no longer being weighed down by legacy applications that do not inspire agility and innovation.
Cloud adoption supports business growth. In banking, for example, the cloud is used to build intelligent systems that can track financial behaviour. Using data analytics, AI-based systems can predict whether consumers are likely to spend, save or invest. This allows financial institutions to target huge numbers of consumers with tailor-made solutions.
Prior to the cloud, this scale of personalised service was unimaginable. Investment in the cloud is not only useful for these kinds of marketing strategies, but essential in today’s business climate.
Due to global pressures on making economies greener, investment in carbon-intelligent clouds is certainly going to be necessary. Cloud providers will need to offer a “green” service to support carbon-neutral goals. This will be a challenge for infrastructure and operations (I&O) leaders, but given the current status of climate change, it seems inevitable that cloud investment will take this turn in the coming years.
Solutions that support enterprise cloud adoption
Many businesses are adopting a hybrid model with a balance of both on-premise data centres and virtualised cloud services. In response to industry compliance requirements, hybrid clouds allow enterprises to share their data between both private and public clouds. Confidential data is stored on internal processors, while less sensitive data is processed using a public cloud.
Peaks in demand put a lot of pressure on on-premise data centres, so businesses can opt for hosted cloud infrastructure such as that provided by SEACOM Business, or public cloud environments, such as Microsoft Azure, to handle excess traffic and increase processing speeds. Setting up new servers is very costly and time-consuming, so external cloud solutions offer large businesses a flexible and affordable alternative.
This hybrid solution does mean that the IT environment is more complex. To overcome this, businesses can benefit from add-ons, such as Microsoft Azure Stack. This is a service that allows cloud architects to transpose Azure functionality to their private clouds, improving compatibility and performance monitoring.
Business case for cloud adoption
A digitally-enabled business model that supports a distributed workforce is essential for forward-looking companies that want to secure their future in these turbulent times. The pandemic has sped up the evolution of corporate networks, and although many teams are now returning to the office, businesses need to be able to support a hybrid workforce.
Lockdowns were a catalyst for innovation. With digital delivery systems quickly transforming the way consumers order and collaborate remotely, we have become dependent on the cloud. This trend is unlikely to change, now that consumers have experienced the convenience of remote work, with fast delivery systems and comfortable home office environments.
With the cloud come many opportunities, such as the next generation of software-defined wide area networks (SD-WAN), cybersecurity protection that is supported by AI-technologies, and advanced DDoS protection. The cloud has become a necessary expense, but quickly pays for itself when we consider how data-reliant businesses have become. It is simply not an option for companies to fall victim to a data breach in the modern era. The cloud boosts efficiency in data backups and recovery, as well as innovative cloud-based cybersecurity systems.
Current cloud trends suggest that these technologies are here to stay. Whether it be part of a hybrid cloud, or cloud-native strategy, SEACOM Business provides enterprise-grade cloud solutions that offer a long-term approach to digital transformation. For more information or to get a quote for our various cloud services, email us at marketing@seacom.com or leave us a message.
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