This is the second part of a series on this topic. Previously in part 1, I defined cloud and discussed the three broad categories of cloud computing. This second post focuses on why you should care about the cloud and what is in it for your business.
In previous post, I defined cloud computing as a revolutionary approach to how we traditionally do IT, and that cloud is changing how we invest in, and how we consume, IT services.
Why should I care?
The cloud is a different way of “doing” and “consuming” IT services (whether it be software, telephony, asset tracking, etc.) more efficiently and cost-effectively. And since you already trust my judgment, that last point alone should be enough to make you care, but for the benefit of those still on the fence, let me elaborate…
- It would be best if you care about cloud computing because you may be spending good money on lousy IT services without even knowing it. Cloud technologies will provide cost savings no matter how you slice or dice it, even if it’s just converting CAPEX into OPEX and freeing up budgets that you can then spend on growing your business.
- It would be best to care about cloud computing because it will provide the agility needed to get your ideas in front of your customers at the right time, rather than wait on your IT department’s several months lead time required to build infrastructure within the legacy construct. By the way, this long lead time is not an indictment on your over-tasked and under-appreciated IT department – there are only so many hours in a workday/week/month/year to deal with tactical and operational tasks – you get the picture, right?
- Finally, it would be best to care about cloud computing because of its elasticity. Due to this elastic nature whereby cloud resources are auto-provisioned and de-provisioned as necessary, you will never have to worry about running out of capacity again – Whether that is during open enrollment if you are a healthcare company or during Cyber Monday if you are in retail. The elastic nature of the cloud will eliminate the scalability issue that has plagued businesses relying on internal IT to ensure availability for decades.
What’s in it for my business?
The positive impact cloud can and ultimately will have on your business’s bottom lines are too numerous to list. Still, I’ll focus on three components that shouldn’t be overlooked in today’s always-on digital age:
- Security – the cloud is designed from the ground up with cybersecurity at its core rather than bolted on as an afterthought. Obviously, NOT all clouds are created equally, so ensure you have a trusted advisor in your corner during the evaluation and selection phases of your cloud services procurement.
- Competitiveness – If getting your products or services to customers at the right place and time determines whether you attract and retain more customers to stay in business; after all, cloud computing was born to ensure your business’s viability. My favorite saying about cloud computing is that “cloud technologies are the greatest equalizer for businesses.” Cloud technologies do not regard how big or small your business is; the cloud services that drive competitive advantage for Fortune 100 companies will do the same for a company of 100.
- Availability – the cloud is always on, and this is wholly due to the obscene amount of money invested by the various hyperscale cloud operators, such as Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Salesforce. These companies are investing billions of dollars year after year into building and maintaining their cloud platforms so that you wouldn’t have to dabble in “doing” IT, freeing up resources (people and money) to focus on building your core business. The net result of their investment is that you and your business no longer have to worry about your email system or e-commerce website (among other critical systems) going down at crucial times and bringing your revenue and reputation down.
A crashed website is enough to drive customers into competitors’ arms.
Now for the finale…
The technology incumbents selling you mostly on-premises systems (i.e., PBX/phones, productivity software, server hardware, etc.) have no incentives to bring you emerging technologies for fear of cannibalizing their market base, so you’ll have to rely on trusted advisors like Dual Prism to get you this valuable information – If you don’t have a relationship with a vendor-agnostic partner like Dual Prism – do so immediately!
Companies like ours focus on delivering genuine value to your business because our reputation depends on it!
Contact us today for a free consultation to determine if you are ready to start your journey to the cloud.
For more information on Dual Prism services, visit us at dualprism.com.
info@dualprism.com | 773-413-9080
