Market View 03

Tobin Schroeder

Senior Director of Information Technology

Market View 03

Tobin

Schroeder

Senior Director of Information Technology

Employees need to efficiently access shared files and software resources regardless of their location and at any given time of day.

Why is there an increasing demand for public cloud services?

The increasing demand for cloud services is driven by two main factors. Today’s typical workforce is far more dispersed, with many teams being either remote or in hybrid situations.. Employees need to efficiently access shared files and software resources regardless of their location and at any given time of day. The global coverage of public cloud services makes them ideal for giving remote workers needed resources and collaboration opportunities without having to worry about maintaining a private cloud.

Many software vendors also supply their own public cloud solution, tailored to specific file types or collaboration needs. It can make sense for teams to take advantage of those services, but it also may present new challenges in regard to how they integrate with an organization’s overall cloud strategy.

What makes for a successful cloud adoption?

The main limitations for most on-premise infrastructure services are performance and redundancy. Cloud infrastructure providers typically win new customers because they provide more reliable infrastructure, often at a fraction of the cost. It’s simply not often cost-effective for small and mid-size businesses to attempt providing infrastructure at the same SLA realised through cloud providers.

As with any project however, moving to cloud infrastructure is not without challenges and considerations. In some situations, the biggest challenge that businesses face is user adoption. When people are heavily invested in certain processes or procedures, any change can be daunting. Alleviating those concerns is up to the change leaders, typically through timely communication regarding the changes and end-user training as appropriate. With a dispersed workforce you will rarely, if ever, have everybody in the same building at the same time, so communicating the changes as early in the process as possible is essential.

When people are heavily invested in certain processes or procedures, any change can be daunting.

The goal of almost any technology-related project should be to improve efficiency and reliability.

How should businesses define their cloud strategy?

When defining a cloud strategy, the most important consideration is making sure that, in the end, all employees will have access to the services needed to fulfil their duties. It’s the same principle as implementing any new technology or process – if the strategy ends up making things more difficult to complete, the implementation is fundamentally wrong. The goal of almost any technology-related project should be to improve efficiency and reliability, both of the system itself, and that of the organisation’s employees.

Alongside this, having confidence in the decision-making process is a key part of determining a successful cloud strategy. There are many great solutions available, and it’s important to realise that there will almost always be more than one good solution. It’s easy to fall into the “analysis paralysis” trap of trying to find a single best strategy. It’s better to be consistent in making incremental changes in the right direction, and to be diligent about checking in with key business leaders to ensure the company’s needs are being met along the way. By listening to feedback and building trust with the rest of the business, much of the hesitancy that surrounds user adoption can be avoided.

IA Interior Architects is the first global architecture firm focused exclusively on interiors. The firm provides strategic planning, interior architecture, and design services for corporations, businesses, and institutions.