Market View 04

Robert Fisher

Director of Technology

Market View 04

Robert Fisher

Director of Technology

Whilst the demand for cloud services will increase over the coming years, it might end up that private cloud solutions benefit more than their public counterparts!

Are public cloud solutions the future?

The rise in public cloud and hybrid solutions is impossible to ignore. We’re starting to see a trend of businesses wanting to utilise public cloud solutions, but ensuring that their data is kept securely within sovereign shores. This poses a unique challenge for public cloud providers around their global capabilities to serve customers. Because if they want to meet the customer demand for data being kept in their country, then they have to have a data centre in that region. If existing public cloud providers choose not to provide this option because it doesn’t meet their business goals, it will force companies to look into private cloud solutions instead. So whilst the demand for cloud services will increase over the coming years, it might end up that private cloud solutions benefit more than their public counterparts!

How can businesses speed up the implementation of new tools and technologies?

One of the best ways for businesses to get smarter when onboarding new tools and software is to involve their IT team much earlier in the buying journey. Whilst the actual functionality of the new technology should be determined by the team who will be using it on a regular basis, the implementation of that technology will change based on the business’ approach to data storage and management. It is not uncommon for the same piece of software to have to be installed in different ways depending on whether it lives on a physical on-premise server or a cloud server. Involving IT teams in the conversation before committing to a final decision allows the IT team to plan for implementation, security and launch of the technology ahead of time. Ultimately, this prevents the frustration of a business committing to a new tool and being told by the vendor that they can have it tomorrow, only for IT to then need time to complete the relevant setup.

One of the best ways for businesses to get smarter when onboarding new tools and software is to involve their IT team much earlier in the buying journey.

Only when these hidden costs are considered, can businesses really assess the impact of cloud solutions against physical ones.

What do businesses need to consider when choosing between cloud and physical solutions?

Any business considering investing into a cloud solution needs to think about more than just the comparison of installation cost against a physical solution. Firms can see on-premise solutions as a cheaper option because hardware is less expensive these days. But there are a number of hidden costs that need to be surfaced and considered too. A physical on-premise solution requires specialist power and cooling capabilities, alongside employing somebody with the expertise to maintain it. Only when these hidden costs are considered can businesses really assess the impact of cloud solutions against physical ones.

From here, businesses need to consider the impact of both options on their customers and colleagues. Even if one solution is noticeably cheaper than the other, if it delivers a poor experience for your customers, it will come back to haunt you in the long run. The public cloud market is changing so rapidly too that businesses may have to constantly reevaluate their decisions, perhaps every twelve to eighteen months, instead of committing blindly to a five-year plan.

Publicis Sapient is a digital transformation partner helping established organisations get to their future, digitally-enabled state, both in the way they work and the way they serve their customers. They help unlock value through a start-up mindset and modern methods, fusing strategy, consulting and customer experience with agile engineering and problem-solving creativity.