Market View 11

Konstantinos Passadis

Enterprise Solutions Architect

Market View 11

Konstantinos

Passadis

Enterprise Solutions Architect

Without a proper understanding of the cloud, the adoption of cloud services becomes more challenging.

What is the key to successful cloud adoption?

There is a huge appetite for cloud solutions across all industries, but not everybody really understands what the cloud is. Without a proper understanding of the cloud, the adoption of cloud services becomes more challenging. For businesses that are considering moving to the cloud, after they fully understand the cloud there are two main things to consider before adopting a potential solution.

The first is security - will a public cloud offer the right level of security or is a private cloud required? For more heavily regulated industries, such as banking and finance, a private cloud is usually the only way firms in the industry can adhere to the regulations imposed on them. Secondly, the user experience is key. If your cloud solution makes life harder for your colleagues, then they are unlikely to adopt and embrace it fully. This is why user awareness and training are so important when adopting the cloud. Let your colleagues know early on about the changes, why they are being made and provide the appropriate level of training so that it is a successful change for them.

What will influence cloud adoption over the next year?

Identity architecture will be a hot topic over the next year. Organisations are now waiting to transfer their identity to the cloud, maintaining a hybrid solution for longer than they might have done previously. This is because they want to protect their identity before fully committing to a cloud approach. The knock-on effect of this is likely that cloud vendors will adopt their solutions to provide more flexibility in hybrid environments.

Alongside this, cost optimisation will be a priority for many businesses. The global economy, as we all know, is tough right now and businesses will seek to reduce costs where possible. Businesses with existing cloud infrastructure will likely seek to ensure that they are only paying for the capability they are using, and nothing more. Businesses with hybrid or on-premise infrastructures are unlikely to make any moves to the cloud, waiting instead for more certainty in the economy that will give them the confidence to make changes.

Cloud vendors will adopt their solutions to provide more flexibility in hybrid environments.

There are specialist cloud skills that need to be learned on top of the fundamental network infrastructure knowledge.

How can business leaders support cloud adoption?

There can be a misconception around cloud adoption. Business leaders sometimes assume that because it sounds simple, they will be able to adopt and manage their cloud solution with their existing IT teams. But this is rarely the case. There are specialist cloud skills that need to be learned on top of the fundamental network infrastructure knowledge that should exist in the team. The most successful cloud adoptions are by businesses who have taken the time to honestly assess the level of skill and expertise within their organisation. This can be a complex process to do at times because cloud adoption may require new ways of working , however it is an important step in realising the full benefits of cloud.

Business leaders also need to realise that the cloud is not a playground. There needs to be a deep understanding of what the cloud means for the business and the security implications that come with utilising the cloud. At the end of the day, cybersecurity is the responsibility of the customer, not the cloud provider.

Uni Systems, a member of Quest Group, is a reliable ICT partner to companies and organisations in the European market. For nearly 60 years, Uni Systems have built trust with their customers through extensive solutions offering, strong partnerships and experienced people.