A Walk in the Clouds: Does it Make Business Sense?
It’s not always so obvious whether or not a business should really embracing cloud computing. In an effort to make things a little more clear, here are some likely scenarios where a walk in the cloud might be favorable.
Is your core business related to IT?
If you are in the information technology business, the cloud is not only imperative but unavoidable. If you are in the infrastructure side of the business, the future lies in the cloud. If you are other IT services side of the business, you still cannot avoid it. You should understand the technology, because it’s not unlikely that your clients will demand some flavor of cloud sooner or later. This experience will put you in good stead when you want to implement your software, application or utility in a cloud environment.
There is another scenario which is likely to play out in the near future. Most desktop software, previously sold as products, will soon be offered as services. SaaS or Software as a service, is the future of IT. It’s interesting to note that 33% of office suites will migrate to the cloud by 2016. This is a definite trend and not a passing fancy. Cloud technology and SaaS are made for each other. IT companies have to understand both if they want to move into the next phase of technology.
Is your business unrelated to technology?
Practically every business today is in some way related to technology. Maybe it’s the pharmaceutical business or auto manufacturing, you are still dependent on technology. Terms like ERP, SCM, BI, and big data have overwhelmed all businesses. Today a non-IT organization may not feel the need to use cloud computing, but their accountants and finance folks might be in need of a change. Cost cutting across this spectrum of activities means finding new ways to optimize and save.
Cloud computing offers a real alternative to traditional infrastructure in terms of saving money. One example is the pay-per-use model wherein the company is only charged for resources that it actually uses. This means that they get to maximize their expenditure. See GMO Cloud’s pricing which reflects this type of model. This factor alone will compel organizations to move to the cloud.
Conclusion
All businesses, whether IT related or otherwise, must explore the possibility of migrating to the cloud. The quicker they accept this change, the better it’s going to be for them. Cloud technology is a reality, one that holds great opportunities for all businesses.
Be Part of Our Cloud Conversation
Our articles are written to provide you with tools and information to meet your IT and cloud solution needs. Join us on Facebook and Twitter.
About the Guest Author:
Sankarambadi Srinivasan, ‘Srini’, is a maverick writer, technopreneur, geek and online marketing enthusiast rolled into one. He began his career as a Naval weapon specialist. Later, he sold his maiden venture and became head of an offshore Database administration company in Mumbai. He moved on as Chief Technology Officer of one of the largest online entities, where he led consolidation of 300 online servers and introduced several Web 2.0 initiatives. He holds a Master’s degree in Electronics and Telecommunication.
