Why Your Business Needs A Cloud Computing Strategy
Here’s why your business needs a cloud computing strategy, and why the major companies are finding themselves embroiled in a cloud-computing arms race.
Few technological innovations have been as disruptive in recent memory as cloud technology, which has upended the way that businesses manage their digital operations. Since the early days of its introduction to society, cloud technology has been proudly championed by many in the tech community yet nonetheless finds itself ignored by many in the business community who should know better. Why is it that business owners should be focusing on the cloud, anyway?
The cloud is someone else’s computer
Before we dive into the reasons that your business needs a cloud computing strategy, it’s worth talking about what “the cloud” actually is. In short, whenever someone says that an application is “running on the cloud” or that your business data is “stored on the cloud,” what they’re really saying is that someone else’s computer at a distant location is taking care of the digital work on your behalf. There’s no actual pie-in-the-sky cloud hovering in the air somewhere, but rather the term effectively means that you’re outsourcing the job to someone else’s server, which was likely purpose-built to manage such a responsibility.
Understanding that the cloud is effectively someone else’s computer is crucially important, as the way you conceive of this technology in your head will be important towards how you actually leverage it for commercial goals. Furthermore, many small business owners and new entrepreneurs in particular find themselves to be the victim of IT-savvy specialists who recommend many expensive cloud services without ever actually explaining what they are or how they’re useful. Knowing the basic terminology and how the technology actually functions is important if you want to avoid getting ripped off.
It’s also worthwhile to survey the work of successful businesses when it comes to cloud adoption. If you’re someone interested in embracing the power of cloud services but isn’t particularly tech savvy, your business isn’t likely to form a coherent cloud computing strategy anytime soon. That’s why business owners should be setting some time aside to read up on and learn from the leaders in cloud infrastructure adoption, as following their successful example can help you avoid foolish mistakes.
Cloud computing allows you to level the playing field
The primary reason that any small business needs a cloud computing strategy is that it enables them to level the playing field when competing against major corporations, whose primary advantage is their seemingly-endless assets which can be leveraged to pummel smaller businesses into submission. Cloud services offer small businesses the computing power that’s traditionally only been available to major corporate players with plenty of financial heft to throw around. McKinsey’s breakdown of cloud services that small businesses can rely on notes that small businesses which have thorough cloud computing strategies see their costs of running digital operations slim down in no time.
It’s not only mom and pop shops that can benefit from harnessing the power of cloud computing, either, but also newer firms which are trying to establish themselves in the corporate playing field. Recent research proved beyond a doubt that cloud computing is bolstering the prospects of newer firms while giving entrenched industry leaders reasons to rethink the complacency that’s set in since they developed a monopoly in their marketplace. By bolstering newer firms, cloud computing services will doubtlessly find themselves in demand for the foreseeable future simply because they help make the marketplace an even playing ground.
Having a cloud vendor to rely upon, according to this finding, is also a huge stress-reliever for most business owners, especially if the head honcho who’s so used to calling the shots isn’t particularly tech savvy and wants to outsource digital responsibility to others. In most cases, cloud vendors handle things like updating your software and managing data backups, though it’s always important to consider what will happen if you rely on a shoddy vendor. Thoroughly vetting cloud vendors is an important part of any small business digitization strategy, so be aware of the fact that the vendors you partner will have a huge say in the future success of your company.
With the right vendor at your side, your company can drastically lower its IT costs while making it digital operations more appealing to customers, so take your time and invest heavily in picking the right vendor. Fraud is something every business owner has to be aware of but being especially aware of IT fraud and illegitimate cloud services is an increasingly important part of running a successful business in the 21st century, where digital technology reigns supreme.
You need a strategy to keep you on track
If your business doesn’t have a cloud computing strategy, there’s no way you can stay on track when trying to steer your company towards a digital future. Having an overarching vision is essential towards long-term success as a company, and those business owners who don’t invest in a cloud computing strategy are effectively betting that they can successfully maintain their IT operations by themselves for the foreseeable future, a risky gamble.
Spend plenty of time thoroughly vetting your vendors until you find the right partner but understand that the sooner you form a cloud computing strategy, the better. Before long, your company will be using its new cloud computing strategy to cut down on the costs of digitization while outsourcing complex IT work to more capable experts elsewhere.