Cloud adoption is growing drastically. According to Goldman Sachs, the cloud infrastructure and platform market is forecast to reach US$43 billion by 2018, growing at a 20% compound annual growth rate. However, most enterprises only run limited amounts of their workload in the cloud and one study even pointed out that almost half of the cloud projects were deemed by either external or internal technical auditors as being unsuccessful.
Cloud infrastructure is an important investment for companies. It will be a waste of resources if benefits promised by cloud deployment could not be fully realized, which is regretfully the majority of cases. Here are five top tips from our expert team to help you maximize the benefits of your cloud infrastructure.
1. Planning ahead with a long-term strategy
A well thought-out strategic cloud implementation plan will provide ease of integration and interoperability with existing IT services and facilitate adoption and management of the new technology across the enterprise. One of the core elements of planning is flexibility – while cloud solutions are able to address immediate needs, long-term goals and flexibility to adjust to evolving business needs should also be considered. Don’t forget to also include specific metrics to evaluate the benefits and optimize the infrastructure when needed.
2. Assembling the right team with expertise professionals
In the modern age of IT, those decisions are no longer made within the IT department only. A well-rounded cloud team can ensure the needs of key end-users are answered to promote a wider adoption. Moreover, considering the expertise of in-house IT teams, cloud infrastructure can often be handled by specialized talents from cloud service vendors, freeing up your internal team to focus on finding new competitive advantages for the business.
3. Changing the workflow
To maximize its potential, cloud infrastructure needs to be made an integral part of ongoing business planning and execution. Adjustments to the existing workflow and rethinking of the employee roles will be required for increased collaboration and adaptation. One of the key ways to maximize the use of cloud is to increase workforce mobility. Internet connection is all the employees need to access the files and programs regardless of their geographical locations or devices used.
4. Use cloud performance monitoring tools
Cloud performance monitoring tools can help prevent problems and improve end-user experience, which directly impacts the effectiveness and implementation of the new technology. Analyzing the data allows for end-user usage to be assessed and the cloud infrastructure optimized on a regular basis. The key is that performance on both mobile and desktop platforms should also be monitored.
5. Security
Given the key part that cloud infrastructure plays in the modern business, security should be front of mind. If the technology is not stored in-house, a verified vendor should be sought to manage the deployment. Meanwhile, data, no matter in transit or at rest, should always be encrypted. Organizations should also use security technologies, like firewalls and proxies, which are up to industry standards adopted by the public cloud providers, while adjusting it according to the company’s unique data flow.
