Long gone are the times when cloud services served nothing but the purpose of data storage and retrieval. Now the cloud strategies are the ones that can give your business the boom it needs.
WHAT IS CLOUD STRATEGY?
A cloud strategy is a short-detailed summary of all the activities and functions of cloud technology in a particular organization. A cloud strategy links all the non-technical and technical strategical measures of a company with the various functions such as its implementation, adoption, and migration.
CLOUD STRATEGY ROADMAP
When the experts develop a cloud strategy, they lay it out in a roadmap that serves as a visual communication tool to communicate the strategy to everyone involved in the plan. The roadmap has clear information of the processes an organization must go through to adopt the cloud features. It includes the major tasks, key deliverables, and all the important deadlines associated with the implication of the cloud strategy.
Generally, 5 stages are mandatory in a cloud strategy; they are:-
- The development of a plan of action is the primary step
- Next comes the preparation for the execution of the plan
- Establish the procedure and finalize the plan of action while mitigating as much risk as possible
- Optimise the final plan according to the needs and resources available and scale the functions and requirements
- Collaborate with various departments to ensure the uniform integration of cloud strategy
CLOUD STRATEGY EXAMPLES
There are various kinds of cloud strategy services, and one example of each of them is given below:
- Software-as-a-Service (Saas): The most popular kind of SaaS would be Google applications or Microsoft Teams
- Infrastructure-as-a-Service (Iaas): Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) are IaaS
- Platform-as-a-Service (Paas): Google App Engine can be considered a kind of PaaS
- File Sharing + Data Storage: Dropbox, Box, Google, Apple- all these give an option of file sharing and data storage
- Big Data Analysis: Civis Analytics, Microsoft Azure, Cloudera- all these contribute to big data analysis
- Data Governance: Carbonite and Egnyte can be cited as examples of Data Governing platforms
- Cybersecurity: Forcepoint and JumpCloud provide cyber security
THINGS YOU NEED TO CREATE A CLOUD STRATEGY TODAY
Here are the top 10 things you need to create a cloud strategy
- Change the perception of the cloud strategy- though it is for the IT department, it is not JUST for the IT industry
- Know how much can your small or large business be affected by the right implementation of the cloud strategy
- Make a list of the goals you wish to achieve by the implementation of the cloud strategy
- Choose the right cloud deployment model after assessing the condition and requirements of your company’s IT department
- Prioritize your goals and align the cloud strategy with the most important goal in focus.
- Review the situation of the service once to have decided to shift it to a cloud technology
- Do not forget to analyse the risks associated with the cloud service that you have chosen and take steps to mitigate it
- Communicate the new strategy to everyone in your organization who would be affected by it and prepare them for the implementation
- Launch the cloud strategy and reap its benefits
HOW DO WE BUILD A COMPREHENSIVE CLOUD STRATEGY?
Here is how you can develop a comprehensive cloud strategy in 7 easy steps
- If you plan to implement the cloud strategy in your business model, the understanding of this strategy should be conveyed beyond the IT department to the executives as well. This will help them understand, connect with, and thus apply it in business better.
- Draft a baseline that examines the entire scope, objectives, and limitations associated with the cloud strategy and make sure to stick to the baseline in the Future
- Choose the kind of service strategy that you are willing to implement- a public strategy, a strategy where you develop the solution of your requirements, or a hybrid model of service
- Make sure to discuss and limit the finances associated with the cloud strategy implementation covering important aspects like the transparency of funds, budgeting issues, and predicting any fluctuations.
- Plan on an inventory analysis to ensure you have detailed information on the workload taken care of by the cloud technology.
- Though cloud technologies are pretty safe, do not rule out the need for cloud security! Especially when it comes to public cloud providers, you cannot let sensitive organizational data get in their hands. This is why there is a need to develop a cloud security strategy.
- Ensure that you have the right support team in your organization to ensure the successful implementation of the cloud strategy- skilled employees, infrastructural facilities, technology, equipment, and even the right managers.
MYTHS ABOUT CLOUD STRATEGY
Here we have debunked the top 3 most common cloud strategy myths:
Myth #1: It is very difficult to migrate to the cloud
Truth: It is not complicated to migrate to the cloud. With the help of the right expert, the entire migration process becomes seamless and swift.
Myth #2: It is safer to save data on an onsite drive than save it on a hosted cloud
Truth: The onsite data saving would need physical security and cyber security, which is very difficult to get if you are in an organization with many different employees. Cloud security is a safer option.
Myth 3: The data stored on the public cloud is accessible to the public
Truth: “Public” essentially is a term that indicates that the host offers services to everyone (like Google). This same company may store millions of different databases, but those are not individually accessible to their clients. No one can access your data but you. On the other hand, a private cloud is a kind of cloud service that does not offer its services to any other party, and you are its exclusive user.
THE FUTURE OF CLOUD
Cloud strategy is rapidly evolving and expanding its scope of application. As a result, experts have predicted the following developments to be expected in cloud technology shortly.
- The storage capacity will increase tremendously, and the cloud servers will provide large storage spaces in small amounts due to better technology and stiff competition coupled with higher demand
2. The need for hardware setups will reduce considerably since most of the storage will be cloud-based, making the data storage and retrieving more economical and quicker.
- Better security systems will be developed for cloud systems because much of the highly sensitive, confidential data will be saved that would need to be protected from cyber-attacks.
- It is estimated that with the further development of SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS, about 60% of the workload will be shared by the cloud strategies to make the functions more reliable, easier, and quicker.
- Cloud computing would revolutionize the way data is analysed by linking two machines and establishing a communication channel between them. This would greatly increase the speed and accuracy of data processing with minimum human involvement to minimize the scope of human error.
With the stiffening competition, you do not want your business to lag in the race. Therefore, implementing a cloud strategy can prove extremely beneficial for your company’s performance.
Highbar Technocrat is one of the leading end-to-end IT solution providers for the Infrastructure, EC&O, Real Estate, and Power sectors. They are SAP Gold partner and offer a wide bouquet of digitally integrated solutions ranging from implementing SAP-based ERP solutions like RISE with S/4HANA, Cloud-based solutions to 5D BIM for mega infra-projects, RPA & IoT solutions, and many more. With an in-depth understanding and core competence of the construction & infrastructure industry, Highbar is the perfect blend of domain knowledge in the infrastructure business with a team that is well equipped to understand and relate to the requirements of the sector.
To know more write us at enquiry@highbartech.com or call +91 89767 11399
